4 Corners: Northern Ireland

Ballymoney Baptist Church

Ballymoney is about 45 minutes by car north of Belfast towards the North Antrim coast. The church started in 1984 with just two families. The rooky pastor and wife were Steven and Gail Curry. Before going, comments on the situation from various people were not positive. Within three weeks of arrival Steven received a call to go to another church! But Steven stayed and, starting with a home Bible study with the two families, the fellowship grew. A church was constituted in September 1986 and a building was erected on the outskirts of Ballymoney in 1992. The church has grown steadily and now, with around 140 people in attendance, is looking to add an extension.

EN was able to talk to Steven Curry in May.

EN: Can you describe what is happening in Northern Ireland from a Christian point of view?

SC: Northern Ireland is changing very quickly. There is a decline in the church generally and, simultaneously in some places, as a reaction, a hardening in traditionalism, which is quite negative. In 1957, just 0.7% of people in Northern Ireland identified themselves as non-religious. By 1967 that figure had risen to 2.4%. In 2001 it had become 10.2%. It is estimated that, by the time of the next census, the ‘non-religious’ will be the second biggest ‘religious’ grouping next to Catholicism. So secularisation is taking its toll. In the past, the province has been a bastion of conservative evangelicalism. But I sometimes wonder if there has been too much cold-call house-to-house visitation, which has been insensitive and our evangelism has irritated people rather than actually commended the gospel and the church to people. Whatever we may think of the power-sharing arrangements, in recent years since the end of the troubles, the province has become far more prosperous. Whereas, say, four years ago, houses were comparatively cheap compared with the rest of the UK, houses have now tripled in value and are much the same as many parts of England. On the other hand, there are not too many jobs suitable for graduates, especially in the rural areas, so we tend to lose young people.

EN: What is needed do you think?

SC: We need churches which are word-centred, but at the same time are culturally relevant and not hung up on the traditions of the past. The churches in the province have tended to be stuck in the 1950s, with acrimonious debates, for example, over Bible versions and the way Christians dress. But there is a new un-churched generation to reach with the gospel. In many churches, if you removed everyone over 50 years old, the church would cease to exist. There is a contemporary Irish Christian movement with new Irish songs, but it is not always word-centred. It is modern but has little or no doctrinal foundation. On the other hand, denominationalism still has quite a grip on many churches. Though that can be helpful, in that it protects from extremes, it can tend towards formality rather than heart love for Christ.

But on the positive side there is still much good Christian influence. For example, in many grammar schools, which we still have in Northern Ireland, the Christian Unions may number over 200 young people.

EN: How do you do evangelism?

SC: 30 years ago an evangelistic campaign in a tent would have packed people in. But not today. Our evangelism has moved from being meeting based to being more activity based. So we run a youth club which meets at the sports hall of the local school, where there is football, etc., which collects young people and gives us the opportunity to share Christ. We also run an adventure week for young people and avail ourselves of the facilities of the Antrim coastline to do beach barbecues and go caving. Food has become quite important in evangelism! And that is not without scriptural precedent with the likes of Matthew, soon after beginning to follow Jesus, inviting his friends for a meal to meet his Saviour.

EN: You have also got involved in radio?

SC: Yes. This is really a project nurtured by my assistant, Andy Dalrymple. For the last three years we have obtained a licence and had a radio weekend broadcasting to the local area. All the church gets involved in some way, from producing and presenting programmes, operating the equipment, making meals and providing security. The broadcasting license is granted for a weekend, from Friday to Sunday, and, although some programmes are recorded, most go out live. Every group within the church, from the senior citizens to the children, produce programmes. Special interest subjects, such as creation, health, family, cooking, even gardening, supplement the programme. Although the radio covers a seven-mile radius from the point of transmission, the programmes are also broadcast simultaneously on the web and have prompted ‘hits’ from all over the world.

The web site, along with the 24-hour telephone hotline, provides a means for listeners to make requests, respond to quizzes and request further information. A sample of the programmes produced can be downloaded from our web site at http://www.ballymoneybaptistchurch.org.