About Us
Who are we?
Minister
My name is Rev Stella Campbell and I was ordained and inducted into the parish of Skene on January 19th 2012. Before entering into the ministry I was a chartered tax consultant with Ernst & Young in London and Aberdeen. I was born in Northern Ireland and am the youngest of three children. Growing up, my faith in God has always been a very important part of my life. I became a Christian when I was 11 and since then have been involved in Sunday School, Girls and Boys’ Brigade and youth work. I am passionate about Jesus and sharing both the good news of the gospel and the deep love of God with others. I am a proud Aunty of two nephews and two nieces and really enjoy spending time with my family. I do also have a love for rugby and the countryside – having grown up on a farm.
Session Clerk
Hello; My name is Chris Pinnell, and I’m the Session Clerk for Skene Parish, so help to manage the Church business, lead the activities involving Elders and support the work of the Ministry team. I am retired now, having been with local government and Scottish Water for a 34-year career, with a key role as the Treatment Manager in Grampian responsible for the waste water treatment works. I’ve been married to Joyce for forty years, and we have a daughter and son, both grown with their own professions, a palliative care doctor and a Police detective.
In church life, my faith journey shows me being a member at Skene since 2000, during which time I have helped lead the senior Sunday School; junior bible class and we set up the P7-S3 “GRID”. Prior to Westhill we lived in Fraserburgh where we attended the Old Parish Church. There I was ordained as an Elder in 1997, and was a Leader on the Youth Committee. Before that, home was in Tillicoultry where we attended the local Parish Church and participated in most family events. My youth was spent in Falkirk, where I attended the local Episcopal Church and was confirmed a member at age 14.
I am an active Rotarian, serving on the Youth Committee when we co-ordinated the celebration event for the Year of Young People 2018. We work jointly with the church, run school quizzes, and support special needs kids' events. The Rotarian motto “Service before Self” seems to sum up our lives !
My main hobby and often called my new full time job, is managing Scouting locally. As the Group Scout Leader, I am in-charge of 180 young people, and 40 adults. We prepare young people giving them ‘skills for life’.
Joyce and I have enjoyed many happy hours travelling - often cruising. We also enjoy closer to home caravanning breaks, and are looking forward to planning more in the future.
Clerk to the Congregational Board
I am John Ritchie, Clerk to the Congregational Board for Skene Parish Church. I am married to Rona and we have recently celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary. We have 3 children and 5 granddaughters, spread between USA and England. Both Rona and I are retired. Rona was a GP in Skene Medical Group and I worked for Scottish Water, and its predecessors, for 40 years.
Skene Parish Church is the third church of which I have been a member. I grew up in St Nicholas Union Grove Church in Aberdeen, and then, through a union with West Church of St Andrews, became a member of Langstane Kirk, where I was the Bible Class leader and ordained as an Elder. Rona and I moved out to Westhill in 1983 and joined Skene Parish Church in 1984, where I continued in my duties as an Elder, and was for ten years, a Sunday School teacher.
I am involved in the life of the church, not only through the Kirk Session and Congregational Board but also as a member of a number of the Future Working subgroups, looking at the challenges facing our Church family in the coming years. I continue to develop my faith through Bible study on Wednesday evenings, details on the homepage of this website, and through the Worship Group, set up to assist the Ministry Team.
Church Secretary
My name is Eva Will and I am Church Secretary at Skene Parish Church. I was born in Aberdeen but have lived in Westhill since I married Bruce in 1985. We have two grown up children: our son lives in Orkney where he is a dentist and our daughter is a Speech and Language Therapist at ARI. I have two young grandchildren who I see regularly.
I took early retirement from my work after over 38 years as an Orthoptist for NHS Grampian, working in Eye Clinics across the North East and the Northern Isles, treating eye muscle problems like squints, double vision and associated visual problems. I lived in Yorkshire for three years while training in Sheffield and Leeds but was fortunate to get work back home when I qualified. While working I trained many Orthoptic Students, Opticians, Nurses and Doctors in my role as a Clinical Educator.
I grew up in Holburn West Church in Aberdeen where I was a member of the choir and served on the Congregational Board. I have always been passionate about worship music and enjoy singing in our choir and Worship Group. Since moving to Westhill, I have also been involved with Sunday School, Youth Group, Messy Church, Bible Study and was ordained as a Church Elder in 1999. I'm also a Presbytery Safeguarding Trainer .
I enjoy knitting, crocheting, sewing, and am an active member of the Scouts, having been a Beaver Scout Leader since 1983 and am presently Assistant Regional Commissioner - responsible for the training of the leaders in the North East Region. Over the years, I've attended many International camps and enjoy keeping up with fellow scouters from all over the world.
Who are we as a congregation?
We are a congregation built on love and obedience to Christ. The two great commandments, worshipping and loving God and loving others as ourselves are central to who we are and what we do.
We are followers of Jesus, at different stages on our journey of faith. We believe that Jesus reveals God the Father to us and that He has gifted us with His Holy Spirit to become part of God’s family and to be united as a church.
We long to further Christ’s mission in the world, and here in our parish, and we know that to do that we need help from God through His Holy Spirit. We want to encourage deeper commitment to Christ, to nurture faith, to enable care and compassion and to see God’s Kingdom grow in this part of His Creation. And all the while, rejoicing in the fellowship that we have with each other.
We have activities for all ages, from the youngest to the oldest and we love to be together as a Church family. We seek to serve our community and to engage in social action across the world, supporting Christian Aid and doing our part for the environment as an Eco-Congregation.
What do we believe?
The following statement of belief was agreed by the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1992.
We believe in one God:
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
three persons living in the unity of love.
We praise God the Father:
in love he created the universe through his eternal Word and Spirit;
by his power he sustains and directs it.
He has made us his sons and daughters,
to share his joy and to live together in peace.
We confess Jesus Christ, God the Son:
in love, by the power of the Holy Spirit, he became one of us;
to fulfil the promise to Israel and to reconcile the world with God.
In his life he was obedient to his Father's will;
he forgave sinners, brought hope to the lost,
healed the sick, and set free those who were oppressed.
In his death on the cross he bore the sin of the world;
on the third day he was raised from death by the power of God.
He triumphed over all the powers of evil;
now he reigns in heaven, sharing his risen life with us.
We trust God the Holy Spirit:
in love he calls the Church into being.
He unites us to Christ, in whom we are justified.
He guides our understanding of the Scriptures,
as he also guided and inspired their writers.
He sanctifies us in sacraments,
and imparts to the faithful the fullness of Christ.
He assures us of forgiveness.
He empowers us to be disciples,
embodying the love of Jesus in the Church and in the world.
We rejoice in the gift of eternal life:
We hope for the coming resurrection, through the resurrection of Christ.
We look for his coming again in power and glory,
to judge the world and to make all things new.
Then all creation shall rejoice in communion with the Father, through the Son, in the power of the Holy Spirit, one God blessed forever.
Amen.
Minister
My name is Rev Stella Campbell and I was ordained and inducted into the parish of Skene on January 19th 2012. Before entering into the ministry I was a chartered tax consultant with Ernst & Young in London and Aberdeen. I was born in Northern Ireland and am the youngest of three children. Growing up, my faith in God has always been a very important part of my life. I became a Christian when I was 11 and since then have been involved in Sunday School, Girls and Boys’ Brigade and youth work. I am passionate about Jesus and sharing both the good news of the gospel and the deep love of God with others. I am a proud Aunty of two nephews and two nieces and really enjoy spending time with my family. I do also have a love for rugby and the countryside – having grown up on a farm.
Session Clerk
Hello; My name is Chris Pinnell, and I’m the Session Clerk for Skene Parish, so help to manage the Church business, lead the activities involving Elders and support the work of the Ministry team. I am retired now, having been with local government and Scottish Water for a 34-year career, with a key role as the Treatment Manager in Grampian responsible for the waste water treatment works. I’ve been married to Joyce for forty years, and we have a daughter and son, both grown with their own professions, a palliative care doctor and a Police detective.
In church life, my faith journey shows me being a member at Skene since 2000, during which time I have helped lead the senior Sunday School; junior bible class and we set up the P7-S3 “GRID”. Prior to Westhill we lived in Fraserburgh where we attended the Old Parish Church. There I was ordained as an Elder in 1997, and was a Leader on the Youth Committee. Before that, home was in Tillicoultry where we attended the local Parish Church and participated in most family events. My youth was spent in Falkirk, where I attended the local Episcopal Church and was confirmed a member at age 14.
I am an active Rotarian, serving on the Youth Committee when we co-ordinated the celebration event for the Year of Young People 2018. We work jointly with the church, run school quizzes, and support special needs kids' events. The Rotarian motto “Service before Self” seems to sum up our lives !
My main hobby and often called my new full time job, is managing Scouting locally. As the Group Scout Leader, I am in-charge of 180 young people, and 40 adults. We prepare young people giving them ‘skills for life’.
Joyce and I have enjoyed many happy hours travelling - often cruising. We also enjoy closer to home caravanning breaks, and are looking forward to planning more in the future.
Clerk to the Congregational Board
I am John Ritchie, Clerk to the Congregational Board for Skene Parish Church. I am married to Rona and we have recently celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary. We have 3 children and 5 granddaughters, spread between USA and England. Both Rona and I are retired. Rona was a GP in Skene Medical Group and I worked for Scottish Water, and its predecessors, for 40 years.
Skene Parish Church is the third church of which I have been a member. I grew up in St Nicholas Union Grove Church in Aberdeen, and then, through a union with West Church of St Andrews, became a member of Langstane Kirk, where I was the Bible Class leader and ordained as an Elder. Rona and I moved out to Westhill in 1983 and joined Skene Parish Church in 1984, where I continued in my duties as an Elder, and was for ten years, a Sunday School teacher.
I am involved in the life of the church, not only through the Kirk Session and Congregational Board but also as a member of a number of the Future Working subgroups, looking at the challenges facing our Church family in the coming years. I continue to develop my faith through Bible study on Wednesday evenings, details on the homepage of this website, and through the Worship Group, set up to assist the Ministry Team.
Church Secretary
My name is Eva Will and I am Church Secretary at Skene Parish Church. I was born in Aberdeen but have lived in Westhill since I married Bruce in 1985. We have two grown up children: our son lives in Orkney where he is a dentist and our daughter is a Speech and Language Therapist at ARI. I have two young grandchildren who I see regularly.
I took early retirement from my work after over 38 years as an Orthoptist for NHS Grampian, working in Eye Clinics across the North East and the Northern Isles, treating eye muscle problems like squints, double vision and associated visual problems. I lived in Yorkshire for three years while training in Sheffield and Leeds but was fortunate to get work back home when I qualified. While working I trained many Orthoptic Students, Opticians, Nurses and Doctors in my role as a Clinical Educator.
I grew up in Holburn West Church in Aberdeen where I was a member of the choir and served on the Congregational Board. I have always been passionate about worship music and enjoy singing in our choir and Worship Group. Since moving to Westhill, I have also been involved with Sunday School, Youth Group, Messy Church, Bible Study and was ordained as a Church Elder in 1999. I'm also a Presbytery Safeguarding Trainer .
I enjoy knitting, crocheting, sewing, and am an active member of the Scouts, having been a Beaver Scout Leader since 1983 and am presently Assistant Regional Commissioner - responsible for the training of the leaders in the North East Region. Over the years, I've attended many International camps and enjoy keeping up with fellow scouters from all over the world.
Who are we as a congregation?
We are a congregation built on love and obedience to Christ. The two great commandments, worshipping and loving God and loving others as ourselves are central to who we are and what we do.
We are followers of Jesus, at different stages on our journey of faith. We believe that Jesus reveals God the Father to us and that He has gifted us with His Holy Spirit to become part of God’s family and to be united as a church.
We long to further Christ’s mission in the world, and here in our parish, and we know that to do that we need help from God through His Holy Spirit. We want to encourage deeper commitment to Christ, to nurture faith, to enable care and compassion and to see God’s Kingdom grow in this part of His Creation. And all the while, rejoicing in the fellowship that we have with each other.
We have activities for all ages, from the youngest to the oldest and we love to be together as a Church family. We seek to serve our community and to engage in social action across the world, supporting Christian Aid and doing our part for the environment as an Eco-Congregation.
What do we believe?
The following statement of belief was agreed by the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1992.
We believe in one God:
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
three persons living in the unity of love.
We praise God the Father:
in love he created the universe through his eternal Word and Spirit;
by his power he sustains and directs it.
He has made us his sons and daughters,
to share his joy and to live together in peace.
We confess Jesus Christ, God the Son:
in love, by the power of the Holy Spirit, he became one of us;
to fulfil the promise to Israel and to reconcile the world with God.
In his life he was obedient to his Father's will;
he forgave sinners, brought hope to the lost,
healed the sick, and set free those who were oppressed.
In his death on the cross he bore the sin of the world;
on the third day he was raised from death by the power of God.
He triumphed over all the powers of evil;
now he reigns in heaven, sharing his risen life with us.
We trust God the Holy Spirit:
in love he calls the Church into being.
He unites us to Christ, in whom we are justified.
He guides our understanding of the Scriptures,
as he also guided and inspired their writers.
He sanctifies us in sacraments,
and imparts to the faithful the fullness of Christ.
He assures us of forgiveness.
He empowers us to be disciples,
embodying the love of Jesus in the Church and in the world.
We rejoice in the gift of eternal life:
We hope for the coming resurrection, through the resurrection of Christ.
We look for his coming again in power and glory,
to judge the world and to make all things new.
Then all creation shall rejoice in communion with the Father, through the Son, in the power of the Holy Spirit, one God blessed forever.
Amen.
(Page last updated August 2020)