Cairncastle, in Co. Antrim, is situated about 4 miles north of Larne, and about 1 mile inland from the coastal village of Ballygally.  The surrounding area is designated as one of outstanding natural beauty and stands at the beginning of the Co. Antrim Coast Road.  It boasts views of the Nine Glens of Antrim, and across the Irish Sea to the Mull of Kintyre, Islay, and Jura in Scotland.  The area is also of great historic interest and bronze age relics found at Ballygally show that the area had inhabitants as early as 2000BC. It is also of religious significance and has been a centre of Christian worship for 1,300 years. Cairncastle congregation was formed in 1646

 

Today Cairncastle Presbyterian Church is a mix of families old and new to the area.  Long established families have farmed the Co Antrim hills for centuries while many of the first and second generation Cairncastle residents commute daily to Larne or Belfast.  In the last five years there has been significant new build in the area, largely for first time buyers.

 

All ages and aspects of the local community are represented in the growing congregation and the men and women in leadership.  Membership has increased by over 10% to 221 families during the last 5 years while numbers on the communicants roll have increased by 16% in the same time.  

 

Sunday Worship is at 11.00am with occasional evening services.  It is an evolving mixture of contemporary and traditional with the recent formation of a praise group sharing alongside the organist and choir. Participation of elders and others has been encouraged along with the use of power point and overhead projection.  Sunday School and laterally Youthnet (Youth Fellowship) meet during the second part of morning service.

 

During the week the usual range of church activities take place including GB, BB, PWA etc., catering for all ages from toddlers to pensioners. The Youth Club with its team of 4 leaders and 15 additional helpers is presently attracting nearly 50 teenagers from the surrounding community.  A home group meets for prayer and bible study fortnightly.  The congregation also ran two Alpha courses, one in the church, the other in Ballygally, and supported two inter-church Alpha courses held in Larne.

 

Property is in good condition and adequate for present activities.  The Church was build in 1832 and was recently rewired and is being redecorated.  It shares the same site as the church hall, renovated and extended in 1981 and  the smaller McFerran Hall. Built in 1969 and extended in 1991, the five bedroom manse is a bungalow situated in Ballygally. A new extension was opened in September 2006 by Mr JS Tweed OBE former Clerk of Session, The new halls bring us extra space and leaves us in a good position to expand our use of the church and halls.

 

Cairncastle is a close knit community where church is at the centre of life along with the post office, the next door pub and the regular sheep sales.  At Christmas and during Holy Week services are held with the local Church of Ireland congregation.  A most meaningful event to everyone in the community was a pilgrimage around all the village churches to mark the Millennium.

 

But the congregation is not just inward looking.  Cairncastle was the first Presbyterian church in Northern Ireland to have a web site through which at least one family has joined the church.  Through the internet it has also established a sister Church in South Aiken, Carolina, a congregation of the PCUSA.

 

Cairncastle is a welcoming mix of rural and urban communities, confident in their beliefs, who want to grow in their faith and share it relevantly with their friends and neighbours.  They look to their minister as one of the community who can be at home with everyone while exemplifying the love and care of Jesus in all they do.