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DISRUPTION CHURCH ANNIVERSARY
St John’s Church in Carluke celebrated its 175th anniversary on Sunday August 26.
The church was one of those formed in the disruption of 1843, when several elders walked out of the Parish Kirk to form a small congregation of Free Church worshippers. The first meeting-place was a hall in a local inn!
For the anniversary service, which marked 175 years almost to the day since the new congregation held its first Communion Service, the congregation welcomed the Moderator of the General Assembly, the Rt Rev Susan Brown. Mrs Brown preached to an extended congregation, including visitors and their families from Crawforddyke Primary School choir who performed during the service, the 1st Carluke Scout Group and 3rd Carluke Boys’ Brigade. Grace Notes, St John’s youth choir, provided additional items of praise.
It was also an occasion to recognise the long service of 13 elders, including Frances Cadzow and Sandra Peat, the first women to be ordained as elders in St John’s over 40 years ago. The combined service of those recognised with certificates presented by the Moderator totalled 641 years.
In honour of the anniversary, a banner was designed by one of the elders, Jean Battison, and embroidered by herself, Margaret Mackie and Joan Reid, depicting doves, branches and the church.
A photographic and memorabilia exhibition was held, tracing the history of St John’s from 1843 to the present day.
The church has also marked the anniversary with two charitable donations: one of £750 to Street Level, a youth outreach project by Carluke’s six churches; and one of £250 to Clydesdale Christian Youth Trust.
The Moderator is pictured with the minister of St John’s, the Rev Elijah Obinna, at the anniversary service. Picture by Fraser Jorgensen.
This article appears in the November 2018 Issue of Life and Work
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This article appears in the November 2018 Issue of Life and Work