St. Andrews International Church, Malta

The altar and pulpit of St. Andrews Scots Church in Valletta which we attended for worship this morning. It's a unique ecumenical partnership between The Church of Scotland and The Methodist Church of Great Britain. St. Andrews has a history as a Church of Scotland going back over 150 years with roots in the British Colonial era. During the transition to independence, The Methodist Church lost its building due to the Maltese Government revoking their use of its land. So the Methodists and merged with St. Andrews; fortuitously as it turned out because when British forces left their bases on Malta both congregations were severely depleted (Maltese natives are almost exclusively Roman Catholic). For five years they have a Methodist Minister then switch to a Church of Scotland Minister for five years. Thus the post is usually taken by a retired Minister or one nearing retirement. In the photo on the right you can see the current Minister Rev. Doug McRoberts and on the left visiting preacher Rev. Gavin Black who has a parish in Motherwell, Scotland and is currently in Malta on holiday. Whenever he visits he preaches at St. Andrews.