Baillieston St Andrew's Church
Encyclopedia
Baillieston St Andrew's Church is a congregation of the Church of Scotland
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....

, a member of the Presbyterian Church. The church building is located on the corner of Bredisholm Road and Muirhead Road, Baillieston
Baillieston
Baillieston is a suburb of Glasgow, Scotland. It is about 7 miles east of the city centre.It is also the name of Ward 20 of Glasgow City Council...

, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...

, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

. The church today serves the town of Baillieston.

History

The congregation of Baillieston St Andrew's was established in November, 1966, by the union of the Baillieston Old Parish and Rhinsdale Churches.

Baillieston Parish Church

The origins of Baillieston Parish Church go back to the late 1820s when George Scott of Daldowie
Daldowie
The lands of Daldowie lie astride the River Clyde on the south and the North Calder Water to the east, and stretch to the present area of Baillieston in the north...

 gifted a site on Crosshill Farm for the building of a church, to be known as the Crosshill Chapel of Ease, and provision of a cemetery for the village. Plans were prepared and building proceeded; the first church in Scotland under the First Church Extension Scheme of the Church of Scotland. The church in Church Street, Crosshill (now closed) only cost £507 to build and was opened on 7 July 1833 with seating for 500. Prior to this the only church in the area was Old Monklands
Monklands
Monklands may refer to:*Monklands was formerly a local government district in the Strathclyde region of Scotland*Monklands Hospital in the area...

 Parish Church. The first minister was the Rev. Andrew Gray who as a probationer of the Church also taught in the local school. He remained as minister till the Disruption
Disruption of 1843
The Disruption of 1843 was a schism within the established Church of Scotland, in which 450 ministers of the Church broke away, over the issue of the Church's relationship with the State, to form the Free Church of Scotland...

 in 1843 when he was called to be minister at Dumbarton. Over the next 123 years Baillieston Parish Church had a further six ministers until the union with Rhinsdale Church in 1966.

In June 1967 Rev. John J.C. Owen, took up his first charge at Baillieston Old Parish Church where he remained until December 1979, a period of twelve years. During his ministry a fund for the building of a new church was started and with the generosity of the congregation and members of the public, sufficient money was collected over some years to allow the building of the new church to proceed. The “Old Church” had served its purpose well, having been in constant use for about 140 years, but was now in need of almost continual and costly maintenance. This, coupled with the closure of Rhinsdale Church whose congregation had united with the “Old Church” in November 1966 causing a very considerable increase in its membership, made it necessary to build a new church.

Baillieston Parish Church War Memorial

The War Memorial to those who had fallen in the 1914-18 war was extended to include the names of those who gave their lives in the 2nd World War, 1939–45, and on Sunday, 15 April 1951 an Unveiling and Dedication Service was held. The Rev. Roy McVicar officiated. The memorial was unveiled by William Reid (VC)
William Reid (VC)
William Reid VC was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces...

. who also gave the address to a very full church. Other gifts were given by members of the congregation and these included a full suite of chairs for the choir along with a special chair in keeping with the design of the Communion chairs as a memorial.

Rhinsdale Parish Church

Rhinsdale Church, originally known in Baillieston as the U.P. Kirk (United Presbyterian
United Presbyterian Church of Scotland
The United Presbyterian Church of Scotland was a Scottish Presbyterian denomination. It was formed in 1847 by the union of the United Secession Church and the Relief Church, and in 1900 merged with the Free Church of Scotland to form the United Free Church of Scotland, which in turn united with...

) was first started by a number of people from Baillieston and district in March 1862. They met for services at school building at Fauldshill known as a preaching U.P. Church, getting their preachers from the U.P. Presbytery of Glasgow. James Hunter, a Glasgow merchant, who lived in Rhinsdale House then, and in all probability owned Fauldshill where the old school stood, was one who was responsible for the beginning of the congregation.

While the early members were using the school they resolved to have a church of their own and began to collect subscriptions for this purpose. In due course, with their subscriptions, plus assistance from the U.P. Building Fund and the Ferguson Bequest Fund, they had a total of £1,200. A site which latterly became well known in Baillieston was chosen. It was gifted to the church by James Beaumont Neilson, the inventor of hot blast which revolutionised iron smelting in Coatbridge
Coatbridge
Coatbridge is a town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, about east of Glasgow city centre, set in the central Lowlands. The town, with neighbouring Airdrie, is part of the Greater Glasgow urban area. The first settlement of the area stretches back to the Stone Age era...

 in the 1830s. By October 1863 construction of the buildings was well ahead so the members, 81 of them, petitioned the Glasgow Presbytery of the U. P. Church for permission to form a congregation of the U.P. Church in Baillieston. This was granted and in January 1864 the U.P. Church in Baillieston was born. It was opened for worship on 17 February 1864. The new buildings were the church and at the rear the Session House and Vestry and above a small hail.

It was almost five months later before the new congregation called its first minister. He was the Rev. John Mcintyre and he was ordained on the 1st. June 1865. Over the next 100 years Rhinsdale Church had a further eight ministers until the union with Baillieston Old Parish Church in 1966.

Rhinsdale Church War Memorial:
Many men from the Rhinsdale congregation saw active service, sixteen of them being killed in action. Their names were inscribed on a memorial plaque incorporated in the Communion Table
Communion table
A Communion table is used by many Protestant churches, particularly from Reformed, Baptist, Congregational, and non-denominational traditions, for the preparation of the Eucharist ....

.

The new church

The congregation of Baillieston St Andrew's was established in November, 1966, by the union of the Baillieston Old and Rhinsdale Churches. The new congregation appointed its first minister, the Rev John Owen in June 1967. During the first seven years of his ministry the Rev Owen worked with his congregation to plan and oversee the building of a new church building to replace the "Old" parish church. The new church was dedicated in December 1974.

Baillieston Old Parish Church

  • Rev Andrew Gray (1833–1843)- First minister of Baillieston Parish Church
  • Rev Matthew Graham (1843–1855)- Rev Graham was called from Calton Church
  • Rev Hugh Ramsay (1856–1892)- called from Gartmore - during his ministry the seating accommodation was extended and a manse built.
  • Rev Dr Alexander Andrew (1892–1940)- Mr Andrew was the longest serving minister in Baillieston (48 years). He had been an Assistant to Mr Ramsay.
  • Rev Andrew Watt (1941–1948)- Mr Watt came from Aberdeen, he was called to St. Michael’s Parish Church, Edinburgh
  • Rev Roy McVicar (1949–1955)- Mr McVicar had been a missionary in Africa before coming to Baillieston Old Parish Church. He was called to Davidson Mains Church, Edinburgh
  • Rev Cameron Walker (1956–1966)- Rev Walker was called from Tynecastle Church, Edinburgh

Rhinsdale Church

  • Rev James McIntyre (1865–1871)- Rev McIntyre left to become a missionary in North China.
  • Rev Alexander McLean (1872–1982)
  • Rev Wm Yule (1883–1890)- Mr Yule left to take up a post in South Africa
  • Rev John Gray (1891–1916)- died suddenly while still in post
  • Rev Wm Brown (1916–1924)- was ordained in 1916 and soon after was granted leave of absence to become Chaplain to 1st/8th Royal Scots in France. On his return in 1919 he resumed his ministry at Rhinsdale until 1924 when he left to take up another ministry at St. George’s Presbyterian Church, Southport, Lancashire
  • Rev J.S. Crichton (1925–1930)- Mr Crichton was called to High Carntyne and later retired to Aberdeen
  • Rev Robert Inglis (1931–1958)- his term of office was the longest in the history of this church. He came from the Martin Memorial Church in Stornoway, although he previously held charges in Forth, Midlothian, Carnoustie and Kilchattan Bay
  • Rev John A Beattie (1958–1960)- Rhinsdale was only allowed to call a minister on a short term basis, so the Rev Beattie came from a charge in Orkney to Rhinsdale, Baillieston in 1958 and remained for only about 2 years when he received a call to St. James Church of Scotland, Dulwich, London
  • Rev Wm Martin (1960–1964) - Rhinsdale Church was linked to Kenmuir Mount Vernon Church where Mr Martin was the Minister

Baillieston St Andrew's Church

  • Rev J.J.C. Owen (1967–1979) - Was the first minister of the newly formed St Andrew's Church and oversaw the building of the new church.
  • Rev Tom C Houston (1980–2000)- Was a popular evangelical minister at Baillieston St Andrew's - he was previously the minister at St Andrew's Church, Jerusalem
    St Andrew's Church, Jerusalem
    St Andrew’s Church, Jerusalem, was built as a memorial to the Scottish soldiers who were killed fighting the Turkish Army during World War I, bringing to an end Ottoman rule over Palestine. It is a congregation of the Church of Scotland.-Foundation:...

  • Rev Murdo McLean (2000–2001) - Evangelical Interim Moderator during vacancy (minister at neighbouring Carmyle linked with Kenmure Mount Vernon churches)
  • Rev Robert Gehrke (2001–2006) - Continued the evangelical preaching tradition but left Baillieston in 2006. He was called to Blackridge linked with St Andrew's, Harthill
  • Rev John Spencer (2006–2007) - Evangelical Interim Moderator during vacancy (Retired).
  • Rev Alisdair T MacLeod-Mair (2007) - Another evangelical preacher. Alisdair was called to Baillieston St Andrew's Church from Bonnybridge: St Helen's Church as Parish Minister in 2007

The church today

Today Baillieston St Andrew's Church is a busy congregation with a wide range of activities for all ages.

The current minister is the Reverend Alisdair T MacLeod-Mair, who was called to the charge in 2007. The minister is a Chaplain at Caledonia Primary School and joint Chaplain at Bannerman High School
Bannerman High School
Bannerman High School is a high school in Glasgow, Scotland. It is a non-denominational and co-educational school taking pupils from S1 to S6. It has a capacity for 1400 pupils. Bannerman employs approximately 100 teaching staff...

 in Baillieston.

In 2006, the congregation had a role of 386 members and adherents.

Services

  • Sunday Morning Worship Service: 11:00am with Creche and Sunday School
  • Sunday Evening Worship Service: 6:30pm (September - June)
  • Mid-Week Service at 7.30pm on Wednesday evenings (September - June)

See also


External links

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