I was interested in the posts on the Newtownards Methodist circuit as my family has belonged to Regent Street Methodist church (Newtownards) for generations and one of my co-lateral ancestors was a circuit steward.  Donaghadee Methodist church would be an older congregation than Newtownards as D'dee was a packet port and main point of entry from Scotland.  The current Newtownards Methodist church building dates from 1854 and the one before that (now used by the Reformed Presbyterians) dates from 1807 - see http://regentstreetmethodist.org/Visitors/History/tabid/63/Default.aspx   I have copies of the later records for Newtownards Methodist (from the 1860s onwards) and I also went to PRONI some years ago to look at older Methodist records, possibly the document previously mentioned.  Unfortunately, what I saw (on microfilm) was hard to decipher at best and illegible in places, with awful scratchy writing and I didn't find what I was looking for.  Maybe when PRONI reopens I''ll try and find the time to have another go at it.        Fiona McDonald Newtownards