St. Andrew’s Kirk,which is already linked with Rhu and Shandon Parish Church, and Park Church will merge after the Park Church congregation voted in favour 38-21, as did the congregations at St Andrew’s, Rhu and Shandon and Cardross Parish Church.

Only 59 members of the 400 member Park Church congregation turned out for their meeting after worship on Sunday, November 23 when Reverend Ian Miller, interim moderator at St. Andrew’s Kirk and Ian McLean from Church of Scotland business planning answered questions.

The Church of Scotland has proposed the union, and the final decision will be made by the Presbytery of Dumbarton on December 2.

Under the new plans, the church and halls of Park Church will close and be ‘disposed’ of and the united congregation will worship in the present St Andrew’s Kirk. A Minister and Associate Minister will be employed full-time with some additional ministry through the Presbytery plan.

Reverend Miller welcomed the vote for the union and remains positive about the future of the Church of Scotland in Helensburgh.

He added: “Maybe at times the church doesn’t get everything right, we may do things a little quickly but this historic decision has been taken to make the Parish Church of Helensburgh.

“It is a new venture and a new church and I hope we can plan for the future.

“It’s an exciting time, I realise it is hurt for people, but I am sure with good will we can unite and move forward. At the meeting there was positivity from people who wish to be part of it, there’s much to look forward to and I think with the talented people of Park involved there is hope.” However, a few parishioners at Park Church were ‘deflated’ about the decision, as they wished to carry on as separate churches.

A Park Church member told the Advertiser: “The few parishioners I spoke to afterwards were just deflated – game over – we will be swallowed up by the bigger church the same as St Columbas.

“You only need to go onto the Church of Scotland website to see the vast array of old and disused churches and manses that are for sale, it is very sad.” And claims of a ‘cash crisis’ within St. Andrew’s Kirk for the funding of new halls have been dismissed. When members of St Columba and the West Kirk merged in 2011 to form the 1,000-strong congregation of St Andrew’s Kirk, the existing halls of the Colquhoun Street church were deemed ill-equipped and a fund raising campaign was spearheaded by the now retired Rev David Clark and Rev George Vidits – who recently resigned.

£1.8 million was needed to complete the work on the new halls, and work started earlier this year and is progressing well.

But with the news of a proposed union between St. Andrew’s Kirk and Helensburgh’s Park Church – which would result in the sale of Park Church, manse and its halls – Park Church members hit out in last week’s Advertiser claiming the union is due to a ‘financial nature’.

David Mitchell, chairman of the congregation board at St. Andrew’s Kirk, dismissed the claims of a funding shortfall.

He added: “They are completely mistaken, there is no funding shortfall.

“We still have events taking place to continue the fund raising for the church.”