St John's Renfield Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St John's Renfield Church |
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| The Parish Church of St John's Renfield Church | |
The church seen from Beaconsfield Road
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| 55°53′10″N 4°18′24″W / 55.8861°N 4.3066°W | |
| Location | Glasgow |
| Country | Scotland |
| Denomination | Church of Scotland |
| Website | Church website |
| History | |
| Status | Active |
| Dedicated | January 1931 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Parish church |
| Architect(s) | James Taylor Thomson |
| Architectural type | Cruciform Church |
| Style | Neo-Gothic |
| Years built | 1929-1930 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St John's Renfield |
| Presbytery | Presbytery of Glasgow |
St. John's Renfield Church is a church in Glasgow, Scotland. It is part of the Church of Scotland and serves the Kelvindale area. This church is a parish church, meaning it looks after the spiritual needs of people in a specific local area.
Contents
Where to Find the Church
The church building is on Beaconsfield Road in Kelvindale. You can see it from the Great Western Road. Nearby are several hospitals, including Gartnavel General Hospital.
A Look Back: The Church's Story
The story of St John's Renfield Church is quite interesting. It actually comes from three older church groups that joined together over time. This happened as Glasgow grew and changed.
St John's Parish Church: The Beginning
The first part of the story starts in 1819. Glasgow was growing fast, and many people lived in crowded areas. A new church, St John's Parish Church, was built to help the people in the Calton area.
Its first minister was Dr Thomas Chalmers. He was known for his ideas on helping people and his strong preaching. He wanted to improve living conditions and help people become more independent. His work was very successful.
In 1843, a big event called the Disruption happened in the Church of Scotland. Many ministers and members, including Dr Chalmers, left to form a new church called the Free Church of Scotland. Dr Thomas Brown, the minister at St John's, left with most of his church members. They formed "Free St John's" and built a new church in 1845.
Renfield Church: A New Group Forms
Also in 1819, another new church group started nearby. It began with about 30 members. They first met in rented rooms and then got their own building on Renfield Street in 1820. This became known as Renfield Church.
As Glasgow changed, people moved to different areas. So, in 1855, Renfield Church moved west and built a new, larger church on Bath Street. A famous minister named Dr Marcus Dods joined in 1864. His time there made Renfield Church a very important place for religious life in Glasgow.
In 1923, the "Free St John's" church and Renfield Church decided to join together. They used the more modern Renfield church building for their new combined group, called "Free St John's – Renfield."
The Hyndland Congregation: A Third Piece of the Puzzle
A third group, called "The Hyndland Congregation," also developed a few miles away. It started in 1852. This group grew over the years and moved to different locations, eventually becoming "Sandyford U.P. Church."
Before World War I, they planned to build a new church. After the war, they decided to join with "St John's – Renfield." This created an even bigger group called the "St John's Renfield and Hyndland congregation" in 1927. The new church building on Beaconsfield Road, which is the current church, was completed in 1931.
The Church Building
The church building was officially opened in January 1931. It was designed in a Gothic revival style, which means it looks like older Gothic churches. The architect was James Taylor Thomson. He won a competition to design the church in 1927. The church was built between 1929 and 1930.
The church has beautiful oak carvings and stained glass windows. These were created by artists Douglas Strachan and Gordon Webster. In 1970, the church was given a special status as a Category B listed building. This means it's an important historical building that needs to be protected.
Church Leaders Today
The current minister (since 2009) is the Rev Fiona Lillie. She helps lead the church services and guides the community.
Several important ministers have served at St John's Renfield Church over the years. For example, the Very Rev Dr James A. Simpson was a minister here from 1966 to 1976. He later became the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1994, which is a very high position in the Church of Scotland.
Also, the Very Rev Dr Sheilagh M. Kesting was a trainee minister at St John's Renfield. She later became the first woman minister to be the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.
Other Churches Nearby
- Kelvin Stevenson Memorial Church (Church of Scotland)
- Kelvinside Hillhead Parish Church (Church of Scotland)
- Knightswood St. Margaret's Parish Church (Church of Scotland)
- Jordanhill Parish Church (Church of Scotland)
- St. Luke's Cathedral (Orthodox)
- St. Mary's Cathedral (Episcopalian)
- St. Bride's Church (Episcopalian)
- Wellington Church (Church of Scotland)
Images for kids
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Thomas Chalmers.
