Our History
Perth:Craigie & Moncreiffe Church came into being in July 2009 with the joining together of Craigie Parish Church and Moncreiffe Parish Church. The following is a brief history of these two churches.
CRAIGIE PARISH CHURCH
Craigie Parish Church can trace its roots back to 1787, and has been known by various names, and stood on different sites within Perth.
The present-day building stands at the corner of Wilson Street and Abbot Street in the area of the city known as Craigie. The memorial stone was laid on 13 October 1884 by William Whitelaw, Member of Parliament for Perth. The church building was completed in December 1895 by Perth builders Fraser & Morton. At this time the building was known as St Stephen’s Church, and the first service was conducted by the Rev. Donald McLeod on 12 December 1895.
In 1903 an anonymous donor gifted a bell which was housed in the belfry. The belfry was demolished in 1970, and the bell is now mounted on a plinth within the grounds on the Wilson Street side of the building.
The Vestry and Session House were added in 1908, at which time a site was reserved for a hall to be built. The hall, however, was not added until more than 60 years later and was completed in 1971.
In June 1929, at the time of the Union of the Churches, the name was changed to Craigie Parish Church.
In July 2009 Craigie Church and Moncreiffe Church were united to form Perth:Craigie & Moncreiffe Church of Scotland. The Rev. Carolann Erskine was Ordained and Inducted as Minister of the United Charge on 9 December 2009.
The Session House and Church Hall are in almost constant use by a variety of organisations and groups, such as Boys’ Brigade, Rainbows, Brownies & Guides, Dance Club, Badminton Club, The Guild, Church Choir and many others.
MINISTERS
There follows a list of Ministers charged with duties at Craigie Church since its building on the present site:
1896 – 1910 Rev. Robert Oswald
1910 – 1920 Rev. Alexander Moffat
1920 – 1954 Rev. John Strathearn
1955 – 1964 Rev. J. Roy Paterson
1965 – 1987 Rev. Malcolm Henry
1988 – 1997 Rev. John Rankin
1998 – 2000 Rev. William Jackson
2001 – 2006 Rev. William Thomson
20O9 - 2016 Rev. Carolann Erskine
MONCREIFFE CHURCH
Moncrieffe Church is situated in Glenbruar Crescent which is in the Moncreiffe area of the city.
The building of the then Moncreiffe Parish Church commenced in 1950 when the foundation stone was laid by John Ure Rose on 26 July 1950. The original church building, which now serves as the church hall, was built as a hall-church, and seating was movable to accommodate a wide range of uses.
The present-day church was built in 1977 when the Rev. John A Fraser, Chaplain to Her Majesty The Queen, laid the foundation stone on 3 September 1977. It is a beautiful, bright, modern sanctuary capable of seating over 200 worshippers.
Moncreiffe Church has seen several changes in its relatively short existence, first being linked with Craigend Church following the demolition of the Craigend building, then, in 2001, Rhynd Church closed and the congregation joined with the Craigend/Moncreiffe congregation. The most recent change came about in July 2009 when Craigend/Moncreiffe and Craigie churches were united to form Perth: Craigie & Moncreiffe Church of Scotland.
The buildings at Moncreiffe are well used and accommodate a variety of clubs and activities. Accommodation includes a large hall, a multi-purpose coffee lounge/meeting room, a well equipped kitchen, prayer room and another small meeting room.
MINISTERS
Seven Ministers have served the Moncreiffe congregation, they are:
1950 - 1957 Rev Alan C Mathers
1958 – 1964 Rev Murray Leishman
1965 – 1970 Rev Mathew Patterson
1971 – 1972 Temporary linkage with St John’s Kirk with Rev W A Smellie (Minister at St John’s Kirk)
who took over as Minister for the temporary linkage
3/4/1974 Moncreiffe and Craigend linked with Rhynd churches were united under Rev Hector
Houston Minister at Craigend Church) who took over as Minister for the United Charge
1974 – 1990 Rev Hector Houston
1991 – 1998 Rev Riada McMillan
1999 – 2009 Rev Isobel Birrell
July 2009 Craigend/Moncreiffe and Craigie churches were united
2009 - 2016 Rev Carolann Erskine