Church History

The oldest surviving church in Cupar was erected on the site of the present Old Parish Church in 1415. An impressive building, it had a large tower at the west end which is still a part of the present church. This tower was increased in height in 1620 by the addition of the spire, paid for by the minister of the time, Revd William Scott. William Scott also donated communion silver which is still in regular use. Our union with St Michael of Tarvit was not the result of a recent parish reappraisal, but also took place at this time, in 1618.

The church building was taken down in 1785 and replaced by the present church, although the tower and spire were retained, along with the session house which forms a link between the tower and church. In 1877 a Sunday School Hall was erected close by the church in Kirk Wynd. The inscription on the west gable notes that the building was erected “To the Glory of God and the Godly upbringing of the young”. Over the years the hall was upgraded on a number of occasions to keep pace with changing requirements.

In recent years the building was extended and modernised to create the Old Parish Centre which opened in 2008. This proves a range of accommodation including hall, meeting rooms, resource centre, cafe and  creche and provides a focus for our work in the community.

In January 2015 the congregation was linked to Monimail church; the two congregations remain as distinct entities although we share our minister, Rev Jeff Martin. Cupar Old Parish Church celebrated its 600th anniversary in 2015.