Polmont North Parish Church

1844 to 1969

REDDING
REDDING SCHOOL was used for worship but this was considered unsatisfactory by the Presbytery of Linlithgow as the Moderator (Rev James B Mackenzie) reported to the Kirk Session in April 1902, that the question of a meeting place or mission church at Redding had been discussed by the Presbytery. The Kirk Session, in other words, were to do something about it. Two months passed and still no site was available. But in October it was reported that a site near Redding School might be available. But when the Session made inquiries they were taken aback when agents for the owner of the ground demanded a price of £300 per acre. Not surprisingly the Session considered this price "excessive and practically prohibitive" so they cast their eyes elsewhere to a site known as "Channell Hole". But to no avail. There was no solution in sight by May 1903, so the Session returned to the site originally offered at £300 per acre. The feu was offered at £15 per acre but the Session refused to accept. Despite these difficulties plans for an iron church to seat 300 and to cost between £400-£420 were considered but no decision was taken although the Woman's Guild had £25 in hand to give to the Session towards the cost of Redding Mission Hall or Church. Unfortunately the Session had to shelve the matter although agreeing in principle that a hall or church for "the southern district of the parish" was required. The issue was re-opened in June 1904 when, after consideration of yet another site, the Session submitted plans for an iron church and a stone church. In November 1904, Dr Theodore Marshall, Convener of the General Assembly's Home Mission Committee, paid a personal visit to inspect the site, the school - and consult the people. Shortly afterwards the Session received the Committee's report intimating that it considered a place of worship desirable. Every assistance would be afforded the Session so after further discussion the Session opted for a stone church, although more expensive to build than an iron building. The views of the congregation were sought not at one congregational meeting but at several before plans for a stone building - to cost £730 according to an estimate submitted by a Grangemouth firm of architects - were approved. If furnishings, a boundary wall and so on were to be included in the price, the figure would rise to £850. The Home Mission Committee promised £250 and members of the congregation were asked what they were prepared to contribute. The sum of £100 was offered by the Nobels Explosive Company and only after due consideration of the ethics involved was the offer accepted. A further £150 was granted by the Baird Trust, £50 by the Duke of Hamilton, and £50 from the Woman's Guild.

Following a further dispute with the owner of the proposed site, the Session looked elsewhere - and came out of it with quite the best proposition so far. The owner of a site near the old quoiting ground at the east end of Redding village not only granted a feu but gifted the boundary wall on the north and west. But four years had elapsed by this time - and the church wasn't completed until the summer of 1907. During the building of the church several disputes between the builder and the architect forced the Session at one stage to threaten the builder with legal action. The dedication service was conducted on Sunday, June 9, 1907, by Polmont's former minister - the Rev Dr P McAdam Muir - then minister of Glasgow Cathedral who became Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1910.