A brief history …
St Oswald’s is a Scottish Episcopal Church within the Diocese of Glasgow & Galloway and
part of the worldwide Anglican Communion.
The church was consecrated in 1931 and was one of the churches founded under the Home
Mission Board’s “Million Shilling Scheme” launched in the 1920’s to provide mission
churches in six of the new housing areas growing up around Glasgow. St Oswald’s, which
had begun as a mission church with a priest-in-charge, was a daughter church of St
Margaret’s Newlands.
The fourth curate-in-charge was very concerned to build up the congregation to the point at
which the Church could become a full incumbency rather than a mission church. He was
successful in this and St Oswald’s was granted the status of Independent Mission in 1945
and became an incumbency the following year. In 1951 the congregations had collected
£3000 towards the cost of building a new church.
The second Rector was the Rev Alastair I.M. Haggart who later was Bishop of Edinburgh
and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church. During his incumbency the boundaries of the
parish was increased in size by the growth of Castlemilk and Simshill housing estates and
the congregation increased in numbers accordingly. Rev Haggart left in 1960 and under his
successor Rev Leslie Green that a new and larger church was built. The new church,
designed to look vaguely like a fort, was dedicated in September 1966 by the then Bishop of
Glasgow and Galloway, Francis Moncrieff. Among its interesting features was the stone altar
in the side-chapel, which was gifted by the Trustees of the Catholic Apostolic churches in
Glasgow.
In 2002 the deconsecrating and demolition of the 1966 modern church took place.
The church was replaced by a small estate of townhouses. Between 1966 and 2002 the 1931 church was used as the main hall. There was also a wooden hall with stage to the rear of the building. It was damaged by fire and was demolished for safety reasons leavingus with spacious grounds occasionally used as a carpark. The Bishop of Glasgow and Galloway attended and carried out the reconsecration of the red-sandstone 1931 church as a sacred and spiritual space.
Between 1986 and 1998 St Oswald’s was served by two fulltime Rectors.
From 1998 – 2018 we have been served by several part-time and one full-time Priest.
The sacristy area in 1931 was in the west end of the church. In 2002 the opportunity was taken to ensure the present congregation was facing east and this is where they meet today. The three east windows are faux stain glass designed by the late Mr G Taggart, Head of Art.
St Oswald’s also has a stain glass War Memorial windowremembering four members of the congregation who fell in the second world war.
The flags of St Oswald’s Brownie, Guides and Scout companies were once laid up at the west end of the church. These have now been taken down and are being stored as these young people’s groups have now closed.
The Eagle Lectern recently arrived at St Oswald’s from St Mungo’s SEC in Alexandria, which was closing. When St. Oswald’s first opened in 1931 we had an eagle lecturn, however this was disposed of in 1966 (it was rehoused at Holy Trinity and St. Barnabas, Paisley).
A Gallery …