Our History
1774
This congregation was originally part of a union with a Randalstown Burgher congregation
(now 2nd Randalstown).
It first met in Ahoghill around 1770 but was only erected on 16 May 1774.
1775 January
Our first minister Rev. William Holmes was installed on 11 January 1775.
1780 October
Rev. Thomas Smith was ordained on 12 October 1780 but became involved in the rebellion of 1798 and emigrated to America in 1799.
1800
The union with Randalstown was dissolved and Brookside became a single congregation in 1800. At this time also some people left the congregation to form Trinity Presbyterian Church in the village.
1800 December
Rev. John Marr was ordained on 6 December 1800 to what was then known as 3rd Ahoghill and after a long ministry died on 3 February 1844.
1845 May
Rev. Stewart Fullerton was ordained on 7 May 1845 but was removed by Synod in August 1857.
1858 March
Rev. James Abernethy was ordained on 25 March 1858, and left for service with the Colonial Mission in Australia on 26 April 1859.
1859 December
Rev. Robert Mitchell was ordained on 14 December 1859 and remained until 28 May 1900.
1880s
1900 November
Rev Robert Wilson followed on 8 November 1900 and ministered until 28 May 1912.
1907
The name of the congregation was changed to Brookside.
1912 October
Rev. Thomas Moore followed on 1 October 1912 and remained until 1 December 1916 when he received a call to a Liverpool church.
1917 May
Rev. W.J. McGeagh was ordained on 31 May 1917 and resigned on 3 February 1920 to go to Moneymore.
1920 June
Rev. David McConnell was installed on 29 June 1920 but was tragically killed as the result of a road accident on 15 December 1931.
1932 July
The Rev. Alexander Kirkpatrick was installed on 27 July 1932 and although crippled with arthritis for many years, he was a faithful pastor until his retirement on 31 March 1954.
1954 October
Rev. James McAuley was ordained in Brookside on 7 October 1954 and resigned to go to Nelson Memorial congregation, Belfast on 20 March 1960.
1960 October
Rev. James Matthews was ordained on 5 October 1960 and remained until 27 April 1971 when he resigned to become minister of First Lurgan.
1968
The construction of a new church hall was completed.
1972 March
Rev. Ivan McKay was installed on 23 March 1972. He had a long and fruitful ministry and saw considerable growth in the size of the congregation before resigning on 26 May 1996 to go to Dundonald congregation in Belfast.
1997 May
Our fourteenth minister Rev. David McGaughey commenced his ministry on Sunday 18 May 1997 and exercised a faithful preaching and teaching ministry until 26 October 2007 when he resigned.
2005
An extension to the halls complex was completed in 2005 and was opened by The Very Rev. Harry Uprichard, who at the time was Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, and minister of neighbouring Ahoghill congregation Trinity.
2008 September
Rev. William Moody, was installed on 19th September 2008, and continued the faithful preaching of God’s Word.
2009
A new Manse was built for the arrival of Rev Moody and was completed in the summer of 2009.
