Arrochar Parish Church The Story So Far
		From the Helensburgh Advertiser of 2nd. June, 2002 Praying for a Miracle Parishioners of a 140 year old lochside church are praying for a miracle ... One that will not only give them enough money to save their decaying building but also bring in new members. For the architecturally listed Arrochar Church has deteriorated so much and the numbers attending dwindled by so many that the parish is in danger of becoming extinct altogether. This week they begin a double appeal - for more members and for much needed finance. The church has already been given a "stay of execution" although a number of options on its future have been suggested - and all would mean the demise of the parish in its present form. Problems for the parishioners began two and a half years ago when their minister left and the Rev. Euan Nichol took over, but only on condition that the church linked with Luss Parish Church whose minister retired. "A condition laid down by the Presbytery was that the new minister would live in Luss Manse, which needed improvements, and we would sell ours with the money used for the refurbishment," said Mr. Eric Davidson, Arrochar's Session Clerk. "We got about £60,000 for the sale of our manse and we thought that with the balance of the money we could improve our church." "But when we got an architect in to look at what needed done he said it would cost about £120,000 for repairs. So we are having to abandon, at the moment, any chance of putting the church right." The parishioners consulted Dumbarton Presbytery about their problems and they agreed to a first stage renovation programme - to improve the church hall at the rear where there were serious rotting problems. The hall has been completely gutted with the help of six young men from Tarbet and some church members. "The next stage is to approach the Presbytery for permission to put it back together by putting in a new floor and rewiring," continued Mr. Davidson. "It may be that when this is done it could double as a church and a multi-purpose hall." But the church's problems would still not be over as Mr. Davidson pointed out: "Even if an anonymous benefactor came along and gave us the money we need we have to show that the congregation is reviving." "The church has never more than about 25 people attending Sunday worship although there are 108 members and about 60 adherents." Several ideas have been suggested about the church's future and these include: selling it, with the possibility of having it turned into flats or try and have Dumbarton District Council use it for some purpose. "If, however, we put the church on the market without success we still have the responsibility for its safety," said Mr. Davidson. "The tower has been steadily deteriorating for some years and eventually it could become dangerous." "We hope that by the end of the year we will have the hall completed as we have enough money, about £20,000, for this work, but unless we generate funds the future will become bleaker and bleaker." "If we don't show the Presbytery and the Trustees of the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh that we are finding our own salvation they are not going to be very supportive." "The root of the problem is the commitment to the church, as there is a school of thought that we should cut our losses and close up." "But the hall is something tangible and we hope it will generate enough interest and that the church will grow." "One way of raising some money is having it open throughout  the summer and one of the stalwart members Mrs. Jessie Scott welcomes visitors and asks them for donations. They would also like to change their Sunday worship times so that tourists in the area would be able to attend.