History

The association was first formed at a meeting held in Charlotte Chapel Baptist Church, Edinburgh on Tuesday, 12th May 1925 with the object of preparing a list of names of lay preachers to be submitted to the Baptist Union of Scotland. Any preacher who had served the Scottish Baptist churches with acceptance for at least two years could be considered eligible, given the further recommendation of the committee.

Up to 1978, business was conducted by a committee answerable to the Council of the Scottish Baptist Union. Restructuring of the Union led to the committee becoming a Core Group within the department of Church Life. In 1982, the Core Group was disbanded, and the Association then came to be run by an autonomous Lay Preachers’ Committee.

Although the Association is independent of the Baptist Union of Scotland, close links still remain. The SBLPA are represented by the Secretary and President alternately at the Baptist Union Council Meetings. An annual report of the work of the Association is presented to the Union’s Council and to the Scottish Baptist Union Assembly.


Presidents of the Association

  • 1925 – 1929 R F Conway
  • 1929 – 1946 G S Kirby
  • 1946 – 1957 H J Fraser
  • 1957 – 1973 W A Hunter
  • 1973 – 1978 J Grant
  • 1978 – 1980 J L B Sharp
  • 1981 – 1982 J C W Fleming
  • 1983 – 1985 P H Staley (Morningside)
  • 1985 – 1989 J R Parratt (Bearsden)
  • 1989 – 1992 W H Fleming (New Prestwick)
  • 1992 – 1996 G Petrie (Broxburn)
  • 1996 – 2002 A J Clark (Ayr)
  • 2003 – 2008 E M Wray (St Andrews)
  • 2008 – Present J McFarlane (Kirkintilloch)

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General Secretaries of the Association

  • 1925 – 1928 G S Kirby
  • 1929 – 1937 A B Burgess

    • West

  • 1937 – 1938 C A Welsh
  • 1938 – 1943 D H Rankin
  • 1943 – 1946 C A Welsh
  • 1946 – 1967 T Kerr
  • 1967 – 1968 H N Graham
  • 1968 – 1976 J Brown

    • East

  • 1928 – 1953 A McKinlay
  • 1953 – 1957 C A Welsh
  • 1957 – 1962 W Fleming
  • 1962 – 1963 G Kerr
  • 1963 – 1976 C McDonald

    • National

  • 1964 – 1972 G Kerr (New Prestwick)
  • 1972 – 1973 J Grant (Paisley)
  • 1974 – 1981 P H Staley (Morningside)
  • 1981 – 1985 H N Graham (Shettleston)
  • 1985 – 1992 P H Staley (Morningside)
  • 1993 – 2006 S F Mitchell (Partick)
  • 2007 – Present G P Cartwright (Newton Mearns)