Union of Larbert Old and Larbert West

Larbert West Parish Church

OUR HISTORY

1898: Founded as Larbert United Presbyterian Church, an offshoot of Carron U.P. Church, which in turn was an offshoot of Falkirk Erskine. The Congregation worshipped at first in what is now the church hall until the present Church building was erected.
1900: Union of the United Presbyterian Church with the Free Church (represented in the village by what is now Larbert East) to form the United Free Church.
1929: Union of the U.F. Church with the Church of Scotland (represented in the village by Larbert Old and Stenhouse & Carron) to form the Church of Scotland as it is today.
1998: Celebrated centenary of the congregation.

List of Ministers:

1898 - 1907	Rev. Colin M Gibb
1908 - 1916	Rev. Thomas C MacAulay
1917 - 1931	Rev. N Munro Murray
1932 - 1943	Rev. Gavin C H Boyd
1943 - 1951	Rev. W Strang Money
1951 - 1955	Rev. Albert Gardiner
1956 - 1961	Rev. Douglas H H Macnaugton
1962 - 1966	Rev. Alexander C Ryrie
1966 - 1974	Rev. Murray Chalmers
1974 - 1984	Rev. Alan H McKay
1984 - 1991	Rev. Evelyn M Young
1991 - 1999	Rev. Robert S T Allan
1999 - 2013	Rev. Gavin R Boswell

2016: The Congregations of Larbert Old and Larbert West Churches have agreed a Basis of Union and this has also been agreed by the Presbytery of Falkirk.
You can download and/or read the terms of the Basis of Union by clicking this link.

Paragraph 3 of the Basis of Union deals with which church buildings will be used by the united congregation and the Basis says that this will be decided by a process called Arbitration.
The Arbitration process was concluded at a meeting held on Thursday 28th April 2016 in Larbert East Church, open to members of both congregations.
At this meeting the Arbiters intimated their decision that the buildings to be used as the place of worship for the new congregation will be those presently used by the congregation of Larbert West. This decision is final and no appeal can be made.

Following a Petition from the Kirk Session of Larbert Old, the Presbytery of Falkirk met on 21st June 2016 and, inter alia, acknowledged the decision of the Arbiters that Larbert West be used as the place of worship for the united congregation;
and agreed to set aside the date of union between Larbert Old and Larbert West for a period of up to six months (to 1st February 2017) to allow for a Listening Group to be established under the leadership of Very Rev Albert Bogle,
assisted by co-opted members including the Principal Clerk, Very Rev John Chalmers, and representatives of Place for Hope, such Group to seek to help heal divisions and to explore opportunities and possibilities for the way forward for the two congregations.

2017: On 24th January 2017 the Presbytery of Falkirk having heard the report of the Listening Group that a union of the two congregations would be unlikely to succeed, Presbytery agreed to depart from the proposal for union. Presbytery granted permission to the congregation of Larbert West to call a minister on a five year reviewable tenure basis and placed the congregation of Larbert Old under the Guardianship of Presbytery.