Methodist church in Downpatrick closes

Methodist church in Downpatrick closes

21 April 2021

THE doors at Downpatrick Methodist Church shut for the last time at the weekend.

The church at the junction of Saul Street and Scotch Street officially closed on Sunday, marking the end of a long chapter of active Methodist church life in the town.

Methodism in Downpatrick goes back to the days of John Wesley, who visited the town four times; in 1778, 1785, 1787 and 1789.

On each occasion he preached in the Grove at the foot of Down Cathedral and in 2001 a memorial stone was placed at the spot to commemorate those visits and the contribution of Methodism to Irish life.

A year before Wesley’s first visit the original Methodist preaching house in the town was opened at Scotch Street by the Rev Edward Smyth, an Anglican clergyman who left his curacy at Ballyculter to become a Methodist preacher. He and his wife, Agnes, began to hold services in Downpatrick and surrounding neighbourhood, preaching, holding society meetings and administering the sacraments. 

He went on to build a Methodist preaching house in the town, personally raising funds, obtaining a suitable site and even joining in manual labour to ensure its completion.

He conducted the opening service on November 26, 1777, at Scotch Street and he and his family moved into an adjoining small room, which for many years afterwards served to accommodate preachers appointed to the town.

It was decided in 1954 to replace the original building with a new one on the same site. The result was the present building which was opened in April 1955 at a cost of £7,000.

The congregation at the time decided to use chairs rather than pews in their new worship centre so that the building could be used for youth work and other activities during the week. 

In 1998, the congregation completed an extension to the building in the form of a new kitchen and toilet facilities as well as a large upper room for youth work and other community activities. The cost of was £40,000 all of which was met by the local congregation. 

Whilst the Methodist congregation in Downpatrick has always been relatively small it has nevertheless made enormous contributions to religious, civil, and civic life in the town and surrounding area.

There are strong ecumenical relations dating back to its inception as a church body. The congregation has endeavoured to work alongside denominations and the church was used as a refreshment point on the annual St Patrick’s Day pilgrimage from Saul to Down Cathedral where pilgrims were treated to a potted history of Methodism by Dr Brian Turner.

The congregation also hosted well renowned annual lectures by visiting speakers including Baroness Blood and the distinguished author and journalist Alf McCreary, among others.    

In more recent years the dwindling congregation began to consider its future as part of the Dundrum, Newcastle and Downpatrick Methodist Circuit.

All three congregations have suffered losses over the last two decades and it was time to consider how the Methodist community in southeast Down might look in the future.

In January of 2020 following several discussions with all three congregations the Circuit Council took the difficult decision to close Downpatrick and Dundrum Methodist Churches and consolidate as one congregation under the new name of Donard Methodist Church which meets in the Newcastle Methodist Church building.

The Rev Mervyn Ewing, circuit minister, said: “Closing a church is a huge and difficult decision to make which members of the Circuit Council did not make lightly.

“It is important to note the considerable sacrifices that were made over the years by the Downpatrick people who were committed and devoted to God, one another and their church.

“We are very conscious of the emotional cost this decision has exacted on the devoted congregation. As Christians we believe firmly in resurrection; for something new to grow and flourish there must be death.

“As Methodists, building on all that has been before and what we have learned from one another and God, we forge ahead believing that in the ‘New Thing’ God creates there will be life and energy to stay true to our Methodist calling.”

Since the present Downpatrick Methodist Church was opened in 1955 the ministers in charge have been as follows:

1955, John McCaffrey, BA; 1960, John Hart; 1963, William E. Cullen, BA, 1965, William Warren, BA, BSc; 1969, Thomas Kennedy; 1971, John J. Harrison; 1975, Malcolm E.G. Redman; 1978, N. Cyril Haire; 1984, Morris Matthis (Student Pastor UMC USA); 1985, Jerre Nolte (Student Pastor UMC USA); 1986, D. Alfred R. Skuce; 1993, John R. Brookes; 2003, William J. Mackay; 2006, Dr. J. Stanley McQuade; 2008, Ross J. Harte, LI.B, MDiv; 2012, Kenneth Connor, BA, Fd.A; 2015, E. Louise Mc Kee BTh, MTh; 2019, Mervyn Ewing BTh, and Thomas Clarke BA.