Tributees have been paid to the former Presbyterian Moderator Dr John Girvan, who died yesterday aged 85.
Elected moderator in 1981, Dr Girvan was a trenchant critic of loyalist violence.
He was the first Protestant church leader to condemn Dr Ian Paisley's call for the killing of Provisional IRA gunmen in November of that year and attracted bitter criticism from hard-liners when he urged members of his congregation to turn loyalist terrorists over to the security forces.
Last night the present Moderator, Dr Russell Birney, described Dr Girvan as "an outstanding pastor, evangelist and man of God".
Born in Killinchy, Co Down on August 6, 1917, Dr Girvan trained as a coachbuilder and worked with the Harkness firm in Belfast before joining the Belfast City Mission, where he served for five years.
After studying at Magee College, Derry, Trinity College Dublin and Assembly's College, Belfast, he was ordained minister for the Carlisle Road congregation, in Derry, in 1956.
In 1966 he was appointed a minister of Bethany in Belfast and in 1972 was called to Hill Street congregation. Lurgan. Dr Girvan's first wife was disabled, which prompted him to help found the Disabled Christian Fellowship, established to minister to people unable to attend church.
As moderator, Dr Girvan copper-fastened his reputation as a strong opponent of sectarian conflict, condemning extremist anti-Catholic rhetoric as "a road which leads to hopelessness".
He is survived by his wife, Mary. Dr Girvan's funeral service will be held tomorrow at 11 a.m. in Greenwell Street Presbyterian Church, Newtownards, Co Down.