Our Congregation
Edinburgh New Town Church is a congregation of the Church of Scotland, gathered on George Street and open to the life of the city around us. We welcome people of every age, ability, sexuality, gender and background, whether certain or questioning, joyful or struggling, familiar with church or stepping inside for the first time.
We are a community shaped by worship, care, hospitality and shared life. In this place, people come to pray, reflect, listen, take part and belong. Scotland’s only elliptical church, our building was shaped around people, and that remains at the heart of who we are.
Our Mission
Our mission grows from the belief that the Gospel is good news for all people. It calls us to compassion for those who struggle, peace for those who are troubled, and justice for those who are oppressed. In the centre of Edinburgh, we seek to be a church of presence, listening carefully, welcoming generously and serving faithfully.
Our Mission Plan gives shape to this work, helping us connect worship, pastoral care, public life, learning and partnership with greater purpose. It is not simply about doing more, but about living more clearly as a church for the glory of God and the good of our neighbour.
Justice & Peace
Our commitment to justice and peace reflects a faith lived in public as well as in worship. We seek to listen to voices that are often overlooked and to respond thoughtfully to the needs and tensions of our time.
This work touches on poverty and cost-of-living pressures, mental health and loneliness, climate justice, migration and welcome, inclusion and belonging, conflict, division and reconciliation. It is a way of asking what it means to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God in the world we share.
History
& Architecture
Edinburgh New Town Church stands on one of the city’s best-known streets, with a history woven into the story of Edinburgh’s New Town. Its distinctive elliptical shape, elegant architecture and long tradition of worship make it one of the city’s most remarkable church buildings.
Yet this is not only a place of history. It is a living building, still gathering people for worship, music, community, culture and care. Its heritage continues to serve the present, offering a place of welcome, reflection and shared life in the city today.
Edinburgh City Centre Churches Together
Edinburgh New Town Church is part of Edinburgh City Centre Churches Together, an ecumenical partnership of city-centre churches working on areas of shared concern. The partnership was established in 2008 and has supported initiatives including workplace chaplaincy, civic engagement around homelessness and begging, joint work on Christian Aid and green issues, and shared services.
This reflects an important part of who we are. We are one church, but not an isolated one. We work with others where common purpose, compassion and faith can make a wider contribution to the life of the city.
Who’s who
Edinburgh New Town Church is shaped by the people who serve and support it. From our Minister and church leaders to staff and volunteers, many individuals contribute to the life of the church each day.
Meet the people behind the scenes and at the centre of church life, helping to guide, organise and welcome.
Venue Hire
Edinburgh New Town Church offers a distinctive setting for events in the centre of Edinburgh. Set on George Street, with its unique elliptical form, historic character and remarkable acoustics, the building provides a memorable place for concerts, performances, gatherings and special occasions.
A range of spaces allows us to welcome different sizes and styles of event, from intimate meetings to larger public gatherings. It is a place shaped around people, and made for coming together.