A former president of the Methodist Church in Ireland, the Rev Hamilton Skillen has died after a long illness. Mr Skillen (69) retired in 1992 due to ill health. He served as the church's president in 1984-85. In his 37 years of ministry, he worked across Ireland, in particular in west Cork, Cullybackey, Co Antrim, and Portadown, Co Armagh. Meanwhile, the Church of Ireland has appointed Canon Houston McKelvey as the new Dean of Belfast.