Editing Arbroath (section)

==Places of worship==
[[File:Old and Abbey Parish Church - geograph.org.uk - 1152028.jpg|thumb|The Old and Abbey Parish Church]]
Twelve denominations spread over twenty two places of worship are listed for Arbroath in a survey of Scotland published in 1884; all bar The Old Church are described as "modern".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Groome |first1=Francis Hindes |title=Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland: A survey of Scottish topography, statistical, biographical, and historical |volume=I |date=1884 |publisher=Thomas C Jack |location=Edinburgh |page=57 |url=https://digital.nls.uk/gazetteers-of-scotland-1803-1901/archive/97369810}}</ref> Only a handful of these remain in use as places of worship. Some redundant church buildings have been demolished but alternative uses have been found for others, including The Old Church, the United Presbyterian Erskine Church in Commerce Street and the High Street and Brothock Bridge United Free Churches.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Places of Worship in Arbroath and St Vigeans Parish in Tayside Region |url=http://www.scottishchurches.org.uk/sites/places/region/Tayside/parish/Arbroath+and+St+Vigeans |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706095642/http://scottishchurches.org.uk/sites/places/region/Tayside/parish/Arbroath+and+St+Vigeans |url-status=dead |archive-date=6 July 2011 |access-date=2023-02-12 |website=Places of Worship in Scotland }}</ref>

=== Church of Scotland ===
The Old and Abbey Church is in the centre of town on West Abbey Street. Formerly known as the Abbey Church, its name was changed on uniting with the Old Parish Church after the latter's closure in 1990. Abbey Church was originally built as a [[chapel of ease]] to the Old Parish Church in 1797 and was greatly extended in 1876–8 with the addition of the tower and [[Gothic architecture|Gothic style]] front facade.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Arbroath Old and Abbey Parish Church |url=http://scottishchurches.org.uk/sites/site/id/9430/name/Arbroath+Old+and+Abbey+Parish+Church+Arbroath+and+St+Vigeans+Tayside |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160604165030/http://www.scottishchurches.org.uk/sites/site/id/9430/name/Arbroath+Old+and+Abbey+Parish+Church+Arbroath+and+St+Vigeans+Tayside |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 June 2016 |access-date=9 February 2023 |website=Places of Worship in Scotland }}</ref><ref>[http://www.old-and-abbey-church.org.uk/ Old and Abbey Church, Arbroath], www.old-and-abbey-church.org.uk; Retrieved 12 December 2008</ref>
[[File:Arbroath West Kirk.jpg|thumb|Arbroath West Kirk]]
[[St Andrew's Parish Church, Arbroath|St Andrew's]] is in Hamilton Green, and the minister is Rev. Dr. [[Martin Fair]] with associate minister Rev. Stuart Irvin.<ref>[http://www.arbroathstandrews.org.uk/ St Andrews Church, Arbroath], www.arbroathstandrews.org.uk; Retrieved 12 December 2008.</ref> Dr Fair was [[Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland]] in 2020–2021; the only time that a minister of a congregation in Arbroath has held the position.<ref name="Fair">{{Cite web |last=Strachan |first=Graeme |date=25 December 2020 |title=Rev Dr Martin Fair: Angus-based moderator's 'year like no other' in new role |url=https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/past-times/1838248/rev-martin-fair-church-christmas/ |url-access=limited |access-date=5 February 2023 |website=The Courier}}</ref>

The West Kirk in Keptie Street was opened as St Margaret's Chapel of Ease in 1879 and upgraded to a parish church in 1886. The height of the tower was doubled in 1903 by the addition of two storeys, a parapet and pinnacles.<ref>{{Cite news |date=17 December 1903 |title=St Margaret's Parish Church Tower Dedication Service |pages=3 |work=Arbroath Herald |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]]}}</ref> St Margaret's changed its name to Arbroath West Kirk in 1990 when joined by the members of Ladyloan St Columba's following that church's closure.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History |url=https://www.arbroathwestkirk.org/about/history/ |access-date=9 February 2023 |website=Arbroath West Kirk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Welcome to Arbroath West Kirk |url=http://www.arbroathwestkirk.org.uk/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110904064041/http://www.arbroathwestkirk.org.uk/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1 |archive-date=4 September 2011 |access-date=28 August 2008 |website=Arbroath West Kirk}}</ref> Falling attendances at Knox's Church lead to its congregation uniting with West Kirk in 2019 and the site in Howard Street being put up for sale.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Knox's Church and Hall, Arbroath |url=http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/58496/Final_Schedule-_Knox_Church.pdf |access-date=5 February 2023 |website=The Church of Scotland |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190715020013/http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/58496/Final_Schedule-_Knox_Church.pdf |archive-date=15 July 2019}}</ref> Knox's Church was built in 1866 and linked with [[St Vigeans Church]], [[St Vigeans]] in 1983.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Knox's Church, Arbroath |url=http://www.scottishchurches.org.uk/sites/site/id/7868/name/Knox%27s+Church,+Arbroath+Arbroath+and+St+Vigeans+Tayside |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220706030531/http://scottishchurches.org.uk/sites/site/id/7868/name/Knox%27s+Church%2C+Arbroath+Arbroath+and+St+Vigeans+Tayside |url-status=dead |archive-date=6 July 2022 |access-date=5 February 2023 |website=Places of Worship in Scotland }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Knox's Church, Arbroath |url=http://www.knoxschurch.org/index.html |access-date=7 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726234816/http://www.knoxschurch.org/index.html |archive-date=26 July 2011}}</ref>

=== Other congregations ===
[[File:Arbroath, St Thomas Of Canterbury R.C. Church.jpg|thumb|St Thomas Of Canterbury]]
There is an [[Scottish Episcopal Church|Episcopalian]] congregation based at [[Church of St Mary the Virgin, Arbroath|St Mary the Virgin Church]] in Springfield Terrace. The minister is Rev. Peter Mead.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Arbroath, St Mary the Virgin |url=http://www.thedioceseofbrechin.org/churches/entry/arbroath-st-mary-the-virgin |access-date=10 February 2023 |website=The Diocese of Brechin}}</ref> St Mary's Church evolved from a meeting house set up in 1694 by Episcopalians forced out of Arbroath Parish Church. The present church building dates from 1854.<ref name="Records of St. Mary's">{{Cite web |title=Records of St. Mary's Church, Arbroath. |url=http://134.36.1.31/dserve.exe?&dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqCmd=show.tcl&dsqDb=Catalog&dsqPos=0&dsqSearch=((text)='worshipped') |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130602062646/http://134.36.1.31/dserve.exe?&dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqCmd=show.tcl&dsqDb=Catalog&dsqPos=0&dsqSearch=((text)='worshipped') |url-status=dead |archive-date=2 June 2013 |work=Archive Services Online Catalogue |publisher=[[University of Dundee]] |access-date=15 February 2013}}</ref> The Scottish Episcopal Church in Arbroath is part of the [[Diocese of Brechin (Episcopalian)|Diocese of Brechin]].

St Thomas of Canterbury [[Roman Catholic Church in Scotland|Roman Catholic Church]] is in Dishlandtown Street. The church opened in 1848 and has distinctive twin octagonal and crenellated front towers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=St Thomas of Canterbury RC Church, Arbroath |url=http://www.angus.gov.uk/doorsopen/arb-stthomas-rcchurch.htm |publisher=[[Angus Council]] |date=8 September 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130618234150/http://www.angus.gov.uk/doorsopen/arb-stthomas-rcchurch.htm |archive-date=18 June 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=St Thomas of Canterbury Church, Arbroath |url=http://www.scottishchurches.org.uk/sites/site/id/4500/name/St+Thomas+of+Canterbury+Church,+Arbroath+Arbroath+and+St+Vigeans+Tayside |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531041749/http://scottishchurches.org.uk/sites/site/id/4500/name/St+Thomas+of+Canterbury+Church%2C+Arbroath+Arbroath+and+St+Vigeans+Tayside |url-status=dead |archive-date=31 May 2022 |access-date=2023-02-11 |website=Places of Worship in Scotland }}</ref> The priest is the Rev. Fr. Andrew Marshall and the church is part of the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Dunkeld]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=St Thomas of Canterbury, Arbroath |url=https://www.dunkelddiocese.co.uk/st-thomas-of-canterbury-arbroath/ |access-date=11 February 2023 |website=Diocese of Dunkeld |language=en-GB}}</ref> The parish includes a primary school which celebrated its 150th anniversary in 1998.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.st-thomas.angus.sch.uk/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060313085016/http://www.st-thomas.angus.sch.uk/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 March 2006 |title=St Thomas RC Primary School }}</ref>

[[St John's Methodist Church, Arbroath|St John's Methodist Church]] in Ponderlaw was opened and preached in by John Wesley in 1772<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rogal |first=Samuel J |url=https://archive.org/details/johnwesleysmissi0000roga/page/184/mode/2up?view=theater |title=John Wesley's mission to Scotland, 1751-1790 |year=1988 |isbn=0889460701 |pages=184 |access-date=10 February 2023}}</ref> and since the closure of Dunbar Methodist Church has been the oldest Scottish Methodist Church still used for worship.<ref>{{HEScotland |desc=St. John's Methodist Church, 15 Ponderlaw Street |num=LB21147 |access-date=10 February 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ritchie |first=Cameron |date=18 May 2021 |title=Bid to breathe new life into historic church building |url=https://www.eastlothiancourier.com/news/18617847.bid-breathe-new-life-historic-church-building/ |access-date=10 February 2023 |website=East Lothian Courier |language=en}}</ref> The original church building is octagonal and situated behind a vestibule added in 1882.<ref>{{Cite web |title=St John's Methodist Church, Arbroath |url=http://scottishchurches.org.uk/sites/site/id/4498/name/St+John%27s+Methodist+Church,+Arbroath+Arbroath+and+St+Vigeans+Tayside |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304031915/http://www.scottishchurches.org.uk/sites/site/id/4498/name/St+John%27s+Methodist+Church,+Arbroath+Arbroath+and+St+Vigeans+Tayside |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 March 2016 |access-date=10 February 2023 |website=Places of Worship in Scotland }}</ref>

Other groups that worship in Arbroath include the Arbroath Corps of the Salvation Army, which meets in Marketgate; the Elim Pentecostal Church, which meets in Ogilvy Place; the Jehovah's Witnesses, who meet at the Kingdom Hall in Burnside Drive;<ref>{{Cite web |title=Find a Meeting |url=https://apps.jw.org/ui/E/meeting-search.html#/weekly-meetings/search/E/Arbroath,%20UK/56.559107,-2.591543/@56.556567,-2.598527,14z/detail?id=6409C03E-29DF-4F75-8245-E50AE286B871 |access-date=2023-02-11 |website=apps.jw.org}}</ref> the Springfield Christian Assembly, which meets in the Gospel Hall in Ponderlaw Lane<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.springfieldgospelhall.org/ |title=Springfield Gospel Hall |access-date=12 December 2008}}</ref> and the Arbroath Town Mission on Grant Road, an interdenominational group  established in 1849 and led by Dr Robert Clapham for sixty years, until 2010.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History |url=http://www.arbroathmission.org/history.html |access-date=2023-02-11 |website=Arbroath Town Mission |language=en}}</ref> The independent, non-denominational Life Church meet in the former St Vigeans Chapel of Ease in James Street.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Life Church Arbroath {{!}} About Us |url=https://lifechurcharbroath.com/about |access-date=2023-02-11 |website=lifechurcharbroath.com}}</ref> The church building dates from 1828 and became Inverbrothock Parish Church in 1855.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Arbroath (Angus) |url=https://www.ancestor.abel.co.uk/Angus/Arbroath.html |access-date=11 February 2023 |website=www.ancestor.abel.co.uk}}</ref> The parish was dissolved in 1977.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Arbroath Inverbrothock Baptist Church |url=http://www.scottishchurches.org.uk/sites/site/id/4496/name/Arbroath+Inverbrothock+Baptist+Church+Arbroath+and+St+Vigeans+Tayside |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230211004458/http://www.scottishchurches.org.uk/sites/site/id/4496/name/Arbroath+Inverbrothock+Baptist+Church+Arbroath+and+St+Vigeans+Tayside |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 February 2023 |access-date=10 February 2023 |website=Places of Worship in Scotland }}</ref>