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Exiles Forum

Lisburn, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland

Man with a �mission� pens major churches article

All 13 churches in Dromore to be featured on Internet

All 13 churches in and around Dromore Town Centre are among those to feature in a new online article about places of worship in the wider Lisburn area.

Penned by a former Dromore man, the article includes 400-plus photographs of more than 130 churches as well as identifying all the ministers and providing a brief history of each church.

Though only newly completed, the article is stirring up interest, having earned a mention at a recent meeting of Dromore Historical Society.

It is also due to be the subject of an article in the Presbyterian Herald.

At the weekend the author visited Gospel meetings at Dromore�s Ballygowan and Edintrillick Mission Halls to complete his research.

At Ballygowan, on the Listullycurran Road, where meetings are held every Saturday evening at 8pm, he found Gordon Martin leading the service, assisted by Martin Thompson, while Stephanie Gamble on piano, led the praise. The soloist was Denver Wilson. Tom Orr, a retired Pastor, was guest speaker and his address answered the question, �What are we created for?�

Pictured on Saturday evening 5th November 2005, are some of the people who lead the worship each week at Ballygowan Mission Hall, Dromore. L to R: (front) Karen Anderson, Stephanie Gamble, Elaine Thompson and Marion Hall. (second row) John Hobson, Gordon Martin, Martin Thompson, Norman Fleck and Philip Osborne. (back row) Steven Shanks, George Fitzgerald and Stephen Gamble.

On Sunday evening he visited Edintrillick Mission Hall where Gospel meetings are held on the first Sunday of each month, again at 8pm. Robert Gamble led the service and Stephanie Gamble, on organ, led the praise. Guest speaker Samuel Cowan spoke about his work with the Seamen�s Christian Friend Society.

Pictured on Sunday evening 6th November 2005, are some of the people who lead the worship each month at Edentrillick Mission Hall, near Dromore. L to R: (front) Robert Gamble, Miss Sadie Dawson and Miss May Dawson. (back row) Maurice Dawson, Stephanie Gamble - Organist and Stephen Gamble.

Having first visited the mainstream churches before moving on to the Mission Halls, the author said, �I have actually been able to spend more time at these small meetinghouses. I have witnessed at first hand the comradeship that exists between each of these small fellowships and have thoroughly enjoyed my visits to them all, and especially gathering history that would undoubtedly have died with many of the senior people that I interviewed for these articles.�

The completed article can be read on-line by going to the �Churches Page� of www.lisburn.com and clicking on �Lisburn�s Churches�.

The article also provides a link to all available church websites, and to books and church publications currently on the Lisburn website www.lisburn.com/books.