Ellon
Ellon is a town of over 10,000 people located approx. 16 miles north of Aberdeen. It is a friendly, vibrant and busy community with many different groups working and meeting the different needs in the town. It has in the past been a particularly fluid community given its proximity to Aberdeen and the oil industry.
The Church
1984 – 1988 Ellon Baptist Church was founded in 1984 under the leadership[ of Rev. Loren Turnage as a church plant from Bridge of Don Baptist Church and was constituted on 5th April 1987 with 30 members. Loren left in May 1987 and the church was run by its members. A vacancy committee was set up and an American PhD student, Paul Wolfe, provided pastoral leadership for the next 18 months prior to the call of the first full-time pastor, the late Rev George Campbell in late 1988. At the time the church had around 40 members and about 75 regular adherents and met in Ellon Primary School.
1988 – 1994 – Rev Campbell served the church until 1991 before leaving due to ill-health. The church was again run by its members with Brian Rosner, a deacon at EBC and lecturer at the University of Aberdeen, providing temporary leadership until a full-time pastor could be called.
1994 – 2001 – Rev John Jamieson was called and took up the charge as minister in June 1994. Rev Jamieson served the church until late 2001. The church was grant-aided in his first year but has been self-sufficient since 1995. In 1999 a review of the constitution saw a change from closed to open membership, a position to which the church continues to be committed.
2002 – 2008 – Following a time of vacancy the late Rev Stuart Falconer was appointed and served the church from 2002 until April 2009, before retiring due to ill-health. During Rev Falconer’s service in Ellon God blessed the church both spiritually and numerically and the congregation grew to over 80 in the morning. The church moved from Ellon Academy to the (Church of Scotland owned) Kirk Centre in the morning around 2005.
2008 – 2013 – Rev James Clarke, who retired to the area, became interim pastor in December 2008, Jim served voluntarily without pay thus enabling the church to start to realise their vision for the future and set up a Building Fund in 2011. During this time the church moved back to Ellon Academy and saw an increase in membership and congregation with 11 new members added and over 20 baptised in the same period.
2014 – PRESENT – William Butchart was invited to become our minister in March 2014 and a service of Ordination and Induction was held on 21st June. Since William’s arrival the church has commenced new ministries (see WHAT’S ON?), has taken on a five year lease of a local council owned hall (see Ythan Centre – our leased home) and has gained planning permission for a new building of our own (see EBC BUILDING PROJECT). We are excited about where God is leading and what He has planned for us ahead.
WORSHIP & MUSIC
Worship in Ellon Baptist Church is a mix of the traditional and contemporary and the church is served by a variety of instruments including keyboard, guitar, recorder, cajon etc as well as several gifted singers.