First Kilrea Presbyterian Church
# First Kilrea Presbyterian Church

54°57′01″N 6°33′22″W﻿ / ﻿54.9503°N 6.556°W﻿ / 54.9503; -6.556

First Kilrea Presbyterian Church is a church building of the Coleraine and Limavady presbytery of Presbyterian Church in Ireland. It is located in the village of Kilrea, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland.

## History

The first Meeting House built for Presbyterians in the Kilrea district was at Moyknock. In 1642 the first church building at Moyknock was burned down. A second church was built in the townland of Boveedy, just outside modern-day Kilrea. This building served the parishes of Kilrea, Tamlaght, Boveedy and Desertoghill. The third meeting house, the first in Kilrea was built in 1770. The building stood a short distance in front of the present church.

The present-day church building or "Scot's Kirk" (English: Scottish [or 'Presbyterian'] Church) as it was called had its foundation stone laid in 1837 and opened for worship in 1839. The funding for the church was provided by the Mercers' Company and built to a design by William Barnes of London.

## Ministers

Ministers :

| Incumbency | Minister |
| - | - |
| c1680 | William Gilchrist |
| 1697–1729 | Matthew Clerk |
| 1732–1741 | Robert Wirling |
| 1744–1748 | Alexander Cumming |
| 1749–1785 | John Smith |
| 1789–1794 | Arthur McMahon |
| 1794–1821 | John Smith |
| 1825–1851 | Hugh Walker Rodgers |
| 1852–1869 | James Maxwell Rodgers |
| 1869–1873 | James Heron |
| 1874–1932 | James Stewart |
| 1925–1962 | Hans Hadden |
| 1963–1967 | Ivan James Wilson |
| 1967–1975 | John Oscar Bridgett |
| 1976–1985 | Ivan James Wilson |
| 1986 – | Trevor John McCormick |
