New President Rev Donald P Ker

Donald is the youngest of three sons born to the Rev. Ernest and Mrs. Mary Ker. He received his primary and secondary education at Methodist College Belfast. His university career began at Trinity College Dublin where he graduated with a BA in Classics. He also holds an honours Batchelor of Divinity and a Master of Theology degrees from Queen's University, Belfast. His theological training for the Methodist Church in Ireland was at Edgehill Theological College, Belfast.

The President-designate served as a Circuit minister for two separate periods, one in Bray Co. Wicklow, the other as Superintendent Minister of the Belfast Central Mission. It was from this appointment that he was elected as Secretary of Conference and General Secretary of the Methodist Church in Ireland at the Conference of 2007.

The larger part of Donald Ker's ministry has been in the field of academia. He has been the Methodist Chaplain to the Universities and Colleges of Dublin as well as Queen's University Belfast. In 1991 he was appointed Senior Tutor in Edgehill Theological College where his main teaching subject and research interest was in the area of New Testament. For a period he served as Director of Studies in the Institute of Theology in Queen's University Belfast. He has also held membership of many of the Methodist Church's senior Committees.

The Rev. Donald Ker is married to Sandra and they have four adult children all of whom are married. Among his leisure interests, he lists "Classic Cars at the budget end of the market!"