About Scone New Church
The union of Abbey and West Churches formed Scone New Church at the corner of Angus Road and Balformo Road in 1952. To begin with, the former Abbey Church - the present red Kirk - was retained for Sunday worship and the West Kirk in Abbey Road became the church hall.
In the early 1990s, however, the West Kirk was sold and was subsequently made into flatted accommodation. The congregation meanwhile acquired a site directly opposite the church and on it constructed purpose-built halls. They were formally opened by the then Provost Mrs Jean McCormack in November 1993.
A further building project in 1998-99 extended the church building to provide a minister's vestry, meeting rooms, church office and wheelchair access. The Church Secretary works there four afternoons a week. The interior of the church was redecorated in early 2000 to mark the Millennium.
The minister also has responsibilities for the linked church at St Martins Parish Church at Balbeggie, a village just three miles north of Scone. The linkage was established in 1980 under the ministry of the Reverend Jim Shirra.
Scone New Church has a membership of approximately 600 and serves the northern part of Scone including the new Balgarvie development to the north of Scone.
The values of Scone New Church are incorporated in its Statement of Purpose which reads as follows:
To develop an outgoing church
Embracing all the gifts of the membership
Enabling everyone to grow in their faith
With renewed enthusiasm and commitment
Responsive to the needs of the parish and beyond.
There is one other Church of Scotland congregation in Scone. Scone Old Church serves the southern end of the village under the leadership of the Rev. J Bruce Thomson. There is a good working relationship between the two congregations with joint activity as and when possible and representatives of the two Kirk Sessions meet from time to time as part of a joint forum for the purpose of encouraging co-operation and collaboration.
In 2005, the village of Scone celebrated its 200th birthday. The church now known as Scone Old Church was moved from the grounds of Scone Palace to its present site and was rededicated on Sunday 9th May 1805. The village grew from there.