Arbuthnott, Bervie & Kinneff Parish Church

Arbuthnott, Bervie and Kinneff Church ^[1] is a Christian community in the south of Aberdeenshire. It includes the town of Inverbervie, the villages of Gourdon and Kinneff in addition to the area of Arbuthnott.

Formation

Originally the three churches were entirely separate parishes however Arbuthnott and Bervie have shared a minister before having a joint session in the last decade.^[2] Kinneff was linked with Stonehaven South Parish Church before joining Arbuthnott and Bervie in order for Stonehaven South Parish Church to be linked with Stonehaven Dunnottar Parish Church. From 2007 until June 2009 Georgie Baxendale was minister of the parish. The minister from 2010 to 2016 was Dennis Rose.

Arbuthnott Church

Arbuthnott Church

Located in the estate of Arbuthnott, the church is one of the oldest in Scotland ^[3] dating back to the pre-reformation days. Consecrated in 1242 the church was dedicated to the memory of St Ternan. The oldest part of the building is the chancel, with the rest of the building added around 1500.^[4] After the reformation the first minister was a member of the Arbuthnott family, who later went on to become a moderator of the Church of Scotland.^[5] Services of worship are held on Sundays at 10 am.

Bervie Church

Bervie Church

Inverbervie is the largest church within the parish with around 100 people attending worship every Sunday. The current church building, located in the centre of town, opened in 1837. The pipe organ was installed in 1904 and new stained glass doors designed by the pupils of Bervie School were added to mark the millennium.^[6] Services are held every Sunday at 11:30 am. 56°50′42″N 2°16′49″W / 56.8451°N 2.28022°W / 56.8451; -2.28022

Kinneff Church

Kinneff is famous for its old church, however the building used for worship today can be located at the south side of the village. Services of worship are held on the second and fourth Sundays of the month at 10 am. After a congregational meeting in April 2010 it was decided to close. Kinneff Church closed on Sunday 13 June 2010, and the building is due to be disposed of in the not too distant future.^[7] 56°51′55″N 2°14′20″W / 56.86529°N 2.23876°W / 56.86529; -2.23876

Gourdon Mission Hall

The Gourdon Mission Hall is linked to the parish. The small coastal village is located just south of Bervie. Services are held at the Mission Hall every Sunday at 6 pm. The parish minister takes one service a month.

Church buildings

As well as the three churches the church also owns several other buildings in Inverbervie. The Church Centre (formerly the manse) is next to the main church building. It contains several meeting rooms as well as a fully equipped office. The main meeting room contains modern digital technology and kitchen facilities. The Herd Centre (formerly the YWCA Hall) is at the bottom of townhead. The centre has a large hall as well as a fully equipped kitchen. The Manse can be located on Kirkburn.

Church life

Arbuthnott, Bervie and Kinneff Church remains an active Christian community. The church organises regular Alpha Courses, holiday clubs and social events where the whole community is invited to join in.

Links

• ABK Church Facebook
• ABK Church Twitter

References