TRIBUTES have been paid to a "larger than life" man who dedicated over 40 years to ministry work and his community.

Major Marc McKenzie, of The Salvation Army, was born in Melbourne, Australia and grew up in the care system.

He was fostered by the McKenzie family as a teenager and along with his foster sister and brother in law, and a group from the Melbourne Outreach Church, he came to the UK as a missionary in 1975.

When he arrived in the UK, Mr Mckenzie linked with The Salvation Army in Newark, Nottinghamshire, where he met his wife Shirley.

Love blossomed and the pair were married in 1979 where, a year into their marriage, the conviction to enter full time ministry within The Salvation Army came to both of them, and they entered The International Training College of The Salvation Army London in August 1980.

Following two years of residential training, Mr and Mrs McKenzie were commissioned and ordained at the Royal Albert Hall and appointed to Farcet, Cambridgeshire.

From then the pair have been appointed at Bletchley, where their daughters Gemma and Debbie were born, Histon in Cambridgeshire, Redhill in Surrey, Falmouth in Cornwall, Rock Ferry in Wirral and Connah’s Quay in Flintshire.

The pair were positioned in Darlington in 2017, where Mr and Mrs McKenzie have spearheaded The Salvation Army’s Christmas Toy appeal, bringing festive joy to hundreds of children.

Mrs McKenzie said her husband's ministry was his joy where he dedicated himself to all aspects of the work. She said: “Marc has enjoyed the variety of ministry opportunities that have been presented to him whether in pastoral work, administration, preaching, social justice settings. He was a people person with a passionate heart for sharing the good news of the gospel in any way possible.”

She said his joy alongside his ministry was his family, and this year he celebrated 40 years of marriage to Shirley where they have gained two sons-in-law, Aaron and Gary, and five grandchildren – Tyler, Morgan, Cameron, Amelia and Byron.

Mr McKenzie died on October 22, 2019 suddenly at his home in Darlington.

Mrs McKenzie said: “The Salvation Army uses the term ‘promoted to glory’ meaning that death is not the end, but rather there is a wonderful hope of eternal life in glory which brings great comfort to his family and those who share this hope.

“Marc will be missed in so many ways, not least for his sense of humour, his love of minions, his singing and the generally larger than life character that he was.”