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The beginnings of our present congregation go back as far as the first half of the nineteenth century.
The formation of the original South Church had its origin at the Disruption. In May 1843, Rev Alexander Salmon, Minister of Bourock “quoad sacra” Parish Church read the Deed of Demission from the pulpit. He then left the church, followed by six of his eight elders, over 350 communicant members and a large number of adherents. He led the party to a saw-pit at the rear of the church and there held the first service of the Barrhead Free Protesting Church. The Bourock Church remained closed until 1851.
“Let no one be a stranger within these walls”
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About Our History
Rev Alexander Salmon
The congregation of the new Free Church had no building and set about raising the funds necessary to build a church. A new building in Main Street (where the present congregation meets) was opened on 12 July 1846. On that day, the Rev Dr Archibald Fleming, Minister of Neilston Parish Church, a bitter opponent of the Disruption, preached a sermon denouncing the new church as “a Jawbox”.
It was not until 1886 that hymns were introduced into worship. Praise was then led by a precentor until an organ was installed in 1903.
In 1900, the Union of Free and United Presbyterian Churches took place. At one stage it was feared that the congregation could lose its property, but common sense prevailed and Barrhead United Free Church was born. Further union took place between the Church of Scotland and the United Free Church in 1929 and the church became Barrhead South Parish Church.
Extensive renovation took place in 1937, including overhaul and electrification of the pipe organ, commonly regarded now as one of the finest in this part of the country. Further renovation in 1965 provided a new suite of rooms at the rear of the church building.
Levern Church was a daughter church of Paisley Abbey. It opened in 1835. After the Disruption in 1843 a free church congregation was formed in Nitshill. Like the South Church, the Nitshill congregation came into the Church of Scotland with the Union in 1929. It was united with Levern to form the parish of Levern and Nitshill in 1940. During most of the years from 1940-1985 there continued to be a worshipping group from the church in Nitshill, supported by a lay missionary, meeting first in a school and latterly in a hall. At the time of the Union with Barrhead South most of the members associated with the school transferred their membership to Priesthill Parish Church and the Nitshill part of the Levern and Nitshill parish was joined to Priesthill to form the Parish of Priesthill and Nitshill.
Most of the Levern members other than these came into the union with Barrhead South. The two congregations integrated extremely well.
The stone marking the year when Levern Church began, which was above the entrance to the Levern church, can be seen at the entrance to South and Levern, along with the round stone which till the fire in 1987 topped the tower of the old church. The Levern Communion Table and Baptismal Font and a silver casket in the shape of the Levern Church Hall can be seen in the Levern Chapel.