The Story of St Oswald’s
The story of St Oswald’s began some time before 1931, it began really with
the Home Mission Board’s “The Million Shilling Scheme” launched in the
1920’s to provide mission churches in six of the new housing areas which
grew up around Glasgow in those years.
On the 25 April 1931, Sir William Raeburn, Bart., of Helensburgh, laid the
foundation stone, and the Bishop of St Andrew’s (the Rt Revd E. T. S. Reid,
D. D.) conducted the service.
The first celebration of Holy Communion in the original hall-church built for
St Oswald’s congregation was on the Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity, 6
September 1931 and the service being conducted by the new Bishop of the
Diocese, the Right Reverend J.R. Darbyshire, while the Bishop of St
Andrew’s preached the sermon.
The records show that more than a hundred people failed to gain admission
for the service and that many of those who did get inside the new hall-
church, had to stand for the whole service. In the early years there were
three curates and during Revd Wilson’s ministry a house was purchased in
Kings Park Avenue to serve as the first parsonage. In 1937 Revd James M
Bishop became the Curate-in-Charge. He had been a member of St
Margaret’s Newlands congregation. His old Rector, Canon Petrie, wrote in
the parish magazine:
“The thought of St. Oswald’s fills one’s mind, and visions of its future rise up,
chiefly the vision of the beautiful Church of St Oswald’s to be erected
alongside the Hall, and that vision must never be allowed to become dim or
lost sight of “
During Revd Bishop’s tenure the congregation took on more debt and built
the wooden building to house the organisations. At the beginning of the war
in 1939, the congregation still owed the Diocese £1,100 which was cleared
in 1943. Two manual pipe organs were added in 1942. Revd Bishop left in
1949 (died 1954) and the congregation had collected £3000 towards a new
church.
You may be wondering why you are getting a potted history …………
Our recent visitors from the Servers Guild were very welcome to our Sunday
Eucharist. Over coffee Carol explained her link to St Oswald’s. From her
handbag she brought out a treasured piece of paper – it was her birth
certificate. She was happy to show it to people and it clearly showed that
Rev James Bishop had christened her here in the original - present 1931
church. Carol said she had lived in Croftfoot but moved away when she was
10 years old but was always interested in what was happening at St
Oswald’s Kings Park.
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