REVEREND SAMUEL MCILVEEN, B.A.
20th June 1907-23rd December 1970
Samuel McIlveen was brought up in First Portadown congregation and as a boy he had thought of service in the mission field. He was educated at Armagh Royal School, then Queen’s University where he obtained an Honours degree after which he studied at Assembly’s College, Belfast, going to Canada to engage in missionary work after his first year. He was licensed by the Presbytery of Armagh on 12th November 1926, before going to York Street Presbyterian Church, Belfast for two years as an assistant. After this he received a call to St. Johnston, County Donegal, and was ordained there on the 24th May 1928. It was while he was here that he met and married Miss Ruth Elizabeth Edmiston, M.B., of Londonderry on the 3rd July 1930 in Great James Street Presbyterian Church, Londonderry.
After four-and-a-half years at St. Johnston, the Reverend McIlveen was installed in the Cuningham Memorial Presbyterian Church on 24th November 1932. During his time here, sadly on the 21st May 1955 Ruth, his wife died. At Carnlough Methodist Church in 1959 he married Miss Eileen Bailey, Oldham. Miss Bailey was on the teaching staff of Cambridge House School, Ballymena, for several years. She had a degree in geography and theology and was a qualified lay preacher in the Methodist Church.
He took a keen interest in the Sunday School and encouraged the yearly oral examination. His knowledge of the bible was intimate and extensive, and his brethren in the Genevan Clerical Circle knew his ability in getting to the heart of the text of scripture and in setting forth the truth in a logical and convincing manner.
On his twenty-first anniversary as the minister of the Cuningham Memorial the congregation showed their grateful appreciation for his work by clothing him in new purple robes and presenting him with a gold watch.
The Reverend McIlveen had a wide knowledge and appreciation of music, he took a keen interest in the praise service of the church. He was a member of the Choral Union Committee and was deeply involved with the annual Festival of Praise.
Sadly, over a number of years the Reverend McIlveen’s eyesight was failing, and at a meeting of Presbytery at the beginning of June 1968 he announced his decision to retire at the end of the month and during the morning service on Sunday 30th June he announced to the congregation that he was “laying down the charge that he had received in 1932.” The Reverend and Mrs McIlveen remained faithful members of the congregation.
The Reverend McIlveen had a relatively short retirement as sadly on the 23rd December 1970 he died suddenly, having earlier in the week attended the performance of Christmas music in the church.
He was laid to rest in Seagoe Cemetery in Portadown and a Memorial Service was held on Sunday 3rd January 1971.