In February 2023, as part of the Church of Scotland’s Radical Action Plan, the old Presbytery of Dumfries and Kirkcudbright proposed that Maxwelltown West Church be united with Lochend & New Abbey Church. This was approved by the newly formed Presbytery of South West Scotland in April 2023.
Finally, in November 2024 a congregational vote held simultaneously at Maxwelltown West and New Abbey churches approved a basis of union and confirmed Rev Johannes Wildner as Minister of the United charge of Maxwelltown West and New Abbey Church of Scotland.
Catherine Lye and David Johnson, Session Clerks at New Abbey and Maxwelltown West respectively, are working together as Joint Session Clerks of our united church for one year until the review of the union takes place.
“We know that there are many issues to work on as we take ‘small steps’ to ensure as smooth a transition as possible as our two churches become one.
“We will have one Kirk Session which will be responsible not only for spiritual matters, but also the organisational running of our united church. Finance and Property matters will now come under the remit of the Kirk Session.
“Many challenges lie ahead, but we proceed with a positive spring in our ‘small steps’, as we start to write a new chapter in the story of our two churches, now united as one in faith.”
Catherine Lye & David Johnson
Joint Session Clerks
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Maxwelltown West and New Abbey Church seek to be places of welcome to all in our parish – centres of Christian worship and fellowship. We seek to provide a framework for family life and a place where young people may be nurtured in Christian values.
Sunday worship is at the centre of our church life. Most of our services follow a traditional Church of Scotland pattern. Tea and coffee are served after the service.
There are four Communions each year with one less formal Communion service at Maxwelltown West and two Communions in New Abbey.
Courts of the Church
The Church of Scotland is Presbyterian, which means that the Church is governed by presbyters or elders. The Kirk Session consists of the minister and elders and is responsible for the spiritual oversight of the congregation and its organisations. The Presbytery comprises all ministers and selected elders from every Kirk Session within the bounds. The General Assembly is the Supreme Court of the Church, comprising some 850 ministers and elders from throughout the Church, and meets annually in Edinburgh. Each Court has a Moderator (in the case of the Kirk Session, this is the minister).
After Union in 1 January 2025 our churches operated under a unitary constitution which meant that Maxwelltown West no longer had a Deacons’ Court. However former Deacons still play an important role in the running of our church.
Finance
The Congregation’s annual budget is in the region of £100,000. This covers maintenance and running costs, payment of salaries, and our contribution to the Church of Scotland Ministries & Mission Fund, which maintains the ministry and meets the cost of the Church’s wider work.
All members are encouraged to give a regular offering for the work of the Church. Many use freewill offering envelopes or standing orders. Anyone who pays income tax should sign a Gift Aid form.