He was probably the son of John McBryde, a merchant, who was admitted a free stapler of Belfast on 6 March 1644, and who signed the covenant at Holywood, County Down, on 8 April 1644.
Soon after his settlement, he obtained a considerable plot of ground in Rosemary Lane, on which his congregation erected a new meeting-house, removing to it about 1695 from their old one in North Street.
His sermon on retiring from the chair on 1 June 1698 was printed without his concurrence; the title-page styled him ‘minister of Belfast;’ on 10 October he appeared on summons before the lords justices in Dublin, at the instance of five bishops, to answer for this and other enormities.
McBride was a strong advocate of the Hanoverian succession, but scrupled at the oath of abjuration (declaring the Pretender to be no son of James II) imposed in 1703.
By the advice of the Belfast presbytery, he summoned the general synod to meet at Antrim on 1 June 1703, six weeks before the appointed time, in order to consider the oath, which was to be taken by 1 August.
Several leading presbyterians were non-abjurors; McBride avoided the oath by retiring to Glasgow, where in 1704 he made a gift of books to the university library.
The synod of 1708, after long debates at the ordinary and a special meeting, agreed to divide the congregation, assigning the first meeting-house, with the manse, to McBride, and sending him ‘a kind affectionate letter,’ inviting and requiring him ‘to come home so soon as he can.’ Samuel Smith, one of his elders, went to Glasgow for him.
As moderator of the Glasgow presbytery he had signed in March an address to the queen, expressing abhorrence of the attempt of the French fleet upon the Scottish coast in the Pretender's interest.
In August 1711 a warrant was issued by Westenra Waring, high sheriff of county Antrim, and another justice for the arrest of McBride and other ministers as non-abjurors.
The general synod which met at Belfast in June resolved, in reference to the oath, that all ministers ‘who've not taken the same be advis'd (if they have clearness to do it) to take it as soon and in as private a way as they can.’ The same meeting renewed an appointment previously made, authorising McBride to compile ‘an history of this church,’ and desiring Kirkpatrick to assist him.
On 8 June 1713 McBride returned to Belfast for the last time; he was not again seriously molested, for though the high sheriff gave orders for his apprehension, the sub-sheriff, Jeremy Phillips, took care not to find him.
His portrait bears out Kirkpatrick's account of him as ‘of a pleasant temper,’ and one who ‘can't baulk his jest.’ For the truth of one of the stories of his humour we have his own authority.
Asked by a clergyman of Down why he would not abjure the Pretender, he replied ‘that once upon a time there was a bearn, that cou'd not be persuaded to bann the de'el, because he did not know but he might soon come into his clutches.’ During the winter of 1713–14 he complained to his friend Robert Wodrow, ‘that lordly prelate, gout, hath kept me his prisoner in Cripplegate.’ By 1718 he was in very infirm health.
He was ordained on 26 September 1716, by Coleraine presbytery, as minister of Ballymoney, co. Antrim, in succession to Hugh Kirkpatrick, father of James, mentioned above.