The Rev. Herbert Mulholland

The Rev. Mulholland was born in Balnamore on the 18th of June 190 His father and mother moved Ballymena where he grew up. He was brought up in connection with We Church, Ballymena. As a young man he came under the influence of the Re W. P. Nicholson, an evangelist of those days. As the result of a spiritual experience he decided at one of his services to study to be a minister Ultimately he was licensed by the Ballymena Presbytery on 27th May 1932.

The Rev. Hebert Mulholland was called to Banbridge Road at a Congregational meeting held on 1st September, 1932. In spite of the background of the previous years when the congregation was very deeply divided he received a unanimous Call and was ordained on the 29th September.

The service of Ordination Banbridge Road was conducted by the Moderator of Presbytery, the Rev. H McKinty. The Rev. H. C. Clements Ballysillan where Mr Mulholland had been assistant, also took part, as did the Rev. R. S. Craig, his home minister. The Charge was given by the Rev. H. Orr of Hillsborough. It is worth while to record two quotations from that address.

The Rev. Orr said to the young minister "Do the work of an evangelist. That after all is your chief task. The longer I live, the more convinced I am that every minister should be his own evangelist and that we should refuse to allow this most important part of our work to be done by visiting evangelists, called in for the purpose like a consulting physician at a crisis. It may be argued of course that every minister does not possess the evangelistic gifts. That may be true as far as preaching is concerned, but it implies a very limited understanding of the subject. Evangelism is a far wider thing than mere pulpit utterances and you will probably find as time goes on that the best evangelistic work is done outside the pulpit altogether - in your Bible Class for instance, or in the homes of your people, or best of all in your friendship with your members."

The other quote is: "What is called the `pastoral visit' perhaps was never less popular with us than now. Most ministers don't like it and yet I say it is an essential preparation for the Sunday for in that way and only in that way will you get to know your people and their needs in a way that would be impossible by simply gazing at them from the pulpit. I need not remind you of the importance of knowing your homes."

Mr Mulholland, in his address, thanked the congregation for the greatest honour that any congregation could do for any young man. He made no promises about what he would do, but he assured them that all his work would be for the good of the congregation. There were many present, states a press report, who were deeply impressed by the `obvious enthusiasm' and 'sincerity' of the young minister.

The Rev Mulholland was a bachelor for six years after he came to Dromore; his sister Eileen acting as his housekeeper. She served in the W.R.N.S. and later she became Matron of the Presbyterian Hostel in Belfast. On the 8th September 1938 he married Miss E. Currie, who very quickly won the hearts of the people. The minister took his wife round the families as was expected in those days. He himself did a "round of pastoral visits" yearly throughout his ministry.

Mr Mulholland, as be began his ministry in Banbridge Road, was very conscious of the lingering divisions in the congregation. He decided not to be involved and that enabled him to carry on with his work for all the people. He was the right man at the right time.

The new hall, like many new halls at that time, was used for the Sunday School work and that was all. There was a small room upstairs at the back of the hall and the Committee used this for their monthly meeting. Eighteen months after the opening the first request for the use of the hall came before the Session. Some young people asked to be allowed to start a Badminton Club. This was granted on the condition that the property would not be injured and that play would be over by 10 o'clock. This proved a very successful club and apart from the war years, was active until the present time.

The minutes of Session and Committee reveal nothing startling - mostly routine business, the Session receiving new ccmmunicants twice a year, the Committee passing accounts and looking after the property. Much more revealing are the Annual Church Reports with their inclusion of the Annual Reports of the organisations and societies.

By 1933 there was a very successful Girls' Auxiliary and a Junior branch with a total membership of fifty. In 1934 a Ladies' Work Class commenced.

At the reception on the day of his Ordination, Mr. Moore, recalled how when he was a boy attending a Sunday School social a young girl recited a poem, the recurring words of which were `God has a plan for every man and he has one for you.' The new minister looking back over the years said he now realized the significance of those words.

Having paid tribute to his parents, his minister, the Rev. J. Dunlop, his Sunday School teachers, his professors and his friends, he had this to say of Ulsterville�If I had to spend my assistantship days over again I would not wish to spend them in any other congregation,' and he went on to pay high tribute to the Rev. S. R. Jamison.

Mr. S. J. Duffy, the Clerk of Session, in his welcome, said, "We have reason to believe that the settlement to-day will be the prelude to many years of happiness and blessing both to Mr. Moore and the congregation." The next 38 years, it can be safely claimed, proved this to be true, for the minister at any rate!!

The following is an extract from a letter Mr. Moore received from the Rev. Herbert Mulholland, his predecessor, a few days after he received the Call. "You are a very fortunate young man to start your ministry in Banbridge Road. My own ministry there lasted 13 years, during which I had no worries, no quarrels, and no unpleasantness of any kind. I say this not to take credit to myself but rather to encourage you concerning the people you will have to work with through the next years. You will get plenty of support and plenty of friendship. You will understand that after 13 happy years there my attachment to the place is very strong, as is my desire that they should do well in the future." Mr. Moore often testified to the truth of these words, and at the end of his much longer ministry he was able to commend the congregation in a similar ,way to his successor.

Mr. Moore was Moderator of the Presbytery on two occasions 1962 and 1977 and in 1979 he was elected Moderator of the Synod. He represented the congregation for a number of years on the Committees of several rural schools. He was also on the Committee of the Primary School in the town for most of his ministry and was a foundation member of the Board of Governors of the High School upon which he served for thirty years.

Mr. Moore was a year and four months in Banbridge Road when he married Miss Ethel McNutt, who came from near Claudy, County Londonderry. She was born in Didsbury, Alberta, Canada, where her father had been a minister in the Presbyterian Church of Canada before retiring, to return to Ireland to farm. Mrs. Moore trained as a teacher at Victoria College. After settling down in the manse, Mr. Moore and his wife paid a visit to every home�a demanding task, but worthwhile as Mrs. Moore from the beginning knew the congregation as well as her husband. They had three children, two girls and a boy, and when the youngest reached school age Mrs. Moore took up her profession again. After a time of `subbing' she was appointed an assistant in Ballyvicknakelly Primary School and later became its headmistress. When the school closed she became a peripatetic teacher with the Southern Education Board from which she retired in September 1984. The daughters are married and live in the area, the son in Belfast.

THE RENOVATIONS
THE CHURCH

While those who were present on the day of Mr. Moore's Ordination may have been impressed by the Presbytery's service, the lavish luncheon provided and the enthusiasm of the welcome, no one could have been impressed by the state of the church building. For over 30 years a major renovation had been contemplated, but indecision, lack of money, and then during the war the scarcity of materials and the war-time restrictions had made this virtually impossible. Now with the war over, and a new minister, the congregational Committee's first thoughts were `to get on with' the long delayed renovation. More money seemed to be the first essential. Mr. Moore was asked if he would pay a special visit to each home to get pledges as to the extent of their financial support. A letter was sent to every family indicating what was proposed.

Banbridge Road Church before renovation in 1953

The Church after the renovation 1953/4

Although the new minister did not anticipate such an undertaking with any great joy, it was carried out and there was a good response. The money given or promised, together with the money already raised over a number of years, gave the Committee the impetus to get on with this major undertaking. Later that year, Mr. George Hobart, of Hobart and Heron, architects, who lived locally, was asked to draw up plans.

At this time an application for permission to carry out the work was lodged with the Clerk of the General Assembly. After the war only a limited amount of structural work was permitted. Dr. Gailey, the Clerk, informed the Committee that it would be the following year before the congregation would get the required permit. Even a store which was proposed in anticipation of the Church renovation, was held up for a time by the Ministry of Finance. In the meantime Mr. Hobart had plans drawn up and brought them to a meeting of Committee held in December 1951. Mr. Hobart indicated that the work would cost about �14,000 (it was to cost over �20,000) and that it was unlikely that a permit for such a large amount would be issued. During the next few months a number of Committee members visited various churches to get ideas. In July 1952 final plans were drawn up and a permit again applied for. It should be understood that in those post-war years a certain amount of capital expenditure was allocated by the Ministry of Finance to the Presbyterian Church, and this in turn was allocated by the appropriate Assembly's Committee over congregations. The Banbridge Road renovation was considered in those days to be a `big job.'

Four tenders were submitted to the Committee by Mr. Geo. Hobart on the 10th June 1953. The contract was ultimately placed with Messrs. John Graham, a local firm. The work commenced in the Autumn. An information letter was sent to each home setting out the arrangements for the following twelve months. The hall was to be specially arranged to create an atmosphere for worship; the Sunday School was to have the use of five class rooms in the Primary School. There were to be two Harvest Services both morning and evening.

During the next few weeks the church was literally gutted, the pews, the gallery (which ran right round at that time) the ceiling and the floor were taken out; just a shell with a roof remained. It was at the same time a sorry and a glad sight. The following twelve months saw many Committee meetings as inevitably changes had to be made and decisions taken, often at short notice.

Two interesting matters are worth a mention. When the new gallery was taking shape the Committee felt that the front was too high and boxlike, besides those sitting in it would not be able to see the front of the church at ground level. Under pressure from the Committee the contractor decided to lower the front by a few feet. This was quite an undertaking. The gallery had to be raised on jacks, the tops cut off the steel stanchions and the steel beam that ran along the front of the gallery lowered into its new lower place. It was successful, and while this was a great improvement it was still felt by the Committee that it was too high at the front; however, nothing more could be done.

The other notable matter was the ceiling. The plasterers decided that to make a good job of the ceiling it would have to be floated in one period of' time. So they began one morning and worked all day and all through the next night until the next evening, 36 hours non-stop. It proved an excellent job. The foreman plasterer, John Calder, was a member of the congregation and wanted the best; he also designed the rosettes on the ceiling and was responsible for the fluting and other plaster work in the Apse. Work well done!

The design of the furnishings was important. Many of the items were to be memorials so they had to please the donor and at the same time blend in with the redesigned building. The Communion Table, the Pulpit, the Baptismal Font and the Reading Desk have always been praised for their workmanship and design. Gradually the building began to take shape. Many members and all the organizations offered to pay for gifts, furnishings, windows and carpeting. The most generous gift was of course the Memorial Organ, valued to-day at nearly �30,000.

As the end came in sight, oh how slowly! there was great enthusiasm and great disappointment�the church would not be ready for the Harvest Services, besides it would be difficult to hold the Harvest Services and the reopening in the same month. It was decided to ask the other churches to allow the congregation to come out of the harvest rota and to have its harvest services in September and then to have the opening and dedication in November.

This plan worked out well and had the good will of all. The opening services were to take place over a period of four Sundays with a target of �5,000�a very large sum at that time. By the end of November the target was reached with. the help of several substantial contributions. It was a time of great rejoicing and gratitude. The members were proud of what had been achieved. For months there were visitors and friends and former members at every service to see the renovated and refurbished church. The photographs before and after give some idea of the change that took place.

The Re-opening Services were held on the 14th November, 1954. Prof. R. J. Wilson, M.A., B.D., dedicated the Memorial Organ and the other gifts (see list). Three of the windows were also memorials and a fourth window was the gift of the Girls' Brigade.

Four years later The Rt. Rev. Prof. R. J. Wilson was back, this time as Moderator, to dedicate the two remaining windows�one a memorial and one a gift.

MINOR HALL AND NEW KITCHEN

With the renovation over it seemed at the time to the Committee and the members that they could rest on their oars. Not so. The congregation was growing and the organizations were expanding and soon it was realized more accommodation was needed. The original hall kitchen was inadequate and a minor hall was needed.

As soon as the debt on the church was cleared the Committee concentrated on a scheme to provide a suitable extension. The new building was ready by September, 1961, and dedicated on the 7th by the Right Rev. W. A. A. Park, M.A., D.D., the Moderator. The opening ceremony was performed by Mrs. Emily McCormick. The Presbytery's good wishes were conveyed by the Moderator, the Rev. Hugh Young, B.A., and the greetings of the local churches by Canon C. H. E. Clayton, M.A. The Committee and congregation were well pleased with another successful project. Pleased as they were the Committee and the congregation could not sit back and say `That's it.'

The opening of the Minor Hall and new kitchen by Mrs. Emily McCormick

HALL EXTENSION

It was a time of considerable increase in the congregation and over the next few years there were greater demands on the accommodation. The main hall needed to be extended and a proper stage constructed. By the mid seventies this was under serious discussion and by 1978 the Committee had decided to go ahead with another major extension. It was decided to extend the hall backwards and build a new area embracing a large stage, a small hall, cloak rooms, new toilet facilities and a shower. It was an ambitious scheme involving some difficult construction work. Plans were drawn up by Jim Cargin, a member of Committee, who played a big part in supervising the work when it commenced. It was a job worth doing and proved very valuable. A typical comment after it came into use was, `How did we ever do without it.' On the 12th March, 1969, four tenders were submitted, the lowest being �9,740, from the McKeown Brothers. This was ultimately accepted. The final cost of the work was considerably greater as there were the inevitable additions and changes. The work was well done and the opening was arranged for Wednesday, 16th September, 1970. It was a fine occasion. And the service was conducted by the Moderator of Presbytery, the Rev. D. H. A. Watson, and there was an address by the Moderator of the General Assembly, the Right Rev. Dr. J. L. M. Haire, M.A., M.Th. In the course of the service a number of valuable gifts were dedicated.