Pulteneytown Parish Church, Wick
Encyclopedia
Pulteneytown Parish Church is located in Argyle Square, Pulteneytown, Wick
, Caithness
, Scotland
. It is a congregation in the Church of Scotland
.
The church building was opened in 1842, but following the Disruption of 1843
the Rev David Mitchell left to become a minister of the Free Church of Scotland
in Glasgow
. The small rural parish church at Thrumster (5 miles south of Wick) was united with Pulteneytown Church in 1968, both congregations henceforth being served by the same minister. From 1929 until 1990 the congregation was known as "Wick St Andrew's", but following a union with (the now disused) Wick Central Church the original name of Pulteneytown was restored. The building was extensively refurbished in 2003.
The current minister (since 1974) is the Rev William (Bill) F. Wallace, who was one of the candidates for nomination as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
for 2007. Mr Wallace was previously a missionary dentist in Ethiopia
. A previous minister, Robert McGhee
, was also nominated for the position. Both represented the evangelical
wing of the Church, Mr. Wallace having been the head of the Forward Together
group.
Wick, Highland
Wick is an estuary town and a royal burgh in the north of the Highland council area of Scotland. Historically, it is one of two burghs within the county of Caithness, of which Wick was the county town. The town straddles the River Wick and extends along both sides of Wick Bay...
, Caithness
Caithness
Caithness is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic local government area of Scotland. The name was used also for the earldom of Caithness and the Caithness constituency of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . Boundaries are not identical in all contexts, but the Caithness area is...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It is a congregation in the Church of Scotland
Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland, known informally by its Scots language name, the Kirk, is a Presbyterian church, decisively shaped by the Scottish Reformation....
.
The church building was opened in 1842, but following the Disruption of 1843
Disruption of 1843
The Disruption of 1843 was a schism within the established Church of Scotland, in which 450 ministers of the Church broke away, over the issue of the Church's relationship with the State, to form the Free Church of Scotland...
the Rev David Mitchell left to become a minister of the Free Church of Scotland
Free Church of Scotland (1843-1900)
The Free Church of Scotland is a Scottish denomination which was formed in 1843 by a large withdrawal from the established Church of Scotland in a schism known as the "Disruption of 1843"...
in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
. The small rural parish church at Thrumster (5 miles south of Wick) was united with Pulteneytown Church in 1968, both congregations henceforth being served by the same minister. From 1929 until 1990 the congregation was known as "Wick St Andrew's", but following a union with (the now disused) Wick Central Church the original name of Pulteneytown was restored. The building was extensively refurbished in 2003.
The current minister (since 1974) is the Rev William (Bill) F. Wallace, who was one of the candidates for nomination as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
The Moderator of the General Assembly of Church of Scotland is a Minister, Elder or Deacon of the Church of Scotland chosen to "moderate" the annual General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which is held for a week in Edinburgh every May....
for 2007. Mr Wallace was previously a missionary dentist in Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
. A previous minister, Robert McGhee
Robert McGhee (minister)
Robert McGhee was a prominent Church of Scotland minister who championed the evangelical movement in Scotland throughout the second half of the 20th century. He was a signatory of the Manila Manifesto and was nominated for the position of Moderator several times...
, was also nominated for the position. Both represented the evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
wing of the Church, Mr. Wallace having been the head of the Forward Together
Forward Together (Scotland)
Forward Together is an evangelical organisation within the Church of Scotland which acts as a pressure group on a variety of issues. It currently represents 600 ministers and members of the Church of Scotland....
group.
Ministers
- Rev David Mitchell 1842-1843
- Various missionaries and ministers 1843-1852
- Rev Duff McDonald 1852-1878
- Rev W Harley Anderson 1878-1894
- Rev Alexander Ross 1894-1936
- Rev Alexander Sutherland 1936-?
- Rev Stephen Green
- Rev George Ramage 1947-1953
- Rev John Robertson 1953-1959
- Rev Dr Robert McGheeRobert McGhee (minister)Robert McGhee was a prominent Church of Scotland minister who championed the evangelical movement in Scotland throughout the second half of the 20th century. He was a signatory of the Manila Manifesto and was nominated for the position of Moderator several times...
1959-1967 - Rev Alexander Gunn 1967-1974
- Rev William F Wallace 1974-2008