“We aim to foster faith in the Ferry and Barnhill with the 5 Marks of Mission at our core”
Central to the Church (of Scotland) is our love and worship of God through following the teachings and examples of Jesus Christ. Few people would argue that Jesus didn’t exist and through the bible God has spoken to us through Jesus. After Jesus’ death and resurrection, God sent the Holy Spirit to help us live life His way.
We express our love for God by our love and practical care for each other and for those we live with and encounter in our daily lives, following The Five Marks of Mission:
We can be a Christian on our own, but we’ll get help and encouragement in a group.
Why believe in God?
We have two options. Either the whole universe appeared out of nothing by chance and our existence is the result of a miraculous series of coincidences, or there is a God who made everything. Scientists look at the evidence, form a hypothesis and see if it fits the observed facts. Does the presence of a Divine Being fit with the universe as we see it? Although we can differ in our understanding of God, the majority of the world’s population believe in a Divine Being.
Please come and join us to find out more. We look forward to meeting you.
Our Church is a newly united charge from five congregations, one being deferred. Each of the churches brings with it a particular history and ethos. The five congregations have been encouraged by Presbytery to cluster together since 2019 and worked together to put the five marks of mission at the core of our planning. Three of the congregations (St James’, St Luke’s & Queen Street and New Kirk) have been worshipping and working collectively since 2021. At the same time, we have been working with Barnhill St Margaret’s on joint youth and children’s initiatives.
In 2023 we explored the possibility of a five-way union, with St Stephen’s and West in a deferred union. This was agreed and the initial four-way union took place on 1st January 2024 with the Service of Union on 1st February 2024.
Through this journey we have engaged with the Five Marks to review our current mission and develop our aspirations. We are excited at the prospect of strengthening our outreach within the community.
The Team Ministry will ultimately serve the single Parish of Broughty Ferry across two worship centres and be supported by pastoral care, youth work and secretarial employees, the Kirk Session, and by congregational members who have received accredited training in worship leadership and the conducting of funerals
We are one congregation worshipping in two centres – one in central Broughty Ferry and one in Barnhill. All church buildings and garden ground areas are well maintained and all buildings have disabled access.
BFPC- Queen Street East
The church is the former ‘Broughty Ferry New Kirk’ (previously Broughty Ferry East Church) which was built as a Free Church and opened in 1865. It is a cruciform shape with a vaulted ceiling and a balcony at the rear. There is a modern sound system and audio loop system installed and there is a very fine pipe organ.
BFPC- Barnhill St Margaret’s
The Church building dates from 1895. It is a cruciform shape with the Lord’s Table directly under the crossing. The church has AV equipment (projector, laptop, CD player and a sound desk) that is used in worship, and the pews have been removed from one transept to provide a flexible space. There is an attached Session Room with projector and sound system, together with a vestry, a small kitchen area and several toilets.
All our halls and spaces are widely used by church organisations, local community and charity groups.
BFPC- Queen Street East Halls
The complex is integral with the church and what is now the small hall was built as part of the original church. The remaining accommodation was added in the 1960s and consists of a large hall with functioning stage, kitchen, office, vestry with toilet, flower room and toilets/cloakrooms. There is also a Session Room up a flight of stairs. The large hall with stage can be used for many types of drama and musical productions and performances. There is also a fixed projector and screen.
BFPC- Barnhill St Margaret’s Halls
The hall lies in the grounds and was designed about 15 years ago to meet the fellowship needs of the congregation, as well as offering a welcoming environment to the wider community. The main hall has full AV equipment and efficient radiant heating. The foyer area can be used for smaller meetings along with two further meeting rooms. There is a well-equipped kitchen, the office, a minister’s office, toilets and storage. Part of the grounds adjacent to the hall are fenced to allow children to safely play outside.
BFPC- St Aidan’s
St Aidan’s Church was converted into the St Aidan’s Centre which opened in 2012.This provides us with a versatile modern suite of halls, indoor spaces with a professional kitchen addition and upstairs worship space with AV equipment, all for church and community use. The disabled access includes a lift to the upper floor. The Centre is surrounded on two sides by a ‘green’ graveyard.
BFPC- St James
St James was originally the “Beach Mission Church” or Fisherman’s Reading Room, formed in 1889. The large hall was added in 1907. It has a long tradition of association with the fishing and seafaring community and the lifeboats (RNLI). It is intended that these buildings will create a community hub in the centre of the Ferry, building on its community heritage.
Our Parish – We are fortunate to be situated in the lovely seaside town of Broughty Ferry with a stunning coastline and the Sidlaws, the Angus Glens and the historic town of St Andrews, all nearby. We also benefit from being a suburb of Dundee and to be able to access its amenities including its rail links, airport and tourist attractions.
Broughty Ferry Parish church will serve a combined parish of about nine thousand homes (based on 2011 census) with more houses continuing to be built to the north
Our community
Broughty Ferry Parish Church is located in the busy town of Broughty Ferry, and in Barnhill, its neighbouring community to the east. Originally a small fishing village, ‘The Ferry’ is now a relatively affluent but distinctive suburb of Dundee. There are, however, pockets of deprivation. It is essentially a residential area with most employment coming from the retail, tourism, hospitality, service, healthcare and education sectors. All of these could potentially provide an opportunity for chaplaincy and outreach work. We have a good number of families with children of all ages in our newly combined Parish and there are three busy primary schools and a large secondary school.
While there have been chaplaincy links with all these schools in the past, they are not active at present and we are keen to re-establish them.
There is a bustling shopping area in the centre of town with many independent shops, and smaller groups of shops in and around Barnhill. There are also many bars, restaurants and coffee shops, and together these attract numerous visitors. There is a Castle with a museum, the Rock Garden, a RNLI station, two health centres, a library, a Scout hall, a YMCA, Barnhill community centre, and a number of nursing and residential homes and sheltered housing complexes. The latter are necessary as we have an age profile skewed to the upper end and while we are in a wealthier area, there is still a great need to provide more facilities and groups that can help with all the conditions associated with ageing such as dementia, poor mobility and loneliness.
The decorative large rose window in the west elevation were installed during construction of the church in 1864-65. When the organ was installed, the longest pipes were placed on either side of the window with the shorter pipes in between so as not to obscure its viewing.
The stained-glass at the organ alcove was by G.F. Campbell.
The window of St. John to the left was gifted to St. Aidans’ by John Watson Wemyss, M.D. and Mary his wife ‘in grateful remembrance of many mercies’. The lower section shows the figures of John and Peter healing the cripple man at the Beautiful Gate.
The window of St. Peter to the right, ‘to the Glory of God and in memory of James Soote of Reres House, also of his two sons Alfred and Edwin and his daughter Emma’ was erected by his widow and family. The lower section shows the Calling of Andrew and Peter.
The windows, installed in 1893, were designed by Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, ARA (1833 – 1898) the English painter and designer associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and one of the ablest stained-glass artists of the period. They were made by the firm of William Morris. It was common practice to use designs from stock patterns and the same windows can be seen in many different churches including St. Stephen’s and West Church in Broughty Ferry.
The Henry window was donated in May 1890 by Dr. Anderson of Forteviot in memory of his relatives Mrs. Isabella Brown Anderson-Henry and Mrs Janet Brown Anderson Henry, both of Woodend, Madderty. The window was designed by Mr. Henry Holiday and made by James Powell & Sones, London. It shows Jesus carrying his cross out of Jerusalem to Golgotha with two angels helping to lift the weight with the inscription, ‘Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows’.
1n 1917 the Watson window was gifted and dedicated in memory of Broughty businessman Mr. John J. Watson. Mr. Watson was member of St. Stephen’s church in Broughty Ferry and had been a generous benefactor of stained glass in that church. The window was also made by Powell of London and shows the incident in the Resurrection from the Gospel of St. John, chapter 20, particularly verse 17, ‘Touch Me not, for I am not yet ascended to My Father’. The figures are of the risen Christ and Mary, with the angel and tomb in the background. Both windows are situated in the north wall of the church.
Godfrey window (south transept)
Mr Clement T. Godfrey was a jute and linen merchant, magistrate, choir member, founding member and elder at St Margaret’s. Mr Godfrey died in 1925 and this memorial was erected in 1933.
The stained-glass window is divided into nine panels. Five of these are in the shape of a cross and depict scenes from the life of St Margaret: her landing in Scotland, her marriage to King Malcolm, her charity, her piety, and her death.
At the base, Noah’s Ark reminds us of God’s Old Covenant and the chalice and paten remind us of Communion, and God’s New Covenant with all people. In the centre linking the two is the cross and the crown of victory. Above the panels showing St Margaret’s charity and piety are a pelican feeding its young (representing sacrifice) and a mountain top (representing aspiration).
The inscription reads ‘To the Glory of God, and in loving memory of Clement Tom Godfrey, a member of this Church from its beginning. Erected by members of the family’. It was unveiled on 23 July 1933, the same day as the War Memorial. It was made by J.T. & C.E. Stewart of Glasgow and may have been designed by Mr Godfrey’s sister.
The central figure is St Andrew as a fisherman with his net. Scottish thistles adorn either side and above is a cross decorated with jewels and flowers, and held by two angels. Below is a scene from the call of Andrew to be a follower of Jesus. On the left is St Columba bearing a staff and a Book of the Gospels. Columba was one of the founders of our faith in Scotland, and the scene below shows his voyage to Iona. On the right is St Kentigern (Mungo) bearing a bishop’s crosier and a fish. The small scene shows one of the stories associated with him, recovering a ring from the mouth of a salmon.
The top of the window shows angels with instruments of praise to God. The inscription reads ‘To the Glory of God and in Loving Memory of Norman Pattulo who died at sea, 23 February 1937’.
The window was given by Mr Patullo’s widow, and is the work of Herbert Hendrie. He was one of the foremost designers of the first half of the twentieth century, and his jewel-like designs feature in a number of Churches including the Anglican cathedral in Liverpool, and Kippen Church.
Mr Adamson installed 8 stained glass windows in the Tin Kirk and 7 of these were transferred to the new Church. From east to west on the south wall of the nave are four windows, and on the north wall of the nave there are three windows.
The most westerly window on the south is of the Blessed Virgin, the mother of Jesus. Pictures of Mary are uncommon in Reformed Churches and the connection is probably an old chapel to St Mary on an island in the Tay, now a sandbank called Lady Bank. The next window shows Margaret’s youngest son, St David with his falcon. David became King David I and founded a number of monasteries.
The third window on the south represents St Margaret bearing her cross. Margaret was born in Hungary but was a princess of the Wessex royal family. She married Malcolm III, king of Scotland in 1070. Margaret reformed the Celtic Church by introducing Roman forms of worship. The most easterly window on the south side represents St Ninian, our earliest missionary, carrying his Church at Whithorn in his left hand. A copy of this window is reported to be in St Ninian’s High School, Kirkintilloch.
The third window on the south represents St Margaret bearing her cross. Margaret was born in Hungary but was a princess of the Wessex royal family. She married Malcolm III, king of Scotland in 1070. Margaret reformed the Celtic Church by introducing Roman forms of worship. The most easterly window on the south side represents St Ninian, our earliest missionary, carrying his Church at Whithorn in his left hand. A copy of this window is reported to be in St Ninian’s High School, Kirkintilloch.
Ken was born in Glasgow, but left at 15 months, so no damage was done. Since then, he has lived in Dundee, apart from 4 years in Bradford when first married. He first attended St Luke’s and Queen Street Church aged 4 and, shortly after returning from Bradford, was ordained an Elder in 1976. He was appointed Session Clerk in 1999, and remained in post until the union, before being asked to take on that role with Broughty Ferry Parish Church. Ken felt called to train as an Interim Moderator and has filled that role in Dundee for five years and is also an accredited worship leader. Ken’s working life was mainly spent in industry, mostly in sales and marketing and general management and outside of church, his main interests are sport, particularly rugby, and music, especially choral singing. He is married to Sheilah, also an Elder, and has a son, a daughter, an Elder in Edinburgh, and two grandchildren. Ken can be contacted at sessionclerk@bfpc.scot
After spending the first 5 years of married life in Aberdeen Beth and her family moved back to Dundee and Beth joined Barnhill St Margaret’s in 1986. In 1992 Beth started to help with the Sunday School, then in 1994 she was involved in setting up a bible class group called Seekers. Several years later Beth began helping with the Chi Rho group who met on a Sunday evening, and became an Elder at the Church in 1997. In 2004 Beth was involved in a small group who met with the Church of Scotland Impact Group to organise a summer holiday club and this has been going ever since. Beth has been actively involved in Messy Church since it started in 2011 . Beth was appointed by the Kirk Session as Pastoral Assistant in February 2010 and it is a position that she says she feels privileged to hold. Beth is married to Ken and has 4 children and 3 grandchildren. In her spare time Beth enjoys reading, knitting, gardening and walking. Beth can be contacted at
Evelyn has enjoyed working as a youth worker at Barnhill St Margaret’s since January 2017 and has loved getting to know the young people who attend our Chi Rho and Youth Club group. She has found it a pleasure getting to know the rest of the congregation and volunteers at Messy Church, Holiday Club and the Gala Day. Evelyn has been impressed with the warm welcome at Barnhill St Margaret’s as well as the wonderful facilities. In the past year Evelyn has helped at our Thursday morning Tots & Toddlers and had forgotten how lovely it is to play with little ones again. Evelyn has lots of experience working with young people running a Friday Night Project in the area she lives for the last 10 years. She enjoys the energy, enthusiasm and challenges that young people bring and finds it particularly satisfying watching them change from boisterous pre-teen to mature young adult. Churches have experienced a decline in the number of young people attending and Evelyn is interested in finding ways and ideas to encourage their involvement in worship and church life. Young people are the future of our Church and Evelyn is delighted to be a part of a project to engage with them. Evelyn can be contacted at
Alison has been our Church Secretary for over 20 years and is the first point of contact for all our enquiries either face to face, telephone or e-mail. Alison is responsible for all administration requirements and provides support to our minister and various Church boards and committees. Alison can be contacted at office@bfpc.scot
Our Kirk Session, made up of the elders in the Church and guided by our Minister and Session Clerk, meets nominally 4 times annually.
Church members and members of the public can attend these meetings but do not have a vote and may on occasion be asked to step out of the meeting if a confidential or sensitive matter is being discussed.
Two Boards report to the Kirk Session. These Boards will plan and make recommendations to the Kirk Session on how the Five Marks of Mission will be met through its activities.
If you would like any more information about the Kirk Session or its Boards, please contact the Church Office.
Please find the most recent Kirk Session meeting minutes and reports here LINK REQUIRED
Broughty Ferry Parish Church
One of the ways that we can express our love for God and for others is through our giving. Both Broughty Ferry Parish Church and the Church of Scotland centrally rely on charitable giving, and any support given is deeply appreciated. Donations from members and supporters are vital in enabling us to meet the cost of ministry and mission and for the upkeep of our historic buildings. Our donations also help support the wider work of the Church both at home and abroad.
Regular donations to Broughty Ferry Parish Church can be made by Standing Order or Freewill Offering envelopes. UK taxpayers can also increase their giving by 25% at no cost to themselves by filling in a Gift Aid Form.
One-off gift donations can be made by BACS transfer directly into the congregational account.
For further information please contact the Church Treasurer at treasurer@bfpc.scot .
There is an Online Giving page on the Church of Scotland website which enables you to use PayPal (PayPal charge 30p + 2.9% per transaction) to give to the Church of Scotland centrally or to an individual congregation like Broughty Ferry Parish Church. You can find the ‘Donate to Church’ page here
Christian Aid
Christian Aid seeks to create a world free from extreme poverty and injustice by tackling the root causes. At Broughty Ferry Parish Church we actively support Christian Aid, and encourage any Church members who are able to do so, to make regular gift-aided contributions directly. During Christian Aid week we arrange doorstep collections within our parish, and on the penultimate day you will find members of our congregation shaking their collection buckets locally.
To donate or find out more about Christian Aid please visit their website here.
We also support the following local charities;
Dundee Foodbank
Dundee Foodbank is part of The Trussell Trust’s network of 428 foodbanks, working to tackle food poverty and hunger in our local communities, as well as across the UK. Approximately 1 in 5 people are deemed to be living in poverty, and Dundee Foodbank aims to provide assistance to this group by way of providing food parcels to those deemed most needy. Members of Broughty Ferry Parish Church donate items to Dundee Foodbank at both Queen Street East and Barnhill St. Margaret’s.
At Queen Street East donations of basic foodstuffs, toiletries, household cleaning items, pet food etc. for Dundee Foodbank can be left in the container in the Church entrance to be regularly delivered.
At the main entrance of Barnhill St. Margaret’s there are 2 large labelled green plastic baskets where non-perishable food items can be donated. A team of Church volunteers are responsible for delivering donated items to the Foodbank each week. Of course, if you as an individual would like to deliver directly to the Foodbank, please find a link to their website below.
To read more about the work of Dundee Foodbank and for a list of what items are urgently required please see here
Queen Street East contact for Dundee Foodbank is Kathleen Coupar 07724 145 343 and for Barnhill St. Margaret’s is the Church Office.
Dundee Starter Packs
Dundee Starter Packs SCIO is a voluntary charity, initiated by Scottish Churches Housing Action in 2000, responding positively to the problems faced by resettling homeless individuals, families and those in need, in Dundee and surrounding areas. People are referred for a number of different reasons but they all have one thing in common, financial hardship and have no means to provide themselves with basic household items.
Members of Broughty Ferry Parish Church donate to Dundee Starter Packs at both Queen Street East and Barnhill St. Margaret’s, collecting good quality unwanted household items, such as; Crockery, Cutlery, Pots, Pans, Utensils, Casserole Dishes, Mugs, Tumblers, Storage Containers, Bedding, Towels, Curtains and small domestic electrical appliances.
Small donations can be left at Barnhill St Margaret’s main Church entrance. Contact for Barnhill St. Margaret’s is Christine Johnston 01382 477739.
At Queen Street East collections of donations are regularly arranged by Jolene Munro. For further information contact 01382 778054 or joline.munro@gmail.com
Please see ‘Connecting Monthly’ (link here to News & Events section?) for updates.
For more information on the charity or to contact them directly to arrange a large donation please visit the Dundee Starters Packs here.
