Symington Parish Church

A Word From Symington's Minister

I was born and raised in North Shields - a true Geordie! At a time when unemployment in Tyneside was very high and the whole area had a depressed feel about it, I decided to leave home. I enlisted in the Queen Alexandra?s Royal Army Nursing Corps where I trained as a nurse. I met Rob, who was an Army medic, while stationed at the military hospital in Catterick Camp.

We married and almost immediately Rob was posted to Singapore, where we spent 3 wonderful years and where our first son Alister was born. We have 2 sons, Alister and Stewart, 4 grandchildren, Connor, Dean, Amber and Megan.

After leaving Army life, we settled in Dundee where Rob and I both worked in Ninewells Hospital. I had been raised in the Church of England and I found that on a Sunday morning it was just too much hassle to get two toddlers on a bus to the nearest Scottish Episcopal Church! I could almost fall out of bed into the nearest Church of Scotland and it was there I found my spiritual home! Many happy years were spent in teaching Sunday Club, Young Wives Club, Youth Fellowship, the eldership and so on.

Approaching 40, I began to feel the first 'calling' to Ministry. Too long a story but one which I am sure you will hear about in the coming years! I trained first as a reader and was licensed to conduct public worship. I then left nursing to go to St Mary?s College at St Andrew's, having been accepted as a candidate for full time ministry. And the rest as they say is history! After completing my first degree and serving a year as a probationer, I was called to Kirkliston, near Edinburgh. During my time there I undertook a Masters Degree. We both had a wonderful 12 years in Kirkliston and we both thought we would stay there until I retired! But God had other plans and so here we are. The future is an exciting one, and indeed challenging but one I embrace wholeheartedly. I am already feeling very much at home and so is Rob- although he has not yet had time for a round of golf!

Every blessing
Glenda Keating.

Services are held every Sunday morning at 10.30am and all visitors are made most welcome. More...

Rob Keating: kirkglen@btinternet.com

Tom Pearson: thomas@pearson422.fsnet.co.uk

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John W. Nimmo has written a history of Symington through the centuries. More...