ONE of Ardrossan’s most recognisable faces celebrated a milestone of 25 years in the town last week and is proud to serve a place he has grown to call home.

Originally from Maryhill, Reverend James ‘Jim’ Smith MBE TD, has been the the face of the Ardrossan Congregational Church in the town’s Glasgow Street since 1992 and is one of only two ministers in the past 50 years which he says shows how good the congregation, or second family as Jim calls them, are.

Ardrossan is his third church having previously served in Greenock and then Airdrie before being asked to join Ardrossan - and next year he will have been a minister for 40 years.

Jim explained how he first got word that Ardrossan was to be his next church.

He said: “They wrote to me and asked if I would like to go and take a service for them and when a vacant church ask you that, you know it’s not just pulpit supply. I went, took a service and then they asked me to come back for another one and then they talked to me and asked me if I would become their minister and I said yeah.”

Jim’s other service lay, until 2009, with the Territorial Army as chaplain with them from 1984 which included operational tours overseas and in the UK.

And he has also been involved with the local schools, especially Stanley Primary, for over 20 years.

“I just took to them and they took to me in Ardrossan, during that time I was in the Army and they accepted and they said they would support as I was Padre with the Parachute Regiment at the time and one of the things I always remember, was I got visited from the army and they came to see me and said I need to hand this letter to you and as I opened it up I noticed it had Reverend James Smith MBE on it and it was a letter saying that I was going to be awarded an MBE.

“I remember I told the church on the Sunday and they all started applauding. That was in 2005 and for services to army.”

Serving in places such as Kosovo, Rev Smith worked with the Household Cavalry and the Royal Highland Fusiliers and also served with the United Nations.

Jim confesses that he isn’t a conventional minister and spoke about what sets him apart.

He said: “I’m a Robin Hood fan and I’m a big superheros fan and the congregation is always laughing at me.

“I was talking to the church last Sunday and I used the word normal and I said ‘That’s not a word that’s often associated with me’.

“My granny had a huge influence on me. She walked to and back from church until she was about 92. She always said to me ‘You’re a minister now, don’t get carried away with yourself, I’ve known a lot of ministers in my day and some of them are so heavenly thinking that they are nae earthly good’ and I thought was that fantastic.”

A former engineering draughtsman, Jim felt called to the ministry in in 1974 and had to study at night school in order to attend the Congregational College.

Outside of the church, Jim and wife Pamela are keen cyclists and kayakers.

Jim realises that it can be difficult to be a minister and picked two things that he finds most tough when it comes to his job, he said: “When folk are hurting, you are too and the biggest sense I get is a sense of uselessness. We don’t know what to do, we talk but I have the sense of wanting to help but not really being sure about what to do.

“The other confidentiality bit. It is really difficult. It’s hard to keep it in your head and know you can’t say anything. I wish there was something more that I could do.”

And Rev. Smith also revealed he would be hanging up his robes next year.

He has already broken the news to his ‘second family’ and said: “I always refer to the church as my second family, I refer to the congregation as that all the time. Retirement is on the cards, I will be retiring next. year.

“Now this is my quote ‘Age is just a number and mine is ex-directory.’

“The congregation don’t really know my age because I joke about it so much. Next year when I retire it will be 40 years in the church and over 26 years in Ardrossan.

“I said on Sunday that I have never regretted coming here and I meant that and also said thanks to them for being my second family and how they have embraced me.”