The Reverend Chris Hudson worked with Ervine in east Belfast during the Northern Ireland conflict.
At that time Hudson was a prominent negotiator between the loyalist UVF and the Irish government.
He described Ervine as an initial “enemy” who he later came to “love”.
“I never perceived in all my dealings with David, that he would become a friend, because I was conscious that we represented different sides, but despite that, David had a very strong impact on me,” he said.
Reflecting on the signing of the Good Friday Agreement almost 28 years on, Hudson said that without Ervine it may not have been a success story.
“While others may have been the architects, David was most certainly the person who provided the need for loyalism to move in the direction of peace.
“I don’t believe anyone else could have done that other than David Ervine.”
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