A JOHNSTONE minister has blasted the decision to close her church and merge it with two others in the town.

Under cost-cutting plans, Johnstone High Parish Church will now be combined with St Paul’s and St Andrew’s Trinity, despite objections from the congregation.

The planned closure, first mooted last year, was confirmed at a meeting of the Clyde Presbytery last week, following approval from officials at the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh.

Johnstone High Parish, in Ludovic Square, attracts more than 100 worshippers a week, with the Reverend Ann McCool claiming that attendance figure is higher than the combined total for the other two churches.

Her parishioners face having to travel to St Paul’s Church, in Quarrelton Road, which will house all three congregations once the closure takes place.

Rev McCool, 72, told The Gazette: “It is absolute stupidity. I have just done an end-of-term service for our local Thorn Primary. All the pupils, parents and teachers could walk to the church but they can’t walk to St Paul’s, as it is too far.

“The presbytery have made the decision to close us and we have two weeks in which to appeal but we don’t hold out any hope.”

Rev McCool only has 30 months left to serve and it is expected a new minister will be appointed for the three merged churches.

She added: “There are more than 100 at our church services every week, in every age group and category, including families.

“We are the only church which has a Sunday school, boys’ and girls’ brigade and guild.

“We are so vibrant and lively and it’s just disgraceful that they are not keeping us open.

“The argument is that it is an old building and St Paul’s is more modern and easier to keep but Johnstone High is well maintained and will still be standing when other churches aren’t.”

The merger is part of a series of church closures planned across Scotland due to dwindling congregations.

There is currently no Sunday bus service to St Paul’s Church, although there is one to Johnstone High Parish.

It is expected that the Johnstone merger will take place sometime in 2026.

Delivering further criticism of the presbytery, Rev McCool said: “They are going to lose far more people than they realise.

“The majority of my 100-strong congregation will not go to church and they will lose all their money.

“They are being very short-sighted and not looking at the long term.

“There are some churches with only a handful of folk and they should be shut but we are not in that category.

“I would urge the Church of Scotland and the presbytery to reconsider.”

A Church of Scotland spokesman said: “Clyde Presbytery has produced a five-year Mission Plan to allocate limited resources to parishes and congregations.

“Under the current proposals, the Johnstone High Church building will eventually cease to be a place of worship but its halls will be kept in use to allow for a presence to be retained within the heart of the town.

“The St Paul’s Church building in Johnstone will be retained, as it is deemed more suitable for the demands of a modern congregation and more economical to maintain, and the St Andrews Trinity building will be disposed of.

“It is proposed that a three-way union of the churches in Johnstone should be created and the worship space will be at St Paul’s.

“One full-time ministries post will be allocated to this new charge.

“However, the Mission Plan will be reviewed annually and, given Johnstone High Church is not expected to close before 2026, there is room for the building to be re-classified should a revised case be made.”