Dundonald Ministers
In a rural charge such as Dundonald the figure of the local minister features prominently in the community. In earlier times the parish minister would have been among the most learned members of the community, and might be consulted on many matters beyond those relating to religion. While this may be less true today the local minister continues to be a focus for many members of the community in times of stress or difficulty, and over the years Dundonald has been served by a number of devoted men. The full list is given in appendix 1 and biographical details for those before 1900 are recorded in Gillespie (1).
It is interesting to note that the majority of our ministers have served for most of their professional lives here in Dundonald. Apart from the turbulent times of the mid to late 17th century the average length of service for a minister in Dundonald is around 30 years. In the last 270 years a total of only 9 men have served the parish, and all except one have either died in harness or worked here till retirement. It seems that Dundonald has its attractions not only as a place to dwell but as a place to do the Lord’s work.