As a minister in Kenmure I have heard many names from the past and not a few anecdotes in the life of the congregation, but have
struggled to put them into any kind of order or context. Now, with
Sheila's book, things are much more ordered in my thinking. I am
sure this will be the experience of many as they enjoy this well
researched celebration of Kenmure's life spanning more than a
century. This book is full of snippets of information gleaned from
many sources by Sheila and her team of elders, Bert Bell, Ian
Thomson and Eric Forrester and then carefully crafted into a
tapestry of the congregation's life. Even when they put their
collective minds and all the scraps of information together there
are still gaps; gaps which make you wonder what happened in the
interval, but every good book has mystery as an ingredient.
It could be said that much of the detail is trivia. That is so and all
the more fascinating for it. This is the kind of book you can't
assimilate in one sitting but go back to over and over and always
find another gem you missed the previous time.
We owe an immense debt of gratitude to Sheila for this labour of
love which has taken more hours hunched over her PC than she
cares to record; to Bert and Ian, her team of researchers, who
poured over documents and cajoled many memories; and to Eric,
who gave hours of his expertise to formulate the layout and
incorporate the photographs. Thank you all for this fascinating
celebration of Kenmure's life.
It has been said that no one can understand themselves unless they
understand their past. This book enables today's congregation to
do just that as they prepare themselves for another century of
witness to the same Christ who inspired the folks of Springburn to
set up a Mission to serve the new houses of Colston.
I commend this book to you.
Iain A. Laing
I would like especially to thank Bert Bell for interviewing and
chasing people for their contributions, Ian Thomson, who trawled
the Kirk Session Minutes in the Mitchell Library and came up with
interesting material about our beginnings and Eric Forrester for
his expertise with computers, layout and design, also those who
contributed short pieces for inclusion.
One person who must be posthumously thanked is the late
Margaret Gray who built an archive by hoarding programmes,
tickets, financial statements, magazines and photographs. Ian Gray
has been kind enough to lend me this material and it formed the
basis of the book.
Thanks must also go to the many members and friends who
rummaged through their lofts and cupboards as well as their
memories. I am also glad that some of our young people have
contributed as this is not a history but a celebration of past,
present and looking to the future so that in another 50 years when
someone writes about Kenmure Church they will not have to start
from scratch as we have had to do.
There is so much that has come to light that it cannot all appear
but I hope to continue with the research and gathering and store it
with the many photographs and memorabilia which I now have on
my computer.
The building, in which we now worship, is a far cry from the
beginnings of the congregation in a disused laundry, but the
message remains the same.
Sheila Livingstone 2006
The complete book in PDF format (12.1 Mb)
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
