INTRODUCTION
These special meetings, held in Martyrs Memorial Free Presbyterian Church, Belfast, bring together congregations from across the province and beyond for a weekend of thanksgiving, praise, and spiritual challenge.
Here you can watch or listen again to all three full broadcasts from the Convention and read a concise summary report from each night’s service. From heartfelt worship and prayer, to stirring messages from God’s Word, the anniversary convention celebrated the faithfulness of Christ over seventy‑five years and renewed the Church’s call to go forward in His name.
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Report: Friday Night – 75th Anniversary Easter Convention
Venue: Martyrs Memorial Free Presbyterian Church, Belfast
Occasion: 75th Anniversary Convention of the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster – Easter 2026
Speaker: The Rev. Ryan McKee (Deputy Moderator, Minister of Magherafelt Free Presbyterian Church)
Subject: Numbers 14 – “Going Forward with God”
Opening of the Service
The opening meeting of the Easter Convention marked the beginning of the denomination’s 75th–anniversary celebrations. The service commenced with congregational praise led by the Youth Council President, the Rev. Julian Patterson. Classic hymns were sung, including “Man of Sorrows, What a Name” and “Crown Him with Many Crowns.” A spirit of rejoicing and reverence pervaded the meeting, with Mr Patterson quoting that these hymns exalted “a victorious Christ—the reason why we have a hope for glory.”
Prayer was offered by the Rev. Paul Foster of Kilkeel FPC, who gave thanks for seventy‑five years of gospel witness and pleaded earnestly that Christ would be present in blessing throughout the weekend’s convention. He recalled that the denomination had been founded to be free to preach Christ, free to love Christ, free to believe in Christ.
Scripture Reading and Testimonies
Brother Andrew Irwin read the Scriptures from Numbers 13:17‑33, recounting the sending forth of the twelve spies into the land of Canaan and the contrasting reports of faith and unbelief which they returned. Two Whitfield College students then participated.
- Marcus Wenlock testified to the privileges of being reared under the sound of the gospel within the Free Presbyterian Church, the constant exposure to Scripture in a Christ‑centred home, and the blessing of godly instruction and prayerful parents. He challenged young people not to rest in outward privilege but to be personally converted and surrendered to the Lord’s will.
- John McNeill gave a detailed report of missionary assistance in the outreach work at Williams Lake, British Columbia, describing the small but dedicated congregation there and urging young people to serve wherever God calls, whether locally or abroad.
A combined choir then sang powerfully on “The Blood of Jesus” and “My Father Planned It All.” The congregation responded with deep appreciation, the Rev. Patterson remarking that it was moving to hear, after seventy‑five years, the church still singing about the redeeming blood of Christ—the theme that remains central to heaven’s worship.
Further reports followed from the Rev. John Greer, who reviewed the early decades of youth ministry within the denomination, especially under Dr Alan Cairns, recounting the founding of the Youth Council in 1974, the Truth for Youth magazine (1973), and other initiatives such as Let the Bible Speak. The Youth Council President closed the presbyterial section with extensive announcements regarding upcoming outreach work in the province, on the British mainland, and overseas.
Reading and Sermon by the Rev. Ryan McKee
The Rev. Ryan McKee took Numbers 14:1‑10 as his text, continuing the account read earlier. He titled his message “Go Forward with God”, drawing lessons for both individuals and the denomination as it stands at its seventy‑fifth year.
1. Introductory Perspective
Rev. McKee reminded the gathered congregation that seventy‑five years marks a pivotal moment: the founders of the Free Presbyterian Church are passing off the scene, and the next significant milestone, the centenary in 2051, will be reached without most of the original witnesses. Looking back with gratitude, he enumerated God’s “mighty acts” in saving souls, raising ministers and missionaries, and establishing congregations both at home and abroad. Quoting Psalm 115:1, he affirmed that the glory belonged not to men but to the Lord: “Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory.”
2. Call to Go Forward
Transitioning from reflection to responsibility, he posed the question: “What is God’s will for His Church now?” The answer, he said, could only be that the Church must go forward, as Israel was bidden to do at the Red Sea: “Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward.”
For a twenty‑first‑century Church, going forward involves deliberate engagement in the divine strategy ordained for every generation—preaching and prayer.
- Through preaching, the Church must lift up Christ in all His perfection, sounding forth both promise and warning: calling sinners to repentance and believers to holiness.
- Through prayer, it must labour for the outpouring of the Spirit, for the raising of workers, for the turning of society’s tide of wickedness, and for genuine revival.
He reminded the congregation that the Free Presbyterian Church was born in prayer, grew through prayer, and will only go forward in prayer.
3. Lessons from Israel’s Failure to Advance
From Numbers 14 he drew three chief hindrances which forfeited Israel’s progress and which, if unrecognised, could hinder the modern Church.
(i) A Greater Focus on Man’s Opinion than on God’s Word
Two million Israelites, who once sang in triumph at the Red Sea, now wept in fear. Ten men’s pessimistic report had eclipsed faith in God’s promise. Rev. McKee stated that when the Word of God ceases to be central, instability and fear always follow.
He described the present age as likewise dominated by fear—stoked by the media’s continual alarmism—and contrasted it with the believer’s hope rooted in God’s unchanging Word: “Fear thou not; for I am with thee.”
He emphasised that God never promised a trouble‑free life, but He did promise His abiding presence through trial. The Christian’s peace derives from the victory of Christ: “Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
When the Church abandons its confidence in Scripture and listens instead to human opinion, it loses spiritual stability and direction. He illustrated this with the story of David Livingstone, who, forced to discard many volumes during his trek across Africa, kept one indispensable book—the Bible. Likewise, the Church must discard dependence on the wisdom of men and cling solely to Scripture.
(ii) Murmuring against God’s Servants
Rev. McKee next identified the sin of murmuring as the second great hindrance. Verse 2 records that “all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron.” What began as fear quickly degenerated into complaint and accusation. Though Moses and Aaron were God’s appointed leaders, they became targets of frustration.
The preacher explained that murmuring literally means to grumble or dwell upon discontent until it dominates the heart and speech. In the wilderness, such murmuring had begun immediately after the Red Sea victory and had continued for two years. When men and women lose sight of God, they soon begin finding fault with His servants.
He issued a solemn warning: be careful what you wish for, reminding the people that God answered Israel “according to their words.” Verse 28 records the chilling judgement: “Your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness.” God takes murmuring personally; it is nothing less than rebellion against His will.
Rev. McKee quoted: “God’s greatest judgment is to let people have their own way.” He exhorted everyone to guard the heart and tongue, praying with David, “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord.” He urged the Church to emulate Paul’s admonition to the Philippians: “Do all things without murmurings and disputings.” A critical and complaining spirit, he said, will arrest any believer’s progress and quench the Spirit’s blessing.
(iii) Longing to Return to Egypt
Although the third point was only beginning as the transcript closed, its outline was clear. Rev. McKee observed that Israel’s disobedience culminated in a desire to return to Egypt, that is, to retreat to the world from which they had been redeemed. This mindset epitomised unbelief—preferring the familiarity of bondage to the risk of conquering by faith. He warned that churches and Christians today face the same temptation: to look back nostalgically at worldly security instead of pressing forward in trust and obedience.
4. Wider Application
Throughout his message Rev. McKee constantly drew parallels between ancient Israel and modern Ulster Protestantism. He cautioned against institutional complacency: anniversaries should not be monuments to the past but springboards for renewed consecration.
He stressed that the Free Presbyterian witness must not rely on reputation or tradition but remain actively evangelistic, prayerful, and separated unto God.
The purpose of such occasions, he concluded, is not historical celebration alone but spiritual examination—whether as individuals or as a denomination we are truly going forward with God or simply standing still in unbelief.
Closing Emphasis
The preacher finished with an appeal that each listener should personally “go through with God.” Every life, he said, ought to count for eternity; every young believer should be willing to lay aside fear, silence murmuring, and obey the divine command to move forward in faith. Only thus would future generations—those who will gather for the 100th anniversary—find a Church still faithful to its founding principles and fruitful in its witness.
Summary
The first night of the 75th Anniversary Easter Convention at Martyrs Memorial was characterised by gratitude for past blessings, inspiration from the testimonies of young men preparing for ministry, and a searching challenge from Scripture. Rev. McKee’s exposition of Numbers 14 called the Free Presbyterian Church to maintain unswerving confidence in the Word of God, unity under God‑appointed leadership, and steadfast separation from the world. His recurring theme echoed through the vast congregation: “Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward.”
