North Berwick in East Lothian South of Edinburgh- part of our deaf parish
Church Services
- Albany Deaf Church, -Trust Housing Association 28 Montrose Terrace (corner of Montrose Terrace and London Road), Edinburgh- Sundays 11.15am
- 7 Slateford Green, Edinburgh- 1st Sunday of the month 10am
- Borders Deaf at Trinity Church, Galashiels 2nd Sunday of May & 1st Sunday of September 11.15am
- Dundee Deaf Church, Tayside Association for the Deaf, Roseangle 2nd Sunday of month 3pm
- Fife Deaf Church at St Bryce Kirk church hall, St Brycedale Avenue, Kirkcaldy last Sunday of month 3pm.
- Fife Deaf Church at St Bryce Kirk church hall, St Brycedale Avenue, Kirkcaldy last Sunday of the month 3pm except for the 3 summer months of June, July and August.
News & Events to Come
- Refer to Newsletter
Dunkeld Cathedral, where the Scottish Deaf Choir Festival was held on 25th April 2010. Dunkeld is in our Deaf Parish.
Recent Events
- On Sunday 10th April 2010 service at Greenside Church to celebrate 175th anniversary of Deaf Action,
- Deaf Action, originally known as the Deaf and Dumb Society of Edinburgh and the East of Scotland, is ‘the grown up child’ of Albany Deaf Church.
- In 1835 the minister and members of Albany Deaf Church felt they wanted to help Deaf people particularly those in need and have a place where deaf people could meet and have a club. The minister was the manager of the Society.
- Scottish Deaf Choirs’ Festival in the beautiful Dunkeld Cathedral on Sunday 25th April 2010 was a wonderful experience.
- Our Deaf Signing Choir Leader led the congregation in ‘worship together’ in a simple hymn encouraging everyone to sign as she taught the hearing people basic signs so that they could sign the hymn too.
- Our Deaf Signing Choir signed the Lord’s Prayer to music.
- A prayer was signed by our session clerk and another by our assistant session clerk both voiced over by our minister.
- For the past 10 years our minister on behalf of the Stewart Lochrie Memorial Fund organised the festivals.
History of Albany Deaf Church
- In June 1830 the very first service took place in Lady Stair's Close off the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. The pastor had gathered a group of Deaf people, who were the founding members. Among them was a famous Edinburgh artist Walter Geikie. He just happened to be Deaf. His drawings and paintings are of ordinary Edinburgh people of his time in the streets of the city. The first pastor left after a few months.
- The second pastor served the church for 56 years. In the records the 2 'ministers' were called 'pastors'.
- The 3rd minister was an ordained minister of the Church of Scotland. He served the church for 45 years. All succeeding ministers have been Church of Scotland ministers. 3 further ministers served for 27, 17 and 21 years respectively. From 1988 one minister served 4 years and in 1998 another minister served for less than 1 year. Our present minister has been with us so far for 11 years.
- In 1835 the church started the Deaf and Dumb Society of the East of Scotland' now called 'Deaf Action'. The church wanted to help Deaf people particularly those in need. For over 150 years our ministers were managers of the 'Society'.
- For 111 years our church was located in the Society/Deaf Action until 2001. We now officially share a church with Greenside Church where we have a chapel. Our services are held in the Trust Housing Association because it is more convenient for Deaf people.
- The history of our church is not just a history of ministers but of Deaf members themselves including a founder member Walter Geikie the artist.
- We think of so many Deaf people especially our loved ones, who are now in paradise. We remember them and give God thanks for their lives and example.
- We are determined to attract young Deaf people to be members of the Albany Deaf Church of the future.