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Fresh new start for Wexford town centre church

A special service will take place on Wednesday evening, 15 April, to mark a significant moment in the life of the town’s former Presbyterian church, when the old meeting house on Wexford’s Anne Street reopens its doors.

Rev David Curran outside Wexford Presbyterian Church
Rev David Curran, who is leading the Wexford Presbyterian Development project outside the old Presbyterian Church on Wexford’s Anne Street.

Built in 1840, for over 180 years Wexford Presbyterian Church served the Presbyterian family in the town, and surrounding area, as the only Presbyterian church in the county, until it was closed in 2023.

But as Rev David Curran explained, that was not to be the end,

“When the church closed, it was never the plan to abandon Wexford or close the church permanently. Closing the old church meant that a brand-new work could be developed with a fresh vision and a new way of doing things on the same site. While the new work bears the same name as the old, it is in reality a fresh start for the old church building. It is as if we are planting a new church, which has a totally different personality and vision to the old - and that is what we will be celebrating and giving thanks to God for on Wednesday evening.”

The project is managed by the Council for Mission in Ireland’s Wexford Presbyterian Development Panel, which has invited various people and organisations to the service who have a connection with the old Presbyterian Church and the redevelopment itself. Representatives from the Presbyterian family in the south east, other local churches, and the wider local community, have also been invited. An offering for the local charity, Down Syndrome Wexford, will be taken on the night.

Wexford Presbyterian Church 2
The former Presbyterian Church on Wexford’s Anne Street.
A Wexford man himself, Mr Curran continued,

“Over the years many denominations have seen the closure and subsequent sale of their church buildings, some of which have become private homes, community hubs, or restaurants, for example. That was not our plan for Wexford.

“Very simply our vision is to be a Christ-centred, Bible-based, worshipping community in the heart of Wexford town, that is not only a place of worship, but a place that serves the people of the town in practical ways as an active part of Wexford’s faith community. The building has needed quite a bit of work done to it, and has been refurbished to a very high standard, which includes a new look main room, kitchen and toilets. All this has been carried out to make it a more people friendly and welcoming environment.

“With the refurbish work completed, last October we were able to restart our Sunday services after a gap of some years, so there is much to be thankful for. The time is now right for us to gather together this Wednesday evening to rededicate the building to the service of God and the people of Wexford, and all are welcome.”

The new work is being overseen by one of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland’s (PCI) central councils, the Council for Mission in Ireland, which appointed Mr Curran to lead the regeneration project in September 2024. PCI has a long history of church planting and wants to respond to the rapid expansion of the major cities and towns in Ireland through new church development, especially where there isn’t a Presbyterian presence.

Council for Mission in Ireland
The focus of the Council for Mission in Ireland is to develop PCI’s strategic priorities in all-age mission across Ireland and to plan major church-wide initiatives at a General Assembly level.

It considers new church development looking at locations which might be suitable for church planting and oversees all aspects of the work of the Home and Irish Mission, including the Irish Mission Fund and the deployment and on-going support of deaconesses who serve in congregations, chaplaincies and communities.

The Council also oversees the delivery of a chaplaincy service in the forces, hospitals, hospices and prisons helping to bring a ministry of presence to those in need. Supporting mission and ministry in universities and colleges through chaplaincy services on campus is also part of this Council’s work.

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