Skene Parish Church
Encyclopedia
Skene Parish Church is a congregation of the Church of Scotland
at Skene, in the Presbytery of Gordon. The parish has two places of worship, Skene Church at Kirkton of Skene and Trinity Church at Westhill. The current minister is Rev. Iain U. Thomson.
to Donside. Records of Skene Kirk Session begin in 1676. A 17th century building stood on the site of the present Skene Church.
Skene Church was built in 1801, a plain rectangular building with the pulpit in the centre of the south wall. As this was one of the long walls, the congregation were spread to the left and right of the minister. A gallery ran round the other three walls, and there were doors in each of the end walls. In 1932, the interior was entirely refurnished and the sanctuary moved to the east wall, the door on that wall being blocked off. The gallery was replaced with a smaller one on the west wall. In accordance with the changes in thinking on Scottish church architecture, the communion table now took centre place, with the pulpit on the left. A mortsafe
outside the west door is an interesting historical object.
After the disruption of 1843
, a Free Church was built near Kirkton. This congregation reunited with Skene parish in 1941. The old Free Church building was later used as a blacksmith's workshop.
In 1872, the congregation also built a mission hall at Lyne of Skene, which it kept until 1970.
and the Roman Catholic Church
; thus the dedication to the Trinity echos the three denominations in co-operation. This 1981 building was extended in 2003 and is a hall church with moveable chairs, allowing flexibility of use. A later extension to the building added a second hall church to the complex, making it possible for two denominations to have services within the shared facilities simultaneously.
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....
at Skene, in the Presbytery of Gordon. The parish has two places of worship, Skene Church at Kirkton of Skene and Trinity Church at Westhill. The current minister is Rev. Iain U. Thomson.
Skene Church
The earliest record of a church at Skene dates from 1296, when one Patrick of Skene signed himself "Clericus of Skene". The mediaeval building stood by the Roman Road from NormandykesNormandykes
Normandykes is the site of a Roman marching camp to the southwest of Peterculter, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The near-rectangular site, measuring approximately , covers about of the summit and eastern slopes of a hill overlooking the River Dee and the B9077 road further south. Aerial photographs...
to Donside. Records of Skene Kirk Session begin in 1676. A 17th century building stood on the site of the present Skene Church.
Skene Church was built in 1801, a plain rectangular building with the pulpit in the centre of the south wall. As this was one of the long walls, the congregation were spread to the left and right of the minister. A gallery ran round the other three walls, and there were doors in each of the end walls. In 1932, the interior was entirely refurnished and the sanctuary moved to the east wall, the door on that wall being blocked off. The gallery was replaced with a smaller one on the west wall. In accordance with the changes in thinking on Scottish church architecture, the communion table now took centre place, with the pulpit on the left. A mortsafe
Mortsafe
Mortsafes were contraptions designed to protect the bodies of the dead from disturbance. There had been body-snatching close to the schools of anatomy in Scotland since the early 18th century...
outside the west door is an interesting historical object.
After 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...
, a Free Church was built near Kirkton. This congregation reunited with Skene parish in 1941. The old Free Church building was later used as a blacksmith's workshop.
In 1872, the congregation also built a mission hall at Lyne of Skene, which it kept until 1970.
Trinity Church
Trinity Church at Westhill is an ecumenical project involving the Church of Scotland, the Scottish Episcopal ChurchScottish Episcopal Church
The Scottish Episcopal Church is a Christian church in Scotland, consisting of seven dioceses. Since the 17th century, it has had an identity distinct from the presbyterian Church of Scotland....
and the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
; thus the dedication to the Trinity echos the three denominations in co-operation. This 1981 building was extended in 2003 and is a hall church with moveable chairs, allowing flexibility of use. A later extension to the building added a second hall church to the complex, making it possible for two denominations to have services within the shared facilities simultaneously.
