Kirkcaldy church closes as merged churches set to worship under one roof

Templehall and Torbain Churches will become Kirkcaldy Hope Church from Sunday, September 3 with both congregations attending Torbain situated on Carron Place off Lindores Drive. The church in Templehall will no longer be used after 67 years of worship.

The changes come as the Church of Scotland reviews its estates across the country. Scotland which contains the radical proposals. It said the number of buildings, and ministers cannot be maintained, and up to 50 churches across Fife faced the threat of closure or merger.

Templehall and Torbain are the first in Kirkcaldy to unveil its plans for the future with a new identity. Since a union in February 2021 the merged church has been utilising both former church buildings under the name of Templehall and Torbain United Parish Church.

A series of thanksgiving services are being held throughout August marking the legacy of both former churches. These culminate on Sunday, August 27 at Templehall Church with services of closure at 11:00am and 6:00pm. Although Templehall will no longer serve as a church, the building will continue to serve the local community for the time being under the auspices of NHS Fife as the halls are being used as a vaccination centre.

The Rev Josh Milton, who was appointed in October 2022, said: “We envision Hope Church to be family-centred, offering a wide range of services and activities for all ages. Our aim is to create a church where relationships matter; creating a vibrant community dedicated to fostering meaningful relationships with God and with one another.

“Our aspiration is to be a relevant, contemporary, and practical church that deeply connects with our community through our unwavering commitment to the message of Christian faith. We will shortly be considering options for enhancing or replacing our Hope Church building as we eagerly anticipate becoming a beating heart for the community. Through this expansion, we will continue to serve and support those in need while fostering an inter-generational environment that embraces and nurtures every member of our church family."