David McConaghie

David McConaghie (born 1965) is a political and religious activist in Northern Ireland, prominent until late 2012 in evangelicalism, creationism and unionist politics.
Religious activities
McConaghie had been minister of Maghaberry Elim Pentecostal Church before moving to the Free Presbyterian Church and was seen as a contender to replace the Rev. Ian Paisley as the church moderator.
He has also been a senior member of the Independent Orange Order The National Trust included a "younger Earth" version of the origins of the Giant's Causeway at the visitor centre. The Foundation also lobbied in opposition to a Marie Stopes clinic in Belfast and same-sex marriage, and McConaghie met senior personnel from education bodies to lobby for the inclusion of a creationist viewpoint in the Northern Ireland curriculum. In November 2012 the Caleb Foundation announced that McConaghie had "voluntarily stepped down" from his role as its press officer.
Political career
In October 2000, while still a pastor in the Elim church, McConaghie was appointed as one of five church representatives to the Civic Forum for Northern Ireland, a consultative body created under the Good Friday Agreement to advise the Executive. The Forum met in plenary 12 times before being in effect wound up with the suspension of devolved government in 2002. The Forum was never formally dissolved although it was indicated in 2011 that it would not be reconvened. McConaghie's contributions in the Forum included objecting, in December 2000, to the provision of simultaneous interpretation facilities enabling other Forum members to use the Irish language.
McConaghie was employed by the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in the Upper Bann constituency from at least 2004, providing support for Stephen Moutray, MLA, and serving as election agent for David Simpson, MLA, who in 2005 became MP for Upper Bann. He also served as Simpson's adviser, press officer and speech writer. McConaghie played a major role in the DUP's 2005 election campaign in which Simpson won the Upper Bann seat from the Ulster Unionist Party leader David Trimble.
McConaghie, who is married in September 2012. He no longer holds any office in the DUP.<ref name="ITimes"/>

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu