Dr Ian Paisley, the Northern Ireland Protestant hardliner who became Northern Ireland's First Minister a year ago, and who has astounded observers since by the warmth of his relationship with his Deputy First Minister, the former IRA man Martin McGuinness, has stepped down as Moderator of the FreePresbyterian Church he founded 56 years ago.
A meeting in County Tyrone elected his deputy as Moderator, the Rev Ron Johnstone, as the new leader. Leaving the meeting, Paisley, declared himself content.
Paisley, who will be 82 in April, has appeared in bouncing good health and good humour since he became First Minister in Northern Ireland's Protestant and Catholic power sharing Executive last May, but he is clearly handing over power in both his church and his Democratic Unionist Party, in what is likely to be an exit as choreographed as his political protests have been in the past six decades. Paisley is likely to hand over the leadership of the DUP before the expected British general election in two years time.
