Lasswade and Rosewell Parish Church facts for kids

Lasswade and Rosewell Parish Church is a church that helps the towns of Lasswade, Poltonhall, and Rosewell in Midlothian, Scotland. It is part of the Church of Scotland, which is the national church of Scotland.

The Old Lasswade Church Building

Old Lasswade Parish Church and churchyard

The very first church building in Lasswade was built a long time ago, even before the Reformation in Scotland. This old church was no longer used after 1793. Most of the building fell down in 1866.

One important minister who worked at this old church was Rev Prof James Fairlie. He served the church from 1644 to 1658.

Lasswade's Current Church Building

The people of Lasswade now use a different building for their church services. This building was originally used by a group called the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland. Later, it became known as the United Free Church of Scotland.

In 1929, many churches in Scotland joined together. After this, the building became known as Lasswade Strathesk Church. In the late 1940s, engineers found a big problem with the old Lasswade Parish Church building. Because of this, the old church was later taken down.

In 1956, the Old Parish Church and Strathesk Church decided to join together. They then used the Strathesk Church building as their main place of worship.

The Rosewell Church Building

The church building in Rosewell was built in the 1870s. At first, it was like a smaller, "daughter" church of the main Lasswade Parish Church.

In 1966, a minister named Rev James H. Sinclair started leading the Rosewell Parish Church. He was the last minister to serve only the Rosewell church by himself. When he moved to Selkirk in 1987, the church did not have a permanent minister for a few years. This is called a "continuing vacancy."

In 1991, the Rosewell church started sharing a minister with two other churches: Cockpen & Carrington Parish Church and Lasswade Parish Church. This is called being "linked."

Churches Working Together

Since 1977, the Lasswade church has been "linked" with Cockpen and Carrington Parish Church. This means they shared the same minister. In 1991, the Rosewell Parish Church also joined this group, so all three churches shared one minister.

By 2008, fewer people were attending services at both the Lasswade and Rosewell churches. Because of this, the two churches officially joined together. They became one big church with one main leadership group, called a Kirk Session. However, they decided to keep both church buildings open for services. The church is now officially known as "Lasswade and Rosewell Parish Church."

People Who Lead the Church

Ministers are the leaders of the church. They conduct services, offer guidance, and help the community.

Past Ministers

Here are some of the ministers who have served these churches:

• Rosewell:
  • The Rev James Sinclair (1966-1987)

• Lasswade and Rosewell (after they linked and united):
  • The Rev Wendy Drake (1992-2007)
  • The Rev Matthew Ross (2009-2014)
  • The Rev Lorna M Souter

See also

• List of Church of Scotland parishes