Bellshill Central Parish church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bellshill Central Parish Church |
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Bellshill Central Parish Church
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| Location | 346 Main Street, Bellshill, ML4 1BA |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church of Scotland |
| History | |
| Status | Church |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Bellshill |
| Presbytery | Hamilton Presbytery |
Bellshill Central Parish Church is a church that belongs to the Church of Scotland. It serves the areas of Bellshill town centre, Mossend, Milnwood, and Orbiston. It is part of the Hamilton Presbytery, which is a group of churches in the area.
Contents
The Church Building's Design
The main church building and its hall were designed by David Clunas. They were built in 1874. The church looks like a Gothic style building. It has a rectangular shape with pointed gables. You can see strong stone supports called buttresses. The windows are tall and narrow, with pointed arches. They have stone dividers called mullions.
The church is set back from the main road. The front of the church has a wooden door with a pointed arch. On either side of the door are tall, narrow windows. Above the door is a large window with three sections. It also has a pointed arch and stone dividers. At the very top of the roof, there is a decorative metal piece. A small stone wall with modern railings surrounds the church property.
Inside, the church has a gallery, which is like a balcony for seating. There is a narthex (an entrance hall) with stairs leading up to the gallery. The lower part of the walls has wooden panels. The seats, called pews, are made of timber. Iron columns support the gallery. The communion table is in front of a wooden pulpit, which has stairs. Behind the pulpit is a large organ with a wooden case.
A special part of the church is its many beautiful stained glass windows. These windows are in the main worship area and the entrance hall. The newest stained glass window was designed by Lesley Marshall, who is a member of the church. It is located in the narthex.
The Church Hall is right behind the main church building. You can get to it from either side of the church. The hall was updated after the church sold its old minister's house and another hall. The hall building has a large main room, restrooms for men, women, and people with disabilities, an office, and a big kitchen.
A Look at the Church's History
Bellshill Central Parish Church was created when two older churches joined together. These were the MacDonald Memorial Church and the Orbiston Church. The Church of Scotland decided that the new united church would use the buildings at 346 Main Street. These buildings used to be the MacDonald Memorial Church. The old Orbiston church buildings are now used by the Orbiston Neighbourhood Centre for community activities.
MacDonald Memorial Church
MacDonald Memorial Church started in 1873 as a Free Church Mission. Services were first held in Mossend school. The church officially became a congregation in 1874. Many people moved to the area to work in coal mines and iron works. This helped the church grow quickly. In 1875, it had 143 members. By 1900, it had grown to 477 members. The first minister was William Macdonald. The church was renamed after him in 1912.
Orbiston Parish Church
Orbiston Parish Church was one of the newer churches built in the area after World War II. It began as a new church group in a wooden hall. The dedication service for this hall was held on March 9, 1954. The church quickly gained more members. So, a new church building was constructed on Busby Road. Its dedication service was held on September 13, 1956. The first Sunday service in the new building was led by Minister Rev Albert F Bolton on September 16, 1956. By 1966, the church had full status and nearly 500 members. It joined with Bellshill St Andrews Church in October 1980. Then, it joined with MacDonald Memorial Church in 2001.
The Church Organ
Bellshill Central Parish Church has a special pipe organ. It was made by the H. Hildson organ company in Glasgow. This organ has two keyboards for hands and one for feet. It has 17 different sounds, called stops. The organ was repaired in 2015 by Michael and Andrew Macdonald, who are organ builders from Glasgow. The way the organ works was changed from air-powered to electric. However, the sound of the organ has stayed the same since it was built in 1930. This organ is listed on the National Pipe Organ Register.
