On Saturday 8 January 1966, a service of Opening and Dedication for the new sanctuary for Craigsbank Parish Church took place. This was a long anticipated moment for the congregation and indeed for all who lived in the parish.
Those officiating on the day were…
Rt Rev Archibald Watt,Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
Rev Thomas Maxwell, Moderator of the Presbytery of Edinburgh
Rev George Paterson, Secretary-Depute of the Home Board
Rev Robert Murray, Clerk to the Presbytery of Edinburgh
Rev James B Donald, Minister of Craigsbank
Mr W.P. Addley, Assistant Minister of Craigsbank
In a lovely detail from the order of service the following appears:
The congregation being assembled, the doors shall be closed two minutes before the hour at which the service is to begin. The Moderator of the Presbytery shall request entrance to the Church by knocking three times on the main door and say these words of Holy Scripture:
Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them and I will praise the Lord.
The door shall be opened from within by the Architect who shall deliver the keys of the Church to the Moderator of the Presbytery, saying:
In token that this building has been erected for the Church of Scotland I deliver to you the keys thereof, and pray you now to dedicate it to the worship of Almighty God.
The Moderator of Presbytery shall answer:
In the name of the Church of Scotland we accept the keys in tocken of the trust committed to us. We are ready to proceed to dedication.
Passing within the inner door of the Church the Moderator of Presbytery shall pause and say:
Peace be to this house, and all who worship herein.
Peace be to those that enter, and to those that go out herefrom.
Peace be to those that love it, and that love the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
This was followed by the singing of Psalm 100. before the keys were laid on the Communion Table, the ‘Holy Table’.
On the following day, the first service took place at 11.00am led by Rev Leonard Small. A second service took place at 6.30pm led by Rev WM Dempster, Secretary to Huts and Canteens Committee.
Previously, on the laying of the foundation stone on 22 February 1964, The Scotsman had commented:
‘The building is of interesting design, being square in shape with a stepped floor so that the congregation are seated round the communion table, which is at low level in the centre.’
They also mentioned that, ‘there willl be no visible windows, the light being reflected through apertures at roof level’. Of course this was to change at the request of the congregation and the one, beautiful stained-glass window (by artist Ruth Dodds) added, flooding the sanctuary with colour and light on the rare occasions when the sun shines at the right moment. The window had been gifted to the hall church by the Social Centre in 1954.
On 1 January 2026, Craigsbank Parish Church and Corstorphine Old Parish Church united to become Corstorphine Old and New Church. We are delighted to be an extended family with our near neighbours and look forward to sharing faith, worship, outreach and social times together.
At present, services continue in the three centres of worship – Craigsbank, East Craigs and Old Parish – on the dates and times shown on the home page of this site. A change of times and rota of worship is expected around Easter of this year and in due course decisions will be made on the future use of the buildings.
At the same time, the new united church is pressing ahead with pioneering ministry to the west of Maybury. This is a fast growing area of the city and we are already enjoying occasional gatherings in the school or in the golf club, and organising family events during school holiday periods. It is hoped that more regular worship will be offered in this area later in the year but at the moment, the pioneering team is getting to know the area and those who have now moved in to the new housing.
Over the next few months we will gradually build a new website for the united church and restructure our communications. It is our hope that we will be able to deliver a monthly email newsletter and a printed magazine three times a year.
Join us as we go ahead in prayer as Corstorphine Old and New.
Below you will find important information on voting on our proposed union with Corstorphine Old Parish. Please read and if you have any questions at all please contact the church administrator or Rev Alan Childs. In addition, members of the steering group will be available to answer your questions at the services on 5 and 12 October.
This is a long read but it is essential in order to know what you will be voting for.
Dear friend and member of our congregation
A MAJOR step in the life of Corstorphine: Craigsbank Parish Church. Please read the article below.
You will by now have received a copy of the latest Bulletin which contains an article on the process and progress towards our Union with the Old Parish Church. You can also find this on the church website. After many months of hard work and prayer, your session has voted unanimously in favour of this Union.
Now we turn to you. Your vote counts – be sure not to miss the opportunity to make your mark on our Union. To do so, you MUST attend IN PERSON at 10.30am on 19 October at Craigsbank Church. (Transport can be arranged upon request.)
Postal and proxy votes are not permitted (Presbytery ruling).
Please note that this vote is on the two congregations uniting and sharing ministers in team ministry. It is not a vote on buildings – that decision will be taken with Presbytery at a later date.
All members of our congregation and those who worship with us on a regular basis – whether at Craigsbank or East Craigs – are invited to vote in this instance.
As already agreed, our new Parish name will be Edinburgh: Corstorphine Old and New Church of Scotland but the individual centres will retain their names as Craigsbank, East Craigs and Old Parish.
There will be three votes:
Basis of Union – voting on the Union itself rather than those who will minister.
Ministers within the Basis of Union – the sharing of ministers in team ministry.
Basis of Team Ministry – including the ministers’ new roles.
For your prayerful consideration, included with this letter, you will find the two documents on which the votes will be based.
Please note that the vote on the ministers is required for the following reason: As the proposed new Union would have a team ministry, the Old Parish congregation will be asked to give permission for Moira to be ‘shared’ with Craigsbank (as parish minister) as well as to ‘accept’ Alan (as pioneer minister to the new development west of Maybury Road), and Craigsbank will be asked to allow Alan to be ‘shared’ with the Old Parish (as pioneer minister to the new development west of Maybury Road) as well as to ‘accept’ Moira (as parish minister). This is to comply with the Church of Scotland law that congregations choose their minister and do not have ministers imposed upon them.
On the morning of the vote, ballot papers will be given to members of the congregation and regular worshippers (adherents) as they enter. Names will be cross-checked by an elder with the roll. The ballot papers will have three boxes, each relating to one of the three votes described above.
After the service, a Presbytery representative will open our meeting with prayer and then share general thoughts, some description of major points or issues and give time for questions or comments. The votes will then be taken.
The votes will be counted by the representatives of Presbytery who will then let the congregation know the results. They will then liaise with their counterparts at the Old Parish and their results will be shared at roughly the same time.
If the ‘Basis of Union’ and the ‘Basis of Team Ministry’ are approved at both churches, then the vote is reported to Presbytery for their approval on 4 November. If this is granted, we will become a United Congregation on 1 January 2026. If there are significant numbers of ‘no’ votes to give cause for concern, Presbytery will consider the issues and re-engage.
What about our buildings? Where will I worship?
The times of our future services will be decided by the Ministers and the new unified Kirk Session, following Union.
At present it is anticipated that the services will alternate between buildings. However, Presbytery have still to decide which buildings will be kept in the Corstorphine area and therefore please note that regardless of the outcome of our vote, the fate of our buildings will be unknown for some time to come. In the meantime, we will continue to make good use of the buildings of the Old Parish, Craigsbank and East Craigs.
If you have any questions or comments or would like to talk to anyone about the unification, please speak to any of the kirk session elders or to us. There will also be time for questions at every service between now and the morning of the vote on 19 October.
At this point, we want to express our personal thanks to the members of the Steering Group for their integrity-filled leadership of the process, to the Session elders for their sincere and committed care of our congregation, and to you as a member for your loyalty to, and active involvement in, the life and relationships of Craigsbank congregation.
May the Spirit of God guide us with grace and wisdom.
Sincerely,
Alan Childs (Minister) and Elaine Thompson (Session Clerk)
Document 1
BASIS OF UNION
The congregation of Corstorphine Old Parish Church, Church of Scotland, Edinburgh (SC016009) and the congregation of Edinburgh: Corstorphine Craigsbank Parish Church (Church of Scotland) (SC014719) shall be united on 1 January 2026 or from a date to be determined by Presbytery, and that on the following terms and conditions:
Name: The name of the united charge shall be Edinburgh: Corstorphine Old and New Church of Scotland and SC014719 will be retained.
Transference of Property and Funds: The property and funds belonging to or held on behalf of each congregation shall belong to or be held on behalf of the united charge and any transference necessary shall be duly effected.
Places of Worship: All places of worship at present used and occupied by the congregations shall be the places of worship of the united charge in the first instance. The times of all services will be decided by the Ministers and Kirk Session, subject to the approval of Presbytery. However, the places of worship at present used by the congregations are all currently designated as B in terms of the approved Presbytery Mission Plan, as are all those in neighbouring Corstorphine congregations. Presbytery decisions on possible release are pending. Should Presbytery agree to release any of the buildings named above, then the places and times of worship shall be reconsidered and decisions made, subject again to the approval of Presbytery.
Territorial Responsibility: The bounds to be served by the united charge shall be designated as the bounds of the parishes of Corstorphine Old Parish Church and Corstorphine Craigsbank Parish Church, or as the Presbytery shall determine.
Kirk Session: The elders of both Kirk Sessions shall form, with the ministers, the Kirk Session of the united charge.
Congregational Management: The temporal affairs of the united congregation shall be administered by the Kirk Session in terms of the Unitary Constitution, the Delegation of Assembly being authorised to issue the appropriate Deed of Constitution to the said congregation.
Ministers: The Rev. Alan Childs, currently minister at Corstorphine Craigsbank, and the Rev Moira McDonald, currently minister at Corstorphine Old, shall be the ministers of the united charge operating under a Basis of Team Ministry in terms of section 7(10) of the Presbytery Mission Plan Act (Act 8, 2021), which should be read in conjunction with this Basis of Union. The instruction that one of the two ministers should be a Pioneer Minister is contained in the Edinburgh & West Lothian Presbytery Mission Plan.
Manses: The manses of the two congregations shall both be retained as the manses of the united congregation.
Ministerial Support: The stipend of the charge shall be paid in accordance with the terms of the National Stipend Scheme.
Power to Readjust: While the articles and terms shall form the Basis of Union for the two congregations now uniting, the united charge shall be free, like other congregations, to adjust arrangements under the authority of Presbytery as need may arise.
Document 2
BASIS OF TEAM MINISTRY
As agreed in the Basis of Union for Edinburgh: Corstorphine Old and New Church of Scotland within the Presbytery of Edinburgh and West Lothian, a Team Ministry shall operate there as follows.
1 TEAM ROLES
The Team Ministry shall comprise two Full Time Ministers of Word and Sacrament (FTMWS). At the point of Union the Full Time Ministers of Word and Sacrament are the Rev Moira McDonald (Parish Minister) and the Rev Alan Childs (Pioneer Minister).
Each of the FTMWS has equal status, except that the Parish Minister will moderate the Kirk Session. Both current FTMWS shall continue on a Basis of Unrestricted Tenure and shall each occupy the manse provided for their use.
One Parish Minister will work primarily in a traditional parish minister role to the east of Maybury Road for the parish areas currently in Corstorphine Old Parish Church and Corstorphine Craigsbank Church. This will entail pastoral care of church and parish members, leading worship, school chaplaincy to Corstorphine, East Craigs and Gylemuir Primaries and sharing chaplaincy at Craigmount High school, in addition to other traditional duties of parish ministry and other roles that develop.
One Pioneer Minister shall be designated as the Pioneer Minister and shall primarily be responsible for developing Christian mission, ministry, community development and worship in the developing communities to the west side of Maybury Road in the parish areas of Corstorphine Old Parish Church and Corstorphine Craigsbank Church. This will primarily be pioneering and so the nature of the pioneer minister’s work will include developing a pioneering team of volunteers, exercising pastoral care for the new residents, building relationships with and within the community, and developing logistical capacity to establish a future worshipping community. The pioneer minister will also be chaplain to Maybury Primary School (and eventually the other planned schools west of Maybury Road) and share the chaplaincy of Craigmount High School.
It is anticipated that in the first year of the pioneering ministry this would involve two thirds of the workload. In addition to this the pioneer minister will take the lead in developing ‘Growing Young’ within the new union, take the lead initially in developing the younger family focused services, and in developing Craigsbank as a missional arts centre. It is anticipated these responsibilities will involve one third of the workload. The portion of ministry workload is foreseen to annually increase in favour of pioneering and will be reviewed accordingly each year by the Kirk Session.
Both ministries constitute the team, and each person is a team member. It shall be the duty of team members to work collaboratively to further the mission of the church, sharing or covering for each other’s duties where necessary and permissible in terms of church law, but not so as to make any material alteration to the terms of service of any team members working under a contract of employment without the agreement of that person.
All roles within the team which are for FTMWS shall, if vacant, be subject to the Call, Election and Appointment of Ministers of Word and Sacrament Act (Act 11, 2025)
2. MODERATOR OF THE KIRK SESSION
The Parish Minister, currently the Rev Moira McDonald, will be the Moderator of the Kirk Session in the first instance.
As a member of the Kirk Session, the full-time minister who is not the Moderator, (currently the Rev Alan Childs) shall be free to speak to debates, submit motions and counter motions, bring forward business for discussion and vote (unless moderating the meeting, as described below).
The Moderator may invite the other minister to moderate individual meetings of the Kirk Session in line with current Church law (see Kirk Session Meetings Act (Act 6, 2004)).
3. TEAM MEETINGS AND CO-ORDINATION
The members of the team shall meet fortnightly in order to co-ordinate and carry out the work of the team as effectively as possible and discuss matters of common interest. Meetings will ensure that ministry responsibilities are shared on a reasonable basis and that cover is provided for holidays and time off for the Team Members. Chairing of the meeting will alternate every meeting between the two ministers and a note taken of decisions, where appropriate, to enable clarity and accountability, in addition to planning and efficiency. Meetings will take place preferably in person, and involve, where possible, the two ministers, and any other ministry staff where appropriate. Local staff members and other office-bearers may attend these meetings by invitation and from time to time. Matters requiring a decision by the team shall be decided by consensus and a note of such decision will be retained. If a member is unhappy with a decision, he or she may invoke the dispute resolution procedure set out below. Each team member will take responsibility for co-ordinating the work of the team; this will include making sure any gaps in the work of the team are filled.
The wider team should, where relevant and agreed upon, include other local appointments (eg workplace and community chaplain, youth worker, musicians, and probationers on placement).
The ministers shall meet with the Session Clerk(s) on a regular basis.
The ministers together should meet six monthly with an agreed upon facilitator in order to review and discuss progress and practice. Place for Hope will be approached in the first instance.
4. KIRK SESSION COMMITTEES
The two ministers shall have specific responsibility for and relationship with the Kirk Session committees listed below:
Worship – Both ministers with the parish minister (focused on traditional service) and the pioneer minister (focused on young family service)
Pastoral – Parish minister
Mission – Parish minister
Social – Parish minister
Pioneering – Pioneer minister
Growing Young – Pioneer minister
Arts Centre – Pioneer minister
Finance and Human Resources – Both ministers and treasurer
Fabric – Both ministers and property convener
5. DISPUTE RESOLUTION
If a dispute arises out of or in connection with this Team Ministry then the procedure set out in this clause shall be followed.
Any member of the team shall be entitled to give to all or some other members of the team (“the relevant team members”) written notice of the dispute, setting out its nature and full particulars, together with any relevant supporting documents. The relevant team members shall attempt in good faith to resolve the dispute at this stage.
If the relevant team members are unable to resolve the dispute within 30 days of such written notice having been given, the dispute shall be referred to the Presbytery Clerk, who shall attempt in good faith to resolve it.
If the Presbytery Clerk is for any reason unable to resolve the dispute within 30 days of it being referred to him or her, the relevant team members agree to enter into mediation in good faith to settle the dispute. The mediator will be nominated by the Presbytery Clerk having consulted with the Principal Clerk. To initiate the mediation, one of the relevant team members must give written notice to the other relevant team members, referring the dispute to mediation.
If there is any point in relation to the logistical arrangements for the mediation on which the relevant team members cannot agree, the Presbytery Clerk will be entitled to decide that point, having first consulted with the relevant team members.
If the dispute is not resolved within 30 days of commencement of the mediation, the matter shall be referred by the Presbytery Clerk to the Presbytery’s Complaints Committee, or other equivalent Presbytery Committee, subject to any issues of discipline which arise and any other matters which may require to be resolved in terms of the employment contract(s) of the relevant team members. Except in relation to matters which properly fall to be dealt with in terms of the employment contract(s) of one or more relevant team members, there shall be no appeal against the decision of the Committee.
Where the relevant team members include one or more employees, this dispute resolution procedure is without prejudice to the grievance and discipline procedures set out in their contract(s) of employment. For the avoidance of doubt, any team member who is serving under a contract of employment shall be entitled to raise with their employer any matter which they wish to have treated as a grievance, and the employer shall be entitled to raise with the employee any matter which it considers to be disciplinary in nature.
6. FURTHER PROVISIONS
Both manses will be retained for use by the ministers and their families in line with regulations. Eventual acquisition of a manse to the west of Maybury will be considered in due course if the eventual development of a worshipping community there requires it and the incumbent minister and family are willing to move there.
7. PRESBYTERY’S POWER TO ADJUST TEAM MINISTRY
The Presbytery shall be free to adjust arrangements relating to the team Ministry, subject to matters of tenure, as Presbytery may determine from time to time. Any material change to this Basis shall require to be agreed by all members of the team and by Kirk Session.
Yes! We are working our way through the Union process with our Neighbours, The Old Parish.
At our Stated Annual Meeting on 17 April 2025 at East Craigs, our session clerk, Elaine Thompson, presented the following, very informative, update on the Union of Corstorphine Craigsbank and Corstorphine Old Parishes. click here for the transcript. Or read the expanded version below:
Where are we?
Since our last up-date on the Union between Craigsbank and Corstorphine Old Parish on this site, much has been going on behind the scenes. We are now able to give an update on progress, stumbling blocks, and moving forward together. You can still read our 2024 Vision Statement by clicking here. If you read both articles together, you will see just how much work is going into making this happen.
Over the last few months, there have been regular meetings with both church ministers, Alan and Moira, our session clerks and steering groups who are all working together on our behalf.Why are we merging?
You will remember the reasons behind the Church of Scotland’s decision to merge parishes and reduce the number of buildings it is responsible for – declining Church of Scotland membership, less people worshipping particularly on a Sunday morning, reduced offerings and not enough ministers to serve the current parishes. It is a long and difficult (and at times painful) process to get this right but at both churches, we are determined to work together to do just that.
We – Corstorphine Craigsbank (including East Craigs) – were guided by presbytery to work towards union with Corstorphine Old Parish. The united parish would retain two full time ministers – one to be the parish minister to the newly merged congregation and the other a pioneer minister to the ever-expanding new developments to the west of Maybury Road. Who is looking after our interests in the negotations?
In January 2024 the joint steering group of Craigsbank and the Old Parish was set up. We have strong representation. Craigsbank members are Alan Childs, Alan Kennedy, Mike Brough, John Baker, Susan Ross, Paul Spencer and Elaine Thompson. They have been meeting with representatives of the Old Parish every month to work out the best way of bringing our two churches together.
Saturday 10 May, 10:30-12 noon, Craigsbank Halls – MAKE A NOTE
Join us for a coffee morning in aid of Christian Aid. Tickets are available from the Church office or after Sunday Services, or on the door. A voluntary donation of £5 is suggested.
Our coffee mornings are always popular – with the very tastiest home baking! PLUS, there will be a book sale and tombola to enjoy too.
Pop the date in your diary now and we’ll get busy in the kitchen…
In the form of the Ubuntu African Choir, alumni of the African children’s choir brought colour and music and rhythm to Craigsbank on Saturday evening to the delight of all of those who attended. They then enriched the Sunday morning service at East Craigs with two haunting pieces, beautifully sung. Listen to a snippit from Sunday morning here.
The choir has been performing with different groups of children, all over the world, over a period of 40 years. Craigsbank was lucky enough to host a concert 20 years ago and we were delighted when they returned last weekend. The African Children’s choir, under its parent organisation Music for Life, has raised money to educate and support 59,000 children in this time – children from Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and South Africa. The children are selected and educated from primary stages right through university – transforming their lives and through them, supporting communities for the future. The Ubuntu choir, made up of some of those children who have previously been in the children’s choir as youngsters, performs to raise awareness of this good work. To find out more, visit their website by clicking here.
Thank you to the Bohemians for their simply outstanding jukebox musical production of Priscilla Queen of the Desert, showing at the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh this weekend. What a joy. A riot of colour and dance and song and laughter and tears. Fear, acceptance, change – all played out with a lightness of touch and true professionalism on stage. One young man had a stand out performance today. Well done Finn.
And thank you too Bohemians, for bringing all of this and more to Craigsbank Church halls and sanctuary in recent weeks for rehearsals. You lit up our buildings and our community.
‘Its concave bell tower [is] like a sail on the community’s sea of 1920s bungalows’
The Pocket Guide to Edinburgh’s Best Buildings by Robin ward is now published and available in bookshops and online. And you’ll find Craigsbank sitting proudly on page 179!
Read more bout it in The Scotsman – click here and here.
