Problems in local churches

Due to new industrial developments in and around the Ballymoney area, more and more people began to settle in the area due to the recent increase in labourers and workers needed. This increase in population of which many were Presbyterian meant that the local churches were quickly running out of space. In Ballymoney the poorer members of the congregation was forced to sit on the stairs and in Finvoy only two thirds of the congregation could be seated.

This lead to the decision that another church was needed. Ballymena Presbytery of which Ballymoney was a member couldn’t come to a conclusion about whether Ballymoney or Balnamore was a better location for the new church. They reached a decision that somewhere between the two would be the only solution and so they build a new church at the head of the town, now known as St. James’ Presbyterian. The Route Presbytery preferred the idea of a church in the country and it was from this that the church came to be where it is today; at Drumreagh.