Presbyterian General Assembly 2025 votes to adopt thriving new young church - Belfast Central
Amid declining membership and difficulties in recruiting new ministers, a note of optimism sounded in the Presbyterian General Assembly yesterday, when it agreed to adopt a new church of 300 young people in Belfast City Centre.
The church ‘Central Belfast’ based in May Street, was planted by David Dickinson, aged 40. He began the journey as a worship leader at Carnmoney Presbyterian Church – which has backed the project throughout.
His father, Rev John Dickinson was previously minister at Carmoney – and his father, Robert, also was a Presbyterian minister.
David, graduated in law from QUB, has a masters degree in theology from Belfast Bible College and is in training for Presbyterian ordination.
Speaking after the assembly agreed to formally adopt his church, he said: “As I look at all God has done these past eight years, and as we open the doors every Sunday to see hundreds of people gather…I’m hopeful and expectant for all God is yet to do.”
Talking about the journey, Mr Dickinson said that Central had come as a result of five initial years of fruitful Alpha courses in the city in which he successfully reached young people with the fundamentals of faith - but felt they had no church home to which they felt they belonged.
As a result, his vision was to see “a community of believers established in the city centre, living, worshipping, and giving themselves to rhythms of worship, community and witness.”
The church plant began in October 2016 on Wednesday nights with nine people meeting in various spaces in The MAC theatre.
Today, Central exists as a community of around 300 people from working class and middle backgrounds, Protestant and Catholic - mostly in their twenties and early thirties.
Also yesterday, ministers agree to adopt a new more flexible policy on baptising children of unmarried parents.
Retired Rev John Faris, who lives in north Down, suggested that the taskforce looking at the issue might review the traditional baptismal policy of 1973/74.
However, former moderator Rev Dr Bruce, Chair of the General Council of the church, advised that this document was considered, but that the group was focusing on more recent documents.
He cited a hypothetical situation where a single mother whose partner has left her and who has come to faith, and who wishes to have her child baptised.
And he suggested that the local church leadership in such a case should have the freedom to accept her request, which was approved by the assembly.
Delegates also debated a document published online by Christian Aid GB last year, produced in conjunction with QUB, about supporting LGBT people overseas.
However Rev Roger Purce from Groomsport, who was the first chairman of Christian Aid Ireland, told the assembly that Christian Aid Ireland is totally independent from Christian Aid GB.
PCI traditionally gave donations to Christian Aid Ireland, he said.
However, he noted that when concerns were raised with Christian Aid GB, they removed the LGBT document from their website and introduced a new process to ensure that publishing such documents online would require senior oversight and sign-off.
However, in spite of this, the assembly adopted an interim policy for 2025 of allowing congregations to choose whether their overseas development donations should go to Christian Aid Ireland or Tear Fund.