The Old Presbyterian Church, Ballyclare

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The Old Presbyterian Church, Ballyclare

A Christian Church, founded in 1642, where every person can search the Scriptures and, with prayerful consideration, seek the will of God.

The Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church of Ireland is a small but significant denomination with a historical witness to liberal Christianity. Although a separate denomination in its own right, it has no exact parallel with any other church outside Ireland and may best be understood in relation to Irish Presbyterianism, in which tradition it had its origins and with which it still retains a deep affinity. Non-Subscription Means:

that the minister and elders of this church are not required to sign the Westminster Confession of Faith unlike those in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. that the minister and elders of this church accept the Bible alone as the rule of the Christian faith and duty under the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ. that the minister and members of this church have the duty and freedom to discover for themselves what God is teaching His people through the words of Scripture. that the church is not a closed community but is open to the wisdom and insight of other churches and welcomes the fellowship of other Christian people. that we are not bound by compulsory subscription to man-made creeds and doctrines of Faith. We declare allegiance to the principle that: the teaching of Christ must take precedence over the doctrines of a later time, and Christian unity is to be sought, not in the uniformity of creed but in a common standard of duty and adherence to the commandments set out in the Holy Bible.

15/08/2026

📣This year we will be opening our doors for European Heritage Weekend on Saturday 12th September. Why not visit the oldest church in the town. See some of our interesting displays outlining our history, ethos & current congregational life. (Times & details to follow nearer the event).

🏛️ Join in the celebration with European Heritage Open Days (EHOD) 2026, Northern Ireland's annual festival of local architecture, history and culture!

Taking place throughout September, EHOD 2026 offers hundreds of free opportunities to explore hidden gems, discover fascinating stories and enjoy unique experiences across Northern Ireland.

Find out what's on:

📱 Web App: European Heritage Open Days
📖 Digital Brochure: European Heritage Open Days 2026
🌐 Discover Northern Ireland: European Heritage Open Day Northern Ireland | Discover NI
🏛️ DfC EHOD Webpage: European Heritage Open Days | Department for Communities

Please note: While all EHOD events are free to attend, some require advance booking.

Follow and tag@LoveHeritageNI and help spread the word!

14/07/2026

The following poem has long been attributed to Saint Francis Xavier, the great Spanish Jesuit missionary to India and Japan. However, modern scholars doubt that Francis Xavier actually wrote it. There is no surviving Spanish manuscript by Xavier containing the poem.
The earliest known versions are 17th-century Latin texts, appearing decades after Xavier's death in 1552.
It may have originated as a Spanish sonnet that was later translated into Latin, or it may have been composed directly in Latin. Its true author remains unknown.

The English version:
The best-known English translation, beginning:
'My God, I love Thee, not because I hope for heaven thereby'...was made in 1849 by Edward Caswall (1814–1878), an English Anglican priest who later became a Roman Catholic and was one of the Victorian era's finest hymn translators. Caswall's version is the one that entered English hymnals and remains widely sung today.

Do you know it?

See pic below ⬇️

28/06/2026

This morning we held our annual family service where our children took part. They also received their Sunday School prizes. What a lovely and uplifting service it was. We are blessed by our little group of kids and by the two wonderful sunday school teachers who faithfully nurture them throughout the year.

21/06/2026

Today we lit a chalice for all the fathers and father figures in our lives. I wrote the following blessing for our opening words this morning.

“For the silent strength they so often carry on behalf of others
For the words of wisdom passed through generations
For the protection and guarding of all they hold precious
For the leadership and guidance often sought and freely given
For our men. Our fathers. Our brothers. Our uncles. Our sons. Our nephews. Our husbands. Our friends. Those with us and those absent. May God hold you all in the sanctity of his perfect love.”

Rev Lynda

09/04/2026

Our new church social group begins this evening at 7.30pm in the room beside the main church. We will have a real mixture of events and activities planned once a month, typically a thursday evening.

Our first activity is an evening of card games which should get our competitive drive awoken.

We will be playing
UNO
Snap
Old Maid
Trumps
Jack change it

Everyone welcome
Tea & coffee during.

08/03/2026

To celebrate International Women's Day, the service was led by these women from our congregation

01/03/2026

Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus
Happy St David’s Day 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Today we celebrated St David's day & I even managed a few words of welsh! A huge thank you to my Welsh speaking colleagues for the guidance & input Melda Grantham Ant Howe.

We opened our service with the words “We come with Hiraeth—a deep longing for home, finding our truest home in the presence of God”.

The kids learnt about the history of the welsh dragon & flag - Y Ddraig Goch.

Our sermon included the final words of St David, "do the little things that you have heard and seen me do”.

And of course...welsh singing got a mention!

We also prayed:
"We pray for our fellow churches in Wales. We pray for the Unitarian chapels who share our history of a free-thinking, liberal and progressive Christian faith. Give blessing to their members and wisdom to their clergy."

Rev Lynda

19/02/2026

Today some of our congregation visited our sister church First Dunmurry NS Presbyterian Church. We were treated on arrival to lovely tea, coffee, scones & pancakes. Then Rev Dr David Steers gave us a tour of the graveyard and church, before we all gathered in the MacMillan library to learn about its formation, special collections and ongoing conservation work. We even got to view some fascinating historical documents about our church in Ballyclare, as well as some great old newspaper clippings...one of which advertised the zoo in Rostrevor....I bet not many knew about that!

We had a thoroughly good time. Thanks to Rev Dr Steers and Mrs Sue Steers for all the hospitality, info & stories.

08/02/2026

This morning we had our annual Love Service in preparation for Valentines day. I read an excerpt from the book pictured below...here John O'Donohue explores the ancient recognition between two souls once born of the same clay in the deep earth. He had such a way of grounding the human journey with nature and love for the world around us, with specific focus on Ireland of course.

We also explored first dance songs & their history, courtship and wooing, and decided ultimately that using scripture as a reference point for marriage probably isn't the best idea for a contemporary society which supports monogamy! We also reckoned King Solomon had far too much time on his hands with 700 wives & 300 concubines!

Rev Lynda

29/01/2026

This week we'll be thinking about 'being stuck'.....(what on earth is she on about now??). 🤔

We will also share a tea & coffee after the service.

If you're looking for an open, welcoming, inclusive and free-thinking community....we might just be the spiritual home you've been hoping to find.

EVERYONE welcome, without exception.

Address

Main Street
Ballyclare
BT399AA

Website

http://www.ballyclareoldpresbyterian.co.uk/

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