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The Steeple church was formed by the union of The Steeple church and Old St Paul's' and St David's and Wishart Memorial church on the 12 October 1978. The Steeple as it was in 1978 had been formed by the union of St Clement's (Steeple) and St Enoch's on 11 June 1963. Old St Paul's and St David's and Wishart Memorial church was formed by the union of Old St Paul's and St David's church and Wishart Memorial on 15 October 1975. Old St Paul's and St David's church was formed by the union of Old St Paul's church and St David's church on 28 May 1947.
The Steeple church is in the Presbytery of Dundee, which was in the synod of Angus and Mearns until the abolition of synods in 1992.
St Clement's (Steeple) Church: The Fifth Charge of Dundee opened on 16 May 1789 and was named The Steeple Church. The charge's place of worship was the church on the site of the medieval St Mary's Church. The church was a collegiate church under the General Kirk Session of Dundee. On 3 December 1834 the parish of St Clement's was disjoined from St Mary's and The Steeple church was renamed St Clement's (Steeple) church and met in the medieval building near to City Square.The Steeple: Following the union of The Steeple and St Clement's (Steeple) in 1963 to form the new church of The Steeple, The St Clement's (Steeple) building was retained as the place of worship. The charge continued to use St Enoch's church for the first year while reconstruction work was carried out to St Clement's (Steeple) church. In 1964 the congregation moved into the former St Clement's (Steeple) church building and St Enoch's was demolished.
St Enoch's: On 5 February 1865 the Free Church of Scotland established a preaching station to cater for members of the Free St John's congregation who had left due to a disagreement. They were joined by some former members of the Dudhope Free church and worshipped in the Thistle Hall, Union Street. The charge was sanctioned in 1866 and moved into the School Wynd church in the same year. St Enoch's church building opened on 4 January 1874. On 1 June 1874 St Enoch's congregation followed their minister back into to the Church of Scotland.
Old St Paul's: From 1609 the Third Charge of Dundee occupied part of St Mary's Church. On 3 December 1834 the parish of St Paul's was disjoined from St Mary's. Following the union of the Church of Scotland with the United Free Church in 1929 the congregation became known as Old St Paul's.
St David's: On 18 June 1823 the parish of St David's was established to provide for an increase in the population. A chapel in North Tay Street dating from 1800 was bought by subscribers for the congregation. The building was enlarged in 1823 and renovated in 1883. At the Disruption on 1843 the majority of the congregation left the Established Church and formed a secessional church.
Old St Paul's and St David's: Following the union of Old St Paul's and St David's in 1947 the buildings of Old St Paul's were chosen as the congregation's place of worship and were subsequently renovated.
Wishart Memorial: A petition subscribed to by members of the three United Secession churches in Dundee (School Wynd, Bell Street and Tay Square) requested a fourth congregation in the East of Dundee. On 30 August the charge was established by Synod. The congregation called the Fourth Congregation, Dundee, met in the Caledonian Hall, Castle Street. Wishart Church, Cowgate was built in 1841 and in 1844 the minister of the Fourth Congregation applied to join the Free Church and the congregation occupied Wishart Church. The celebrated Mary Slessor, missionary in Calabar, West Africa attended this church. An offshoot of Wishart Memorial church was established as Park church in 1880. A new church for the Wishart congregation was opened in King Street on 12 September 1901. Wishart United Presbyterian became Wishart United Free in 1900, Wishart Memorial United Free in 1901 and Wishart Memorial in 1929.
Old St Paul's and St David's and Wishart Memorial: Following the union of Old St Paul's and St David's church and Wishart Memorial in 1975, the former church's buildings were retained as the new congregation's meeting place. The union of 1975 made provision for a later union with The Steeple church to be made when that minister retired in 1978.
The Steeple: Following the union of Old St Paul's and St David's and Wishart Memorial church and The Steeple church in 1978, the united charge retained the Steeple building as the place of worship and the other building was converted into the Mary Slessor Centre, a missionary base. |