St. Andrew's Kirk is one of the oldest buildings in Georgetown, Guyana that has been continually in use for religious purposes. The Dutch Reformed congregation laid its foundations in 1811. However, due to financial difficulties it was acquired by Scottish

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

s and was formally opened for service on 28 February 1818. It was the first church in Guyana built by Europeans in which slaves were allowed to worship. It is situated near the Parliament Building on the north eastern corner of Brickdam. During its bicentennial in 2018, then President

David A. Granger David Arthur Granger (born 15 July 1945) is a Guyanese former politician and retired military officer who served as the ninth president of Guyana from 2015 to 2020. A member of the People’s National Congress (PNC), he previously served as Com ...

remarked that the church was a "social microscope", as a monument to the city's colonial Dutch and British heritage, the first church to open its doors to enslaved Africans, and also as barracks for the Provisional Battalion deployed for suppressing the

Demerara rebellion of 1823 The Demerara rebellion of 1823 was an uprising involving between 9,000 and 12,000 slaves that took place in the British colony of Demerara-Essequibo in what is now Guyana. The exact number of how many took part in the uprising is a matter of d ...

. A historic service was held to mark Emancipation on 1 August 1838, which was attended by then Governor Sir Henry Light and many

Afro-Guyanese Afro-Guyanese, also known as Black Guyanese, are generally descended from the enslaved African people brought to Guyana from the coast of West Africa to work on sugar plantations during the era of the Atlantic slave trade. Coming from a wide arr ...

. The church established a school in 1841 and hosted public concerts and recitals.

Leadership

Rev. Oswald Allen Best was the first Guyanese minister serving from 1974 until his death in April, 2009. In September 2011, Reverend Maureen Massiah, was appointed. Massiah is the first female Minister elevated to the full status of Ordained Minister.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Andrew's Kirk, Georgetown Churches in Guyana Churches completed in 1818 Dutch Reformed Church buildings Presbyterian churches in South America Scottish diaspora Buildings and structures in Georgetown, Guyana

Leadership

See also

References