Calvary Chapel Glasgow
Pastor Matt and me at my Baptism
This is an article about the first Calvary Chapel I regularly attended. (I would still claim membership to this church as my home church, but have not been there since October 2007!) It was based in the city of Glasgow in Scotland, which is Scotland’s largest city and the hub of commercialism in Scotland.
Calvary Chapel Glasgow is a small church based in the Partick area of Glasgow. The church meets at a primary school called “Hyndland Primary School” on Fortrose Street in Glasgow. (Opposite the West of Scotland Cricket Club)
The church is led by Pastor Matt Mc Goldrick. Matt is originally from San Diego after studying at Calvary Chapel Bible College, Horizon School of Evangelism and serving at Calvary Chapel Bible College Europe. Matt has a real heart for the people of Scotland and in particular Glasgow.
Matt is married to Jenny and such a sweeter woman you could not meet (apart obviously from my wife) Jenny is originally from Alabama and is a typical Southern lass! She tries her best to learn Scottish words so with the Southern accent it sounds great!
This church has the following services on a weekly basis:
- Sunday Morning Service @ 11am @ Hyndland Primary School
- Salt & Light, Womens Bible Study @ Matt & Jennys house
- Thursday Night Bible Study @ Matt & Jennys house
The Sunday morning school has a children’s ministry staffed by volunteered and headed up by Jenny McGoldrick.
Matt & Jenny are very much into promoting the church as a community, so much so that in the last six months of my stay in Glasgow I moved into the West End of Glasgow to be closer to the church. It was certainly beneficial to our fellowship as we started up a Monday night coffee house meeting once a month for fellowship and I did some really intense discipling with Pastor Matt.
I would credit Pastor Matt with helping me make a change in my life and he certainly has been used by God. The church has new people on a regular basis and I pray for good and strong folks to come and help Pastor Matt with his evangelizing and the day to day stuff with the church.
Although the church is small by the world’s standards (as in attendee’s) the regular people who attend have a large impact on visitors, and from the moment when you walk in the door, you are greeted like you are an old friend and there is a genuine compassion for everyone who walks through the door. It is like watching a movement of God right before your eyes!
I have personal experience of this. When I first arrived at CCG I was a drunk non-Christian who would rather sleep than listen to the service and was generally disruptive. In the 2 and a bit years that I attended, I found a new love for Jesus Christ and I started to be a committed Christian.
I gave up alcohol and I got baptized in Loch Lomond on what I can only describe was the coldest day I have ever faced that did not involve snow. (Let me tell you that the water was freezing) Now I was never told that I needed to do this. This was done through a conviction of the Holy Spirit.
Although I was the trailblazer in coming to Calvary Chapel Glasgow, My parents go regularly and so does my cousin Dave Mac Vicar. I am very happy that they have decided to go there. They are also growing closer to God.
If you have a heart for Scotland and would like to do some missions work, then Glasgow is certainly a city that could use your prayers. Coming from the greater Glasgow area for a large percentage of my life, I know that the city has a lot of problems and I pray for God’s blessing on the city and the surrounding areas.
If you are in the Glasgow area and are interested in attending the church then please feel free to get in touch with Pastor Matt, the website is as follows. www.calvaryglasgow.com
DISCLAIMER: – This article was written without prior knowledge and its contents are not officially endorsed by Calvary Chapel Glasgow. I write this as a person with great love for this assembly, with fond memories of the church and its leadership.
