The Church in Stepps is more than a hundred years old, having celebrated its centenary in the year 2000 and we look forward to our quasquicentennial or 125th anniversary this year. Stepps Parish Church is born out of union of St Andrew’s Parish Church and Whitehill Parish Church in 1983. We are the only Church of Scotland congregation serving the community of Stepps, Cardowan, Millerston, Crowwood and Frankfield. We enjoy fellowship and partnering in serving Jesus alongside our fellow Christians who worship in St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in Cardowan and the United Free Church in Millerston.
The Kirk Session previously adhered to a 5-year mission action plan up to the point of Glasgow Presbytery’s planning process, measuring it’s progress towards goals annually as a congregation and with Glasgow Presbytery support.
Stepps is due a quinquennial visit in 2025 and intends to use this time to reflect and re-define how best to meet the 5 Marks of Mission.
The congregation has embraced its linkage with Garthamlock, Ruchazie and Craigend, holding joint services for special occasions including World Day of Prayer, open-air Easter day service at the local park, Hogganfield Loch, and regular joint Kirk Session meetings. There are good working relationships with other cluster congregations.
Stepps congregation often describes itself as ‘our wee church family’, who work collaboratively to undertake what needs done when needed. We have been flexible in our worshipping style, adapting to various worship leader preferences. Several members of the congregation have attended some form of worship training offered by Glasgow Presbytery and lead worship on an occasional basis. We need a nurturing, supportive leader to release further the potential within the worshipping congregation and meet the missional challenges of our community.
Currently there is an active Boys’ Brigade company with approximately 40 members. A community café, the Chestnut café, that runs every Thursday provides an outlet to build fellowship with older members of the community. The Kirk Session has oversight of both these organisations.
Architect
Our beautiful little church was designed by one of the pre-eminent designers of Scottish religious buildings, Peter MacGregor Chalmers 1859 - 1922. His work can be seen across Scotland and in the islands off the West coast.
Peter MacGregor Chalmers was born in 1859, and on completion of his training he set up his own premises in Bath Street, Glasgow.
He designed the church to reflect the scale and simplicity of the village of Stepps. Built in the form of a cross from red Ballochmyle sandstone it was opened in 1900. It is very similar to some other churches designed by Chalmers and built in the same red sandstone, including St Margaret’s Polmadie (1900) and St Andrew’s Kirn (1910).
His work was obviously admired by those who worshipped near any of his new buildings, as there are outcrops of his churches in certain areas of Scotland, for example Cowal, the Clyde Coast, Edinburgh, Fife and the Inner Hebrides.
Chalmers’ work was not confined to designing new buildings. He was involved in important restoration work, notably the remodelling of Iona Abbey, the restoration of the Iona Nunnery and the restoration of Paisley Abbey. Sadly, he died of a heart attack at the age of 63 while working on this project, and it was completed by the architect Sir Peter Lorimer.
He is buried with his wife in Glasgow Necropolis, his grave marked by a very simple headstone, which seems a little inappropriate for a man whose work created some of the most beautiful religious buildings in Scotland.
