About Us
Our Mission
We gather independently, free from systems and organisations. Our only basis of gathering and our sole authority for all our practises is the truth contained in the Bible which we believe to be the Word of God. We meet weekly to remember the Lord; other activities include children’s work, gospel evangelism, Bible study and prayer; in all of these our focus is upon the Word of God and making its truth known.
We do not take any denominational name but gather only to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The hall in which we meet is very comfortable but simple because our focus is upon the spiritual and eternal. The attraction of our meetings is the presence of the Lord and each time we meet He alone is given the preeminent place.
Our Sin
We are simply a group of people who have put their faith in Jesus Christ our Lord for salvation. This salvation was required because, in common with everybody else, we are sinners in the sight of God (Rom 3:23) and can do nothing of ourselves to merit God’s favour.FAITH
However Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son of the Eternal God, became a man and gave His life on the cross of Calvary to pay the penalty for our sin. It is through repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that we have salvation and fellowship again with God.HIM
We do not belong to any ‘organisation’ or ‘denomination’. We believe that the local assembly of Christians who meet in Harryville Gospel Hall are a fully independent body accountable to God. There are like-minded assemblies in the area, throughout the country and worldwide, but each is fully independent.Our Beliefs
Our beliefs are simple and straight from the Bible. Find below what we believe at Harryville Gospel HallBut he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53 v 5 (The Bible)
Our History
For over 70 years, the Christians who meet in Harryville Gospel Hall have presented the message of the Gospel to children and adults. But the work of the Gospel in the Harryville area of Ballymena goes back much further. The earliest records available date back to 1920 when Mr William McCracken and Mr Tom Russell pitched a gospel tent at Ballee. People from the area came and God blessed in those meetings with quite a number getting saved. Shortly after those meetings, Christians by the name of Mr McCosh, Mrs McCullough, Mr Alfe Love and Miss Annie Love agreed to commence a Sunday School in the large Orange Hall in Harryville.The Sunday School grew until it became one of the largest Sunday Schools in Ballymena. That Orange Hall has long since been demolished but we think it was located where the entrance to John Kerr’s bakery is today. The evangelist Mr Joseph Stewart and the aforementioned Mrs McCullough, who worked in the Post Office in Ballymena believed there should be a place dedicated for gospel outreach in Harryville. And so in 1926 there was a hall erected at Waring Street in Harryville with corrugated iron, lined with bolted sheeting. It became known as the Iron Hall.
Mr Joseph Glancey
The hall opened with special meetings conducted by Mr Joseph Glancey and a number of people got saved. It was decided the meetings would end with Mr Glancey telling of his conversion to God. The town hall was rented that night and it was packed to overflowing to hear the man tell his testimony. He was a survivor of the RMS Lusitania.
Mr Frank Knox
After Joseph Glancey's packed Gospel meetings there was arranged a gospel meeting each Sunday evening at 7.45 pm. Many preachers came in the following years such as Mr D L Craig and Mr John Finnegan, Mr Bunting, Mr John Putts and Mr Frank Knox. Mr Knox then put up a large gospel tent in Railway street.
Mr ROBERT Steele
By 1959 the hall was not only in need of much repair, but it was too small; so it was decided to pull it down and erect a new and bigger building. It was extended again in 1981 as membership had grown to 143 members. The builder of this new hall was the late, Mr Robert Steele. That was the last building contract he had before he went home to heaven.
Mr & Mrs Josias MCCullough
On 16th September 1950, the 37 foundation members met and included: Mr and Mrs John McGaughan, Mr and Mrs Robert Beggs, Mr and Mrs John Law, Miss Jean Law, Mr and Mrs Harry Bell, Mr and Mrs Thomas Kirkwood, Miss Betha Kirkwood, Mr and Mrs Andrew Hamilton, Mr and Mrs Josias McCullough, Mr and Mrs Alfred Love, Mr and Mrs Alfred Mairs.
Mr and Mrs Robert Wilson
The remaining founding members were Mr and Mrs Robert Wilson, Mr & Mrs James Johnston, Mr William McCosh, Mr William John Irwin, Mr Sandy Kennedy, Mr John McClelland, Mr Jim Galloway, Mr William George Law, Mr Ernest Steely, Mrs Jones, Mrs Reading, Miss Annie Love, Miss Jean McCullough, Miss Annie McDowell and Miss Margaret McDowell.