Pastor James McConnell: End of a remarkable and often controversial life

Nevertheless, Pastor McConnell’s remarks offended many people, and he argued his case badly, particularly in a BBC television interview on the Nolan Show, where he was totally out of his depth. Even though some close supporters were embarrassed by the whole episode, he retained the affection of his devoted followers. John McCreedy, a former communications director at the Whitewell Church, said: “We’ve all lost a loving leader, a legend in Gospel preaching, and also a true friend. His commitment and passion for ministry were exceptional.”

Pastor McConnell, who died on Saturday morning at the Royal Victoria Hospital, received many public tributes, including those from DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, First Minister Paul Givan and others.

James McConnell personified the deeply-ingrained tradition of Ulster evangelism where people who are “saved” will go to Heaven but the “unsaved” will not.

Jim McConnell, known to his church members as ‘the Bishop’ or ‘Pastor Jim’, was his own man. His mother perished in a later childbirth and his father and other family members died from TB. He developed a strong determination to succeed and he turned down a career as a professional footballer with Newcastle United to become a pastor

He claimed to have “found Christ” at seven in the Iron Mission Hall, and after a time as a preacher in Newcastle-upon Tyne he returned to found his Whitewell Metropolitan Ministry, first in a smaller church overlooking the motorway and latterly in the huge Metropolitan Tabernacle on the Shore Road.

His powerful preaching attracted large audiences, including the former DUP leader Peter Robinson and his wife Iris. He also claimed to have had an encounter with Gerry Adams, and he extended his preaching to venues outside Whitewell, including at a large rally in west Belfast. He also founded an orphanage in Romania, which he then closed abruptly, and he funded missionary work in Africa.

James McConnell was at heart an old-fashioned Gospel preacher whose main mission in life was to save souls. Years ago he and I spent time together when I was writing his in-depth profile for the Belfast Telegraph. He showed me his extensive home library, of which he was very proud, and also his detailed archive of sermons in his church.

For a man of such achievements he could be thin-skinned. He once asked a former editor of this newspaper to reprimand or remove me as religion correspondent because I had been very critical of him in my weekly column over his remarks about Islam. However, we later shared breakfast and made it up, despite our profound theological differences.

At heart he was a likeable, sincere man who helped to change many lives for the better, and that was his greatest reward. He is survived by his wife Margaret, his daughters Linda and Julie and the wider family.