finally relieved of both his concern and his problem when he underwent a dramatic conversion in the spring of 1828. His was the first of many such conversions which were characterized by "the works," erratic and convulsive movements of the head, arms and legs. As Dr. David Weale has pointed out, observers of this conversion phenomenon who were convinced it wasn't entirely the work of the Lord derisively referred to the McDonaldites as "the kicking church." The church enjoyed its greatest popularity while McDonald himself was living and preaching. After his death in 1867, the church never had a leader with the organizational, oratorical and evangelical abilities of its founder and mentor. By the early decades of the twentieth century, many of the McDonaldite churches had either closed or reverted to their more conventional Church of Scotland origins. Modernization and Change In many ways, the fate of the McDonaldite church is typical of the process of modernization and change which began to overtake rural communities like Belfast very early in the new century. If one were to put a date on the start of this process of change in the Belfast area, one would say 1905, for that was the year that the " Murray Harbour line" of the railway began operation. The extension of the railway from Charlottetown to Murray Harbour not only brought Belfast into easier communication with the outside world, it also opened up inland communities like Iona and Melville, which hosted railway sta¬ tions. In fact, the location of Fodhla station in Iona contributed greatly to the breakdown of religious differences in the community. Through the station, Protestants and Catholics were exposed to each other to an unprecedented degree, and they discovered that there was more that made them similar than marked them as different. But if the train and subsequent improvements in transportation made it easier for the world to find Belfast , these changes also made it easier for Belfast to find the world. Leaving, of course, had long been a fact of life in rural Island communities. Belfast was no exception. Generations of young Belfast men and women had left for greener pastures - the seasonal employment opportunities of the New Brunswick or Maine lumber woods, or the urban comforts and conveniences of the " Boston States." Many of these young men and women returned home after working for a while and saving some money. Many more stayed, and until recently the summer months in Belfast would see a steady parade 10 BELFAST PEOPLE