St Andrew's
Scottish Episcopal Church
Uddingston
St Andrew's was designed and built, circa 1890, by architect Miles Septimus Gibson. The foundation stone was laid by Lady Mary Alice Douglas Home, aunt of the later Prime Minister Sir Alec Douglas Home. After a fire in 1993 the chancel was restored by Alex Braidwood of Blantyre.
St Andrew's stained glass is by J T & C E Stewart of Glasgow and Peter Berry of Malmesbury. The Blackett & Howden pipe organ, damaged in the fire, has been partially restored and has been granted a Class 2 Grade as an Historic Organ.
Service times at St Andrew's
Sunday Eucharist at 11.30am
Other services as announced.
Baptisms by arrangement with the Rector
Weddings & Funerals
at
St Andrew's, Uddingston
Most people can get married at St Andrew's. Contacting the Rector for an initial chat is advisable.
Weddings of same-sex couples
As a same-sex couple, can we get married in St Andrew's Church, Uddingston? Yes – The General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church voted in June 2017 to allow clergy in the Scottish Episcopal to be nominated to conduct the marriages of same-sex couples. The Vestry of St Andrew's, took the decision to allow same sex weddings to take place in St Andrew's. Not all Scottish Episcopal Church clergy will be nominated for this, but the current Rector of St Andrew’s is.
Can we exchange rings in church? Yes – of course. It’s a wedding.
Can we make vows to one another in church? Yes – of course. It’s a wedding.
Choir? Organ? Photographs? Yes – of course, it’s a wedding.
What order of service can we use? At St Andrew’s we use the Scottish Liturgy (2007) which has a lot of options that allow each couple getting married to personalise the service so that it reflects their love for one another, matches who they are and says what they want to say.
Could we have our Civil Partnership or our Marriage blessed in St Andrew’s? Yes – clergy in the Scottish Episcopal Church can bless a Civil Partnership at the time of registration or after entering into a marriage that has been conducted elsewhere.
So could we register a Civil Partnership in St Andrew’s? The Scottish Episcopal Church has not chosen to allow Civil Partnerships to be registered in its churches. If you want a Civil Partnership then you need to have that conducted by a registrar and it can’t take place in a Scottish Episcopal Church. You could come to St Andrew’s after a Civil Partnership and have a blessing if you wanted to.
How long have you been doing this kind of thing? The first public same-sex blessing that we know about was conducted in 2008. However, many of the clergy in the Scottish Episcopal Church have been supportive of gay couples for decades and it would be surprising if a blessing of some kind or another had not been offered before then. The Scottish Episcopal Church decided in June 2017 to allow same-sex couples to get married in church.
What does the rest of the church think about same-sex couples being married? The Christian Churches have divided views about same-sex couples getting married as they do about lots of things.
Doesn’t the Bible have bad things to say about gay couples? The Bible has a lot to say about a lot of things and the clergy and others in the congregation will be happy to chat more about how we understand the Bible in relation to same-sex couples. We believe that gay people and straight people are equally blessed and loved by God and that the Bible teaches us that this is so.
It is a gay church then?
St Andrew’s is a church working to be open, inclusive and welcoming to all. We don’t think that God’s love is limited – straight people are loved by God just as much as gay and lesbian people are loved by God.
Who do I talk to about this?
Speak to the Rector who you can contact on 01698 429895.
Funerals at St Andrew's
A church community accompanies a person through every stage of their life, including sickness and death. When a person dies we can offer support to their family and help them to plan an appropriate Funeral Service which celebrates the person’s life, mourns their death, and offers them into the loving care of God.
Jesus encouraged us to think of God loving us even beyond death. This is a hopeful message, but it does not prevent us feeling the pain of separation and loss. This is why a Funeral Service can be so important for those left behind.
If you want our help in planning a funeral or you are looking for spiritual support while caring for someone who is dying and/or for that person themselves, please contact our Rector, Rev Matthew Little on: 01698 429895
