St John's, Aberdeen

St John the Evangelist — also known as St John's — off Crown Street is a Scottish Episcopal Church in Aberdeen, Scotland.

St John's Church, Aberdeen
The Church of St John the Evangelist
57.143324°N 2.101135°W / 57.143324; -2.101135
LocationCrown Street, Aberdeen
CountryScotland
DenominationScottish Episcopal Church
Websitehttps://www.stjohnsaberdeen.co.uk/
History
StatusParish church
DedicationSt John the Evangelist
Consecrated6 May 1851
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Architect(s)Matthew and Mackenzie
Architectural typeChurch
StyleGothic Revival
Groundbreaking20 November 1849
Specifications
MaterialsGranite with Burntisland stone dressings
Administration
DioceseAberdeen & Orkney

History
Grave of Rev. Roger Aitken, minister at St John's, 1782-1814, in the Old Burying Ground (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

The Episcopal congregation in Aberdeen that became St John's Church began when the Kirk of St Nicholas ejected Rev Dr George Garden in 1693 for refusing to conform to the Presbyterian Establishment. After a spell in exile, he returned to Aberdeen by 1720 and gathered around him the remnants of his flock.[1]

Over the next one hundred and thirty years, the congregation met in several houses and a larger building in Golden Square, dedicated to St John the Evangelist.

Present Church

During the long incumbency of Rev. Patrick Cheyne, a new building off Crown Street, was built to the designs of Mackenzie and Matthews, 1849-51. It was consecrated by the Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, Bishop William Skinner and opened for worship on 6 May 1851. The congregation has worshipped there continuously since. The church is now listed as category B by Historic Environment Scotland.[2]

Cheyne[3] was prosecuted in 1858 by Bishop Thomas Suther for his Tractarian "Six Sermons" on the Eucharist. His successor, the Rev. Frederick G Lee soon resigned to found a new congregation, St Mary's Carden Place, and the Patrons, Dr George Grub and Dr George Ogilvie beseeched John Comper to come to Aberdeen in 1861.

During the first years of Comper's incumbency a day school was built, dedicated to Cheyne's forty years association with St John's, then in the year 1863 the first sister arrived from the Society of Saint Margaret,[4] the foundress of St Margaret's Convent, 17 Spital, Aberdeen.

Comper resigned the charge at St John's in 1870 to spend more time in his new mission located in the Gallowgate slums of Aberdeen (now St Margaret of Scotland, Aberdeen). The reredos of St John's was designed by Sir Ninian Comper in memory of his parents.

In 2013 the church became the first in Scotland to invite Muslims to share its building as the neighbouring mosque was so small that some were forced to worship outside.[5][6]

References
  1. The Story of St John The Evangelist's Church, Aberdeen by W. Douglas Simpson M.A., D. Litt.1951, reprinted 2001
  2. Historic Environment Scotland. "St. John's Episcopal Church, St. John's Place and Crown Terrace  (Category B Listed Building) (LB19956)". Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  3. St John's Episcopal Church, Aberdeen Archived 9 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  4. St Margaret's Gallowgate website
  5. "Christian church in Aberdeen is first in Scotland to share with Muslims" STV 18 March 2013
  6. "Christian Church opens doors to Muslims" BBC News 30 March 2013
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