Wellington Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wellington Church |
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| Wellington Parish Church | |
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| 55°52′21″N 4°17′13″W / 55.872528°N 4.287051°W | |
| Location | 76 University Avenue, Glasgow |
| Country | Scotland |
| Denomination | Church of Scotland |
| Website | wellingtonchurch.co.uk |
| History | |
| Status | Church |
| Founded | 1884 |
| Founder(s) | United Presbyterian Church of Scotland |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Category A |
| Designated | 6 July 1966 |
| Architect(s) | Thomas Lennox Watson |
| Style | Neoclassical |
| Groundbreaking | 1883 |
| Completed | 1884 |
| Administration | |
| Presbytery | Presbytery of Glasgow |
Wellington Church is a special church building in Glasgow, Scotland. It is a place of worship for the Church of Scotland. You can find it on University Avenue, right across from the famous University of Glasgow. The church serves the local area called Hillhead.
Contents
Building Design
The Wellington Church building was designed by an architect named Thomas Lennox Watson. It was built between 1883 and 1884. It was originally made for a group called the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland. This group later joined with others to become the United Free Church of Scotland in 1900.
The outside of the church is very grand. It has a Neoclassical style. This means it looks a bit like an ancient Greek temple. You can see a large entrance with many tall Corinthian columns. These columns are fancy, with detailed designs at the top. This style was popular with the United Presbyterian Church. It was different from the Gothic Revival style that many other churches used back then.
Church History
The church's community started way back in 1792. They were part of a group that later became the United Secession Church. In 1828, they opened their first church building on Wellington Street in Glasgow.
By the 1880s, the community had grown too big for their old church. So, they decided to build a new one. The new building was placed on Gilmorehill, across from the university. The university had also moved to this area a decade earlier. It was common for churches like this to move if they needed more space.
What the Church Does Today
Today, Wellington Church helps the local Hillhead community. It also supports the students and staff of the university. Even though the university has its own chapel, Wellington Church hosts many university events. These events can be religious or not. The church is also a place for music concerts. People can enjoy recitals played on its original Forster and Andrews pipe organ.
The church community is also active in helping with important social issues. For example, they were involved in the Make Poverty History campaign in 2005. They also took part in events about climate change, like the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference. In 2004, they even won an award for being an "eco-congregation" in Scotland. The church building has also hosted groups working for social justice, like Scottish CND.
Wellington Church also runs the Crypt Café. This café serves breakfast and lunch on weekdays. It is very popular with students and staff from Glasgow University.
Since 2004, Wellington has run the International Welcome Club. This club helps people who are new to Glasgow. This includes students, workers, or visitors from anywhere. They offer free English language lessons online and in person. They also hold other fun events throughout the year.
In 2022, Wellington Church made an agreement with Glasgow University. The church's main worship area is now used as a lecture hall during university term time.
Wellington Church is part of the Presbytery of Glasgow. This is a local group of churches within the Church of Scotland.
Church Leaders
The current minister at Wellington Church is Reverend Richard Baxter. He started serving in February 2022. Before him, Reverend Dr Roger Sturrock helped out. He now works as an Assistant Minister.
A past minister was Reverend Dr David Sinclair. He served until September 2017. He was also the leader of the Presbytery of Glasgow for a year. Another former minister was Reverend Leith Fisher. He retired in 2006.
Other important past ministers include the Very Rev Ernest David Jarvis. He was a minister from 1929 to 1958. He was also a leader of the Church of Scotland in 1954. Reverend Maxwell Craig served the church between 1973 and 1989.
See also
- 1884 in architecture
- List of Category A listed buildings in Glasgow
- List of Church of Scotland parishes
Other churches nearby
- Kelvinside Hillhead Parish Church
- Jordanhill Parish Church
- St John's Renfield Church
