Ballymena Methodist Church welcomed a Lay Witness Weekend team in April 1998.

 Wilson Doran recalls………..

“Every Lay Witness mission has its highlights and we believe only eternity will tell how many people have been blessed.  However in my 28 years an event in Ballymena Methodist Church during a Lay Witness mission in 1998 stands out in my memory. 

On the Saturday evening after our congregational meal we were in the church that was well filled.  We were having a time of praise and sharing.  A team member on his first mission talked about how the Lord had helped his wife and himself through the pain of childlessness and then to the happiness of being able to adopt two children.   It was a very moving witness.  The Holy Spirit came upon the congregation.  There was complete silence in a beautiful atmosphere of peace.  People sat with their eyes closed, others prayed, some read the Bible – this lasted for probably thirty minutes.  As leader I began to sing a quiet song and people joined in. Many moved to join others in the church and prayed between themselves what I believe were prayers of reconciliation for broken relationships.  This went on until the congregation quietly dispersed.  On Sunday morning many came forward for prayer and we offered everyone a small cross to take as a reminder of what the Lord had been doing in their life during the weekend.  As far as we could tell everyone participated.