パリのスコットランド教会

スコットランド教会パリ支部は1858年に設立されました。この支部の起源は、スコットランド教会からパリにスコットランド長老派教会を設立するよう任命されたスコットランド人神学者ジョン・タロックの到着にあります。 ^{[ 1 ]}

設立当初、この教会はルーブル美術館付属礼拝堂に迎え入れられ、そこでは他の新しく設立された英語圏のプロテスタント教会とともに、礼拝のために上階の部屋が貸し出されていた。

1867年のパリ万国博覧会の期間中、多くの長老派教徒がパリを訪れていたため、ルーヴル礼拝堂全体が会衆に提供され、日曜日の午後に礼拝が行われた。^{[ 3 ] [ 4 ]}これらの礼拝中に、会衆のための独自の建物を取得するための募金活動が行われた。^{[ 4 ]}

In 1880, the old church Rue Bayard owned by the American Episcopalian parish of the Holy Trinity was put on the market for sale. In 1881 the Scots Kirk Paris congregation made a first contact with them regarding the acquisition of the building.^[5] However it was two years later, in 1883, that the church was officially bought.^[6] The congregation got the possession of the building granted in 1885^[7] and have worshiped on that site since then.

The first church building had been erected by the American Episcopalian parish of the Holy Trinity between 1863 and 1864, who then moved to their new church in 1885. It was because of this move to a newly built church that they decided to put on sale their old church Rue Bayard. This church was designed in a neo-Gothic style and could host about 400 persons.^[8] The recently purchased church then attracted high attendance to the services held during the Exposition Universelle of 1889.^[8]

Following World War II (when the church was unoccupied), the lack of maintenance led to structural problems and the church had to be rebuilt in the late 1950s. The rebuilding work, however, proved to be unsatisfactory. Major structural faults were soon discovered and by the 1980s the building was again in urgent need of replacement or major repairs. It was decided to completely rebuild, albeit with flats above the new church building. The church was designed by the Scottish architect Charles MacCallum, and includes screens by the sculptor, Jacqueline Stieger.^[9] The current church building was opened by the then Moderator of the General Assembly, John Miller, in 2002.

The congregation has had many famous visitors, including Queen Elizabeth II who laid the foundation stone for the (since replaced) new sanctuary in 1957.

In 1924, during the Olympic Games held in Paris, the athlete Eric Liddell chose to preach at the Scots Kirk instead of running on a Sunday. His story is told in the film Chariots of Fire, but the building used as the Scots Kirk in the film was actually the former Broughton Church in Edinburgh.

ヴェルサイユ条約の交渉中、アメリカ大統領ウッドロー・ウィルソンとイギリス首相デビッド・ロイド・ジョージの両名がこの教会で礼拝を行った。