The History of Blackburn and Seafield Church

“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it will not collapse because it is built on bedrock.”

In 1887 the Rev John Lindsay M.A was inducted into which is now ST John’s Church in Bathgate. As he had quite a few members in Blackburn he occasionally held services in the village hall (now the Gospel Hall).  Blackburn’s population was still on the rise and the Rev Lindsay saw that urgent steps were required to fill the void left by the demise of the previous missions.  In 1892 following a discussion between the Rev John McKnight of Whitburn Parish Church (Brucefield) and the Rev Lindsay a new mission was established for Blackburn and Seafield.  This event alone oversees the birth of our congregation and that the Mission itself is historic value as it is probably the first mission to be undertaken by the United Presbyterian church and the Free Churches jointly.

The first missionary appointed was a layman by the name of Mr Barclay, however all the following missionaries either probationers or ordained ministers appointed turnabout by each church. A committee was set up commissioning of the two Rev and equal numbers of the members of each congregation who lived in the Blackburn and Seafield area.

The second missionary was a 24-year-old minister the Rev George Wyle Howie M.A. He Arrived in 1895 and in later years he was to become one of the most prominent figures in the United free church. Missionaries lasted just over 12 Months and the Rev George Wylie was followed by The Rev Mr White who in turn was followed by the Rev Mr Cordiner.

In 1899 The Rev William Ewan became the next Missionary and was followed by the Rev King (1901 and the Rev Mr Lundie (1902).  These were followed by the Rev Henry A Neville in 1903. During WW1 the Rev Neville worked for the Admiralty and later would go onto minister in the Orkney Islands.

In 1905 The supervision of the mission transferred solely to the Presbytery of Bathgate and ST John’s Church alone and the missionary appointed was The Rev James Webster Kerr.  The Rev Kerr although not a well man (following his time as a missionary in Africa) had amazing energy and under his dedicated pastoral care the mission flourished.  Regular morning services were held and average church attendances were more than 150.  On the 12th May 1906 Holy Communion was celebrated for the first time.  Two days previously two young men were baptised and admitted to the church along with 36 bother on profession of faith. Sixty-Eight Others had been admitted by certificate, a total membership of 106.  Seventy-six boys and girls came to bible class and One Hundred and Fifty attended the Band of Hope (A Movement popular in the late 19th early 20th century which encouraged young people to pledge to abstain from Alcohol).

THE TIME HAD COME TO BUILD A CHURCH.

At the beginning of 1907 Lady members of the Church visited every Protestant house in the district asking for subscriptions of £1 from everyone (no small feat as the average weekly wage at the time was only 25 shillings per week) A woman’s works party was formed and though Church Choir Concerts and sales of works enough was raised and on the 10th November 1907 the Foundation stone was laid with full Masonic honours by Dr Kirk, Bathgate provincial Grand Master of Linlithgow shire.

On 21rst June 1908 the people were called to worship for the first time by the church bell.  Long before it had ceased to ring the Pews were filled to overflowing and the church was dedicated at 12 Noon. At the tome the church seated 270 (There was no Gallery) The Congregation also decided that there was to be no pew rents. Among the Congregation was Mr Barclay and Mr Howie. 

In September of that year the Sunday school was formed and consisted of 11 Teachers and 124 children, it took place following the Sunday service.  In October the Manse was completed and all the remained was for the mission to become a full charge.

In 1910 the General Assembly of United Free Church of Scotland granted Blackburn & Seafield full congregational status.  The Rev Kerr was called by the congregation to be the first Minister and he was inducted on the 29th September 1910.  Mrs Lindsay presented the Church with a Silver Communion service of 4 Cups, 2 Patens, and 2 Jugs. This Communion set is still in use today.  The First Session was formed on the 8th January 1911.

In 1914 World war one was declared and many young men from the Blackburn & Seafield took up the call to arms and ventured to foreign fields in France, Egypt, Turkey, and Palestine never to return. Many families mourned the loss and the church became the rock in the community.  The war lasted until 1918

By 1921 there were a total of 259 members on the Church roll Late June 1926 the Girls association Branch was formed and the work party that had been started by Mrs Kerr to raise money, was transformed to have a wider purpose.  After a meeting of women of the congregation it was decided to start a Women’s Association for congregational and missionary purposes.  Meetings began in January 1927 and 2 years later this Aim was broadened to include Home as well as foreign mission.

1929 saw a flurry of activity within the broader church family which culminated in October 1929 when the historic Union of the Church of Scotland and the United Free Church of Scotland took place.  It was also a year which saw no fewer than 5 Ladies elected to the Board of Blackburn and Seafield. Because of the Union the congregation became Known as Church of Scotland, Blackburn.  The church was also allocated a Parish.

In 1932 the church was made sole charge in which proclamation of the bans must be made in the registration district of Blackburn. 1933 saw the Semi-Jubilee of the church culminated in a two-week evangelical campaign held in Blackburn and Seafield carried out by T.M. Pratt and artist -Evangelist.

In 1936 The Rev John Lindsay presented the congregation with a hall which now bears his name, along with a generous donation of £28 per year for its upkeep. The Hall is now part of the Masonic Hall on the Bathgate Road.

1938 saw the Women’s association become a branch of the women’s guild which would become very prominent during WW2 1939 – 1945. in 1940 the women’s Guild in Blackburn had the largest number of Mission Boxes in circulation in the whole of the Bathgate presbytery.

During the 1930 coal was at a premium and the Seafield was thriving on Shale, Blackburn was growing rapidly, by 1950 housing schemes were being built one after the other, it was time for the church to grow. Between 1950 and 1953 the number of communicants rose to 409.  During this period problems within the younger community was growing. A youth club was started and the church became a sponsor to a Brownie pack and a Scout troop.  Communion Services increased to include Morning and evening service held on the 3rd Sundays of January, May, and October an easter morning communion was introduced. 

1956 was a milestone year for the church in the way the congregation’s life affected other congregation and community at large.  The first step was for the Church to become self-supporting and this was achieved 46 years after congregational status had been attained.  The second part of the problem was tackled in the unsuccessful fight against the setting up of a licenced club in the Baillie institute

The 4 years between 1953 and 1957 were years of growth. The congregation rose to 594, the women’s guild was the largest in the Bathgate presbytery.  In 1957 the population for Blackburn had risen to 3,800 and Seafield 1,500.

1958 heralded the Silver Jubilee of the church and the church once again turned to the congregation.  Their forebears were asked to contribute £1 towards the building and they in turn were asked to provide £6 during Jubilee year. The collection was a success and work began to extend the room at the rear to accommodate a larger Session. the Pulpit was moved from the side of the chancel platform to the rear wall. An interesting fact was that the new Communion table was made by Lord Roberts Worksop for Disabled Ex Servicemen and was paid for by the retiring offerings after communion services. The Lighting within the church was converted from Paraffin lamps to electricity.

October 1962 saw the formation of the first company of the boy’s brigade within the Church

In 1966 a historic event took place in Blackburn Church that would be one of the forerunners within the Church when 2 ladies Mrs Rebecca Di Biasio and Miss Nancy Huskie were ordained as Elders.  The 2 ladies were the first within the Presbytery of Livingston and Bathgate and among the first in Scotland.

1967 saw the old vestry being demolished and a new hall. Kitchen and toilets being bult along with warm air central heating being installed.

1969 saw the new sun Lounge being opened and the ground to the rear of the church (Now the car park) being purchased.

In 2008 the church celebrated 100yrs In this centenary year New Stain Glass Windows were installed

2019 was another first for Blackburn & Seafield when in June the Reverend Sandra Boyd became the churches first Female minister, Sandra was a local lass who hailed from Whitburn  Sandra’s first 2 years in the position was marred by the Covid pandemic and due to restrictions the Kirk was closed for a long period.  The wonders of technology prevailed and Sandra ministered to her flock via a U tube channel.

The church finally reopened its doors in 2021 and one of Sandra’s first tasks was to oversee the Union of Brucefield (Whitburn) and Blackburn & Seafield into Whitburn, Burnfield Valley (North) Parish which was formed in February 2024. Sandra now ministers both churches

And so with Gods Love and Guidance the church moves forward into 2025 and beyond.

The Ministers

Over the Years Blackburn & Seafield Parish Church has had 9 full time Ministers.

Reverend J.W. Kerr 1905 - 1921
Reverend Samuel Oliver Stewart B.A. 1921 - 1925
Reverend David Hannington Tweedale M.A 1926 - 1949
Reverend Donald Sutherland 1950 - 1953
Reverend Andrew Fyfe 1953 - 1957
Reverend D Campbell Stewart 1957 - 1963
Reverend John Arnold Fletcher 1964 - 1997
Dr Robert Anderson 1998 - 2017
Reverend Sandra Boyd 2019 - Present