Church History

In 1894 a temporary Methodist Church was erected at Clara Street, on the Castlereagh Road, Belfast.  Before long it was too small for services, Sunday School and other activities  The building also deteriorated rapidly due to its type of construction. 

At a Leaders' Meeting on 8th January 1912, it was decided to build a new church on another site.  However, hopes and plans of the new leaders and members to erect a building adequate for the needs and challenges of the early years of the early 20th century met with many disappointments and set-backs.  The onset of the First World War and the considerable expenditure were major obstacles.

In the spring of 1923, an option was taken on a site on the Cregagh Road, where there was a large and steadily increasing population, and approval was obtained from the District Synod for the creation of a new church. Considerable financial support was promised from the Forward Movement Fund, which had been set up to cope with the problems of church extension arising out of the growth of the population in the City of Belfast.

This support enabled arrangements to be made for the signing of an agreement regarding the site and preparation of building plans.  Eventually, the Cregagh church was opened on 28th May 1927 at a cost of £9,379.00.

Because of the tremendous growth in church membership, the initial building work was followed by the addition of auxiliary church halls in 1933, and a separate building the Smilie Hall in 1939. The rapid growth of work among young people in the late 1950's and 1960's inspired a scheme for the erection of a Youth Centre incorporating the Smilie Hall and additional rooms in 1972.

An extensive refurbishment of the main church building took place in 2005. This involved removal of the organ and pews, creation of a new gallery room, and a reconfiguration of the space at the back of the church.