There were different possibilities for the location of the new church. Two of these possibilities were Balnamore and a site situated on the other side of the Bann. However, it was the site at Drumreagh that the Presbytery of Route preferred. Mr Samuel Smith, a Presbyterian, along with his wife had opened a Sunday school at Balnamore in 1819 where young people could learn to read and write the scriptures. This work formed an ideal basis for a new congregation, but after the first committee meeting the presbytery realised that it would be wrong for them to intervene and that the way things were in Balnamore wouldn’t be easily changed.

The site on the opposite side of the Bann was a rich agricultural area and the availability of finances was much more likely than in Balnamore. Despite these advantages, there was one problem; the congregation would have to come from surrounding churches like Aghadowey and this was not a welcome suggestion in some places and so this site was also dismissed as a possibility. Drumreagh was the most realistic suggestion and due to the growing industrial villages around Drumreagh such as Drumaheagles and Balnamore there were plenty of potential members to join the congregation. Another reason why this site was suitable was the building of a new bridge at the Agivey across the river Bann making it easier and more convenient for people in this area to get to the new meetinghouse. This all added to the appeal of the Drumreagh site. The next step was to start building a congregation.