They are places that stand at the heart of their communities but, increasingly, there are fewer and fewer churches across Scotland.
This is obvious across the length and breadth of the country and strong feelings have been aroused by the recent confirmation of the closure of so many sites of worship, such as Garthdee Parish Church in Aberdeen.
The demolition signs currently hang outside the building, which opened its doors to the community in 1952 but closed in 2020 as part of the Presbytery of Aberdeen and Shetland’s plans to reshape the structure of the church estate in an effort to make it fit and sustainable for the future.
Yet, whatever the rights and wrongs of these decisions, this was a property that commemorated thousands of births, marriages and deaths: and it was also once a thriving hub that offered generations of youngsters a precious gateway to a world they had never known.
We’ve talked to some of the people who can recall the influence of Garthdee Parish Church from its earliest days.
And all of them were saddened by the loss of another piece of the Aberdeen landscape.
The first minister to welcome congregants into the church was Percy Drummond, who was followed by William Frame, Angus Haddow, James Weir, Christine Houghton and Flora Munro as the decades passed.
Aileen Barclay was among those living in Garthdee just after the church opened and she has recounted some bittersweet memories of how her feelings changed towards religion through different stages of her life.
She said: “Our family moved to Garthdee in 1959 when my younger brother Bob was born and I was 10 years of age.
“Our parents were church-goers but my father wasn’t too keen on the way some people behaved in church.
“Having been a prisoner of war, whose faith had no doubt been shaken by the five years he spent in Poland, he was contemptuous of those who adopted superior attitudes of power.
“Nevertheless, he also used his position to keep us kids in line. Whenever we were getting out of order, he would open the door and shout through to us: ‘Come in Meenister! The children will be so happy to see you!’
“Immediately, that brought us to a red-faced halt. Yet, to us, the ‘meenister’ in question, Mr Drummond, was a boring old fogey, but clearly we recognised his importance, at least in public.
“Still, I did become involved in church activities, as did most kids of the time – this involved going to Sunday School, Girls’ Guildry, and the junior choir, to mention a few, and I do look back fondly on those who led us.
“That is, until I was put out of the junior choir for laughing!”
Discotheques were becoming a thing, and the sixties brought real challenges in terms of morality and dress codes.”
Aileen Barclay
In the 1960s and 1970s, society was changing at a rapid pace and, for many people, attending church slipped down their list of priorities.
Aileen added: “As an adult, I recognise the gift the church gave me, not only in terms of growing my early faith, but also the opportunities that were offered for us to learn and experience a world very different to the world of working-class children growing up in the 1950s and 60s.
“Where else would I have learned so much about teamwork, performing, learning to play a musical instrument, getting involved in debating, art, trips away to camp and many other things?
Discos became the places to go
“But as I grew older, many of the 600 kids who came to Sunday School began to drop out of church activities.
“Discotheques were becoming a thing, and the sixties brought real challenges in terms of morality and dress codes.
“It was no longer ‘cool’ to go to church. Women were discovering freedoms they had never had, and I was no exception, with pelmet skirts and knee-length patent boots, symbols of my rebellion against the status quo.
“As I matured, though, I felt drawn back to church, after a divorce and remarriage, realising how empty my life had become without faith.
“Ten years later, my son Kevin who had been baptised in Garthdee Church, died at the age of 23 of heroin intoxication while at university.
“In despair and grief, I found my solace studying for a PhD in Practical theology, which again, opened me up to new worlds and a new beginning.
“Now, as somebody who is in my seventies, I thank God for Garthdee church where the seeds were first sown.”
One of the elders who was brought up at the church from his baptism in 1990 all the way through to 2020 spoke privately about his myriad cherished recollections of that period of his life.
A Church of Scotland spokeswoman told me: “He remembers lots of capers at the church as a youngster.
“His earliest memory was at two years old playing with an elders’ glass case in the back row, in the days before churches had creches.
“He inadvertently rang the church bell when he asked the minister: ‘What’s that rope for?’ and the reply was: ‘Try pulling it’!
“He has fond memories of being in Sunday school and Boys Brigade and happy days with church activities.
“He remembers the Captain of the Boys Brigade was Ian West till 2010 and then Roddy Dalman.
“The Captain of the Girls Brigade at this time was Margaret Cooper.
“He joined the Youth Fellowship, which was for secondary school pupils aged between 12 and 16, and, at 17, he became a member of the church.
“At 21 he was part of the congregational board and well remembers the ceramic church font arriving and being carried in by seven Grampian firefighters, who had transported it from Langstane Kirk.
“At this time, 50-60 people attended the church on Sundays, but this dwindled because of an ageing congregation and people not attending church.
Church memories have been preserved
“In 2000, a time capsule was buried in the gardens and he remembers adding his Boys’ Brigade cap and lots of photos of happy times at church activities such as picnics and Christmas.
“Other items in the capsule were handwritten stories from members and a description of the foundation stone being laid.
“He became an elder in 2018 and counts this as one of his fondest memories.
“His eldership now continues in Ruthrieston Church and he is looking forward to moving forward with the churches within the Riverside Parish.”
The Sunflower Cafe at Garthdee Church proved a popular attraction and was frequented by the local community in addition to many students and staff from Robert Gordon University.
Patrons recall that the fare was always freshly cooked, nutritious and was fondly regarded as ‘down to earth’ comfort food.
The cafe started in 1997, led by a chef from the Palm Court Hotel, Mike Edwards, whose expertise was invaluable.
It was subsequently run by a team of volunteers under the direction of Vicky Horn and the venue provided a training environment to help them acquire employment.
The premises also delivered meals to order for people in the parish who were unable to attend church and needed support at home.
But the cafe closed in 2015-16 when the volunteers became older and were unable to dedicate their time to it and there were no new replacements to help out while the church’s future was being considered.
In 2019, the church gained international headlines when a 25-year-old horse named Ollie trotted down the aisle.
His owner, Lisa Watt, wanted to ensure the elderly animal was blessed there “before it is too late” for him and the building.
The lovely creature was led down the aisle to the hymn O God, Your Creatures Fill the Earth before he was blessed by Reverend Flora Munro.
It was a moving ceremony, both for those who were present and the many who watched the video footage from afar.
Yet, just a few months later, the church was shut, destined for demolition.
Jo Duthie was among the congregation who sung hymns and said prayers inside the building for the last time.
She said: “I attended the final service at Garthdee Parish Church before the bulldozers move in and flatten it.
“The strength, spirit and hope conveyed to the congregation by the Rev Dr Flora Munro flowed through everyone present and, with traditional Scottish courage and determination, the service ended with a rendition of Auld Lang Syne and lighted candles.
“It had been a hard fight by all involved to save this humble building that has
served this community of Garthdee for many years.
“As Flora said in her service: ‘We are not bricks and mortar’ and the faith in God, the belief and the Spirit cannot be destroyed.”
‘A re-imagining and renewal of church life’
A spokeswoman for the Church of Scotland told me: “We are currently embarking on major changes to the church estate and many of these affect churches within the Presbytery of Aberdeen and Shetland.
“Presbytery’s vision is to encourage and enable a re-imagining and
renewal of church life for the 21st Century.
“The Covid pandemic has enabled church congregations to develop innovative ways of delivering services online and meeting their communities’ needs without the reliance on meeting in buildings.
We will meet again in the future
“However, getting together in a physical space is also an important aspect of
church life.
“The Presbytery would like to see worship conducted in sustainable,
well-equipped spaces that bring Christians and wider communities together.
“A reduction in the number of unsustainable buildings has been a part of the
Presbytery plan to reshape the church estate.
“It will result in churches being redeveloped, and some sold or demolished where the building no longer serves the needs of a modern church and its community.
“The changes will allow ministers to develop the skills of clergy and lay people to re-engage in the life of Aberdeen and Shetland through mission work.”
Ultimately, everything changes and everything evolves but Garthdee Parish Church will definitely be missed.
The four words which sum up Rev Susan Sutherland’s philosophy: ‘What would Jesus do?
