NI pastor acquitted over anti-Islam sermon dies following illness

Evangelical preacher Pastor James McConnell (Niall Carson/PA)

One of Northern Ireland’s best known church leaders has died following illness.

Pastor James McConnell, who was aged in his 80s, founded the Whitewell Metropolitan Tabernacle in north Belfast and led several major open-air gospel events.

He had been receiving end-of-life care at the Royal Victoria Hospital in recent days.

Pastor David Purse announced on the church Facebook page on Saturday morning that it was with “profound sadness and indescribable pain” that Mr McConnell had died after seven weeks in hospital.

“To say that we will miss him and are going to miss him is a massive understatement,” he said.

Mr McConnell hit headlines in 2014 after calling Islam “heathen” and “satanic” during a church sermon.

He was questioned by police and was later found not guilty of making grossly offensive remarks against Islam, after a trial at Belfast Magistrates’ Court which garnered worldwide attention.