Our Minister
Rev. Iain Sutherland

A potted history of Gillespie Memorial Church, Dunfermline  (with thanks to Pat McGeechan)

A fuller version of the history of Thomas Gillespie and the Gillespie Memorial Church as seen from a closer perspective (1932) is written out on the web page called “History 2”.  Here we give a shorter version which brings us right up to date.

Gillespie Church was named after Thomas Gillespie, who was born in the parish of Duddingston in Edinburgh.  His father was a famous farmer and brewer.
Thomas Gillespie was minister at Carnock from 1741, but was deposed from the ministry of the Church of Scotland in 1752.  He came to Dunfermline, and his followers prepared a meeting house almost opposite the location of the present church.
He was on his own for nine years, until 1761 when he formed the “Presbytery of Relief” with Thomas Boston, Thomas Collins and elders from all three congregations.  This became the Relief denomination of which he was regarded as the founder.
This denomination was founded in order to enable Presbyterians who were not free to choose their own minister the freedom to  do so.  At that time, the landowners and other important men in the community appointed the ministers without reference to the congregation.
The  Relief Church, as it became known, was on its own from 1761 to 1847, when it joined with the Secession Church to form the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland.  It was the first church to introduce the hymn book into public worship, and the first to take a stand against slavery.
Worship continued in the original building until Gillespie’s death in 1774, and moved to their second home, the Old Relief Church three years later.
When Thomas Gillespie died, part of the congregation petitioned the General Assembly to be received back into the Established Church.  At the same time, the Trustees also arranged for the Church to be handed over to the Church of Scotland, but the majority of the congregation elected to continue as the Relief Church.
A Manse was built in 1803 at the corner of Chapel Street; a new one was built in 1878, and was sold in 1893 for £360.
1812 - the interior of the church was renovated at a cost of £118
1847 - the Union of the Relief and Secession Churches.  Steps were taken to unite the Dunfermline Relief Church (I.e. Gillespie) and the Maygate Secession Church, and the two congregations worshipped together in the Maygate Chapel for two years.
1848 - The Rev. Neil McMichael was ordained to the Church (a marble tablet hangs in the vestibule of the present church in his memory, paid for and erected by the congregation).
1848 - The foundation of the present Church was laid on 19th April.  In the interim period the congregation worshipped in the Maygate Chapel (the Baptist Chapel), and it was known as the Gillespie and Maygate United North Chapel Street Congregational U.P.  The Rev. McMichael introduced the Aged and Infirm Ministers Fund.
1849 - The new Gillespie Memorial Church was opened for worship on 4th November.
1874 - Rev. Neil McMichael died on 3rd April.
1875 - John W. Dunbar became minister (he was born in Manchester in 1847)
1882 - new halls, vestry, etc., were added and the pulpit was lowered.  A choir range was added and equipped.
1884 - Rev. Dunbar left, to be succeeded in 1885 by Thomas Miller.
1891 - the old wall around the church was taken down and replaced by a new wall and railings at a cost of £98.
1895 - a harmonium was installed, to be replaced in 1908 by an organ.
1895 - The church was repainted, and the history to that point celebrated in a Poetical Sketch.
1896 - Seat rents were in operation, the payments helping towards the upkeep of the church.
1900 - Thomas Miller left when Gillespie became known as Dunfermline Gillespie United Free Church.

The ministers from 1900 are as follows:
1900 - 1924   Thomas E Miller MA
1925 - 1927   Ernest Frederick James Eliot
1928 - 1934   David Patrick Thomson MA
1935 - 1939   Robert Stirling Cairns MA
1939 - 1952   Thomas Chapman Robertson MA
1953 - 1961   Andrew Stewart MA
1962 - 1988   John McCormick Goring MA
1988 - 2008   Andrew Gordon Reid BSc, BD
2009 - ...        Iain Sutherland

Jubilee celebrations were held between 21st and 23rd May 1932 in the grounds of the ruins of the Old Parish Church at Carnock, where Thomas Gillespie had been Minister all those years previously.  The historic silver communion plate, used at Carnock Parish Church in 1707, was used again.

1936 - The Gillespie Branch of the Women’s Guild was formed in October, and continues to this day.

The Gillespie Centre
The Centre stands adjacent to the Church (see picture here).  This belonged first to the Church of Christ, and was then sold to the Vine Fellowship, who in turn sold it to the Salvation Army as a music place.  However, they were unable to get planning permission to build another floor, so Gillespie Church bought it for £42,000; this money was donated by the congregation, of whom one member made a donation of £20,000 towards the cost.