Rev. Elizabeth Youngson moves to Aberdeen. Leith St Andrew’s Church of Scotland recently said a very regretful farewell to their minister of 6 years, Rev. Elizabeth Youngson, who returned to her roots in the North East to take up a new charge at St Machar’s Church in Aberdeen at the beginning of December 2011. She will be missed greatly in the wider Leith community as well as in her own church, having brought energy and a cheerful, ‘hands-on’ approach to ministry, particularly with children and young people – Messy Church in Leith St Andrew’s continues to go from strength to strength – as well as a thoughtful and innovative approach to worship.
Ian Gilmour moves ‘up the toon’. On Easter Sunday 2011, Rev. Ian Gilmour preached his last sermon at South Leith Parish Church, and said goodbye after 15 years of devoted service to the Church and wider community in Leith. Ian has moved to the joint charge of St Andrew’s and St George’s West in Edinburgh, and will without doubt offer the same ecumenical commitment there as he brought to Leith Churches Together during his time here.
For a number of years, Ian and others from South Leith have visited their neighbouring RC church, St Mary’s Star of the Sea, for the Good Friday ‘Stations of the Cross’ liturgy (St Mary’s visit South Leith in their turn for the Nine Lessons and Carols service at Christmas).
After the liturgy, St Mary’s entertained all of us to hot cross buns and tea, and Ian was presented with a farewell gift from St Mary’s. Fr. John and Fr. Denis paid tribute to Ian for his work in nourishing the relationship between the two churches.
Rev. Alex McAspurren welcomed to North Leith. Rev. Alex McAspurren was inducted to the charge of North Leith Parish Church in March 2011. Alex and his wife Louise come to us from Corby, Northamptonshire, where Alex was the minister of St Andrew’s Church of Scotland, but they are no strangers to Leith, as they spent some time here a few years ago.
Alex and Louise McAspurren
