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Lurgan Baptist Church
Johnston's Row, High Street, Lurgan, Co. Armagh, N. Ireland
Telephone (UK CODE) 028 38327749 (INT. CODE) + 44 2838327749
HISTORY OF OUR CHURCH |
Lurgan Baptist Church is situated convenient to the commercial centre of the town and
just across the wall from the Lurgan Park.
The first mention of Baptist witness in Lurgan is found in the September issue of the
Irish Baptist magazine for 1881. There we learn that tent meetings were conducted in
the town by the Pastor of Banbridge Baptist Church, S J Banks and Mr M Simpson
who was known as the "Blind Evangelist". These meetings were attended with great
blessing and there followed special meetings in the "Baptist Assembly Rooms".
Information received from old members who have now passed on would indicate that
the Assembly Rooms could refer to a room or rooms above the Mechanics Institute in
the centre of the town.
It is not clear how long this building had been used for worship before the Church
moved into the Mission Chapel in Union Street opposite the present Salvation Army
hall, or in which place the group was formed into a Baptist Church. We do know,
however, that the Union Street Chapel was opened for worship early in 1882 complete
with pulpit, gallery and baptistry and the seating capacity was about 150. This building
was erected by a Mr Baird who rented it to the Church and, although not a Baptist,
took a great interest in the work and along with his wife did much to help the young
assembly.
From 1881 to 1885 Pastor Banks from Banbridge seems to have been responsible for
supplying Lurgan with speakers and these mostly came from his own congregation.
One account says that the young church at Lurgan was in a prosperous condition and
the congregations were both large and interesting.
Pastor F J Ryan was the first Pastor of the Lurgan Church from 1885 to 1890 and all
down the intervening years the Church has maintained a faithful witness.
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