30 October 2025

On Sunday past, I conducted morning worship in Carnbee Parish Church. It is in an idyllic location looking south across agricultural land to the Forth. It has a graveyard surrounding it, a plaque celebrating  Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee and a War Memorial.

The day was dull and the interior not well lit. The exceptions are  the reader’s lectern, the pulpit and the Holy Table. They are all illuminated  with  amply lit lamps. There were ten worshippers. Most sat  in pews near the front. The organist was accompanied by her husband and right at the back a solitary worshipper.

There are two redeeming features. The first is an outstanding acoustic. I don’t think I have been in any other church where the acoustic made praying, reading and preaching so effortless. It seemed as if the dimensions and furnishings were designed to provide such rich  communication.

The second is the pulpit with its elegant staircase and wood panelling. Climbing the stairs was a memorable experience in itself. I suspect that many on the preaching rota do not avail themselves of this pleasure. For the stairs like the pulpit and its  panelling were designed by Robert Lorimer who lived in nearby Castle Kellie.

Right behind the preacher is an exquisite sculpture. In the centre is the pelican with her young. She is a symbol of the  Christ who sacrifices her own blood to give life to her young. On either side there is foliage, berries and beautifully carved song birds.

The kirk is to be sold. How will the Lorimer sculpture be preserved?  It would be expensive to remove and that’s a consideration. For now, the memory of that worship space lingers – the few bearing faithful witness to centuries of kirk worship, passing into obscurity as they stand sentinel  at the very gate of heaven.