Lochgilphead Free Church
of Scotland
Our story
The Free Church in Lochgilphead
The Free Church of Scotland congregation in Lochgilphead was formed at the Disruption in 1843. The church building was erected in 1844 and the original manse in the 1850s.
Rev Kenneth MacRae was called to Lochgilphead Free Church as his first charge in 1915. He is perhaps the most famous of our former ministers as many have read and benefitted from his published diaries.
The congregation was a charge in its own right from 1843 until it was linked with Tarbert in 2012. In 2016 the congregation again became a single point charge.
The church building was redesigned inside in 1912. However, It has now been in need of extensive renovation for some time. Work to restore and modernise the building began in 2012 with the replacement of the roof followed by the removal of pews and stripping of internal woodwork, but due to various setbacks and difficulties it was not possible to complete the planned renovations.
The congregation is united in its desire to move forward with work to reinstate the building as a place for worship and outreach. We are indebted to all who have provided advice and support and ask for your prayers for us as we continue towards this goal.
The COVID 19 pandemic has demonstrated that our hall is not sufficiently large to accomodate the growing congregation and our visitors safely, so the restoration of our church building is now vital for the continuing work and witness of the congregation.
Our Mission - to be a healthy Gospel church for our community
Our mission is to be a Healthy Gospel Church for our community by putting Jesus first in everything and by honestly and openly declaring him to be the only Saviour, the only way to God the Father.
To do this we need this door to be open again to have enough room for the congregation to grow and to reach out.
We are working towards restoring our building as place of worship and witness and pray that we will be able to raise the necessary funds to see this project completed.
Vision
Argyll's scenery is spectacular, especially with clear vision on a cloudless day like this one featuring the view from Dunadd Fort, just north of Lochgilphead.
We have a clear vision for our church too.
We want to make Jesus known in our town and district and to do this we need an ongoing Biblical ministry and a suitable building as our base.
Rodger has committed to help us work towards reinstating our building and to see our congregation become stronger, both in numbers and in devotion to Jesus. We also hope to be able to call a minister following Rodger's time here.
Will you help and encourage us by praying regularly for us, by coming along to worship with us and perhaps also by contributing financially.
The need is great, so we crave your support and thank you for whatever help you can give.
