Arbuthnott, Bervie & Kinneff Parish Church facts for kids

Arbuthnott, Bervie and Kinneff Church is a Christian community in the south of Aberdeenshire. It includes the town of Inverbervie, the villages of Catterline, Gourdon and Kinneff in addition to the area of Arbuthnott.

Arbuthnott, Bervie and Kinneff Church
Location	Arbuthnott, Bervie & Kinneff
Denomination	Church of Scotland
Churchmanship	Reformed
Website	http://www.arbuthnottbervieandkinneff.org.uk/
Administration
Presbytery	Presbytery of Kincardine and Deeside

Formation

Originally the three churches were entirely separate parishes, however Arbuthnott and Bervie have shared a minister before having a joint Kirk Session in the last decade. Kinneff was linked with Stonehaven South Parish Church before joining Arbuthnott and Bervie in order for Stonehaven South Parish Church to be linked with Stonehaven Dunnottar Parish Church. From 2007 to June 2009 Georgie Baxendale was the minister of the parish. The minister from 2010 to 2016 was Dennis Rose. On 7 March 2019, Andrew Morrison was ordained and inducted into the parish at the age of 27, making him the third youngest minister of the Church of Scotland.

Arbuthnott Church

Located in the estate of Arbuthnott, the church is one of the oldest in Scotland dating back to the pre-reformation days. Consecrated in 1242 the church was dedicated to the memory of St Ternan. The oldest part of the building is the chancel, with the rest of the building added around 1500. After the reformation the first minister was a member of the Arbuthnott family, who later went on to become a moderator of the Church of Scotland. Services of worship are held on Sundays at 10 am. There are plans in place to add a disabled friendly toilet and small kitchenette to the side of the building to allow the building to become more welcoming and be used for a greater range of activities.

Bervie Church

Inverbervie is the largest church within the parish with around 100 people attending worship every Sunday. The current church building, located in the centre of town, opened in 1837. The pipe organ was installed in 1904 and new stained glass doors designed by the pupils of Bervie School were added to mark the millennium. Services are held every Sunday at 11:30 am. 56°50′42″N 2°16′49″W / 56.8451°N 2.28022°W / 56.8451; -2.28022 Each Sunday, there is a praise group leading some of the sung worship, as well as activities for toddlers, children and teenagers.

Kinneff Church

Kinneff is famous for its old church, however the building used for worship today can be located at the south side of the village. Services of worship are held on the second and fourth Sundays of the month at 10 am. After a congregational meeting in April 2010 it was decided to close. Kinneff Church closed on Sunday 13 June 2010, and has now been converted into flats. 56°51′55″N 2°14′20″W / 56.86529°N 2.23876°W / 56.86529; -2.23876

Gourdon Mission Hall

The Gourdon Mission Hall is linked to the parish. The small coastal village is located just south of Bervie. Services are held at the Mission Hall every Sunday at 6 pm. The parish minister takes one service a month with a variety of guest speakers from churches in the wider Aberdeenshire and Angus, as well as from ABK Church itself, preaching the rest of the time.

Church buildings

As well as the three churches the church also owns several other buildings in Inverbervie. The Church Centre (formerly the manse) is next to the main church building. It contains several meeting rooms as well as a fully equipped office. The main meeting room contains modern digital technology and kitchen facilities. The Herd Centre (formerly the YWCA Hall) is at the bottom of townhead. The centre has a large hall as well as a fully equipped kitchen. The Manse can be located in West Park housing estate on the edge of Inverbervie.

Church life

Arbuthnott, Bervie and Kinneff Church remains an active Christian community. The church organises regular Alpha Courses, holiday clubs and social events where the whole community is invited to join in. In 2018, it started its own Messy Church in order to share the gospel of Jesus with the families in the community.

Links

Images for kids

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  ABK Church Logo