Seconded Minister for City church

Originally from Chesington in Surrey, the 36-year-old temporary Superintendent, Rev Paul Gallucci, met his wife, Paula (from Lisburn), in England, and when the opportunity presented itself the couple moved here.

They have four boys, ranging in age from eight to two, Reuben, Joel, Benji and Theo.

“When I asked if her father if I could marry Paula he said ‘It is against the law to now live here if you marry her’,” he said, going on to reveal that his is a graduate of Queen’s University, Birmingham, and was a Minister in England before making the joint decision to move to Northern Ireland when the opportunity presented itself.

“We had got to know the church a wee bit from visiting back here. We just loved the church and the people here so we were very pleased when we got the call to come over here,” Rev Gallucci said.

That was five years ago, and the couple became based in Newtownards. Paul is now serving in Limavady and at Carlisle Road, acting up for Rev Murray.

“We came to the city in July. It has been really good. There are lots of different working parts, because I have my own church in the Limavady area and here, as well as the duties associated with acting as Superintendent,” he said, adding that he also had in-put into the North West Methodist Mission Men’s Hostel at Crawford Square.

“It is really great. There’s lots of great work going on and I am pleased to be a part of it and serving and trying to do what Jesus would do if he was here,” he said.

Asked what his aims were or what he might add of himself to the churches in Limavady and Londonderry, he said Limavady was a great place to live and Carlisle Road had great history and he was Looking forward to developing the work the church did in the wider community.

A graduate of the arts, Paul studies arts illustration and was doing well in his field, harbouring aspirations to work for the international company that is Disney, and got as far as art college before obeying the inner voice to move into Ministry.

“My heart was really set on working for Disney and getting to Disney academy, but by the end of the year by heart was on the side of the church and serving God,” he said.

Another ‘string’ to Paul’s bow is that he is a great fan of music and was even in a band, fittingly called ‘Ark’, and they did rather well too.

As a vocalist he had a prominent position within the group, and who knows, he may even bring some of that to his Ministry here too.

“I will be trying to get a good balance in church but the important thing is to keep it authentic, but I will bring a balance of music. What you do during the week is what is important,” he said.