A new minister has been appointed to Wellington Church of Scotland in Glasgow’s West End.
Rev Richard Baxter is originally from Northern Ireland and worked as a tax inspector before being called to the ministry.
He has served as minister for over 25 years in a number of parishes, most recently in Fort William, before taking up his new role as transition minister at Wellington.
Richard said: “The Transition ministry post at Wellington brings together many areas of interest which I have worked on locally and nationally over many years.
“The opportunity to help the congregation to transition to a new way of working while seeking to protect the most important aspects of their current work and the unique mission opportunities provided by their current location opposite the gates of the University of Glasgow are the key draws to bring me to this new role.
“First I have to become familiar with the people of Wellington, with its style, and to find out what already works, and where I can bring something new.
“A transition minister, like any minister, leads worship, provides pastoral care and seeks to further develop skills and leadership in a congregation.
“The additional element is a specific remit to help the congregation move through a major period of change which may involve relocating or reorganising in significant ways.
“Because the role has a five year time limit, it will be necessary for my feet to hit the ground running.
"I've already been impressed by the willingness of the Wellington people I have met to grasp honestly and creatively with the challenges the congregation faces, and I look forward to discovering where God is leading us in the time ahead.”
A transition minister, like any minister, leads worship, provides pastoral care and seeks to further develop skills and leadership in a congregation.
Rev Richard Baxter
Wellington church was designed by the architect Thomas Lennox Watson and built between 1883 and 1884 for the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland.
Its neoclassical portico with a colonnade of Corinthian columns in the style of an ancient Grecian temple make it a prominent city landmark.
