Members of The Arts Society (or NADFAS, as it was then known), in association with the Victoria and Albert Museum have been recording the furnishings of churches since 1971.

Over 1900 churches have been recorded, but relatively few in Scotland. In 2014, with the agreement of the Minister, Rev. Roddy Hamilton, Evelyn Bryson initiated the recording of New Kilpatrick Parish Church, Bearsden (an ‘A listed’ building dating back to 1649) by volunteers of our society led by Peter Spencer Davies and Meg Macfarlane. It was completed in July 2019. Click here to view the Gallery.

During the survey, details of the memorials, stonework, metalwork, woodwork, textiles, church records and the magnificent collection of 41 stained glass windows were recorded in great detail. This was followed by research to determine the dates, makers and associated history of each item, taking advantage of the wealth of information now available on the internet.

Assistance in this was given both by members of the society and by members of the church congregation, making it a very inclusive collaborative undertaking. High resolution photographs of the most significant items were taken. Finally, the record was formatted according to the strict rules laid down by the Arts Society, by Margaret Martin, a member of the church’s Heritage Forum.

The completed record was printed by the Glasgow firm of Bell and Bain, before the hardbound copy was presented to the Minister by the co-leaders, at a special Sunday service. Digital copies of the record were lodged, as required, with the V and A Museum and various designated heritage and archive organisations. In a break with tradition and in recognition of the extensive help that had been given by members of the congregation, soft-bound copies of the record were also made available for purchase.

The Church Record was subsequently shortlisted for a prestigious Arts Society/Marsh Christian Award for Volunteering.