Kilburn Street is currently closed .

In 1928 Belfast was facing terrible hardship and poverty.

The Wall Street Market crash heralded a world-wide recession and depression which was to last for a decade.

Amidst such a background the Belfast City Mission took the bold step to build a wooden structured Mission hall in Kilburn Street on the Donegall Road.

The first Missionary was Mr James Cassidy, who was to serve the Lord faithfully for 39 years.

During these years Mr Cassidy was highly respected within the area and many men, women, boys and Girls came to faith in Christ as a result of his ministry.

Mr Cassidy retired from the Mission in 1966.

Mr William H Cooke took over the duties in Kilburn Street after spending 2 years in the Bellevue hall.

Having been assistant to the Secretary for a few years and still working in Kilburn Street, Mr Cooke was released from his role as Missionary for Kilburn Street in 1977 to concentrate his work alongside the Secretary.

Mr David Campbell who had been in Ballysillan hall since 1969 was appointed to the Kilburn Street hall.

Mr Campbell received a call to serve the Pastorate of Rugby Avenue Congregational Church in 1979.

He was succeeded by Mr Robin Fairbairn after a short period of vacancy in 1981.

Mr Fairbairn had been appointed to the Mission in April 1980 and had assisted previously in the Great Northern Street hall.

Mr Fairbairn was transferred to the Canton Street hall in 1985 and Mr Campbell McMaster took up the role of Missionary in Kilburn Street hall on the 14th November 1985.

Mr McMaster served for 11 years before transferring to Derg Street in January 1996, and was subsequently succeeded by Mr Errol McCrory who had been in the Mission since January 1972.

Mr McCrory retired from the Mission at the end of October 2009 having given 37 years of service to the Mission, 13 of those years spent in Kilburn Street hall.

Mr Lloyd Watson picked up the baton of the work in Kilburn Street in 2010, having previously served for 25 years in Jersey Street hall.

After Lloyd Watson retired, David Bell took over, having previously served in Ballysillan and Rathcoole halls and also as Promotion and Deputation Officer in the BCM office.

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Almost 100 years of work for the Lord was carried out in the wooden structure of the Belfast City Mission’s Kilburn Street hall.

Missionaries and people came and went, however, the work for the Lord is never changing as He is unchanging.

Despite the enforced closure of the hall in 2023, Kilburn Street is still a needy area with many social and moral problems existing.

It is only the Lord has the answer to all of these matters.