Popular minister's journey to lead his flock in Port Glasgow

Reverend William Boyle has been the minister at Port Glasgow New Parish Church for four years now.

But the popular church leader admits that the feeling that "he wasn't good enough" nearly stopped him following a career path which, only eventually, led him from the aisles of the supermarket into those of the church.

Born and raised in Greenock, the suggestion that William should become a minister goes all the way back to the classroom.

"When I was leaving school, the minister and one of my teachers suggested that I joined the ministry," he said.

"I said that I was too shy. I didn't think I would have the confidence to stand up in front of people.

As well as being minister at Port Glasgow New Parish Church, William Boyle is also chaplain to the Ferguson Marine Engineering yard. (Image: George Munro)

"I thought there was no way I could do that job. I didn't feel I was good enough."

William, 40, was brought up in the Mallard Crescent area of Greenock, the son of Janet and Billy and big brother to Lisa, and went to Lady Alice Primary School and Greenock Academy.

While he was a regular attendee at St Margaret's Church in Finch Road, William had no intention of becoming a man of the cloth, even though other people could see his potential.

Instead he went to James Watt College, as it then was, to study for an HND in public admin.

William said: "Originally I wanted to be a police officer, and while I was at college, I had a part-time job in Safeway, where Morrisons is now.

"It turned out that I really liked business management. I stayed there for three and a half years, then moved to Tesco in 2004.

"I started at the check-outs, then became a team leader, then went on the management programme.

"It gave me lots of skills I needed to do the job I have now.

"I worked in several stores in Glasgow, and then I was asked to go to the Republic of Ireland as part of a support team to help out while stores were being refurbished.

"I worked across the whole of Ireland, from Dublin to Sligo. I loved Ireland, and the people were amazing.

"I nearly ended up staying there. I still visit there on holiday, it's such a beautiful place."

But William did return home when his time working in Ireland was at an end. And it was then that he began to question what he was doing with his life.

He said: "I started to work at a store near the Clyde Tunnel, and we worked with a charity Sense Scotland, which supports deaf and blind children.

William Boyle has been the minister at Port Glasgow New Parish Church for the last four years. (Image: Alex Craig)

"I loved it, it gave me such a sense of fulfilment, and my colleagues even remarked that my face lit up when I was working with the charity.

"One night when we were tidying up the job, my colleague said 'why don't you become a minister?' And that's when I really started to look at the future."

William's much-loved late grandmother, Chrissie Boyle, who passed away last year at the age of 92, took William's destiny into her own hands and spoke to the minister at St Margaret's for advice.

William did, too, and the rest is history.

Coincidentally, given his early career ambition to join the police, he spent part of his training at the police college at Tulliallan, in Fife, going through what's known as an 'inquiry stage'.

Then followed a series of interviews and assessments before a degree in divinity through the University of the Highlands and Islands, achieved first through remote learning and then, latterly, at a hub in Paisley.

William, who is also the chaplain to the Ferguson Marine shipyard, says he feels that fate played a hand in ensuring that his path, eventually, led not only to God and to the ministry, but back home to Inverclyde.

"My first placement was at Port Glasgow New Parish Church, then St Andrew's, with the Reverend Andrew McLean," he recalled, "and the final Tesco store I worked in was in Port Glasgow. Now I am back in the town.

"I love Port Glasgow. I just love the people. They are so supportive, and they tell it as it is, which is great.

"There's a real sense of community. People are so passionate about their town."

The Tesco store in Port Glasgow was the last one William worked at before pursuing his new vocation as a minister. (Image: George Munro)

The number of Church of Scotland worshippers as a whole is slowly but steadily falling away, but Port Glasgow New Parish is actually bucking the trend: something modest William says is all down to the relationship he and the members of the congregation, the people he calls his "church family", have built up amongst themselves and with the wider local community.

Many of the activities offered by the church are aimed not just at the congregation but at the wider community, including its Walk and Talk and walking football groups, the Port Parish Friends, its after school club for children with additional support needs, and the Dove Cafe for people with dementia and their carers.

William said: "We have lots of links with the community through our playgroup, through the local schools, and through my work as shipyard chaplain.

"We also use social media, which is often seen as a bad thing, but it is a way to engage with young people.

"Through these groups, people come into our church and find out that ministers are just normal everyday people. They know that any day of the week they can pop into the church; our door is always open."

William, who has also spoken out in favour of same sex marriages, says everyone is welcome at the New Parish.

"This is very important," he says. "Everyone is welcome at our church.

The Dove Cafe, for people with or affected by dementia, is one of many groups for the wider community hosted by Port Glasgow New Parish Church. (Image: Duncan Bryceland)

"I conducted my first same sex marriage this year. Love is love. It shouldn’t matter who you love and who you want to spend your life with."

The minister, who looks younger than his 40 years, says youth is also on his side.

"I think people have this perception that ministers are older people and are quite surprised, he said.

"Someone at a funeral was surprised when they saw me, saying they'd expected someone older.

"It does help when you are speaking to teenagers. Members of the Boys Brigade are always asking me questions."

A self-confessed workaholic, William admits that he finds it difficult to switch off, and says ministers are always on duty.

"It's not a 9am to 6pm job," he admits. "I could get called to visit the IRH at eight o'clock at night.

"I just love working with people, both at happy times in their lives, such as weddings, and sad times, at their loved ones funerals.

"It's a real privilege to share people's lives."

When he's not working, William enjoys walking and catching up with friends.

The summer Picnic in the Park is one of many activities helping Port Glasgow New Parish Church build stronger links with the community. (Image: Contributed)

He is also a member of the local boxing club run by personal trainer Michelle Orr, and he is just about to start learning how to play the piano.

"It's something I've always wanted to do," he says. 

"I've got the piano, now I'm just trying to organise someone to teach me."

Find out more about what's happening at Port Glasgow New Parish Church at newparishchurchportglasgow.uk or at the 'Port Glasgow New Parish  Church' page on Facebook.