The Church of Ireland Diocese of Connor

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Appointment of Associate Minister of Dunmurry, Kilmakee and Upper Falls

Sunday November 1st 2026

The Rev Erin Gilmour has been appointed Associate Minister of Dunmurry, Kilmakee and Upper Falls.

The Rev Erin Gilmour, Associate Minister of the Bridge Mission Hub in the Diocese of Coventry, has been appointed Associate Minister of Dunmurry, Kilmakee and Upper Falls, Diocese of Connor.

Erin grew up in Newtownards. She attended Bloomfield Collegiate and has a Degree in Geography from Kingston University, London.

“I was brought up in the Church, but like a lot of people wandered off in my late teens,” Erin said. “I came back to faith when I was around 23 and started to volunteer with a youth group at Bangor Elim Church. From there, I got a real passion for youth work.”

Erin retrained as a youth worker at Belfast Bible College, at the same time as working full-time with Teleperformance UK Ltd.

“I really wanted to be a youth worker in a church so I could share my faith as part of my job, but I was unable to find a job in Northern Ireland,” Erin said.

In 2010, she took up a youth worker position at Holy Trinity Church in Richmond-Upon-Thames, and was encouraged by the vicar, the Rev Trevor Patterson, himself a native of Northern Ireland, to seek ordination in the Anglican Church.

She was ordained a deacon in Southwark Cathedral in 2019, and a priest in 2020. She served her curacy in St Mary’s Church, Reigate, Surrey, before being appointed Associate Minister of the Mission Hub of the Bridge Benefice, Coventry.

“I find great joy preaching and sharing the Gospel, I am definitely evangelistic by nature,” said Erin.

“The missional aspect of the post in Dunmurry, Kilmakee and Upper Falls really attracted me, and I am excited about bringing everything I have learned in the Church of England home.”

Erin said she was also looking forward to being closer to her family who remain in Newtownards.

The Grouped Parishes of Dunmurry, Kilmakee and Upper Falls are embarking on an exciting new partnership in the Diocese of Connor, and Erin is looking forward to being part of the journey as the parishes grow and work together.

“I’m passionate about equipping and empowering the local church to grow in confidence in the Gospel, deepen their discipleship and make a lasting difference in their communities, and I hope that that’s what I can bring to these three churches,” she said.

When she is not working, Erin enjoys an eclectic mix of pastimes, including swimming, a good walk by the sea, period dramas, and, above all, meeting people in coffee shops for good coffee and a good chat!

A date for Erin’s Service of Introduction in Dunmurry, Kilmakee and Upper Falls will be announced in due course.

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