The roots of the Free Presbyterian witness in Ballymena go back for many years to the raising of the separatist standard in the town by the late Pastor James Kyle Paisley. In November 1933, Pastor Paisley resigned his position as minister of Hill Street Baptist Church to commence a separatist witness for Christ and the Gospel. Meetings were held at first in rented property on the Waveney Road, with the power of God being manifested in the conversion of souls. The fledgling congregation then pursued the erection of their own building, the Gospel Tabernacle, also on the Waveney Road.
The foundation stone was laid in 1934 by Dr. T.T. Shields, pastor of Jarvis Street Baptist Church, Toronto, Canada. The Gospel Tabernacle was then completed and opened in 1935 for the preaching of the Gospel, becoming the scene of the faithful labours of Pastor Paisley for many years. In the early 1960's, due to Pastor Paisley's failing health, his son-in-law, the Rev. R. J. Beggs, began to engage in much of the preaching in the Tabernacle.
In August, 1966, Mr. Beggs was called by the congregation to be their pastor, a development which was quickly followed by the acceptance of the church into the Presbytery of the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster. In November 1966, Mr. Beggs was licensed by the Presbytery to preach the Gospel. In 1968, having successfully completed a course of study in the Theological Hall, Mr. Beggs was ordained to the Gospel ministry. Under his spirit-filled ministry, the Free Presbyterian witness in Ballymena grew rapidly, its branches running over the wall into other areas as well.
After thirty-four years of very fruitful and faithful ministry, Mr. Beggs retired in June 2000 as pastor of the congregation, though he retains an honorary position as Minister Emeritus of the church. The present Minster of the Church is the Rev. John Greer, having been installed as Pastor on 31 August, 2000. Over the years since, the Lord has seen fit to add to the congregation, with the church's ministries developing in various ways. Each Sunday morning, Mr Greer broadcasts the Gospel on 107 FM, a local radio station, with the programme covering a wide area. The Ballymena Church also broadcasts its Morning and Evening Services live on video through the Internet. Many people have responded to this ministry on the World Wide Web, with thousands of both audio and video sermon downloads being made each year.