Ivan Foster (born 1943) is a retired senior
minister in the
Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster
:''Distinct from Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland and Free Church of Scotland (post 1900)''
The Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster ( ga, Eaglais Phreispitéireach Saor Uladh) is a Calvinist denomination founded by Ian Paisley in 1951. Doctr ...
and a former
Democratic Unionist Party
The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is a unionist, loyalist, and national conservative political party in Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1971 during the Troubles by Ian Paisley, who led the party for the next 37 years. Currently led by J ...
politician. He was a lifelong friend and associate of the Democratic Unionist politician and Free Presbyterian Church leader
Ian Paisley
Ian Richard Kyle Paisley, Baron Bannside, (6 April 1926 – 12 September 2014) was a Northern Irish loyalist politician and Protestant religious leader who served as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) from 1971 to 2008 and First ...
, who along with Foster and
Peter Robinson, co-founded the organisation
Ulster Resistance
Ulster Resistance (UR), or the Ulster Resistance Movement (URM), is an Ulster loyalism, Ulster loyalist Ulster loyalism#Paramilitary and vigilante groups, paramilitary movement established by the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in Northern Irela ...
in 1986 with the aim of importing Arms to support Loyalist Paramilitarism during "
the troubles
The Troubles ( ga, Na Trioblóidí) were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it is sometimes described as an "i ...
", but in November 2006 he became the most prominent Free Presbyterian to openly challenge
Ian Paisley
Ian Richard Kyle Paisley, Baron Bannside, (6 April 1926 – 12 September 2014) was a Northern Irish loyalist politician and Protestant religious leader who served as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) from 1971 to 2008 and First ...
's decision to enter into a power-sharing government with
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin ( , ; en, " eOurselves") is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active throughout both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
The original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur Gri ...
and went on to denounce Ian Paisley from the pulpit of his church in January 2007.
Early life
Foster was born into an old
County Fermanagh
County Fermanagh ( ; ) is one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the six counties of Northern Ireland.
The county covers an area of 1,691 km2 (653 sq mi) and has a population of 61,805 a ...
Protestant family which had a strong tradition in the
Orange Order
The Loyal Orange Institution, commonly known as the Orange Order, is an international Protestant fraternal order based in Northern Ireland and primarily associated with Ulster Protestants, particularly those of Ulster Scots heritage. It also ...
. Although he had a
Pentecostalist uncle, Foster's immediate family was not particularly religious and in his youth he had little interest in any sort of Protestantism.
Foster found employment with
Ulster Television
UTV (formerly Ulster Television, branded on air as ITV1) is the ITV region covering Northern Ireland, ITV subsidiary and the former on-air name of the free-to-air public broadcast television channel serving the area. It is run by ITV plc an ...
as a trainee film editor and enjoyed a somewhat raucous private life before turning to religion.
However, once he heard Ian Paisley, whom Foster refers to as "the Big Man", speaking he immediately became a devoted follower of both his religious and political views. Foster promptly entered training for a ministerial life in the Free Presbyterian Church.
[Steve Bruce, ''Paisley: Religion and Politics in Northern Ireland'', Oxford University Press, 2007, p. 177]
Minister of Religion
Foster was
ordained
Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform va ...
a minister of the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster in 1968. His first pastoral charge was as minister of
Lisbellaw
Lisbellaw () is a village in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, about east of Enniskillen. In 2008 it had an estimated population of 1,277 people.
The village is built around the Church of Ireland parish church, which was built in the 18th cen ...
(later called Bethel) Free Presbyterian Church in April 1968. Since 1978, he has served as minister of
Kilskeery
Kilskeery () is a small village and civil parish in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is between Ballinamallard and Trillick. In the 2001 census it had a population of 57 people. Kilskeery is within the Omagh District Council area.
The Balli ...
Free Presbyterian Church, Old Junction Road, Kilskeery,
County Tyrone
County Tyrone (; ) is one of the six Counties of Northern Ireland, counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the thirty-two traditional Counties of Ireland, counties of Ireland. It is no longer used as an admini ...
,
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
. His weekly
sermons
A sermon is a religious discourse or oration by a preacher, usually a member of clergy. Sermons address a scriptural, theological, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law, or behavior within both past and present contexts. E ...
are broadcast in parts of Northern Ireland and the
Republic of Ireland
Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern side of the island. A ...
on Christian and community radio stations, including Community Radio 102.9 FM (
County Mayo
County Mayo (; ga, Contae Mhaigh Eo, meaning "Plain of the Taxus baccata, yew trees") is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Conn ...
), Radio Star Country, 981 AM (
County Monaghan
County Monaghan ( ; ga, Contae Mhuineacháin) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Ulster and is part of Border strategic planning area of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Monaghan. Monaghan County Cou ...
) and Radio North Country, 846 AM (
County Donegal
County Donegal ( ; ga, Contae Dhún na nGall) is a county of Ireland in the province of Ulster and in the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Donegal in the south of the county. It has also been known as County Tyrconne ...
).
Since March 1970, he has edited ''The Burning Bush'', a magazine describing itself as 'a Protestant witness in a time of
Apostasy
Apostasy (; grc-gre, ἀποστασία , 'a defection or revolt') is the formal disaffiliation from, abandonment of, or renunciation of a religion by a person. It can also be defined within the broader context of embracing an opinion that i ...
', which began life as a congregational newsletter. This magazine is not an official publication of the Free Presbyterian Church. Originally distributed free of charge, a subscription fee was set in 1999. Foster also operates a
Christian fundamentalist
Christian fundamentalism, also known as fundamental Christianity or fundamentalist Christianity, is a religious movement emphasizing biblical literalism. In its modern form, it began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries among British and ...
website. He has also undertaken
evangelical
Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide Interdenominationalism, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being "bor ...
missions in
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
and was for many years the head of the Free Presbyterian Education Board. Foster and his wife pioneered Christian education in
Ulster
Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United King ...
, setting up a congregational school in Kilskeery and supporting many other Christian education endeavors, not only in Ulster but further afield.
Foster has also gained a reputation as an outspoken critic. He has denounced the Belfast-born Christian writer and apologist
C.S. Lewis
CS, C-S, C.S., Cs, cs, or cs. may refer to:
Job titles
* Chief Secretary (Hong Kong)
* Chief superintendent, a rank in the British and several other police forces
* Company secretary, a senior position in a private sector company or public se ...
as an 'apostate'. He is also outspokenly in favor 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
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) is a British child protection charity.
History
Victorian era
On a trip to New York in 1881, Liverpudlian businessman Thomas Agnew was inspired by a visit to the New Yor ...
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
The Troubles ( ga, Na Trioblóidí) were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it is sometimes described as an "i ...
, Foster was involved in the funerals of a number of loyalists. He also conducted the funeral of
Larne
Larne (, , the name of a Gaelic Ireland, Gaelic territory) is a town on the east coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland, with a population of 18,755 at the United Kingdom census, 2011, 2011 Census. It is a major passenger and freight Roll-on/ro ...
UVF man Sinclair Johnston in 1972, although in this case Foster and Johnston were related.
DUP Politician
Foster first became active in politics in 1964 when, along with fellow student minister
William Beattie, he campaigned in support of
Ulster Protestant Action
Ulster Protestant Action (UPA) was an Ulster loyalist political party and Protestant fundamentalist vigilante group in Northern Ireland that was founded in 1956 and reformed as the Protestant Unionist Party in 1966.
Founding
The group was found ...
members seeking election to
Belfast Corporation
Belfast City Council ( ga, Comhairle Cathrach Bhéal Feirste) is the local authority with responsibility for part of the city of Belfast, the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland. The Council serves an estimated population of (), the l ...
. He became a close associate of Paisley, who at the time utilised provocative street demonstrations targeting both Catholic areas and mainstream Protestant denominations, and was arrested and briefly held in
Crumlin Road Gaol
HMP Belfast, also known as Crumlin Road Gaol, is a former prison situated on the Crumlin Road in north Belfast, Northern Ireland. Since 1996 it is the only remaining Victorian era former prison in Northern Ireland. It is colloquially known as ' ...
in 1966 for public order offences.
Foster was a member of the DUP during the 1980s being a member of
Omagh District Council
Omagh District Council was a local council in Northern Ireland. It merged with Fermanagh District Council in April 2015 under local government reorganisation to become Fermanagh and Omagh District Council.
Its headquarters was in the town ...
and winning a seat in the
Northern Ireland assembly elections of 1982 for the
Fermanagh and South Tyrone constituency.
Foster was the commander of the Fermanagh battalion of Paisley's vigilante group, the
Third Force, one of the few regions of the group that undertook any real activity. Along with
George Graham
George Graham (born 30 November 1944), nicknamed "Stroller", is a Scottish former Association football, football player and manager (association football), manager.
In his successful playing career, he made 455 appearances in England's Football ...
and other DUP supporters, Foster was arrested in summer 1985 after an unsuccessful attempt to smash police lines preventing a loyalist band from marching in
Castlewellan, an event to which Foster had publicly threatened to bring Third Force members. He gained his greatest notoriety in 1986 when he was one of the three founders of
Ulster Resistance
Ulster Resistance (UR), or the Ulster Resistance Movement (URM), is an Ulster loyalism, Ulster loyalist Ulster loyalism#Paramilitary and vigilante groups, paramilitary movement established by the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in Northern Irela ...
.
Subsequently, Foster abandoned political life to concentrate on his work as a Free Presbyterian minister, having decided that the policies of the DUP were becoming too liberal. He formally announced his resignation from the party in 1989, adding particular criticism of the close relationship between Paisley and
Ulster Unionist Party
The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) is a unionist political party in Northern Ireland. The party was founded in 1905, emerging from the Irish Unionist Alliance in Ulster. Under Edward Carson, it led unionist opposition to the Irish Home Rule movem ...
leader
Jim Molyneaux
James Henry Molyneaux, Baron Molyneaux of Killead, KBE, PC (27 August 1920 – 9 March 2015) was a Northern Irish unionist politician who served as leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) from 1979 to 1995, and as the Member of Parliament ...
, which Foster felt was compromising DUP independence.
Criticism of the DUP
Whilst continuing in his ministry the politically retired Foster would emerge from time to time as a critic of the DUP that he had left. In 2002 he preached a sermon in which he condemned
Nigel Dodds
Nigel Alexander Dodds, Baron Dodds of Duncairn, (born 20 August 1958), is a British unionist politician who has been the Leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in the House of Lords since 2021, and was the deputy leader of the DUP ...
who accepted an invitation to attend an ecumenical service at
St Anne's Cathedral, Belfast, in celebration of
Elizabeth II's golden jubilee. Foster accused Dodds of disobeying God's words by attending the service, arguing that it was a wicked ceremony as it was addressed by
Seán Cardinal Brady
Sean, also spelled Seán or Séan in Irish English, is a male given name of Irish origin. It comes from the Irish versions of the Biblical Hebrew name ''Yohanan'' (), Seán (anglicized as ''Shaun/ Shawn/ Shon'') and Séan (Ulster variant; angli ...
,
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
Primate of All Ireland
The Primacy of Ireland was historically disputed between the Archbishop of Armagh and the Archbishop of Dublin until finally settled by Pope Innocent VI. ''Primate'' is a title of honour denoting ceremonial precedence in the Church, and in t ...
and
Archbishop of Armagh
In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdio ...
, whom Foster accused of being a priest of the
Antichrist
In Christian eschatology, the Antichrist refers to people prophesied by the Bible to oppose Jesus Christ and substitute themselves in Christ's place before the Second Coming. The term Antichrist (including one plural form) 1 John ; . 2 John . ...
.
He subsequently became outspoken in the political path taken by Ian Paisley. This began on Thursday 23 November 2006, when Foster gave interviews to the media and met with Ian Paisley in person to express his concerns that the DUP were considering forming a power-sharing government in Northern Ireland, under the terms of the
St Andrews Agreement
The St Andrews Agreement ( ga, Comhaontú Chill Rímhinn; Ulster Scots: ''St Andra's 'Greement'', ''St Andrew's Greeance'' or ''St Andrae's Greeance'') is an agreement between the British and Irish governments and Northern Ireland's politica ...
.
Paisley-SF move 'heartbreaking'
/ref> Foster's condemnation grew stronger on Sunday 7 January 2007 when, in a sermon lasting 70 minutes, Foster denounced Dr. Paisley because of his apparent willingness to enter into a coalition government with Sinn Féin. In the sermon, (entitled ''Where have we gone astray? -- A Question for Free Presbyterians'') which was also webcast, Foster said, "We do pray for Dr. Paisley and I never thought I would see the day that I would stand in this pulpit and say I think him wrong entirely and say I could never support what he is doing, but that day has come."
References
External links
Foster's personal website - "The Burning Bush"
Belfast Telegraph report on denunciation of Ian Paisley
{{DEFAULTSORT:Foster, Ivan
1943 births
Living people
Democratic Unionist Party politicians
Northern Ireland MPAs 1982–1986
People from County Fermanagh
Members of Omagh District Council
Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster ministers
Christian fundamentalists