About Our Church
Movilla Abbey church
ABOUT US
Movilla Abbey Church is a lively and friendly Christian community based in the heart of East Newtownards close to the ruins of Movilla Abbey. We are a family that fully belongs to both the Church of Ireland and the Methodist Church in Ireland. Hundreds of people call Movilla Abbey Church home and you would be welcome to do the same.
People of all ages, from many different backgrounds gather at Movilla Abbey Church for our vibrant worship services. We meet as a whole community every Sunday morning at 11am, and on the FIRST SUNDAY of the month, at 7pm
11am – Morning Worship is our main family worship gathering, where all ages are welcome, and we experience the presence of God, as we worship, learn and pray together. We share Holy Communion together on the FIRST SUNDAY of each month.
7pm – House of Worship on the FIRST SUNDAY of every month – a space and place with no agenda other than to worship God and pursue His presence.
You are invited to join us on any Sunday.
Life Groups are small groups that meet in homes about 4 times a month to eat together, pray together, learn together, and find ways to serve the community together. Life Groups are for all the family so children are fully included, whatever their age. We are doing everyday ordinary things together and growing together as followers of Jesus. You would be most welcome.
Movilla Abbey Church is a thriving community with something going on for everyone. Our Movilla Coffee Shop on Wednesday mornings is well worth a visit. For the sporty there is a badminton club. Why not try out our craft class, or one of our men’s groups or women’s groups? And for children and youth, check out our dedicated pages to see the many opportunities we have for them.
Our History
Movilla Abbey Church began in 1980 when followers of Jesus from St.Mark’s Church of Ireland and Regent Street Methodist felt called to form a worshipping community in the then newly-developed area of Movilla. Inspired by the rich heritage of the area, they took the name of the ancient community “Movilla Abbey” and continue to be inspired by their example of prayer, worship and service.
The 10th of October 2021 was a significant day for us at Movilla Abbey Church. It marked a new step in our journey after just over 40 years of partnership between the Church of Ireland and the Methodist Church of Ireland in this part of Newtownards. Methodist District Superintendent Philip Agnew and Church of Ireland Bishop David McClay commissioned us for a new era in the life of Movilla Abbey Church as a single congregation belonging fully to both the Church of Ireland and the Methodist Church in Ireland. We read Jesus’s prayer for the Church from John 17:20-23 “That all of them may be one… so that the world may believe.” This reminded us that God’s vision for us at Movilla is not for ourselves alone – it is so that women and men and boys and girls will come to know that God loves them, and that they will come to follow Jesus. We also heard from Ezekiel 37:1-10 where a valley full of dry bones “came to life and stood up on their feet – a vast army.” The words of God through Isaiah 58:6-12 renewed our call to join with God’s mission, both as a community together and as individual disciples living our daily lives.
Our Heritage
Movilla Abbey (Irish: Mainistir Mhaigh Bhile “Monastery of the Plain of the Notable Tree”) in Newtownards, County Down, Northern Ireland, is believed to have been one of Ulster’s most important monasteries.
The Abbey of Movilla was founded in the sixth century by St. Finnian (d. 572) and flourished until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1542. The name Movilla is an Anglicized form of the Irish magh bile, which means “the plain of the ancient tree,” so called because on the site where the abbey was built, pagans had previously worshipped a sacred tree.
Movilla Abbey flourished in the seventh and eighth centuries, at which time it was one of the greatest schools in Ireland.One of its most famous students was St. Columba, a student of Finnian’s. Columba eventually went on his own way, but returned in the 550s when Finnian returned from Rome with a copy of the Latin Vulgate Bible, the only one in Ireland at the time. Columba’s efforts at transcribing a copy for himself led to a conflict, both legal and military, called the Battle of the Book, which is considered the first known copyright dispute.
In addition to being a center of learning, Movilla was known for its flourishing work in crafts, particularly bronze and glass.
Who We Are
Our Team
Rev Alan Peek
Minister
Alan moved from Liverpool to Northern Ireland in 2008 and has served Movilla Abbey Church since 2014. He is dad to four girls and has recently become a grandfather. He supports Liverpool Football Club.
Rosemary Lappin
Administrator
Rosie is our always helpful administrator and an Anglican lay reader. She loves cars, bikes and Leicester City football club (even when they’re losing).