For whatever obscure and personal reasons, today always feels like the beginning of the build-up to the General Assembly season to me.  There is something about the first Tuesday in February and the vote of the presbyteries of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland for their General Assembly Moderator that perks up my interest and makes me look ahead to the upcoming GA season.  But enough waxing poetic... Let's get down to business.

In the PC Ireland today the 19 presbyteries gathered in their traditional simultaneous meetings and elected...

Rev. Ivan Patterson, pastor of Newcastle Presbyterian Church. He was on the ballot last year and received four votes in the first round.  This year he received a very strong 12 out of 19 votes. Rev. Patterson is quoted as saying "I am absolutely overwhelmed to be elected as Moderator. I am very happy to serve the Church and to represent its members but am somewhat daunted by the thought of the year ahead."

There were four others on this year's ballot:

• Rev. Joseph Andrews, Ballee Presbyterian Church (2 votes)
• Rev. Rob Craig, Kilfennan Presbyterian Church (1 vote)
• Rev. Roy Mackay, Second Presbyterian Church, Comber, also on the ballot last year (1 vote)
• Rev. Roy Patton, Ballygilbert Presbyterian Church (3 votes)

From the PC Ireland press release in advance of the election, here is the brief biographical sketch for the Rev. Patterson.

Rev. Ivan Patterson Minister of Newcastle, Ivan was born in 1949 and in 1980 was ordained as Assistant in First Bangor. In 1982 he was installed as minister of Bushvale before accepting a call to Newcastle in 1991. He convened the Youth International and Inter Church Committee between 1984 and 1989, the Youth Board from 1989 until 1993 and the Reception of Ministers and Licentiates Committee in 2008. He is currently Clerk of the Iveagh Presbytery, a post he has held since 1995.

Thanks to @cherylmeban for the first tweet.  The results were just announced with an official announcement and additional media reports should be released shortly.  I will update here.

My congratulations to Rev. Patterson and best wishes and prayers for his moderatorial year.