Church with links to legendary Scots author marks 200th anniversary

A church with links to the famed Scottish novelist and poet Robert Louis Stevenson has celebrated its 200^th anniversary.

Broughton St Mary's Church in Edinburgh opened for worship on 12 December 1824 to serve the population in the city's growing New Town.

It has been at the beating heart of the community ever since and continues to be a "positive and productive community asset", according to the Lord Provost of Edinburgh Robert Aldridge.

At the start of building work in and around 1823, the then Lord Provost of Edinburgh was present when the foundation stone was laid.

Fast forward 200 years to the anniversary of the opening day, Edinburgh's current civic leader attended a special bi-centenary service.

The congregation was also joined by Rt Rev Dr Shaw Paterson, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, last Thursday.

Parish minister Rev Laurene Lafontaine said: "It was such a joy to be together for the celebration of the Bicentenary of the Broughton St Mary's building and it was lovely to have the Moderator and Lord Provost join us."

The church, forever dedicated to sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ and the glory of God, was designed by Thomas Brown as the centrepiece of Bellevue Crescent and was originally known as Bellevue Church.

It was later renamed St Mary's Parish Church and became Broughton St Mary's Church in 1992 as a result of a union with Broughton McDonald Church.

God's spirit

Best known for Treasure Island, the Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Kidnapped, Robert Louis Stevenson's grandfather was an elder at St Mary's church for fifteen years, from 1828 to 1843.

Robert Stevenson was famous for his engineering achievements, being at that time engineer to the Northern Lighthouse Board.

Ms Lafontaine said: "The evening was a good reminder that the church is much more than a building, it is the living history of the people who have gathered over the years.

"Reconnecting with friends and neighbours, old and new, some of whom travelled a fair bit was a delight.

"There is a wonderful sense of God's spirit continuing to empower us as we seek to be actively living out a ministry of care, compassion and justice.

"It bodes well for the next 200 years."

Ms Lafontaine said Broughton St Mary's Church is a community hub and use of the building by the wider public has increased dramatically since 2009.

It hosts a wide variety of clubs, societies and organisations including the Scottish Saxophone Academy, Scottish National Jazz Orchestra, Helen O'Grady School of Drama and Edinburgh Scottish Dancers.

The building is used by young people's uniformed organisations like the Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and other religious organisations including the United Methodist Church and Quakers.

A major user of the premises is The Action Group which caters for adults from the local area with learning difficulties.

Families and individuals from the local community hire the rooms to hold family gatherings and birthday parties.

A significant aspect to the ministry at Broughton St Mary's is its outreach to the LGBT community.

Messy Church provides a different church experience for children of all ages up to 12 along with their parents and carers.

The congregation is committed to developing the opportunity for evangelism to children and adults who do not attend church at other times.

Ms Lafontaine said: "Each month, over 1,000 people come through our doors, representing diverse communities.

"We are grateful for the past 200 years of ministry and look forward as we live into our ongoing commitment to the service of God and our neighbours in our changing world."

Mr Aldridge said: "Over the decades the church has been a strong and constant anchor for the community, contributing to educating the young, providing support for those experiencing poverty and even sending missionaries abroad.

"I want to put on record the city's congratulations on reaching the substantial milestone of a bi-centenary, and I want to offer my gratitude to past and current members, and supporters and donors for the substantial contribution you have all made to the city's faith and cultural heritage, and to those who have worked so diligently with the important job of maintaining the fabric the building"

Among the church's most striking features are the stained glass windows, the oldest of which date from 1864.

The attractive panelling around the front of the gallery is in fact heavily embossed wallpaper dating from 1897.

The pulpit is one of the few surviving pulpits of the 1820s and is said to be the highest in Scotland.

Addressing the congregation, Dr Paterson said: "On behalf of the General Assembly, I congratulate you on this 200th anniversary.

"The building was built by the City of Edinburgh as part of the extension to the New Town with the Lord Provost being one of those present for the laying of the foundation stone."

We are all God's children

The Moderator joked: "Not this Lord Provost otherwise he has worn very well over 200 years and it is great that the current Lord Provost is with us this evening.

"For it was on that date 200 years ago that the building was open for worship and the church's motto is from Psalm 127 - ‘unless the Lord builds a house, the builder's labour in vain'.

"My theme for the year is ‘building together' but my focus is on us building together as God's children, caring together and loving together, not just ourselves but all of God's children.

"In common with congregations across the country there have been various unions leading to the congregation but what we celebrate is more than stone and lime.

"What we celebrate is more than a building, it is the life and witness of generations who, over the years, have shared the Good News of the gospel.

"Sharing the Good News is at the heart of the church's purpose and in the run-up to Christmas, the focus is very much on the good news of Jesus Christ."

Dr Paterson presented long service certificates to elders and gifted the congregation a special ceramic tile with the crest of the Moderator and his name.

He explained that he was expected to follow in his father's footsteps and enter the building trade after leaving school.

But he ended up going to university and funded his studies by doing tiling jobs in his spare time.