Transformed St Matthew’s church will be unveiled to the Perth public after its £875,000 rejuvenation that will see it become a hub for the entire city.
A service of re-dedication will take place on Sunday during which the fruits of many years of hard labour will have a chance to shine.
In addition to returning to the congregation their place of worship, the church will have a new life as a meeting place for all manner of community groups and venue for events.
The Reverend Scott Burton is more aware than any other just how close the church came to ruin, having been forced to issue an impassioned plea to the congregation and the city’s people in 2014, warning the Tay Street church was in danger of being lost if they did not help with fundraising.
The roof and spire were deteriorating to the point where they might no longer be safe and one wall bore a crack so deep that churchgoers could lose an arm up to the shoulder in it.
Beneath the floorboards, supporting joists had crumbled and the entire ecclesiastical building was subsiding into the Watergate.
It now boasts external disabled access, a café and lounge, a state of the art audio system and a flexible stage area.
Glass doors allow the church’s stained glass to be viewed from the street, while the First World War colours of The Black Watch, which hang in the main church, are now illuminated.
Stained glass has been conserved, new foundations laid, cracks filled and the roof and spire repaired.
Reverend Burton said: “The aim is to see the church utilised by any number of bodies and groups in the city as it is now a first class facility.
“A team of just four people has worked to secure money from funds all across the UK, have organised fundraising events and encouraged the congregation to give generously.
“It has been successful in that we have realised the majority of the vision we set out at the very beginning.
“There have been several fraught meetings to see where we could cut back, reducing the budget from £965,000 to £875,000, but we will complete this with no debt and no surplus.
“They have sustained this building for the future through a combination of hard work, planning, fundraising, physical labour and prayer and I will eternally grateful to everyone involved.
“I could not be more proud of what has been achieved.”
Reverend Burton praised the congregation who, in addition to digging deep, have endured months of disruption without complaint, worshipping in the church hall while work has been ongoing.
And he added: “St Matthews has always been a progressive and vibrant congregation and we will now be able to enhance that as we open our doors to anyone who can use our space.
“We are keen to hear from any user groups that want to use the facility as it now stands. All they need do is contact our church office.”
