Members of a congregation in North Glasgow claim they've been "bullied into a corner" over the closure of their church.
After a process lasting over 20 years, three churches in Springburn will merge to form one single congregation, while one church will close.
The Church of Scotland (CoS) has said this is part of the wider plan for the city's places of worship, but some within the area say they feel like they've been left without a choice.
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Tron St Mary’s, Coston Wellpark, and Springburn Parish churches will be amalgamated following discussions which started in the early 2000s.
The key formal steps in concluding the process have taken place between 2024 and now.
In 2024, the CoS announced that Colston Wellpark would close, to the shock of the congregation, some of whom said, “We felt the rug was kind of pulled from under our feet.”
One member, who wished to remain anonymous, added: "The three congregations really haven’t had any or much input on this.
“We’ve been kind of almost like bullied and pushed into the corner where it feels like if we said yes or no, it wouldn’t matter, they were going to do it anyway.
"It feels like we were pushed into it without being listened to and spoken to rather than spoken with.”
The Colston congregation insisted they weren't "building worshipers," but felt their church, which opened in 1915, was "doomed from the start."
Every congregation agreed it has been an "emotional time" with the departure of Rev Rhona Graham from Tron St Mary's Church and the more recent departure of Rev Brian Casey from Springburn Parish Church.
The members we spoke with admitted that, following the merger, they wouldn't be planning to attend the new united church.
Churchgoers we spoke to said the congregational rolls for Colston Wellpark and Tron St Mary's were "around 80," while Springburn Parish Church had "just under 200."
A source within the CoS said: "It's happening across Glasgow, the bottom 5% of churches, deprivation-wise, used to be kept open and be subsidised by wealthier parishes.
"They're basically keeping the wealthier churches and turning their back on the poor."
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St Mary’s, a 20-minute walk from Springburn Parish Church, will remain open for at least two years to allow community projects to continue operating from the building.
One member of St Mary’s congregation said: “I’ve just resigned myself to it, and accepted that it’s shutting, to be honest.
“I just want to go to church on a Sunday, so I’ll make the extra journey across, but it won’t really change much for me.
"It would’ve been nice to keep the church here open, though, at least the community aspect is staying."
Tron St Mary's previous minister, Rev Rhona Graham, is now a minister for Carntyne and Cranhill Parish Church in the East End.
A Springburn Parish Church member, who admitted to only attending a few times a year, said: “I don’t go often enough to have an opinion to be honest, but I hope that everyone doesn’t mind making the journey and is welcomed.
“I always chose to go there because of reverend Brian; he was always really welcoming, and he’ll be missed now that he’s moved on.”
The CoS confirmed the amalgamation to the Glasgow Times. A spokesperson said: “Springburn Parish Church in Glasgow is an active place of worship and services are conducted there every Sunday, and the full range of activities and ministry are provided.
“Under the terms of the Presbytery of Glasgow’s Mission Plan, the congregation will, in the future, unite with Colston Wellpark Church and Tron St Mary’s Church, and a new congregation will be formed and meet in the Springburn building for worship and other activities.
“The Tron St Mary’s building will be retained for community purposes, and outreach, and the Colston Wellpark building will be disposed of at some stage in the future."
Have a story or been affected by this one? Get in touch at donald.erskine@newsquest.co.uk
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