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Ballycairn Presbyterian Church,
built in 1926. |
The
Rev. Victor Sinclair pictured in Ballycairn
Presbyterian Church. |
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Rev. Victor Sinclair Minister
Emeritus |
Notice Board at Ballycairn
Presbyterian Church.
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Ballylesson, Ballycairn, Edenderry.
Ballylesson Road, near Shaw’s Bridge.
The convenor of the vacancy at Ballycairn is
the
Rev Robert Love, minister of Taughmonagh Presbyterian Church.
Sunday services:
Morning: 11.30am (each Sunday)
Evening: 6.30pm (First Sunday each month)
Presbyterian Church in Ireland Website:
www.presbyterianireland.org
HISTORY
The first
Ballycairn church was situated near Drumbo village
on the left hand
side of the
Mealough road to Leverogue.
The first
minister was the Mr. Adam Montgomery who was ordained on
23rd June 1830, and died on 16th May 1888
in the eighty-fourth year of his age while still discharging the
duties of his sacred office. For many years Mr. Montgomery was
the Clerk of the Belfast Presbytery.
The next
minister was the Mr. George Duncan, (Iic. Strabane), who
was ordained here on 21st November 1888 and died on
13th July 1908.
The third
minister was the Rev. Samuel James Clarke, (lic. Down),
and formerly minister of 2nd Newtownstewart and later
of Ballyblack. He was installed on 27th October
1908. He retired from active duty on 3rd February
1931. He died on 3rd August 1947. During his
ministry the new Ballycairn church was built and opened in
1926. It is situated between Ballylesson and Shaw’s Bridge.
The fourth
minister was the Rev. William John Latimer, a son of the
Rev. Dr. W. T. Latimer of Eglish, author of
A
History of the
Irish Presbyterians.
Mr. Latimer was previously minister of Carnone and of Moneydig.
He was installed here on 16th April 1931. He retired
on 31st March 1949. He died on 31st August
1949 as a result of an accident.
The fifth
minister was the Rev. Marshall McCreery, (lic. Belfast),
who was installed here on 30th June 1949. He had
previously been minister of Clare, Tandragee (1935-37) and then
was missionary in Manchuria for 12 years. He retired on 31st
August 1974 and died on 27th July 1981.
The sixth
minister the Rev. Victor Sinclair who was
installed here on 10th April 1975. He was previously
ordained (16th January 1974) assistant in Rosemary
Church, Belfast. During Mr. Sinclair’s ministry the new
extension was added. It was opened on Sunday 1st
July 1984 by the Rev. Cowper Lynas, Acting Moderator of Belfast
South Presbytery. Mr Sinclair, now Minister Emeritus of
Ballycairn, preached the final sermon in his active ministry at
an emotional farewell service in Ballycairn Presbyterian Church
on Sunday 1st April 2007. The convenor of the vacancy at
Ballycairn is the Rev Robert Love, minister of Taughmonagh Presbyterian Church.
Dunmurry Presbyterian Church, opened in 1863
and enlarged in 1903.
The church is on the opposite side of the
railway line from the church hall. This view of
the church is a familiar Dunmurry landmark for
commuters by train; it is taken from the railway
line pedestrian crossing at Ashley Park
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Dunmurry Presbyterian Church Hall
is situated on the Main Street of Dunmurry
village. |
Notice Board at Dunmurry
Presbyterian Church |
Ashley Park off Sunnymede Park, Dunmurry.
Minister: Rev. John Braithwaite
Telephone: 9062 2153
Sunday services:
Morning: 11.00am
Evening: 7.00pm (1st Sunday each month)
Presbyterian Church in Ireland Website:
www.presbyterianireland.org
HISTORY
This congregation was
first erected between the years 1676 and 1683. In January 1683,
Mr. Alexander Glass was the ordained minister. In
February 1683, he retired to Scotland in consequence of the
disturbed state of the country, and remained there. In June
1694, the Synod of Ulster wrote to him, requesting him to
return, but without success. The next minister was Mr. John
Malcome, who had been minister of Lower Killead;
until he removed here about 1699. He died in this charge 17th
May 1729. Mr. Malcome was a man of superior talent, and in the
Non-Subscription controversy took a prominent part in support of
the Westminster Confession of Faith. He was succeeded by Mr.
John Moorehead, who was ordained here by the
Presbytery of Templepatrick on the 17th February
1731. He died in this charge on 20th June 1768,
leaving a widow and family; and was succeeded by Mr. James
Stoupe, formerly minister of Enniskillen, who was installed
here by the Presbytery of Bangor on 3rd June 1772.
He resigned the charge in May 1780, and was succeeded by Mr.
Robert Jackson, who was ordained here on the 11th
April 1782. He died on 5th September 1788, leaving a
widow and family.
In 1790 an entry occurs
in the minutes of the Synod of Ulster: - “Ordered that the
Moderator write a letter to the Presbytery of Munster
remonstrating against the conduct of Mr. Blair (of the Leap), a
member of their Presbytery, for irregularly introducing a
probationer to Dunmurry, and afterwards presiding in drawing up
a call for him - Resolved, that we approve of the conduct of the
Presbytery of Bangor respecting Dunmurry in deferring the
ordination of Mr. Taggart in that place until the matter might
come before this body.” Mr. Taggart and the congregation
annexed themselves to the Presbytery of Antrim; and on the 14
May 1805, his connection with this congregation was dissolved by
them. The congregation reverted again to the Presbytery of
Bangor in 1806 or 1807; and their next minister was Mr.
Andrew George Malcolm, who was ordained here on 11th
March 1807. He resigned this charge on 11th
September 1808, and removed to Newry. The next minister was
Mr. Henry Montgomery (afterwards LL.D.), who was ordained on
14th September 1809. Dr. Montgomery was the great
leader of the Arian party; and in 1829 he and many of the
members of the congregation seceded from the Synod of Ulster,
retaining possession of the church, manse and other properties.
A few years after this secession, and because of it, the
congregation of Malone, in the neighbourhood of Dunmurry, was
erected by the Synod of Ulster; and on the 15th
February 1837 Mr. Joseph Mackenzie was ordained as its
pastor. (Belfast: Malone q.v.) A new congregation of Dunmurry
was organised by Rev. Dr. John Edgar for the Synod of Ulster on
23rd March 1860 and on 21st November 1860
Mr. Robert James Arnold (lic. Belfast) was ordained as
its minister. The new church was a child of the ‘59 Revival,
which stirred up the whole community and put fresh life into
every Christian enterprise. A temporary church was opened for
public worship by Rev. Dr. H. Cooke on 29th April
1860. The present building was opened by Rev. Dr. Morgan on 22nd
November 1863.
The Rev. Robert James
Arnold continued his ministry for 42 years till his resignation
in 1902 and death on 22nd December 1918. During
these years the church and school were built. The manse was
purchased by the aid of a Glebe Loan, and a teacher’s residence
by government loan.
The cheap railway
service made Dunmurry popular as a suburban residence, so that
the capacity of the church became overtaxed. In 1903 the church
was enlarged. This took place under Mr. Robert Davey
(lic. Belfast), afterwards D.D., who had been ordained as
minister in succession to Mr. Arnold on 8th July
1902. Dr. Davey also ministered for over forty years. He
retired on 31st December 1945 and died on 16th
December 1946. His two sons, John H. and Ray R., both became
ministers of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland and his
daughter, Beth (Mrs. Brown) was a missionary in Gujarat.
Rev. James Albert
Donaldson was called to the
congregation from Gt. James St. in Londonderry and installed on
29th August 1946. During his ministry the church was
renovated and a new organ, the gift of the Barbour family was
installed. Mr. Donaldson retired, due to ill-health, on 1st
November 1960, and died on 28th January 1962.
Rev. William Cowper
Lynas, minister of Ballywillan,
Portrush, succeeded Mr. Donaldson, being installed on 13th
April 1961. To meet the growing needs of the congregation a
large hall was built and was connected to the already existing
Trinity Hall. This cost £20,000. In 1971 part of this Hall
accommodation was destroyed by bombs and once again building had
to begin. In March 1973 a suite of new halls was built at a
cost of £58,000. Mr. Lynas retired in April 1989 and is now the
Minister Emeritus at Dunmurry.
The present minister, the Rev. John
Braithwaite, previously in Mountjoy and Drumlegagh, Co.
Tyrone, was installed in June 1990. Plans
to move to a new church in the centre of the village
Dunmurry Presbyterian Church and the Manse were put up for
sale in November 2007 as plans to develop a new church in the
centre of the village take shape. The minister, the Rev John
Braithwaite and his congregation focus on developing a new
church and community facilities at the site of the church hall
in the centre of Dunmurry. Looking to the future at the new
church, the Rev Braithwaite said in a statement to the Ulster
Star, “The architects are drawing up plans at the moment but
they haven’t been finalised or approved by the congregation. We
looked at the possibility of renovating the church halls but
felt it was a better idea to demolish them and rebuild the
church complex. It will be a very modern complex with extensive
facilities. The worship area will be smaller than our present
church but it will meet the needs of a modern congregation”.
Rev Braithwaite hoped the move to the centre of the village
would encourage new members and ensure the church remained at
the heart of the Dunmurry community. “There is significant
development going on in the area and we want to be well placed
for that,” continued Rev Braithwaite. “The congregation has
declined over the years but there is a lot of life here and we
hope this move will provide the facilities needed for the 21st
century.”
Depending on planning permission, Rev Braithwaite is hopeful the
new church will be up and running by 2009 and is looking forward
to the move. “It is a very exciting time,” he added. “It gives
us an opportunity for a new beginning with facilities designed
for the 21st century.”
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Notice Board at
Kilmakee Presbyterian Church, Dunmurry. |
Ballybog Road, Seymour
Hill, Dunmurry.
Minister: Rev. Tom Wilson
Telephone: 9060 2636
Sunday services:
Morning: 11.00am
Evening: 7.00pm
Presbyterian Church in Ireland Website:
www.presbyterianireland.org
HISTORY
The first minister, Mr.
David Henry Alexander Watson was ordained in 1st
Lisburn Church in 1956 and services were held in Kilmakee Orange
Hall until a wooden building was opened for worship in June
1958. The present church was opened in September 1959 and a new
church hall, largely built by voluntary labour was opened in
February 1967; further extensions were added and renovation to
the church entrance completed in November 1973. In 1975 the
Seymour Hill church extension charge memorialised the General
Assembly and was erected into a fully constituted congregation.
The Rev. Ruth Patterson, the first woman ordained to the
ministry of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, was installed in
December 1977 leaving in March 1991 when she went to work full
time with Restoration Ministries whose base is the former
Kilmakee manse, at 4 Thornhill Road, Dunmurry. The
present minister, the Rev. Tom Wilson, was installed here in
November 2000.
Kathryn Viner, a first year student at
Union College, Belfast, commenced an 8-week placement as student
assistant at Kilmakee on Monday 22nd January. Kathryn was
introduced and welcomed by the minister, the Rev Tom Wilson, at
morning worship on Sunday 4th February.
Crumlin
Presbyterian Church
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Crumlin Presbyterian Church built in
1715. |
Notice Board at Crumlin Presbyterian Church. |
Main Street,
Crumlin.
Minister:
Rev. Brian Kennaway
Telephone:
9442 2430
Sunday
services:
Morning: 11.30am
Evening: 7.00pm
Presbyterian Church in Ireland Website:
www.presbyterianireland.org
HISTORY
The Presbyterian
cause here was first located at Glenavy and when Ballinderry
built its own meeting house in 1713 the Glenavy meeting-house
was abandoned in 1715 in favour of a new centre at Crumlin. It
was sometimes known as Lower Kilmacaret.
The first
minister called here was Mr. Thomas Crawford (lic.
Belfast) son of the Rev. Andrew Crawford of Carnmoney. He was
ordained on 10th January 1724 and had a long ministry
till his death on 15 July 1782. His successor Mr. John
Gibson (lic. Killyleagh) was ordained on 18th
February 1783 and died after only 13 years on 18th
July 1796.
The next
minister, Mr. Nathaniel Alexander, was a licentiate of
the Antrim Non-Subscribing Presbytery and a man of much
ability. Ordained on 3rd September 1799 he conducted
an Academy in Antrim with success. He was appointed Moderator
of the General Synod of Ulster for 1817-1818 but later in 1830
he withdrew his congregation from the Synod, and with them
joined the Remonstrants.
Those members
who adhered to the orthodox faith then made out a call
to
Mr.
Alexander Colquhoun Canning
(lic. Derry),
and he was ordained on
9th October 1838. He “commanded the confidence and
respect of all who knew him” and stayed here his entire ministry
till his retirement in 1888. His death occurred on 24th
May 1896. He was followed in nearly every respect by his son,
Mr. John Alexander Canning (lic. Templepatrick) who after
his ordination on 28th May 1889 spent 40 years in
Crumlin till his death on 22nd January 1929.
The sixth
minister to be called was Mr. Francis Rankin Moore Bryars
(lic. Dungannon). He was ordained on 3rd September
1929 and died here on 16th May 1964. His successor
was the Rev. Robert Neville Brown originally from the
Tyrone Presbytery. Mr. Brown had been ordained as assistant to
the Rt. Rev. Dr. W. A. A. Park of Ballygilbert when he was
Moderator of the General Assembly. He was after that installed
as ordained assistant in First Lisburn from 1962-63, and then
installed in Crumlin on 1st December 1964. He
resigned this charge in 1971 on taking up duty as a Lecturer in
Biblical Studies in Stranmillis Teachers' Training College.
The Rev. Hugh
Dennis McKillen of Clontarf was then called and installed on
11th May 1972. He resigned on 15th June
1976 having accepted a call of the Whitehouse congregation,
Belfast.
The present minister, the
Rev. Brian
Kennaway
(lic. Belfast
South), formerly ordained (1st Jan. 1976) assistant
in Glengormley, was installed on 15th March 1977.
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