About St Kiaran's

Kiaran lived in the 6th Century (516-549). He was of Irish Royal descent and a carpenter by trade. St Columba was his tutor. Kiaran established a church at Lough Rea, Ireland, and went on to work at Kintyre, Scotland. This is on a peninsula with a valley surrounded by hills and the sea. Our locality is therefore similar to Kintyre's. Kiaran lived in a cave above Kintyre. We know of five other St Kiaran's – 4 in Scotland and 1 in Australia. With the name of “St Kiaran”, we remember Kiaran, this man of God.

More recently...

St Kiaran's was the name of Rev. Hector MacDonald's first congregation in Scotland. Hector MacDonald was the minister at Wynberg Presbyterian Church, our mother Church. The Presbyterian work started in Fish Hoek in January 1954. The first service was held on 7th February 1954, which meant that we recently celebrated our half centenary.

Laying the Foundation Stone 1968
Glenn and Jeanette Craig and their children

Before that, it functioned as a preaching station of the mother church, Wynberg Presbyterian Church. Neil Hudson and Eddie McCallum were early leaders. By mid-1954 Fish Hoek Presbyterian was made a preaching station. By the end of 1959 there were 86 members. The foundation stone for the “Hall Church” was laid in February 1960. When Rev MacDonald died, Rev James Rodger from Wynberg Presbyterian continued as the minister.

On 3rd November 1964 St Kiaran's was made a Church extension charge and Rev Glen Craig started his work as the first full-time minister in January 1965. In September 1966 St Kiaran's was declared a full charge with 284 members.

The Church building was opened in November 1968. Rev Fraser Paterson followed Glen Craig at the end of 1975. The Church roll contained over 500 members. The Jubilee Complex was opened during Fraser's ministry.

Rev David van Duyker was inducted at St Kiaran's in March 1982. In 1992 St Kiaran's welcomed an assistant minister, Sean Wells, who stayed with us to complete his two years of Presbyterian Post Academic Training as a probationer. The Rev Bernard Vos followed as our second minister during 1994 and 1995.

In 1997 we welcomed Rosalie Weller as our Evangelist. She then completed two years of Presbyterian Post Academic Training with us in 1999 and 2000.

Natalie van Rooyen followed as an evangelist in 2001, as a probationer in 2002 and in January 2003 she was ordained and appointed with special focus on missions work: training short-term missionaries, visiting in prison and heading up our Mountain View project. In 2007 she answered a call to St Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Cape Town.

Important dates

	First service: 7th February 1954.
	Made a preaching station: Mid 1954.
	Foundation stone for the "hall church": February 1960.
	Made a church extension charge: 3rd November 1964.
	Rev. Glen Craig: First full-time minister inducted in January 1965.
	Church building opened: November 1968.
	Rev Fraser Patterson: Second full-time minister inducted end of 1975.
	Jubilee complex opened: 02 November 1980.
	Rev David van Duyker: Third full-time minister inducted in March 1982.
	Half century celebrations: 2004.
	Rev Mike Muller: Fourth Full-time minister inducted in August 2014.