Members of Ballykeel Presbyterian Church, Ballymena will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the foundation of their congregation with two special services on Sunday 15th September 2024.
Talking about the last 50 years the church says, ‘Ballykeel Presbyterian has been here since 1974, and are thankful for the great honour of living for Christ in this community. Ballykeel people are fantastic people and the members love sharing the Gospel in this place.’
To date, three Ministers have occupied the pulpit in Ballykeel. Rev Dr Joseph Fell, Rev Brian Savage and latterly Rev Dr Martin McNeely who left at the start of the year to take up a new appointment in the Republic of Ireland.
Sharing a bit about what Ballykeel Presbyterian Church does, a spokesperson told us:
“We care – Our Church has a reputation for being friendly. But we want to be more. We want to care for people deeply and love our members well. If you’re part of our Church family you will be valued and loved, not just on Sundays, but through the week.
We nurture the next generation – Young people have always been part of Ballykeel Church. We have ministries on Sunday starting from 0-18 years old and beyond. Young people never say our Church is ‘boring’ or irrelevant. We are very inter-generational and strive to encourage our young people in the Christian life.
We grow together – Jesus came to make disciples – people who follow Him. We do this by mixed growth groups, men’s groups, women’s groups, midweek studies and prayer. We really want people to grow by prayer, especially in homes and in families.
We share – We believe the Bible is God calling us to believe and trust in Him through faith in His Son. We always want to share the hope of Christ. You can join one of our Christianity Explored groups anytime.
We serve – Ballykeel Church is made up of people who are well connected to the community in which we are situated. We strive to help and bring healing from youngest to oldest, by working with local community groups, our Primary School and other care providers. We serve around the world as well, by supporting mission and practical outreach through Tear Fund.”
The vision of Ballykeel Presbyterian Church is in line with Matthew Chapter 22, verses 9-10:
‘So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ 10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.’
Their spokesperson continued:
“Change – we want to see as many people called to follow Christ.
Communion – we want see response to faith in Christ shown through baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
Commitment – we want to see a new generation of leaders emerge.”
Joining the celebrations on Sunday 15th September 2024 will be former Moderator of the General Assembly, the Very Rev Dr John Kilpatrick, who will speak at Morning Worship, which starts at 10am.
Current Moderator, the Rt Rev Dr Richard Murray is looking forward to preaching at the Evening Service at 6.30pm.
To find out more about Ballykeel Presbyterian Church, log on to https://www.ballykeelchurch.org