A New Life: The Rev Mark Forsyth traded in a finance career for a life of faith, writes Danielle Barron
The Rev Mark Forsyth used to resent giving up his Saturdays for his work as an actuary. Now it's his busiest day of the week, as he prepares for the following day's services. But he says that the irregular working hours don't bother him in the least.
As Forsyth cheerfully admits: "I've only been woken up in the middle of the night three times in the last two years for emergencies, but I don't mind at all."
There's not much call for an emergency actuary, but as a Methodist minister presiding over two churches, Forsyth is on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. His new job involves dealing with real people "in the flesh", not just numbers on a page.
"When I was in school somebody gave me a leaflet about what being an actuary entailed and I liked the look of it. I was good at maths and figured I'd be interested in that type of work," says Forsyth.
Twenty years ago when he left school, however, actuarial studies did not yet exist as a university course.
Instead, a company took on a student after his or her Leaving Certificate, and trained them in on the job.
Forsyth did his time in Irish Life. "I worked during the day and did exams, studying during my spare time. It was kind of like an apprenticeship," he says.
After six years in Irish Life, Forsyth qualified and, as his time as a "student" was over, he took off to Australia for a year. There, he did some actuarial work for three months and spent the rest of the time travelling around the country.
Upon his return to Ireland, Forsyth worked in Scottish Amicable for five years, where he designed insurance policies and complex quotation systems.
"I enjoyed the work and I enjoyed the people, but it was actually more stressful working for a small start-up company; there was more responsibility."
That's when he found himself working weekends.
"It meant giving up quite a few Saturdays to go and spend the day in work when the phones wouldn't be ringing," he says.
Meanwhile, he had become increasingly involved with his local Methodist Church in Dún Laoghaire.
He eventually returned to Irish Life on a half-time basis, while also taking a part-time lay-preaching course.
"I was becoming involved in various things in the church, such as prayer meetings and Bible studies, so that part of my life was becoming more active."
After three years juggling his day job and his faith, Forsyth says he began feeling as if God was calling him to devote himself full time to his faith.
Finding it difficult to make a decision, he was given the push he needed after a chance encounter with a minister at a Christian meeting in Co Wicklow.
"This minister I had never met before told me he could feel God was calling me to do this full time, or else I would never be fulfilled in life. I took that as confirmation of everything I was thinking about," he recalls.
"The only place to go in Ireland for the Methodist ministry is Edgehill College in Belfast, so I moved there and studied theology for three years," says Forsyth.
"Having done actuarial exams, I didn't find it too taxing to do a theology degree but I did find it very interesting."
After he had obtained his degree, he prepared to leave Belfast and practise as a minister.
"The way the Church works is that they send you to any church in the country, North or south. The first two years you're on probation, being supervised by a senior member of the church and being assessed," he explains.
Forsyth spent his two years in counties Carlow and Kilkenny, looking after the two churches there, and was supervised by a minister in nearby Portlaoise. Earlier this year, he was officially ordained at the Methodist conference in Belfast.
He is now settled permanently in Carlow town, with his wife Liana and their springer spaniel.
In fact, he now spends a lot of time in his car. "I'd say I spend about 20 per cent of my working week in the car, driving to Kilkenny and up to Dublin and Belfast for meetings. It's very different for me because as an actuary I took the Dart to work and the only driving I did was social driving."
After all the years he spent in Dublin and Belfast, Forsyth has now readjusted to country life.
"Carlow is a similar-sized town to Athlone, where I grew up. And the traffic is much better in the country than in Dublin," he says.
He admits that he misses his friends in the capital, but says he is well placed to travel up and down.
"The new three-lane M7 means it's very easy to get there."
Forsyth says that what the minister in Wicklow said has come true.
"I do feel fulfilled. I'm dealing with people, praying with them and trying to help them through their issues in life, both practical and spiritual. There's a lot of satisfaction in it.
"My life is different now; it's geared around different things. I went from the world of finance to the world of people."
This minister I had never met before told me he could feel God was calling me