Welcome To St Cuthbert's Church !

I thought it might be good to let you know just a little about me and about the Denniston family..... 

I was ordained in 1981 into my first charge in Glasgow, the city in which I was born, raised, educated and married. There followed ministries in Fife and then in Perth. In all this, as also in the work I have done with the committees, boards and councils of the church, my deepest passions have been for worship, preaching and mission.  

But other interests also find their place. I am a keen fly-fisherman, enjoy hill-walking when I am able, have eclectic tastes in music.  

(Although - sad to say - I am mainlyan unreconstructed 1970's progressive rock fan!) I play guitar and bass guitar, and am an enthusiastic rugby supporter (indeed, I have just purchased my season ticket for Edinburgh Rugby!).

Jane (who is also an ordained minister and who works with the Ministries Council at 121 George Street) previously spent some years as an artist, although she presently has little time to develop this talent. In addition to her job, she is studying part-time for a for a Masters degree.  

We have three grown up children: Iain, who works with a computer games company in Leith and lives in Newhaven, Graeme, who has returned to full-time education and is at university in Glasgow, and Ruth who has been studying at the Galashiels campus of Heriot Watt, and who graduates in a few weeks time.  

It is a very real privilege for us to be part of the family of St Cuthbert's and I look forward to sharing with you in worship, fellowship, mission and congregational life. 

A few words to introduce myself as the new St Cuthberts' Assistant Minister..... 

It's a very attractive prospect to return to Edinburgh, even in a part-time capacity. I was brought up in the Newington district and have memories of the Edinburgh trams gathering speed down Minto Street to Craigmillar Park.  

My Edinburgh link resumed after a degree in Economics and a spell in the City of London doing Chartered Accountancy, when I went to New College to study for the Church of Scotland ministry. At that time I was living close to the Dean Bridge.  

My three children, who all work in London, went to boarding school in Edinburgh, after primary education in Moffat. So there is a real sense of returning to my roots. 

I served as Parish Minister of Moffat and Wamphray for almost 25 years and more recently as a Minister of the United Reformed Church in Richmond upon Thames and Thames Ditton in SW London. My ministerial life changed considerably after the Lockerbie "Air" Disaster in 1988, when I was the Presbytery Moderator. Following that momentous incident and other UK disasters in the 1980s, I was invited to represent the Faith Communities of the UK, in Civil Emergency Planning at the Home Office in London.  

This commitment, approved by the General Assembly, developed on a national and international level, which led to my appointment as Disaster Preparedness Consultant for the World Council of Churches, responsible for a project (with the UN and International Red Cross,) in central and eastern Europe after the break-up of the Soviet Union. This took me to 11 different countries from the Baltic States in the north, to Romania and Bulgaria in the south. As a result of deepening involvement in this work, plus extensive lecturing in the USA, Europe, and the UK, I changed my base from Scotland to London. Having recently completed a post graduate degree at Oxford University, I have now returned to Scotland, to live in my home in Moffat. 

For recreation I enjoy cricket, rugby, "social" golf, hill walking, and travel, especially to the small Greek islands. I try to keep fit through regular swimming at a Health Club and am now looking for a Scottish equivalent.  

I count it a great privilege to be able to share ministry with David and the congregation in all the opportunities provided at St Cuthbert's for worship, mission and pastoral care. Also I am particularly looking forward to increasing my circle of Edinburgh friends through my new responsibilities.  

I am delighted to have joined the team at St Cuthbert's after spending 18 years at Greyfriars Tolbooth & Highland Kirk, on the other side of the Castle. 

Following a degree in theology from Aberdeen University, I had intended either to teach, or to go into something related to the ministry. However, I spotted the advert for the post of Church Officer at Greyfriars, and thought it would make a suitable 'stepping stone'.  

As Church Officer, and for the past 14 years as Administrator, I was responsible for anything from boiler programming to organising the extensive programme of concert activities. I found the variety of tasks to be rewarding, although it was not always easy to ensure that all of the complex interweaving of church, community and the arts ran on an even keel all of the time. 

I was also heavily involved with setting up the Visitor Centre at Greyfriars, and for recruiting a team of volunteers to act as Welcomers, and Concert Stewards. 

For the past 8 years I have also thoroughly enjoyed my role as Deputy Assembly Officer for the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. One of my key tasks is to sound the gong when the Lord High Commissioner approaches the long flight of steps up to the Assembly Hall! This is a fascinating role which gives a wonderful insight into the behind-the-scenes workings of the highest Court in the Church. 

In my spare time I enjoy, rugby, photography and travel.  

Our contact details are: 

The Parish Church of St Cuthbert
5 Lothian Road
Edinburgh EH1 2EP
Scotland, UK 

Telephone : 0131-229 1142
Fax : 0131-221 0899

A more comprehensive list of all our e-mail addresses and telephone numbers, can be found HERE