Kinallen Mission Hall
 

In the heart of the village of Kinallen, near Dromara.

Leader: The fellowship at Kinallen is led by a small committee

Telephone: 9269 2385

HISTORY

In 1963, a group of young people from the district invited evangelists - Mr Noel Grant and Mr Matt Boland to conduct a Gospel Mission. The Mission was held in a Nissan Hut at Kinallen, kindly granted by Mrs R. S. Hart. During the Mission precious souls were saved and God’s people were blessed.

The work was continued by a committee consisting of Miss Ina Hart, Samuel Moore, William Gamble, Henry Purdy and Aubrey Malcolmson. Gospel services were planned for the second and fourth Sabbath night of each month and a prayer meeting for every Monday night. A children’s meeting was held once a fortnight for the boys and girls of the district and is still well attended.

Over the years special efforts were made to win the lost for Christ. In 1974, a Mission was conducted by Mr John Morrow, a C.W.U. Evangelist. At the Mission the Gospel was faithfully preached and many souls came to know Jesus Christ as their Saviour.

The present hall at Kinallen was erected in 1979 and was dedicated for the preaching of the Gospel by the Rev. Robert Hanna, B.A. - Minister of Dromara Reformed Presbyterian Church.

Mr. William Gamble, who supplied this brief history of Kinallen Mission Hall concludes by saying, “We thank God for the blessing of His work through the years. To God be the Glory”.

 

Knocknadona Gospel Fellowship
 

 

Glenavy Road, Lisburn.
Leaders: John Thompson, Fred Gordon and Jim Gordon.
Telephone: 9267 9308 (John Thompson)

Sunday Service: 8.30pm

HISTORY

Knocknadona Gospel Fellowship was formed in about 1930 by the late Rev. Thomas Rodgers, Minister of Magheragall Presbyterian Church and for many years the leader was the late Alderman William Belshaw, who died on 4th December 1995. Mr Belshaw was Mayor of Lisburn, June 1981 - June 1983, and his wife Maud is currently treasurer of the fellowship.
They meet for worship in the top floor of Knocknadona Temperance Protestant Hall at the crossroads of Moneybroom Road and Ballyclough Road on the Glenavy Road, Lisburn. The two-storey hall was built in 1903 and refurbished by Knocknadona Temperance LOL 159 in 1985. In the early days a Sunday School held in the hall was attended by about 100 children and the present Sunday evening meetings have an average attendance of 30 to 40 people. The fellowship also meets for Prayer each Thursday evening at 8.00pm.

 

The Lifeboat Mission

 

Telephone: 9265 1766

Lords Day Service: 8.30pm
 

HISTORY

The Lifeboat Mission Lisburn was formed when Pastor Bertie Johnston of The Lifeboat Mission, Grange Corner, Moy, was clearly led of the Lord to start a work in Lisburn along with Evangelist Alan Bartley. Alan, originally from Moy, County Tyrone, was converted to Christ in 1982. Five years after his conversion he received the call of God to the ministry. As an evangelist he has preached the Gospel extensively, in Northern Ireland and also in Scotland, and had previously worked alongside Bertie. The work commenced in a hall (formerly The Friends Meeting House) in Railway Street in November 1995 Meetings were held in a hall (formerly The Friends Meeting House) in Railway Street since November 1995 but regrettably they had to vacate the Railway Street premises in May 2008 and temporally, meetings are being held in a nearby city centre church.

The Lifeboat Mission Lisburn is a non-denominational preaching house with the aim of winning souls to Jesus Christ, encouraging Christians towards a deeper walk with God and seeking God for an outpouring of His Holy Spirit on our land.

 

Quilly Gospel Meetings, Dromore

 

Quilly Orange Hall, Rowanhill Road, Dromore.
Leader: Mrs Ellen Beggs organises the guest speakers.
Telephone: 9269 2027

Midweek Gospel Meetings: Wednesday at 8.00pm

Quilly Sunday school teachers pictured at St John’s Hall, Newcastle
during the annual Sunday school outing on Saturday 8th June 1963.

L to R: (back row) Bob Beggs, Jim Beggs, Willie Poots (superintendent),
Sam Thompson, George McKee, Willie Thompson and Bertie Black.

(front row) Irene Campbell (nee Wilkinson), Nan McCaw, Minnie Kelly,
Ellen Beggs and Minnie Clegg. Missing is Isobel Jackson (nee Beggs) who took the photo,
Elizabeth Beggs and Rosemary Allen (organist).

HISTORY
Quilly afternoon Sunday School

Willie Poots, Willie Thompson, Bob Beggs and Mrs Ellen Beggs founded Quilly Sunday school in 1949. The first superintendent was Willie Poots. An ex-serviceman, it is reported that during the First World War, he was carried off the battlefield for dead, but made a remarkable recovery. Willie lived close to the hall and his many duties included lighting the Tilley lamps, the pot-bellied stove and the open fire prior to the meetings. Mrs Beggs can remember arriving for meetings some evenings with the hall almost completely filled with smoke from the fires. Willie, who always maintained his military presence, took a personal interest in the children and also took great pride in choosing the Sunday school prizes, which were kept in his house prior to the annual prizegiving. Vera Watson (nee Kelly) a former member of the Sunday school can recall being invited into his house on the way home from Tullymacarette Primary School to see the prizes he had so carefully chosen.

When Willie Poots died, he was succeeded by Willie Thompson. A most generous man, Willie Thompson paid for the installation of electricity at Quilly and is also remembered for buying all the children an ice cream at the annual excursion to Newcastle. The teachers in 1963 were: Bob Beggs, Ellen Beggs, Isobel Jackson (nee Beggs), Jim Beggs, Elizabeth Beggs, Sam Thompson, George McKee, Bertie Black, Irene Campbell (nee Wilkinson), Nan McCaw, Minnie Kelly, Minnie Clegg and Rosemary Allen.

Two important events in the Sunday school calendar were the scripture examination and the annual social. The examination involved learning a passage of Scripture and reciting it to an examiner, one of the teachers. Some of the young children tried to be strategically placed in the queue so that Bob Beggs would be their examiner. Bob was a very kindly Christian man and it was generally felt that he would be more lenient than most in marking.

The annual social was held on a Friday evening and included the distribution of prizes and a children’s concert involving most, if not all, children taking an active part in some way or another, whether reciting a poem, singing a solo, duet, or with a group of singers. The first Quilly Sunday School Social was held on Friday 23rd December 1949 when the young people presented the following programme: opening recitation by Anna Martin; choir - ‘I am so glad’; solo by Phyllis McCready; choruses by the Junior Choir; duet by Phyllis McCready and Isobel McCandless, solo by Marjorie Kelly; organ recital by Margaret Hull; choir -‘Jesus loves me’; recitation by Sadie Poots; trio - Phyllis McCready, Isobel McCandless and June Orr; recitation by Isobel Beggs; choir - ‘While Shepherds watched’; solo by Isobel Beggs; recitation by Vera Kelly; choir - ‘Once in royal David’s city’; solo by Isobel McCandless; choir - ‘O come all ye faithful’. At an interval, Mrs Rosemary Allen presented a Bible suitably inscribed to Isobel McCandless, who had trained the children and Isobel gracefully acknowledged the gift. During the evening the superintendent, the late Mr W. J. Poots, read a poem entitled ‘Quilly Sunday School’ that he had written for this historic occasion. The programme was followed by a delightful supper served by the teachers.

When Bob Beggs died in 1975 at just 61 years of age, his son-in-law Robert Jackson took his senior class. Robert, who has been a teacher since 1967, is the present superintendent at Quilly and the present teachers are his wife Mrs Isobel Jackson and Isobel’s mother, Mrs Ellen Beggs. Mrs Rosemary Allen has been the organist at Quilly since 1949 and can clearly recall the old pedal organ, which has been replaced with a modern electric one. Although she now spends the winter months in Spain, Mrs Allen still plays the organ when available.

In preparing this article, John Kelly visited Quilly Sunday school on Sunday afternoon 17th December 2006 and thoroughly enjoyed listened to the singing of well-known choruses introduced by Robert Jackson (superintendent) and accompanied on the organ by Mrs Rosemary Allen. At John’s special request they sang the following chorus, which Mrs Beggs says is one of the favourites at Quilly.

‘Passing through Quilly, calling today’
Jesus is present, Wonderful Jesus,
Passing through Quilly, calling today.
Mighty to save, to cleanse, and deliver.
Wonderful Jesus, coming your way.

Bring Him your sins, and bring him your sorrows.
Precious the Blood that can make you free.
Trust Him today, – for every tomorrow.
Wonderful Jesus. Calling for thee.

HISTORY – Quilly Gospel meetings

A six-week gospel mission conducted by Mr Lynas, was held in Quilly Orange Hall in February/March 1954 and when it ended, gospel meetings were held in the hall every Wednesday evening and have continued ever since. The meetings were well attended, and Bob and Ellen Beggs organised the various guest speakers each week. Mrs Beggs is the one surviving member of the four people who founded Quilly Sunday school and gospel meetings. Now 87 years of age, she has given over 57 years of exemplary service at Quilly and is still actively involved in both. She has been a teacher at Quilly Sunday School since 1949 and has organised speakers for the weekly gospel meetings since 1954.

For a more detailed history of Children’s Meetings and Gospel Meetings at Quilly, click on: Gospel meetings and Sunday Schools around Ashfield and Dromore 1950/60’s. By: John A. Kelly The poem entitled ‘Quilly Sunday School’ written by the late Mr W. J. Poots for the first Quilly Social in 1949, can be read online by following this link.

 

Ravernet Mission Hall, Lisburn
 

In the middle of the village of Ravernet, near Sprucefield.

Leader: Heather Riddick
Telephone: 0775 996 7583

Gospel service: Sunday at 8.30pm

HISTORY

 

Ravernet is a small residential hamlet near Hillsborough, which developed in the 19th century near weaving, corn and flax mills. The Revernet Mission Hall was formerly the reading room for the mill and the owner and his wife wanted the hall to be used for the preaching of the Gospel. In January 1910, the Faith Mission held prayer meetings in the hall and they have continued ever since. Faith Mission Pilgrims used to live in the hall while conducting the many Gospel Missions that were held over the years. The hall was renovated in the late 1980’s/early 1900’s when work included a new roof, pebble dashed exterior, installation of central heating and a new car park.

 

Tansy Mission Hall, Upper Ballinderry.

 

Tansy Road, Upper Ballinderry.

Fred Collins (Telephone: 9264 8364)
Albert Harris (Telephone: 9265 1541

Gospel service: Sunday at 8.15pm

HISTORY

Tansy Sunday School was founded in 1930. Ran by Mr. McKnight, it was held in a barn at William Montgomery’s farm about 250 yards from the present hall. However, as Mr. Montgomery needed the use of the barn he got in touch with the late Rev. Thomas Rodgers, Minister of Magheragall Presbyterian Church, and purchased and erected half of a wooden First World War army hut to act as one of three outstations to convenience members who could not travel to Magheragall Church. The other two outstations were at Knochnadona and and at the old Megaberry schoolhouse. The Tansy hut was erected on the present site, which was donated by Mr. William Montgomery. In 1954, the old Army Hut was replaced by the present building and for about forty years, Mr. Willie Collins assisted by his wife and other helpers, carried on the work at the Tansy Sunday School. He soon became interested in Missionary Work and with the help of other friends, commenced a weekly prayer meeting. Mr Collins died in 1973. New windows were installed in 2004. In the summer of 2005, Fred Collins and David Elwood (both nephews of the late Mr. Willie Collins) carried out further renovations by applying plywood sheets to the whole exterior of the hall and rendering it with santex.

 

Tullynore Mission Hall, Hillsborough.
 

Edenticullo Road, Hillsborough.

Gospel rally: 8.15pm
(Alternate Sundays)

HISTORY