It's the finish of an period within the Glenkens.
Rev David Bartholomew has been the parish minister within the space for practically three many years.
However that got here to an finish final month when he gave his final service earlier than his retirement.
Greater than 100 folks from all 4 Glenkens church buildings – Balmaclellan, Carsphairn, Dalry and Kells – gathered in Dalry Church for his final service which was enriched by the Glenkens Choir – led by organist and choir grasp Geoff Davidson.
David and Heidi moved to the Manse in Dalry in 1994 the place their youngsters Fiona, Jamie and Stuart have been all born, raised and schooled.
In the course of the service, David reminisced about his time within the Glenkens, beginning together with his first communion service at Carsphairn, which was adopted later within the day by a splash to Cresswell Maternity for daughter Fiona’s start.
He and Heidi have been so touched by how delighted his new congregations have been to have a household within the Manse – they obtained greater than 200 playing cards which they nonetheless have at present. He pressured that he had all the time tried to be a minister to the entire inhabitants of the Glenkens, not simply church members – one parishioner identified afterwards that “David has all the time been there for everybody,” whether or not common churchgoers or not.
In addition to baptisms, weddings and funerals, there have been Sunday faculties, youngsters’s vacation golf equipment and social occasions reminiscent of quiz nights and beetle drives.
Members from every of the 4 church buildings gave private tributes which included recollections such because the Easter daybreak companies, carols by candlelight and an appreciation of David and Heidi having devoted such an enormous a part of their lives to the Glenkens communities.
On a lighter observe, it was remembered that at a Carsphairn’s Acquired Expertise night, David supplied an entertaining flip because the Rev
I M Jolly.
Different private touches throughout the service included a prayer and blessing written by Alan Sidaway and David leaving the church to a farewell march specifically composed for the event by Geoff Davidson.
After the service there was a buffet lunch in Dalry City Corridor and shows from all 4 church buildings with everybody having fun with the event.
When the pandemic hit, the assorted lockdowns included all locations of worship. David and Heidi rose to the problem and began recording and filming companies which have been uploaded onto YouTube and accessible to all. Heidi’s technical and photographic expertise supplied a surprising backdrop of the 800 sq kilometres of the Glenkens accompanied by inspirational music whereas David led the companies with prayer and Bible readings.
In addition to offering religious sustenance to Glenkens church-
goers, the movies allowed the great thing about the Glenkens and Galloway to be shared throughout the entire world. There at the moment are over 100 companies on the church YouTube channel for the years forward, a really magnificent legacy from the couple.