Ballynahinch

The Rev. Victor Neill was born and bred in the Ballynahinch area. His wife Barbara is Scottish. They first met at Bible college in Swansea - where they discovered they had mutual far-distant McCracken ancestors.

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For the past 11 years he was minister at Bangor Congregational Church.  Prior to that he worked full time with The Evangelisation Society, missioning in Great Britain and at home in Ireland.

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Victor was educated at Skeogh Primary School, and is familiar with the Dromara and Kinallen areas. His last school year was at what is now Ballynahinch High School. He has fond memories of the late Sidney McCullough and late Charles Rutledge, and attended the school’s 50th Anniversary celebrations about 10 years ago.

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He and Barbara lived in the flat above Miss Annie Magowan’s shop as their first married home. (Miss Magowan herself was a Congregational stalwart. Magowan’s Fashions on Ballynahinch Main Street is still there, now much enlarged). Their children, two boys and a girl, joined the Boy’s and Girl’s Brigade at Ballynahinch Congregational. Most of Victor’s relatives still live near the town.

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Victor Neill is friendly, approachable, and unassuming, and he wants it that way. At his induction he told his new congregation he doesn’t want ministers to be put on a pedestal; he sees himself as the servant of his Lord and His Church. He takes the traditional view that Ministers should visit members of their flock in their homes, particularly the sick, the bereaved, and the elderly.

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(Taken from an article written by Mr Horace Reid)