Diocese of Glasgow and Galloway


The Diocese of Glasgow and Galloway is one of the seven dioceses of the Scottish Episcopal Church. It covers Dumfries and Galloway, Ayrshire, Lanarkshire, Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire and west Stirlingshire. The diocesan centre is St. Mary's Cathedral, Glasgow.

History

The Diocese of Glasgow and Galloway is a union of two of the oldest dioceses in Scotland. The Diocese of Galloway is thought to have been founded by Saint Ninian in the 5th century. The Diocese of Glasgow is thought to have been founded by Saint Mungo around 550. On 9 January 1492, the Diocese of Glasgow was raised in rank to be an archdiocese.
During the Scottish Reformation, the heritage and jurisdiction of the church passed into the hands of Church of Scotland. However, the small Scottish Episcopal Church continued the line of bishops of both diocese, even though, in the 16th century, many of them held the office in title alone. In 1697, the Diocese of Galloway was united with the Diocese of Edinburgh. In 1708 the episcopal line experienced a hiatus before continuing with Alexander Duncan, in 1731, as Bishop of Glasgow. However, when Duncan died two years after his appointment as bishop, the see fell vacant once more. In 1787, William Abernethy Drummond became Bishop of Edinburgh and Galloway and Bishop of Brechin in a temporary personal union of the dioceses. To this he added the then vacant see of Glasgow in union with Edinburgh and Galloway. Within a year, Drummond gave way to John Strachan as the newly appointed Bishop of Brechin, and, in 1805, resigned from the united see of Edinburgh and Galloway to focus on ministry in Glasgow. Drummond continued as Bishop of Glasgow until his death in 1809, when the see was reunited with Edinburgh and Galloway.
In 1837, James Walker, bishop of the triple see and Primus, gave way to Michael Russell to be the first modern Bishop of Glasgow and Galloway. In 1878, the Roman Catholic Church formed a new, rival Archdiocese of Glasgow and Diocese of Galloway in its modern structures. In 1888, the counties of Selkirkshire, Peeblesshire and Roxburghshire, which were historically part of the Diocese of Galloway, were transferred from the Episcopalian Diocese of Glasgow and Galloway back to Edinburgh.
Gregor Duncan was elected the fourteenth bishop of the diocese on 16 January 2010. He was consecrated and enthroned as bishop on 23 April 2010, and retired on 11 October 2018.
Kevin Pearson was elected the fifteenth bishop of the diocese on 18 January 2020. He was installed by deed on 1 July 2020.

Companion Dioceses

The Diocese of Glasgow and Galloway formerly had companion links with the Episcopal Diocese of Byumba, the Episcopal Diocese of Kentucky and the Lutheran Diocese of Gothenburg, Sweden.

Area and population

The diocese covers the historic counties of Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire, Wigtownshire, Kirkcudbrightshire, Dumfriesshire and western Stirlingshire.
This total population of approximately 2,334,000 gives the diocese a ratio of one priest to every 60,000 inhabitants and one church to every 38,900 inhabitants.

List of churches

The diocese currently contains 35 stipendiary clergy and 60 active congregations.
Last fully updated 18 July 2020.
BeneficeNameLinkClergyRef
Helensburgh
  • Rector: Dominic Ind
    • Dumbarton
  • St Augustine, Dumbarton
  • Rector: Vacant
    • Alexandria
  • St Mungo, Alexandria
  • Rector: Vacant
    • Bearsden
  • All Saints, Bearsden
  • Rector: Kirstin Freeman
    • Milngavie
  • St Andrew, Milngavie
  • Rector: Andrea Hagenbuch
    • Glasgow
  • St Mary's Cathedral, Glasgow
  • Provost: Kelvin Holdsworth
  • Vice-Provost: Oliver Brewer-Lennon
    • Glasgow East End
  • St John, Glasgow Baillieston
  • St Kentigern, Glasgow Dennistoun
  • St Serf, Glasgow Shettleston
  • Priest-in-Charge: Jim Benton-Evans
  • NSM: Lucy Ireland
  • Drumchapel Episcopal Church
  • Rector: Vacant
    • Glasgow
  • St Bride, Glasgow
  • Rector: Kevin Francis
    • Glasgow
  • All Saints, Jordanhill
  • Priest-in-Charge: Sydney Maitland
    • Glasgow
  • St Oswald, King's Park
  • Priest-in-Charge: Vacant
    • Glasgow
  • St Margaret of Scotland, Newlands
  • Rector: Vacant
  • Assistant Priest: Charlotte Methuen
  • Assistant Priest: Margaret McTernan
    • Glasgow
  • St Ninian, Pollokshields
  • Rector: Paul Romano
    • Glasgow
  • St Matthew, Possilpark
  • Priest-in-Charge: David Wostenholm
    • Bishopbriggs
  • St James the Less, Bishopbriggs
  • Rector: Paul Watson
  • Curate: Harriet Johnston
    • Lenzie
  • St Cyprian, Lenzie
  • Rector: Leslie Ireland
    • Cumbernauld
  • Holy Name, Cumbernauld
  • Priest-in-Charge: Vacant
    • Airdrie
  • SS Paul & John the Evangelist, Monklands
  • Rector: Patrick O'Maoil Mheana
    • Motherwell
  • Holy Trinity, Motherwell
  • Priest-in-Charge: Richard Kilgour
    • Wishaw
  • St Andrew, Wishaw
  • Priest-in-Charge: Richard Kilgour
    • Cambuslang
  • St Cuthbert, Cambuslang
  • Priest-in-Charge: Paul Fletcher
    • East Kilbride
  • St Mark, East Kilbride
  • Priest-in-Charge: Paul Fletcher
    • Hamilton
  • St Mary, Hamilton
  • Rector: Matthew Little
    • Uddingston
  • St Andrew, Uddingston
  • Rector: Matthew Little
    • Lanark
  • Christ Church, Lanark
  • Rector: Drew Sheridan
  • Curate: Lee Johnston
    • Clarkston
  • St Aidan, Clarkston
  • Rector: Nicholas Taylor
    • Renfrew
  • St Margaret, Renfrew
  • Priest-in-Charge: Reuben Preston
    • Johnstone
  • St John, Johnstone
  • Priest-in-Charge: Reuben Preston
    • Paisley
  • Holy Trinity & St Barnabas, Paisley
  • Rector: Deborah Davison
    • Glasgow
  • Good Shepherd, Hillington
  • Rector: Deborah Davison
    • Bridge of Weir
  • St Mary, Bridge of Weir
  • Rector: David Gifford
  • Assistant Priest: Heller Gonzalez Pena
    • Kilmacolm
  • St Fillan, Kilmacolm
  • Rector: David Gifford
  • Assistant Priest: Heller Gonzalez Pena
    • Port Glasgow
  • St Mary the Virgin, Port Glasgow
  • Rector: David Gifford
  • Assistant Priest: Heller Gonzalez Pena
    • Greenock
  • St John the Evangelist, Greenock
  • Rector: Wilhelmina Nesbitt
    • Gourock
  • St Bartholomew, Gourock
  • Priest-in-Charge: Vacant
    • Largs
  • St Columba, Largs
  • Rector: Gordon Fyfe
    • Ardrossan
  • St Andrew, Ardrossan
  • Rector: Vacant
  • NSM: Sandy Montgomerie
    • Dalry
  • St Peter, Dalry
  • Rector: Vacant
  • NSM: Sandy Montgomerie
    • Irvine Local Ecumenical Partnership
  • St Andrew, Irvine
  • Rector: Vacant
  • NSM: Sandy Montgomerie
    • Kilmarnock
  • Holy Trinity, Kilmarnock
  • Rector: Vacant
    • Troon
  • St Ninian, Troon
  • Rector: Vacant
    • Prestwick
  • St Ninian, Prestwick
  • Rector: Jane Ross
    • Ayr
  • Holy Trinity, Ayr
  • Rector: Martyn Trembath
    • Maybole
  • St Oswald, Maybole
  • Priest-in-Charge: James Geen
    • Challoch
  • All Saints, Challoch
  • St Ninian's Fellowship, Whithorn
  • Priest-in-Charge: Vacant
    • Portpatrick
  • St Ninian, Portpatrick
  • Priest-in-Charge: Vacant
    • Stranraer
  • St John the Evangelist, Stranraer
  • Priest-in-Charge: Vacant
    • Gatehouse of Fleet
  • St Mary, Gatehouse of Fleet
  • Rector: Stephen Hazlett
    • Kirkcudbright
  • Greyfriars, Kirkcudbright
  • Rector: Stephen Hazlett
    • New Galloway
  • St Margaret of Scotland, New Galloway
  • Priest-in-Charge: Pam Swift
    • Castle Douglas
  • St Ninian, Castle Douglas
  • Rector: Chris Ketley
    • Dalbeattie
  • Christ Church, Dalbeattie
  • Rector: Chris Ketley
    • Dumfries
  • St John the Evangelist, Dumfries
  • Rector: Janice Aiton
  • NSM: James Clark Maxwell
    • Annan
  • St John the Evangelist, Annan
  • Priest-in-Charge: Martin Callaghan
    • Eastriggs
  • St John the Evangelist, Eastriggs
  • Priest-in-Charge: Martin Callaghan
    • Gretna
  • All Saints, Gretna
  • Priest-in-Charge: Martin Callaghan
    • Lockerbie
  • All Saints, Lockerbie
  • Rector: Paul Singh
    • Moffat
  • St John the Evangelist, Moffat
  • Rector: Paul Singh

    • Former congregation

    Defunct churches