This is a short history of our congregation kindly compiled by Dr w. Warren Porter (pictured right) .
Presbyterian’s in Ireland
Before the General Assembly was formed in 1840, by the union of two Synods, the original Synod of Ulster and the Secession Synod which came later on the scene.
The Synod of Ulster was formed some considerable time after the Presbyterian ministers who had been serving in the various parishes were ejected in 1661 from the national Protestant Church of Ireland, a year ahead of the great ejection which drove about two thousand Puritan ministers, very many of them holding Presbyterian principals, ouf of the national Church of England.
The Secession Synod had come into existence as a consequence of some Presbyterians in Ireland following the example of some of the brethren in Scotland who in the 18th Century had been excluded from the national and Presbyterian established Church of Scotland, who had organised themselves as a separate “secession” Denomination, still holding both Presbyterian doctrines and Presbyterian Church government.
Establishment of Moneydig
By the mid-eighteen hundreds very little remained of any of the causes that had been the reason for the earlier separations in Ireland, even by 1836, when Moneydig was set-up under the auspices of teh Synod of Ulster it was clear that union was on the way.
Carved out of the adjoining parishes of Aghadowey, Garvagh and Kilrea, Moneydig was an early example of a ‘church extension’ change and to date, through 120 odd years of its history has been served by 13 ministers. Their names and dates are recorded.
The Rev Patrick Roger Killough, the first minister, served from his ordination in 1837 until his early death in 1856 
when he was just 43 years old. Henry H Finlay, the next minister who was also ordained in Moneydig and stayed from 1857 until he went to Australia in 1863. In the same year as the Rev Finlay’s departure another licentiate was called, Mr William McCay, who exercised a long ministry well into the twentieth century, retiring in 1916. He remained the senior minister until his death in 1921.
Twentieth Century
After the Rev McCay’s retirement in November 1916 the forth minister for Moneydig was found in the person of William H Stewart BA, another licentiate. He was ordained in April 1917, but without demitting 
his charge was allowed to serve as a chaplain with the Army until 1919. He returned to Moneydig, but resigned his charge and went off to a business post in Edinburgh in June 1922.
Stewart’s successor, the first non-licentiate to come as minister, was the Rev William John Latimer who remained from 1923 until 1931 when he accepted a call from Ballycairn a congregation near south Belfast. he was followed by another “placed” man, the Rev Gordon Thompson Clemments DD, minister of Donore congregation, then a flourishing suburban congregation in south Dublin. His also was a short ministry. Installed on 31st December 1931 Dr Clements was called to his reward on the 
2nd July 1936.
Out of the several candidates the congregation chose the Rev Henry Cooke Stuart GAMC as its seventh
pastor and he remained with them for the rest of his active ministry, over 22 years, from October 1936 until January 1972. A young man and a licentiate became Moneydig’s next choice. Mr James Warden was ordained in Moneydig on 30th July 1956 where he served until accepting a call to the United Church of Canada congregation of Tavistock in 1963.
Following the Rev Warden, Moneydig called th
e Rev Ernest James Ferguson, minister of the united charge of Knowhead, Fahan and Inch in County Donegal. Rev Ferguson, installed in 1964 was a beloved pastor and he remained with Moneydig until his retirement on 30th June 1975. He died in 1980.
Just over a year later the Rev Aylmer Armstrong DipA who had been minister of Dungiven since 1961 accepted the ca
ll to Moneydig where he was installed on 26th July 1976, exercising a faithful and fruitful ministry until he sought and obtained leave to demit his responsibilities. The congregation was vacant one more on 30th September 1984.
Due largely to protracted discussions with the Union Commission of the General Assembly, the body charged with making strategic decisions as to the deployment of ministerial manpower and the best practible arrangement
s as to congregational alignments or amalgamations, it was 1986 before the vacancy was settled.
On this occasion the call was issued to the Rev Warren Porter BA BD, minister of the united charge of Ballaghy and Knockloughrim, who had preached as sole nominee for Moneydig. he was installed on 23rd April 1986 and retired on 30th September 1993, having enjoyed much happiness in is work among a friendly people. During this time in Moneydig he was honoured by the Presby
terian Faculty of Ireland’s conferral of the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity (DD).
The Rev John George Johnston BSc MA.R was the next pastor to continue the work of the ministry in Moneydig. A well-red theologian and an excellent preacher Mr Johnston had served the Tyrone congregations of Badoney, Corrick and Glenelly from his ordination in 1984 until 1990. He accepted the call to Moneydig, was installed there on 14th September 1994 and remained as minister of Moneydig for over ten years until translated to the united charge of Newtowncrommelin with Carnlough and Cushendall iin 2005. His farewell took place in Moneydig on 6th November. During his tenure Rev Johnston had also acted as Presbyterian Chaplain to the new hospital in Coleraine, in itself a demanding ministry. He also saw large-scale renovation and extension of the Church Hall and graciously invited his predecessor to perform the opening ceremony, one of many kindnesses from Mr Johnston.
The New Millennium
The thirteenth incumbent and present minister, the Rev James Richard Ian Harbinson BA BD, came to Moneydig after a vacancy lasting two and a half years. He was warmly welcomed into the congregation as his installation on 27th June 2008. The Rev Ian, as he is familiarly known, came with excellent qualifications both academically and practically, having previous to his full period of training for the Presbyterian Ministry, trained and served as a missionary with the Belfast City Mission. Ordained and installed in 2000, to the united congregations of Ballyroney and Drumlee within sight of the Mournes, where he laboured with energy and zeal. He knew of the special needs of rural Presbyterianism. he has already endeared himself to the Moneydig congregation and with an obvious and clear commitment to the challenge and proclamation of the everlasting Gospel, with all that is involved in both pastoring and preaching, he will no doubt have the joy of seeing fruit for his labour.