About

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Hello, and thanks for looking us up.

Christians have been worshipping here in Whiteabbey for nearly 200 years. Our church family is made up of people of all ages and from many different backgrounds. We each have our own unique story of faith but we’re united by our desire to put God first in our own lives and share His love with those around us.

The church is not a place for ‘perfect’ people – we know we all make mistakes and do things wrong. But we also know we are loved and have been forgiven by God.

Whether you’re new to the area or have been here your whole life we’d love to welcome you here with us as we worship.

If you’d like to know more about us, or would like to talk with someone about the Christian faith or other matters, please feel free to contact us.

Sunday service details

We meet for worship each Sunday morning at 11.00 am and everyone is invited for coffee in the church hall at the close of the service.

Our service is live streamed and recorded and can be viewed here.

Evening services are at 6.30pm in our McFetridge Hall (Entrance via our central link door)

Prayer

Prayer is central to our faith. We meet together to pray on alternate Wednesday evenings with a number of other small groups meeting for prayer at different times during the week. Details for these can be found in our weekly eBulletin.

We believe that the Bible is the Word of God. We understand that the central message of the Bible is that God has made Himself known to us through His son, Jesus. We also believe that because of Jesus death and resurrection, we can have new life in Him.

As a congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, what we believe is set out in detail in a document called the Westminster Confession of Faith. Please feel free to visit the Presbyterian Church in Ireland website for more information about our denomination and beliefs.

What we believe

Our History

In 1833, Whiteabbey Presbyterian Church was established in a schoolroom belonging to the local mill – Whiteabbey Flax Spinning Company. William Campbell, a licentiate from Scotland was called to be the first minister and ordained on 12 November 1833. Initially the congregation met in a small schoolroom, but the following summer, it was deemed necessary to enlarge the temporary meeting place and a large tent was erected, which according to Rev Campbell ‘gave to the whole an appearance somewhat resembling the Tabernacle in the wilderness’. The foundation stone of the new church was laid on 28 September 1833 on a site gifted by Mr Hugh Lyons and the church was opened for public worship by the Rev Dr Cooke on 10 August 1834.

Rev Campbell’s ministry lasted 10 years, in which time the congregation expanded greatly. His work amongst the young resulted in the building of a school in the grounds, which was opened in 1839 and was the centre for education for exactly 100 years. Rev Campbell’s ministry ended in 1844 with his call to the Free Church in Alexandria in Scotland. 12 more ministries have come and gone since then, amongst them 2 ministers, Rev R.J. Lynd and Rev R. K. Hanna, who became Moderators of the General Assembly. Also worthy of note – during the ministry of Rev William Rogers, the Clerical Prayer Union Meetings which he held in the Manse were brought to the attention of the General Assembly and resulted in the formation of the Jungle Tribes Mission in India, and subsequently the Qua Iboe Mission in West Africa. For a more comprehensive history, two books have been written over the years ’Then and Now’ by Rev W.B. McMurray covered the period from 1833–1965, and ’Times and ‘Tides 1833 – 1995’. Just click on the titles to access either of these titles.

Giving

Ways to financially support our congregation

Our responsibility

We all have a responsibility to support the work of the church both at congregational level and in the wider world. The congregational finances are ordered so that we can meet these obligations.

Freewill Offering (FWO)

In a sense all our givings are freewill offerings but we use the FWO to describe the fund which provides for the general running costs of the congregation:

● Salaries and expenses

● Heating, lighting, printing, stationery and telephone

● Sunday School and Youth Work

● Christian Education and Outreach

All contributors are issued with a FWO number which is then used as a reference for all donations.

NB you can also make contributions to the FWO via our Giving Page

Vision 2033

This is the fund to support our Vision 2033 project, which includes the major external repairs to the church, internal refurbishment of the church and halls, along with the redevelopment to further integrate the church and halls. You can support the fund in a variety of ways – via a regular standing order from your bank, via the envelope in the pew, or via our dedicated Giving Page

Property Management Fund

This fund is for the maintenance and upkeep of the buildings – church, hall and manse.

NB you can also make contributions to the Property Management Fund via our Giving Page

Mission Appeal

A church exists for mission – to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. The Presbyterian Church in Ireland carries out its mission through many agencies. This fund contributes to the Presbyterian Church in Ireland’s United Appeal, as well as our congregation’s own mission activities.

World Development Appeal

Annually the Presbyterian Church in Ireland raises funds for Christian Aid and Tearfund projects around the world. These projects help people to move towards self–sufficiency and to cope with disasters.

How much should we give?

Givings should be decided after prayerful consideration of the needs of the Church and should be a response to God’s goodness to us.

To set up a standing order with your bank, please download and complete our Standing Order Mandate and return it to the church office.

If you use online banking you can also set up a direct payment to the congregations. Please use our Sort code 95–01–21 and Account number 01041029 and remember to quote your FWO number as a reference.

If you are a UK taxpayer, Gift Aid can be claimed against your contributions. Our Gift Aid Form is available to download and complete HERE.

Thank you