Minister of Religion
Foster was ordained a minister of the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster in 1968. His first pastoral charge was as minister of Lisbellaw (later called Bethel) Free Presbyterian Church in April 1968. Since 1978, he has served as minister of Kilskeery Free Presbyterian Church, Old Junction Road, Kilskeery, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. His weekly sermons are broadcast in parts of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland on Christian and community radio stations, including Community Radio 102.9 FM (County Mayo), Radio Star Country, 981 AM (County Monaghan) and Radio North Country, 846 AM (County Donegal).
Since March 1970, he has edited The Burning Bush, a magazine describing itself as 'a Protestant witness in a time of Apostasy', which began live as a congregational newsletter. This magazine is not an official publication of the Free Presbyterian Church, but it is nevertheless influential in shaping the views of some Free Presbyterians. Originally distributed free of charge, a subscription fee was set in 1999. Foster also operates a Christian fundamentalist website. He has also undertaken evangelical missions in Canada and was for many years the head of the Free Presbyterian Education Board.
Foster has also gained a reputation as an outspoken critic. He has denounced the Belfast-born Christian writer and apologist C.S. Lewis as an 'apostate'. He is also outspokenly in favour of corporal punishment and in 2001, in response to a public debate about the British government's plans to ban corporal punishment in the home, he condemned the NSPCC as having a part in an 'evil' plan to abolish it. Foster retired from the ministry of Kilskeery Free Presbyterian Church in November 2008. He remains active as a minister in his retirement.
As a minister during the Troubles Foster was involved in the funerals of a number of loyalists. He also conducted the funeral of Larne UVF man Sinclair Johnston in 1972, although in this case Foster and Johnston were related.
Read more about this topic: Ivan Foster
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