St Mary’s began its life in 1907 in Ranfurly Castle Hotel, where a small group of Episcopalians joined together for a monthly service. Then towards the end of 1908, a site was given to the church—which explains why St Mary’s is “the little white church in the woods”—and a foundation stone was laid in January 1909. The church was dedicated by Bishop Archibald Ean Campbell on 1st May that same year. They moved fast in 1909!
Originally, services were provided from the Episcopal Cathedral in Glasgow.
However, by the early 1920s, the church nearly closed because the numbers attending were so small. Then in 1926, a priest was appointed to serve both St Mary’s and St Fillan’s in Kilmacolm and the link has continued ever since. The first priest of the joint charge was provided with a motorcycle by St Mary’s. The Bishop objected; he felt a car was more seemly for an Episcopal priest!
In 2014, it was decided to join the three Episcopal churches in central Renfrewshire into joint charges (called the Renfrewshire Heartland Group) served by a team of ministers, led by a Rector based in Port Glasgow. (Interestingly, in its early days St Fillan’s in Kilmacolm had been served also by the priest at Port Glasgow). The current rector is the Rev David Gifford, assisted by Lay Minister, Gerard McKeown and Pastoral Assistant, Maureen Russell.