DRUMINNIS PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

At Hamilton's Bawn on August 4th, 1840, a group of Presbyterian worshippers met together and formed a congregation. Having applied for preaching, they were supplied with ministers from the Armagh Presbytery. This arrangement was carried on for two years.

An arrangement of greater permanency was achieved when on June 21st, 1842, Reverend Henry Kydd was ordained as the first full time minister of Druminnis Presbyterian Church. For the following twenty years, Reverend Kydd guided the foundling congregation until its foundations in the community were firmly established. Also during the time of Reverend Kydd, a permanent meetinghouse was constructed. Reverend Kydd retired from the ministry in July of 1862. He died three years later.
The congregation was without a minister for only a matter of months. Reverend William Jordan was ordained to the ministry on December 4th, 1862. For the succeeding thirty years, he gave faithful service to the church. He died three months after his retirement in September 1892.

His successor was Reverend David MacLoughlin who served the congregation for thirty-one years before resigning to take up a charge a Kilkenney. His departure coincided with the resignation of Thomas Roulston from the ministry of Redrock Presbyterian Church. The dual vacancy facilitated a union of the two churches in 1924.

Reverend Thomas Bole was installed to the joint charge on August 28th 1924. He remained with the congregation for only two years before resigning to take up the ministry at Claremont, County Londonderry. Succeeding him was the Reverend Joseph McKee, a former minister of Redrock Presbyterian. During his term in charge, the church at Druminnis carried out much needed repairs to the meeting-house and installed new open pitch-pine pews. Reverend McKee retired from the ministry on June 25th, 1942.

Mr. Andrew Peden McComb took up the charge. During his ministry, a war memorial was unveiled at Druminnis Church. Mr McComb resigned in 1954 to carrying on his ministry at Dunlop Memorial Hall in Belfast. Reverend John Hall Lyons who was installed on September 28th 1955 followed him. Under his direction, a new roof was constructed and a new manse built in 1968. The old manse and part of the manse farm were subsequently sold. In 1974 the church was altered to accommodate a gallery.

1955 - Rev John Hall Lyons
1989 - Rev Howard Gilpin
2002 - Rev Sam Finlay