Following the death of George Gilfillan in 1878, his congregation in School Wynd, now numbering over 600, turned to a young minister named David Macrae to begin charting a new course for the church.

(THE FOLLOWING IS ADAPTED FROM THE GMCC CENTANARY PROGRAMME)

Rev. Macrae at the time was in the midst of a struggle with the United Presbyterian Church over doctrines which he felt did not accurately reflect the God of Love found in the pages of Scripture. The people of the School Wynd church, however, were determined to have him as their next pastor, and as such decided to leave the denomination and form a new church which would “seek fellowship with and co-operate with all those who are working for the advancement of truth and the furtherance of God’s kingdom.”

Thus Gilfillan Memorial Church was born.

At his induction, Rev. Macrae spoke with passion:

“We are not organising on the grounds of antagonism to one dogma or another. We are organising on the grounds of positive and saving truth. We shall fight, as every Christian Church is bound to fight, against everything that is seen to be false and mischievous in the Church or out of it…We are organising, I hope, as a Christian congregation for the purpose of rendering loyal service to every good cause.”

Words adopted in that year still form part of to the church’s constitution to this day:

This church is organised as a Christian church for the promotion of goodness and truth. It shall seek to fulfil its purpose through the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the worship of God in spirit and in truth, and the promotion and practice of a life of faith and purity, of loyalty to the truth, of temperance, brotherly kindness and charity.

In 1886 property was purchased on Whitehall Crescent in the Dundee city centre, and on 7th May 1887 Mrs Macrae laid the memorial stone at the main entrance. A year later the church was erected and the life and worship of Gilfillan Memorial Church entered a new season of fruitfulness.

Part of the vision for the church building was to provide space for social events that would provide an alternative to the usual Saturday night pursuits in public houses of the day. The design of the building was perfect for hosting concerts, recitals, and other presentations. Soon Gilfillan Memorial was home to magic lantern shows, musical evenings, and lectures by famous speakers, including Charles Dickens.

A hallmark of the early church was a friendly atmosphere, a quality which continues into the present. One local newspaper of the day described the feeling in the church hall using these words:

“Neighbour salutes neighbour with a hearty ‘good morning,’ there is friendly hand-shaking, and a hum of conversation. Although such conduct is unusual in more conventional congregations, it is certainly not unseemly and is not to be wondered at in this liberty-loving congregation.”

Another key component of the congregation’s life since the beginning has been a commitment to help the needy in our city, leading to the formation of the Church Benevolent Fund and other ministries over the decades. Today the church offers ministry to the community through programs like our parent/toddler group and a Friday drop-in for struggling individuals provided in partnership with Bethany Christian Trust.

Like in all churches, the years since have seen a number of crises and controversies as our culture shifts and changes, but these commitments to service, liberty, and fellowship have been and remain a central part of Gilfillan Memorial Church.