Stirling North Parish Church has been commemorating its move 50 years ago from the city centre to Braehead.
The original church building in Murray Place was vacated in July 1969 and the church occupied temporary premises in Goosecroft Road before moving into its new premises in Springfield Road in January 1971.
Plans to mark the 50th anniversary of the move had included a service led by the current Church of Scotland Moderator the Right Rev Dr Martin Fair on Sunday, January 31.
However, due to coronavirus restrictions Dr Fair sent an online message to the Stirling North Church website and Facebook page.
Stirling North Church minister the Rev Scott McInnes, who moved to Braehead in 2016, said this week that the church, involved in the Heart of Braehead food project, is an integral part of the community.
He said: “Stirling North has grown up with the community of Braehead over these past 50 years. Many of the people I encounter from Braehead are people who moved here 50 years ago and have never left.
“As a result, people have close bonds of friendship with their neighbours and there is a sense of community that is becoming rare these days.
“Over the past 50 years a great many families have been raised in Braehead.
“People remember coming to church services or growing up in the Sunday school or coming along to the Boys’ Brigade.
“his is a place where people have fond and happy memories, and the church has been an essential part of that.
“It is all very different from 50 years ago but we look forward to being able to serve the community here for many years to come.”
Due to Covid-19 restrictions the service is currently livestreamed every Sunday at 10am from the Stirling North Facebook page and the website www.stirlingnorth.org/livestream.
A Zoom Tea@3, allows church members to have a cup of tea and chat virtually to one another.
Mr McInnes added: “It is all very different from 50 years ago but we look forward to being able to serve the community here for many years to come.”
The decision to move the church from its site in Murray Place to the new housing area of Braehead had been taken by the congregation in 1968.
The site of original church building, erected in 1842, was sold to the yet-to-be-built developer of the Thistles Centre for £85,000, and the last service to take place in the Gothic building was in July 13, 1969.
The congregation then moved to temporary premises – a hut on Goosecroft Road, affectionately known as ‘The Annexe’ – until the new building was ready.
Locating the original foundation stone amongst the rubble of the demolished North Church proved difficult, but after its discovery it was laid as the Commemoration Stone in the new Braehead building by then Moderator of the General Assembly, the Right Rev TM Murchieson. The Founding Stone was laid in May, 1970.
The building of the church then continued and on January 24, 1971, the last Service of Worship was held at the Annexe on Goosecroft Road.
The Opening and Dedication of the new Church, designed by Edinburgh architects Alexander Gordon and William Dey, was performed by the Moderator of the General Assembly, the Right Rev Hugh O Douglas in early 1971.
