To spot St John's, look for a striking granite church with large pointed arched windows, dark slate roofs, and a sturdy square tower rising up behind a deeply set wooden doorway-you’ll find it tucked just off Crown Street.
Alright, as you stand beside this grand granite building, let’s unpack its story-a saga of rebellious preachers, secret gatherings, and more plot twists than a soap opera. Back in 1693, Reverend George Garden was booted out of the Kirk of St Nicholas for refusing to play by the rules of the new Presbyterian Church. Imagine him, forced into exile, but not one to let a little thing like banishment stop him. When he finally crept back to Aberdeen in the early 1700s, he gathered his scattered followers in hidden houses, no doubt keeping one eye on the door and the other on their hymnals.
For 130 years, the congregation played musical chairs around Aberdeen, bouncing from house to house until finally landing in a bigger building in Golden Square, dedicated to St John the Evangelist. Names like Bishop Andrew Gerard and Reverend Roger Aitken-who actually went on an adventure to Canada-kept the congregation alive.
Fast-forward to 1851, and they’re here in this impressive new church, designed by Mackenzie and Matthews. It’s been a sanctuary for everyone ever since, with the choir singers’ voices echoing through these stone halls for generations. Reverend Patrick Cheyne made enough waves with his bold sermons to get himself prosecuted, and his successor, Frederick G Lee, was so rattled he left to start his own church!
Now, look out for the ancient baptismal font inside, older than the church itself. It’s from the ruined church at Kinkell, with secretive carvings and a connection to Alexander Galloway, who was rector there 500 years ago. And just when you think its history can’t be any more surprising-in 2013, the congregation swung open the doors to Aberdeen’s Muslim neighbors, inviting them to worship here when their mosque was full. This isn’t just a church; it’s Aberdeen’s champion of resilience, debate, and community spirit!
