Church Overview

Croftfoot was born from the Macnicol Memorial Church of Scotland, South Portland Street, in the Gorbals.  By 1933 only 3% of the residents of teh parish of Gorbals were Presbyterian.  The Presbytery proposition was to keep together and continue the work, but not in Gorbals.  Instead, be the Kirk’s pioneers in the new suburb of Croftfoot.  Rev. Guthrie put it to the vote, 14 were against, but the people rose in a solid mass.  The Gorbals story was ended – Croftfoot’s had begun.  The foundation stone of the permanent church building and halls was laid in April 1935.  The halls, completed ahead of the church, came into use in December 1935 for worship as well as other purposes.  The Hut remained in use as a hall until 1968, when it was displaced by the permanent hall extension.  The church was dedicated and opened in 1936 on Saturday 28th March by the Very Rev. W M Macgregor DD the Principal of Trinity College.  The organ:  now in situ in Croftfoot Parish Church was originally built for Burnbank UP Church, Carrington Street, Glasgow in 1898.   Some of the pipes from the original Gorbals Church are still in use today.  The Burnbank congregation gifted it to Croftfoot in 1969 after our earlier Gorbals organ had deteriorated.  The church belfry had stood silent and empty from the time it was built.  The Bell:  the congregation gave the bell in memory of the members who had given their lives in the war and it was dedicated on Remembrance Day 1946.  Cast for Croftfoot by an English firm of bell founders Messrs Gillet & Johnston.  It measures thirty-three inches in diameter and weighs 770 lbs.  Subscriptions by members and by the Organisations met its cost of £215.  It is inscribed “To the Glory of God and to the Memory of the Fallen, 1939-1946”.  The Chancel:  has changed since 1936 when its platform was much shorter from front to back and the pulpit stood to the right of its present position.  In 1963 the heavy blue velvet curtain which hangs on the chancel’s rear wall, was installed to cover three three tall windows.  Previously, despite use of window blinds, morning sunshine streaming in through the windows often had “blinded” the congregation, so that they could not plainly see the proceedings in the pulpit and chancel.  The Pillars of the Church:  supported by four pillars and the chancel arch by two taller ones.  Each is carved and has its own individual symbolic picture.  We have a booklet which will be available on the day with more detailed information.

Services

Sundays: 10.30am and 11.45 am / 2nd Sunday and last Sunday 6.30pm

Opening Arrangements

Open by arrangement. Contact the church.

Disclaimer

The information about churches in Scotland’s Churches Scheme has been provided by the congregations or taken from the Historic Scotland list and published sources, in particular, the Buildings of Scotland volumes and the RIAS Illustrated Architectural Guides. To contact this specific church please complete the Contact this Church form above. The information is not authoritative; please contact Scotland’s Churches Trust to let us know of any errors or omissions.