History

Early Methodism

The first Methodist Church was founded in Fountain Street in 1787. 19 years later a site was acquired from the Marquess of Donegal in Donegal Square East and a new chapel with seating for 800 people was opened on Sunday 16^th March 1806.

In 1809 Mr. Thomas Ewart, Ballymacarrett starts a Sunday School in his house. This ran for a total of 17 years. It was eventually transferred to Belvoir Hall and ultimately to the Newtownards road Methodist Church Schoolrooms where it continued to flourish as the first and oldest Sabbath School in Belfast.  

In 1825, through Mr. Mackey's influence, a field was secured from Mr. John Hall, adjoining the Newtownards Road, and there the first Ballymacarrett Methodist Chapel was built. It was stated by the Belfast News Letter to be neat and commodiously fitted up and situated in a district which very much required a house of religious instruction. The opening service took place on Sunday, 28th May, 1826, and was conducted by Mr. Mackey, who preached what was described as "an eloquent and appropriate sermon." "The church was crowded with an apparently devout and edified audience." 

Mr. Mackey's foresight in planning was obvious and to him was probably due the credit for the possession of a Methodist burying ground at the back and side of the building.  

The Ballymacarrett church (as EBM was known then) and congregation ('society' in Methodist terminology) was founded in 1826.  Although the fifth built in Belfast, it was for nine years one of only two Belfast Wesleyan churches in simultaneous use (the other was the ‘new’ mother church at Donegall Square).  So, the church and former graveyard on the EBM site had a very important place in Methodist history and the graveyard was also used by local Presbyterians.