McCracken Memorial

Closure of Church Building and On-line Services

Given the very serious position that we find ourselves in, with the high level of transmission of the COVID-19 virus, the numbers in hospitals and intensive care, and the very clear warning from health officials, the General Council of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, acting with the delegated authority of the General Assembly has directed that for a limited period of time (from Friday 8th January until Saturday 6th February, subject to review in late January) in-person gatherings for worship, along with all other in-person church gatherings should cease in all PCI congregations in Northern Ireland. This is with the exception of weddings, funerals as permitted by the regulations.

Kirk Session is saddened by this news and realise some will be disappointed, but we feel we must take account of people’s safety and protection as well as the part we can play in contributing to the overall reduction of inter-person contact in line with the government’s ‘stay at home’ message. There will be the resumption of video’d services for Sundays along with the continuation of audio services and podcasts. A paper transcript of the service will also be available on demand.

We pray that each of us will know and feel God’s love and close presence at this time as we worship from home, and that we will continue to be ‘salt’ and ‘light’ in our families and neighbourhoods pointing people to the Lord Jesus Christ - the hope of the world.

Moderators Appeal 2020 

At Home for Christmas?

2020 may well be long remembered for the scenes of unimaginable suffering that swept the globe as a result of Covid-19. So far there have been around 50 million cases of this disease and well over a million people have lost their lives as a direct result of the virus. This tragedy is compounded in millions more homes and families due to the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on the economies of the more fragile, low-income nations. Healthcare systems have fallen apart under unbearable pressure, tens of millions of daily wage earners have lost their jobs, and we have witnessed the vulnerability of 65 million refugees and internally displaced people for whom home is currently a densely populated camp or detention centre. Covid-19 has been wreaking havoc and undoing decades of development work in so many parts of the world.

To respond to this tragedy a Moderator’s Appeal towards the ongoing and broad-ranging Covid-19 emergency relief effort has been launched.

You can donate online here.

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Thank you for your continued generosity.

For more on "At Home for Christmas" see here.