Ebrington Presbyterian Church

History

Londonderry expanded rapidly through the middle of the nineteenth century, its shirt industry, harbour trade and shipyard drawing workers from the surrounding county, from Tyrone and Donegal, and from Scotland and Belfast. The Presbyterian Church in Ireland responded by building new congregations in the growing city, two of them in the Waterside district on the east bank. Ebrington was the second of these.

The congregation dates its establishment to 1895, while its own history records the Rev Leslie Rankin beginning work as first minister in 1894 and being ordained in 1896. He remained until he retired from active ministry in 1944 and died in 1949. The congregation's history records that under his leadership it came to hold the largest communion roll in the denomination. The Rankin Hall was erected in a later ministry to supplement the church buildings.

The congregation describes its ministry as conservative evangelical throughout its history, centred on systematic expository teaching of the Bible.