In order to get the new congregation underway it was agreed that a site for the meetinghouse was needed. However the schoolhouse at Bendooragh, which had been used, previously was to remain the meetinghouse for the congregation for another four or five years. Meanwhile the number of families in the new congregation was growing as was the funds being collected for the building of the new church. The 29th July 1834 was an important day for the congregation and still remains as important now as it did then in the history of the church as it was on this day that Drumreagh was first recognised as a congregation.

A lease was obtained from Mr T Bennett, around the same time, for the land on which the meetinghouse was to be built. Although everything seemed to be going well for the new congregation, many believed that the difficult times were behind them but this was not to be the case. In the beginning all began well; there was a re-organisation within the presbytery and a new presbytery was formed; Drumreagh was put under the care and attention of the new Presbytery of Coleraine. Sadly by 1836 things were starting to get hard for Drumreagh, the Presbytery recommended that there should be a collection from all of its churches to go towards helping the people of Drumreagh, but at a meeting of Coleraine Presbytery in May 1837 it was stated that:“We are made aware that no memorial or Commissioners appeared from Drumreagh”. However the presbytery sympathised with the new church and excused them on the condition each family would bring forth a small donation towards the building of the new meetinghouse.