Hope Park Church, St Andrews


Hope Park Church in St Andrews, Fife is a congregation of the Church of Scotland.

Building

The current building, by Peddie & Kinnear, was completed in 1865. It has notable stained glass windows and an unusual canopy above the pulpit.

History

The congregation can trace its origins back to the Associate Presbytery, which broke away from the Church of Scotland in 1733. In 1738 a Kirk Session of a local congregation was recognised by the Associate Presbytery.
From 1749 onwards the congregation have had meeting places in St Andrews - first in an old barn in Imrie's Close then from 1774 in Burghers' Close, from 1827 in a purpose built chapel in North Street then from 1865 in the present building. The name Hope Park was suggested by the then minister the Rev. James Black.
As the Associate Presbytery developed, the congregation – based on the Voluntary rather than Establishment principle – became associated with the Burghers, which in 1820 became the United Secession Church, which in turn became the United Presbyterian Church in 1847, which merged with the Free Church in 1900 to become the United Free Church of Scotland, which united with the Church of Scotland in 1929.
The BBC radio series 'Sunday Half-Hour' was broadcast on 18 June 1950, conductor by Cedric Thorpe Davie, and 'Children's Hour' on 2 December 1952, conducted by then Minister the Rev. Wilfred Herbert Hulbert who was appointed in 1947. The Organist during this period was Edward MacMahon.

Ministry

The current minister is the Reverend Allan McCafferty BSc BD, who was previously minister at Kirkwall East Parish Church, Orkney. He succeeded the Reverend David Arnott, who was minister from 1996 until 2010. On 27 October 2010 Mr Arnott was nominated to be the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland for 2011-2012.