Baillieston St Andrew's Church facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Baillieston St Andrew's Church
Baillieston St Andrew's Parish Church
55°51′00″N 4°06′25″W / 55.850°N 4.107°W / 55.850; -4.107
Location	Glasgow
Country	Scotland
Denomination	Church of Scotland
Churchmanship	Presbyterian, Reformed
Website	Church Website
History
Status	Active
Dedicated	December 1974
Architecture
Functional status	Parish church
Administration
Parish	Baillieston
Presbytery	Glasgow

Baillieston St Andrew's Church is a church in Glasgow, Scotland. It is part of the Church of Scotland, which is a type of Presbyterian Church. The church building is located in Baillieston, at the corner of Bredisholm Road and Muirhead Road. It serves the local community of Baillieston.

The Story of Baillieston St Andrew's Church

The Baillieston St Andrew's Church congregation was formed in November 1966. This happened when two older churches, Baillieston Old Parish and Rhinsdale Churches, joined together.

Baillieston Old Parish Church: Its Beginnings

The story of Baillieston Parish Church started in the late 1820s. A man named George Scott gave some land for a new church and a cemetery. This church was called the Crosshill Chapel of Ease. It was the first church built in Scotland under a special Church of Scotland plan.

The church building cost £507 and opened on July 7, 1833. It could seat 500 people. Before this, the only church nearby was Old Monkland Parish Church. The first minister was Rev. Andrew Gray. He also taught at the local school. He stayed until 1843, when he moved to Dumbarton.

Over the next 123 years, Baillieston Parish Church had six more ministers. Then, in 1966, it joined with Rhinsdale Church.

In June 1967, Rev. John J.C. Owen became the minister. He stayed for twelve years. During his time, people started raising money for a new church. The old church had been used for about 140 years. It needed a lot of repairs. Also, when Rhinsdale Church closed and joined, the number of members grew a lot. This made building a new church very important.

Remembering Heroes: The War Memorial

A special memorial was in the Baillieston Parish Church. It honored those who died in World War I (1914-1918). Later, names from World War II (1939-1945) were added. On April 15, 1951, a special service was held to unveil and dedicate the updated memorial. Rev. Roy McVicar led the service. William Reid (VC), a brave soldier, unveiled the memorial and spoke to the church.

Rhinsdale Parish Church: A New Start

Rhinsdale Church was also known as the U.P. Kirk in Baillieston. It began in March 1862. People from Baillieston met for services in a school building. They got preachers from Glasgow. James Hunter, a merchant who lived nearby, helped start the church.

The early members wanted their own church building. They started collecting money. With their savings and help from other funds, they gathered £1,200. A site was chosen, given by James Beaumont Neilson. He was famous for inventing a new way to make iron.

By October 1863, the church buildings were almost ready. Eighty-one members asked for permission to form a new church. This was granted in January 1864. The U.P. Church in Baillieston opened for worship on February 17, 1864. The new buildings included the church, a Session House, and a Vestry.

The first minister, Rev. John Mcintyre, was chosen five months later. He started on June 1, 1865. Over the next 100 years, Rhinsdale Church had eight more ministers. It then joined with Baillieston Old Parish Church in 1966.

Rhinsdale Church War Memorial

Many men from Rhinsdale Church served in the wars. Sixteen of them died in battle. Their names were put on a special plaque. This plaque was part of the Communion Table.

The New Baillieston St Andrew's Church Building

The Baillieston St Andrew's congregation was formed in November 1966. This happened when the Baillieston Old and Rhinsdale Churches joined. The new congregation chose its first minister, Rev. John Owen, in June 1967.

For seven years, Rev. Owen worked with his church members. They planned and built a brand new church. This new building replaced the "Old" parish church. The new Baillieston St Andrew's Church was officially opened in December 1974.

Ministers Who Served

Many ministers have led the congregations of these churches over the years.

Ministers of Baillieston Old Parish Church

• Rev Andrew Gray (1833–1843) - The very first minister.
• Rev Matthew Graham (1843–1855)
• Rev Hugh Ramsay (1856–1892) - During his time, the church added more seats and a house for the minister.
• Rev Dr Alexander Andrew (1892–1940) - He served the longest, for 48 years.
• Rev Adrian G. Watt (1941–1948)
• Rev Roy McVicar (1949–1955) - He was a missionary in Africa before coming to Baillieston.
• Rev Cameron Walker (1956–1966)

Ministers of Rhinsdale Church

• Rev James McIntyre (1865–1871) - He later became a missionary in China.
• Rev Alexander McLean (1872–1982)
• Rev Wm Yule (1883–1890) - He moved to South Africa.
• Rev John Gray (1891–1916) - He passed away while still serving.
• Rev Wm Brown (1916–1924) - He was a Chaplain in France during World War I.
• Rev J.S. Crichton (1925–1930)
• Rev Robert Inglis (1931–1958) - He served the longest for this church.
• Rev John A Beattie (1958–1960) - He served for about two years.
• Rev Wm Martin (1960–1964) - This church was linked with Kenmuir Mount Vernon Church.

Ministers of Baillieston St Andrew's Church

• Rev J.J.C. Owen (1967–1979) - He was the first minister of the new St Andrew's Church and helped build it.
• Rev Tom C Houston (1980–2000) - He was a popular minister.
• Rev Robert Gehrke (2001–2006)
• Rev Alisdair T MacLeod-Mair (2007–2011)
• Rev Malcolm Cuthbertson (2012-2017) - He became minister when St Andrew's linked with Mure Memorial Church.
• Rev Fiona Morrison (2024 - present) - She became the minister of the linked churches on June 13, 2024.

More Information

• List of Church of Scotland parishes
• The church is located at 2 Bredisholm Road, Baillieston, Glasgow, G69 7HL. You can find it on a map using grid reference NS681638.