STOP PRESS - COME AND HEAR David 'Packie' Hamilton speak on "What makes a terrorist?" on Sunday 19th Feb. at 6pm.

What turns a young man into a political zealot and terrorist?

David Hamilton can tell us. Living as a teenager in Rathcoole on the outskirts of Belfast wasn’t good when the troubles erupted in the late 1960s. His 'mixed' community viciously divided into two camps. A beating from former friends was his turning point. Childhood friends, now in the other camp, became his enemies.

He joined a notorious street gang called the 'Rathcoole KAI', the letters KAI standing for Kill All Irishmen. As the troubles spread across the province, he waged war on Roman Catholics, becoming more and more extreme.

He joined the UDA and, by 18, was serving his first prison sentence. Prison radicalised him still further. He joined the UVF immediately upon his release.

He led a dangerous life, often getting an adrenaline high from the violence and the risks, eventually getting sentenced to 11 years in prison.

His mother believed he was a hopeless case, but an old lady promised that she would pray every day for his heart to be changed!

One day, in prison, God intervened. Something overwhelming happened to him: David felt called to change utterly, so he picked up the Bible that had been left on a shelf and began to read it. The following day, he committed his life to God.

That was over 30 years ago. Today he leads a church in Stockport near Manchester. His story of redemption offers a lesson in the power of spiritual conversion to transform a life.

Who are Ashford Congregational Church?  We are a community of people here in Ashford who meet together as part of the church. We are Evangelical Christians who believe in the Bible as the Word of God, and aim to serve Jesus as our King. 

The church isn’t the building, but the people who meet in it. We meet to worship God and to hear the Bible read and taught, knowing that God transforms people through it, and gives them life. 

You are welcome to join us for any of our services or activities.

Please look below to find out what is going on in the church at this current time, and check out the 'Timetable' page to get a comprehensive view of our normal week.

(We aim to update this page as often as possible to keep you up to date with what is going on)