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The moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, The Reverend David Bruce, is to remain in his position for another year, in a departure from convention.

It will be the first time since 1894 a moderator has served a second term.

Dr Bruce has been in position as the church's 175th moderator since June 2020.

The church said the move was due to Covid-19 restrictions and Dr Bruce's name being the only one put forward.

He said he was "deeply honoured" to continue in his role.

"As moderator I will aim to bring a message of hope in the coming year, with the prayer that when the restrictions begin to lift and the amazing vaccines, which have been offered to us all, begin to have their effect, we will emerge again, ready to serve and love and worship as God's people," he said.

Dr Bruce will now continue in his role until June 2022.

Meanwhile, speaking on Sunday, he said it seemed inevitable that the church would being making some staff redundant before the end of the year.

He told ����ý Radio Ulster's Sunday Sequence programme the furlough scheme had been a "blessing" to the church, and allowed it to delay redundancies.

"I can't see that there won't be sadly some redundancies at the end of this," he said.

"It is a fact of, not just the finances, but also the changes of patterns of work that we face. This will be true across all of the churches I think."

Selection process

The Reverend Trevor Gribben, general secretary of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, said nominations were sought for Dr Bruce's successor towards the end of last year.

After these were submitted, the names put forward were contacted to ask if they would be interested in going forward to the next stage of the selection process - which would be a vote by presbyteries.

The only person who consented to their name going forward was current moderator, Rev Bruce.

Mr Gribben said presbyteries were placed under pressure this year by not being able to meet physically.