St John's Episcopal Church, Baillieston, Glasgow

East End Episcopal home page St John's home page Photo Gallery The Diocese of Glasgow and Galloway

HISTORICAL NOTE
When St John's was built in 1850, Baillieston was at the centre of an expanding mining industry. The first Curate-in-Charge was the Reverend J Watson Reid, afterwards for over forty years incumbent of Christ Church in Glasgow's East End and Dean of the Diocese.

The church registers reveal the terrible conditions of life in the district in the mid-nineteenth century with a high infant mortality rate and early deaths from contagious diseases and mining accidents.

Before the end of the century the possible closure of the church was under consideration but the Year Book of 1900 reports "The Incumbency of Baillieston, which was itself in danger of extinction, has recovered sufficient life to have opened a Mission at Shettleston."<

The future of the church was in doubt following the closing of the collieries but with the development of housing in Garrowhill in the inter-war years the membership doubled with the influx of young people but unfortunately many soon moved on.

In January 1996 St. John's joined with St. Serf's, Shettleston and St. Kentigern's, Dennistoun and the East End Team Ministry officially came into being.

Former and Current Clergy: J W Reid 1850-54 J Davidson 1854-56 W Hay 1856-76 J Pickford 1876-80 W E Bradshaw 1881-82 T H Lowe 1882-88 W Simpson 1889-94 Various 1894-96 G Crane 1896-1907 F C Young 1907-10 T M R Younghughes 1910-16 J R Colquhoun 1917-24 P Walker 1924-28

E Cryer 1928-56 J R McLellan 1956-61 I G M Wilson 1961-64 J Trimble 1965-69 M Wilson 1970-74 J Marshall 1974-82 B M Crowther-Alwyn 1983-87 D Reid 1988-95 S Holland 1995-96 J M McLuckie 1996-2000 A C Salmon 2001-2003 C G Wylie 1998-2008

St John the Evangelist (d. Ephasus c.100) Youngest of Jesus' disciples, author of the Gospel of St John.

What is the Scottish Episcopal Church?

It is called Scottish because we trace our history back to the earliest known Christian communities in Scotland about 400 AD. It is called Episcopal (from the word for Bishops) because we have maintained a form of church order involving bishops, priests and deacons.

You can find more about our history, news, activities and worship on our website www.scottishepiscopal.com

We formed a particularly close relationship with the Episcopal Church in the USA in the late 1700s - one of the most turbulent periods in our history. During a period of heavy persecution, three of our bishops met in Aberdeen and secretly consecreated Samuel Seabury as the first American Episcopal Bishop. Today we are part of the world-wide Anglican Communion, which also includes the Church of England and the Episcopal Church in the USA.

Year by year, decade by decade, century by century the Church has changed. Great developments in recent years have included new liturgies, the establishment of the General Synod (our central governing body), the development of women's ministries and the launch of Mission 21, a church wide mission initiative. We have also been increasingly involved in talks and meetings with the other Christian traditions in Scotland, and with leaders of the country's other faiths. Changes will continue to happen, but all will be well if the Church continues to hold fast to its love of God and concern for the people of this nation.

The love that was there for Ninian, Columba and all the early Saints of Scottish Christianity has not changed. God continues to guide those who seek to walk in his ways. We pray that the Scottish Episcopal Church will do this in partnership with the other Churches of this land in the years ahead.