By 1646 it was dominated by Presbyterians and they replaced the old rector with a Scottish Presbyterian Minister, Rev James Kerr. In 1660 when King Charles II was restored to the throne many Presbyterian ministers were ejected for not obeying the rules of the Episcopalians including the Rev Kerr from Ballymoney.

This made the Presbyterians realise that if they were going to carry on worshipping they would have to build their own churches. By 1690 two small meetinghouses had been build one at Finvoy and one at Ballymoney, which was where the majority of the settlers attended. Then in 1977 a larger building was erected near the site of the old one, which could hold around four or five hundred families.

The eighteenth century brought with it a time of new ideas and influenced by the events in America and France some Presbyterians became involved with the United Irishmen. They agreed that the only way of getting what they wanted was to use force and in 1798, Drumreagh suffered as a result of another rebellion and their involvement in it.

Many houses were burned as their inhabitants had been linked to the United Irishmen. Although there was much suffering and pain as a result of the rebellion many Presbyterians seen the United Irishmen as heroes.