Former rector and author of Fight the Good Fight to be remembered in Ballycastle ParishSt James’s Church, Parish of Ramoan, Ballycastle (Connor Diocese) will hold a Service of Thanksgiving to celebrate the 200th Anniversary of the birth of the Revd Dr John Bewley Samuel Monsell (1811-1875) on Sunday 6 March 2011 at 11.30 a.m. The celebrant will be Canon Kenneth Ruddock, Diocesan Curate, and the address will be given by the Very Revd Dr Godfrey Brown, former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church.
The Revd J.B.S. Monsell, who was born in Londonderry, was a one-time Rector of Ramoan (1838-9; he was responsible for the erection of Ballycastle Parish Church) and was Chancellor of Connor (1847-53) before moving to England. He wrote 11 volumes of poems and 300 hymns during his lifetime. His popular hymns were published in several hymnals, were bible-based and included the well-known ‘Fight the good fight with all thy might’ and ‘Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness’