St George's Tron Church facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St George's Tron Church
The Parish Church of St George's Tron
Location	Glasgow
Country	Scotland
Denomination	Church of Scotland
Churchmanship	Evangelical
Website	Church Website
History
Former name(s)	St George's Parish Church
Status	Active
Dedication	Saint George
Architecture
Functional status	Church
Architect(s)	William Stark
Completed	1808
Administration
Presbytery	Glasgow

The St George's Tron Church is a Church of Scotland church located in the city centre of Glasgow, Scotland. You can find it on Nelson Mandela Place, which used to be called St George's Place. It stands proudly at the front of Buchanan Street, near West George Street and not far from Queen Street Station.

This church is very old and important for the area. It's right on Buchanan Street, which is one of Scotland's busiest shopping streets. It's also at the end of West George Street, making it a key landmark. Don't confuse it with the older 17th-century Tron Church on Trongate, which is now the Tron Theatre.

The Story of St George's Tron

Early Days and Important Leaders

The church first opened its doors in 1808. Back then, it was known as St. George's Parish Church. The first people who came to this church had moved from the Wynd Church in the Merchant City area.

In 1815, a very important person named Thomas Chalmers became the minister here. He later became a leader of a big movement in the Church of Scotland. In 1940, St George's Parish Church joined with another church, Tron St Anne. That's when it got its longer name, St George's Tron.

Ministers Who Made a Difference

Many special ministers have served at St George's Tron. One was Tom Allan, who was a key figure in the Scottish evangelical movement in the middle of the 20th century. He passed away in 1965.

After him, George Baillie Duncan became the minister from 1965 to 1977. He focused a lot on teaching and preaching from the Bible. Other notable ministers who also shared similar beliefs included Eric Alexander, who served from 1977 to 1997, and Sinclair Ferguson, who was here in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In 2004, Reverend Dr William J. U. Philip became the minister. During his time, he helped start Cornhill Scotland. This is an organization that trains people to preach and teach from the Bible.

A New Path for the Congregation

In 2012, Reverend William Philip and many members of the church decided to start a new, independent church. They moved to a different building on Bath Street. This new church is now known as The Tron Church.

St George's Tron Today

After the congregation moved, Reverend Alastair Duncan was chosen to help restart a new church community at St George's Tron. He was formally welcomed as the minister in 2020.

Today, St George's Tron is open to everyone seven days a week. It has a cafe called the Wild Olive Tree, which is open Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 4:30 pm. There's also a special "Cafe Church Service" on Sundays at 12:30 pm, along with other services during the week.

Community Activities

In 2015, an artist named Iain Campbell worked at St George's for a while. He created a painting called "the last supper." It showed men who were going through tough times eating together. This painting celebrated a cafe project run by the church with Glasgow City Mission, which helped people in need.

The Glasgow Street Pastors also use St George's Tron. They use it as a safe place on Friday and Saturday nights to help people in the city centre.

The Church Building: Design and Updates

Building Design and Architect

The city leaders asked William Stark to design the church building. It was finished and opened in 1808 as St. George's Parish Church.

Modern Updates and Features

From 2007 to 2009, the church building was updated by CRGP architects. They worked to bring back many of the church's original features that had been hidden over the years. They also fixed some structural issues in the tower.

The inside of the church now looks very open and modern. This design makes it a great place for the Wild Olive Tree cafe.

More to Explore

• George Baillie Duncan
• Sinclair Ferguson