A new Aberdeen Church of Scotland congregation are planning on building a brand new “purpose-built” place to worship.
The new “proactive vision” for a new church building for the Mastrick, Northfield and Summerhill parish churches has come about after each of the area’s congregations made the decision to form the Aberdeen North Parish Church of Scotland together.
Currently, they plan to use the existing Mastrick church as their new base, and the other buildings are planned to be sold off.
The money raised will be used to build a new multi-purpose centre.
The project is still in its very early stages, and there are no timescales of when work on the new building will begin, but those behind the proposals hope it will help deliver on the Church of Scotland’s “vision to reimagine and renew congregational life for the 21st century”.
All three of the existing churches currently offer their buildings for the use of different community groups, and it is hoped the “new venture will enhance this provision with modern facilities and ample car parking space”.
A statement from the new Aberdeen North Parish Church of Scotland group said: “People living in the Mastrick, Northfield and Summerhill communities will know that there are many community facilities which are disappearing, but the Church of Scotland is planning to create a new church building in the area.
“This has all been facilitated by the proactive vision of the congregations of Mastrick, Northfield and Summerhill Parish churches.
“They realised that their congregational numbers and the circumstances related to their existing church buildings needed radical action to develop and nurture a new and innovative way of being a church.”
Reverend Susan Sutherland of Mastrick Church, and Reverend Michael Shewan at Summerhill Church, have been working to bring their congregations together since 2017.
Rev Sutherland said: “Ministers can often feel isolated and become lone workers, but working together in a team ministry means we can bring our different experiences and different gifts to our roles.
“We are better together.”
Reverend Shewan added: “A purpose-built building will give us the opportunity to make this new space a convenient and welcoming place for people from all sectors of the community.”
