Former London nightclub owner becomes church minister

The Rev Mike Weaver, who was also previously owner of a London nightclub, has become a full-time minister.

The 49-year-old, who co-owned Los Locos in Covent Garden and was also in charge of The Goblin Ha’ in Gifford for six months, said he was at last following his true calling.

Mr Weaver, who is married to Emma with whom he has three children, Alex, Max and Abi, became a Christian in 2000 but resisted the call to ministry for 10 years.

After leaving the nightclub business, the minister managed The Goblin Ha’ and worked for a nationwide courier company before enrolling in New College in Edinburgh to study divinity in 2012.

Since graduating in 2015, he has completed placements at Abbey Church in North Berwick linked with Dirleton and Belhaven Church in Dunbar linked with Spott.

Now, Mr Weaver has been ordained as the minister of Gillespie Memorial Church, Dunfermline.

He said his inspiration to become a minister had come while living in East Lothian.

The minister, who previously lived in Dunbar, said: “My 20s saw me with little time for church, instead concentrating on the world of work, sport, motorbikes and life in general.

“Over time, I fell out of love with the nightclub business.

“The late nights, the drunks and all that goes with it made me realise that the industry was not one I felt comfortable working in, so I left in 2008.

“God had been working in my life since an Alpha course in 2000, after which I slowly sensed a calling into ministry.

“I strenuously sought to resist the call and managed to do so for almost about a decade.

“But the lightning bolt or realisation that God was calling me into full-time ministry struck one Sunday service at Dunbar Parish Church, only 10 months after moving to Scotland.

“My family, who live in Shropshire where I grew up, were a little surprised but very supportive and it was great to have my parents and sister come up for my ordination in September.”