A historic Stewartry church building is set to close.
Kelton Parish Church is expected to be shut down by the Church of Scotland in the next five years due to rising costs and falling attendance.
It and Auchencairn make up Bengairn Parishes, which are already linked to Castle Douglas Parish Church.
Rev Alison Burnside said: “It is a very sad day for the congregation and those who live in the parish.
“It is not that long ago that this parish was served by four churches – Buittle and Rerrick (Dundrennan) were closed leaving Auchencairn and Kelton Churches. Now Kelton has to close.
“But what makes this hard for many people is the knowledge that Kelton is the mother church of this part of the Stewartry.
“The original church had been built in the graveyard in 1743, however, with the growing numbers attending a new bigger church had to be built and the building we now know as Kelton opened in 1806.
“Growing numbers meant that over time this building had to accommodate more people and balconies were added, and later removed as church buildings were opened in Castle Douglas.
“While the congregation are deeply saddened by the decision to close our beautiful church building – with its unusual red tiles lining the interior and its wonderful organ, which is now officially listed, we remain committed to worshipping in the church for as long as possible.
“And so, until the building is sold, services will continue to be held there on the first and third Sundays of each month.”
She added: “The decision has been made for a number of factors including that the Bengairn Parishes have another building in Auchencairn; the cost of repairs and adaptations that need to be met to make both buildings suitable for the 21st century; the proximity of Kelton building to another church building; the small numbers in the congregational roll attending and financially supporting the church among others.
“The kirk session and congregational board discussed at great length, with discussions initially beginning in 2019, but realised we would struggle to justify why it should be kept open.
“The congregation accepted this at a special meeting in the autumn.
The congregation recently enjoyed a carol service at Kelton Church to ensure 2022 finished on a high.
