University Road Moravian Church was originally situated on Sandy Row in Belfast in 1871 and moved to its present location in 1887. It was planted by members from Kilwarlin Moravian Church who recognised the need for Christian witness in the C19th Belfast as people moved into the city to seek work.

Morning Worship is held every Sunday at 11am with Sunday School beginning a little later after the children have shared some of the worship time with rest of the congregation. Holy Communion is offered to all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour on the first Sunday of the month following the morning worship.

Morning worship is preceded by a prayer meeting at 10:45 am and the church is also open for prayer on Thursdays between 12 noon and 2 pm. Worship is followed by coffee on the 2nd and 4th Sundays and a Tradecraft stall is held on the 3rd Sunday. The youth group PUSH (Pray Until Something Happens) also meets on the 3rd Sunday.

The congregation has a choir, which prepares songs and items for special events throughout the year and this meets at 7 pm on Tuesday evenings when practising. The Art Club meets at 7:30 pm on the 2nd and 3rd Tuesdays and there are plans for a possible Gardening Club and a Bowls Club in the near future.

250th Anniversary Celebrations
Part of a report which appeared in the Moravian Messenger Newsletter Nov '05 by Charles Costley. (photo top right)

"University Road returns to Kilwarlin. The University Road church was founded partly to provide a place of worship for the members of Kilwarlin who had travelled to seek work and live in Belfast. Since this year is the 250th anniversary of Kilwarlin, Br Mark Kernohan suggested, as only he can, that the journey be reversed with a walk from University Road to Kilwarlin. As a result at 10.00am on Saturday 24th September a group of 24 people and 1 dog set out on the 19-mile trek to Kilwarlin. The route took us to the Lagan towpath, which led us out of the city of Belfast alongside the river and canal passing several points where it had been arranged that walkers could either join or leave the party depending on their commitments and ability to complete the course.

After following the River Lagan through Lisburn the towpath came to an end at Blaris. By this time due to the varying pace and fitness of the participants there was some distance between the first and last of the group, contact being made by the use of mobile phone - how times have changed since the first pilgrims from Kilwarlin to University Road! Leaving the towpath meant taking to the local roads for the last few miles. However, the scattered nature of the group and varying degrees of local knowledge resulted in a number of routes being taken by road, pathways and shortcuts {?} to reach the final destination at Kilwarlin.
The first arrivals reached Kilwarlin shortly after 3.00pm with the last arriving at 5.45pm. (They took the shortcut). In total 14 people and the dog completed the whole course, in various states of fatigue and pain. Those completing the walk ranged from a thirteen year old to a retired minister just past 70 but all with a great sense of achievement.

We were greeted at Kilwarlin by a very welcome barbeque, for which we thank those who provided it. Thanks are also due to the drivers who ferried walkers to and from the meeting points and returned people to their cars at University Road (otherwise we would have had to walk back for them). Congratulations to all the participants whatever distance they walked, but especially those who completed the course and particularly those whose first time it was to walk such a mileage.
As well as enjoying the fruits of God’s creation, the flora and fauna along the route, including squirrels, blue jays, ducks, swans, buzzards and falcons, the whole experience left a feeling of satisfaction at completing a physical task (despite the resulting pain), a moral uplift and a strengthening of the link between the two congregations."

If you want to know more about University Road Moravian Church then please contact the current minister, who is Rev. Paul M. Holdsworth and he can be contacted on 02890 619755 or paul.holdsworth@moravian.org.uk

You can also find more information on the local Lisburn website.