The History of Whitburn South Church

The first service held in Whitburn Parish Kirk was on 2nd March 1732. It was known by that name until 1929 when it was renamed Whitburn South Church. It is a cross-shaped church with a sundial on the south gable and is a listed building The building of the church started in 1726 and was completed in 1730. The church had lofts on either side called the Baillie loft and the Longridge loft with the Whitburn loft above the present Church entrance and a small one above the chancel called the Cult loft.

At one time church ministers were presented by a local heritor and it was for this reason members broke away from the established churches to form the Free Church In 1843 in an event known as the Disruption. Sir William Baillie was the last heritor in our Kirk before the congregation elected Rev John Ireland in 1876, who later became Provost of Whitburn Town Council in 1882.

The first minister of the Kirk was Rev Alexander Wardrope who was succeeded by Dr William Porteous. one of the originators of the Sunday School as we know It today In the Church of Scotland. In the early days of the Town Council notice of elections to the council were pinned to the door advising the names of the candidates. It was the church that started education in the village when it built a parish school with money collected at the church door after service on Sundays.

The present church has seen three buildings built within the same walls. In 1930 the church was renovated at a cost of £1,300 paid for by the Baillies, which resulted in the removal of the lofts, altering windows and seating and building a new vestry, porch and roof. In December 1955 fire gutted the church leaving only the walls and porch standing. It was restored to its present form at a cost of £21,000 and rededicated in November 1959. The present church hall opened in 1963 and a new manse was built in 1973.

After the fire had gutted the church in 1955 the Bathgate Presbytery at their meeting in June 1956 approved plans for a new church. This came only after an argument when members were told the population of Whitburn was 6,500 and it was suggested the South Church and Brucefield Church should amalgamate After a vote was taken plans were approved to re-build Whitburn South Church with 475 seats as against the previous 280 seats. Whitburn South Church is now two Churches in one, the old Church on the outside and the new Church inside.

In 1963 the Church was conferred Listed Building Status

List of Ministers who have served our Church

1732 - 1759    Alexander Wardrope
1760 - 1770    William Porteous
1771 - 1778     William Barren
1779 - 1789     James Sommerville
1790 - 1808    James Rhind
1809 - 1823    James Watson
1824 - 1869    Graham Mitchell
1868 - 1875     John Watt
1876 - 1891     John A. Ireland
1892 - 1897    James Craig
1898 - 1909    James L. Buchanan
1910 - 1912     Thomas O. Duncan
1912 - 1955     Robert B. McKinnon
1956 - 1983    William Hume
1984 - 1987     Gavin Forrest
1988 - 2002    Gordon A. McCracken
2004 - 2010    Christian Houghton
2013 - 2019     Angus Kerr
2024               Robert Craig

Rev. Graham Mitchell was our longest serving Minister with 45 Years service Rev. Robert Bruce McKinnon was next with 43 years service

Rev. James Little Buchanan was our only ever Irish Minister. He came from Northern Ireland and his father was a Minister in County Down and his brother Alexander, a Minister in Edinburgh and Forres. Rev J. L. Buchanan and his wife Jessie had 2 of a family, Angus Morogh Urquhart Buchanan (b 1-8-1900) and Sheena Doreen Matilda Grace Buchanan (b 31-5-1906) He left Whitburn in 1909 after 9 years and in 1911 he joined the Church of England und later became vicar of Charlwood in Surrey at an annual salary of £800. Over 40 applications applied for the charge in 1909 after Rev. J. L. Buchanan left the Church to go to England. He remarried in later life after his wife Jessie died.

Rev. John A. Ireland was first Minister to be elected by the congregation He was also the Provost of Whitburn Town Council, 1882 - 1891

Rev. William Hume was also a Whitburn Town Councillor 1957 - 1960

Rev. Christian Houghton was our first ever woman Minister Rev. R. M. Nicol served as Locum Minister from 2010 to 2013

Rev. Robert Craig, minister at Breich Valley Church, became Interim Moderator in 2021 and in line with the Presbytery plan became the minister of the new united charge of Whitburn Burnfield Valley South Church of Scotland that brought together Breich Valley and Whitburn South churches retaining both buildings.

Taken from “ Whitburn Parish Church: 1731-2014” by Bert Gamble