Norman Hamilton

For the U.S. Representative from Virginia, see Norman R. Hamilton.

• Trinity College Dublin
• Union Theological College

The Reverend Norman Hamilton OBE
Hamilton in 2014
Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland
In office June 2010 –June 2011
Occupation	Minister (formerly)
Religious life
Religion	Presbyterian
Denomination	Presbyterian Church in Ireland
Church	Ballysillan Presbyterian Church

Norman Hamilton, OBE (born 6 October 1946) was Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland from June 2010 - June 2011. ^{[1] [2]}

Early life

Hamilton was born in Magheralin, County Down. He went to primary school in Magheralin and Lurgan, before then attending the Portadown College grammar school. He met his wife, Evelyn, while studying Economics at Trinity College Dublin. ^[3]

Career

After graduation he worked as a civil servant for some time before moving to England for a staff position at the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship. After four years, he returned to study Theology at the Union Theological College in Belfast. ^[3]

Following graduation, he was an assistant minister at the Lowe Memorial Presbyterian Church for six years before he became a minister at Ballysillan Presbyterian in north Belfast. Hamilton served as a minister at the Ballysillan church for twenty-six years until retiring in 2014. ^[3]

In 2001, Hamilton played a key role in bringing the Holy Cross dispute to an end. ^[4]

In February 2010, Hamilton tied with Newtownards-based Norman McAuley in an election to elect a new moderator for the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. ^[5] Following another election in March, Hamilton succeeded Stafford Carson as Moderator after securing the votes of 11 of 19 presbyteries. ^{[6] [7]} He served as moderator for a year before Ivan Patterson succeeded him in June 2011. ^[2]

In 2021, Hamilton joined the SDLP's 'New Ireland Commission'. ^[8]

Awards

Hamilton was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II during the 2007 New Year Honours for his services to community relations in Northern Ireland. ^{[3] [9]}

References

1. Buckler, Chris; McKeown, Lesley Anne (4 April 2023). "Stormont stalemate hurting the poorest - former Presbyterian moderator". BBC News . Retrieved 3 March 2025.
2. "Moderator warns over sectarianism". Irish Independent . 5 June 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
3. McCreary, Alf (15 June 2019). "Norman Hamilton: We obsess on a few issues but almost totally ignore sectarianism, homelessness, poverty and paramilitarism which affect thousands". Belfast Telegraph . Retrieved 3 March 2025.
4. "Holy Cross left me close to tears, says Presbyterian Moderator". Belfast Telegraph . 4 March 2010. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
5. "Presbyterian election ends in a tie". RTÉ News . 3 February 2010. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
6. "Rev Norman Hamilton new Presbyterian moderator". BBC News . 2 March 2010. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
7. "Hamilton to be Presbyterian moderator". The Irish Times . 3 March 2010. Archived from the original on 3 March 2025. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
8. Hamilton, Norman (13 May 2021). "Dr Norman Hamilton: Why I joined the SDLP's New Ireland Commission". The Irish News . Retrieved 3 March 2025.
9. "The complete New Year Honours lists" (PDF). BBC News . 30 December 2006. p. 26. Retrieved 3 March 2025.

Presbyterian Church titles
Preceded by Stafford Carson (2009)	Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland 2010	Succeeded by Ivan Patterson (2011)