My church

Karen Mathers, an elder at Prestwick South Parish Church describes how some things remain constant, despite the challenge of change.

My Church and I go back a long way – more than 60 years – as I have been part of the Prestwick South Parish Church family since moving to Prestwick as a baby with my parents and sister.

Mum started attending Prestwick South so at the age of three I went to Beginners Sunday School, progressing through Primary, Junior, Senior and Bible Class before becoming one of the founder members and later, President, of our Youth Fellowship with many friends made. It was during my time in the YF that I joined the Church as a member, professing my faith at a Sunday morning service led by our minister, the Rev Jack Brown, who had come to us following the retiral of the Rev James Yorke.

In 1984 my husband Tom and I were married in Prestwick South by the Rev Tom Girdwood who was our minister for most of the 1980s. By this time I was a member of our Young Women’s Group which I also went on to lead as President. This was an invaluable gathering, with some of us going on to have children, so it was an opportunity for us to have a couple of hours away from work, home and family responsibilities.

We alternated between evening meetings and morning ones when some Guild members would come and look after our wee ones in the small hall. Again many opportunities for lasting friendships.

In 1989 our new minister the Rev Kenneth Elliott arrived in Prestwick with his wife Fiona and soon the first of their two sons was born so I helped Fiona set up the Teddy Toddler Group (as Treasurer this time). We now had two sons of our own with our youngest being the first baby to be baptised by Kenneth in Prestwick South and two years later he baptised our daughter too.

In 1993 I was asked to become an Elder, which was daunting in my early thirties and with three young children, but with my family’s support and the reassurance that I would not be expected to carry out duties I could not fulfil, I accepted and was ordained. Over the years, through the good times and also when experiencing trauma or loss within my immediate family, I always felt the love and support of my Church family in many ways: practical offers such as a lift to hospital, a reassuring hug, a simple enquiry or being remembered in prayers.

Fast forward to 2025: I became Treasurer in 2020 after a number of years as Deputy, Kenneth has just retired and we are about to unite with another local church, Monkton Prestwick North to become Monkton and Prestwick Trinity Parish Church. In many ways church life is changing significantly with two congregations coming together and a few folk leaving, but some things remain the same – God’s love shown in the compassion, care and support of our church family for each other, and the wider community, no matter what.