Donard Methodist Church
NORTH EASTERN DISTRICT
Donard Methodist Church, Newcastle
Although there has been a Methodist church in Newcastle, County Down, for nearly 200 years, the relatively recently merged Donard Congregation has been experiencing steady growth, particularly from among the caravan holiday community.
Three years ago average Sunday morning attendance would have been around 15-20 people. In September 2025 this rose to more than 50 people at each service averaged over the month.
In recent years more and more people are coming to the seaside over an extended season between March and October and making Donard Methodist their spring and summer spiritual base for many of those weekends. Enticed across the door by community lunches, Sunday praise nights and summer Saturday clubs and very importantly -a warm welcome, many folks have now adopted Donard Methodist Church as their half-year spiritual home. Today there are representatives attending from almost every one of the many caravan parks in the greater Newcastle area. Although some have Methodist connections, most are linked to other denominations or none at all.
These new worshippers are much more than casual visitors but are committed and active participants throughout the whole breadth of church life. They contribute by praise with the Donard singers or by serving at table, preparing the food and even washing the dishes at the monthly community lunches. They will read the lessons in church and reach out to others by patrolling the promenade at the seaside to invite passers by to enter inside for fellowship and worship, or to encourage visitors to come along for a ‘cuppa’ at the summer Saturday clubs.
Frequently, these caravaners return to for special occasions during the winter months sometimes travelling considerable distances to be present on a Sunday morning. Innovative use of online technology such as WhatsApp allows this wider community to keep in touch and feel part of the team even when physically remote in the darker days of winter.
Although the most recent census shows a decline in the local traditional Methodist population, the growth of the caravan community potentially provides fertile ground for mission and evangelism opportunities. The Donard Methodist community are up for the challenge and are hoping and planning to extend their in-reach to the caravan parks in a proactive way over the next few years trusting that the Spirit will continue to operate among this growing community to bring many to know and trust Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.
