St Columba's Church, London
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St Columba's Church is one of the two London congregations of the Church of Scotland. The church building is located in Pont Street, Knightsbridge, SW1, near Harrod's department store.
The presence of Scottish Presbyterianism in London dates back to the Union of the Crowns in 1603. A congregation was established near what is now Trafalgar Square, with a permanent church later being built in Crown Court near Covent Garden. This church is still in use, although rebuilt. The growth in the Scottish community in London resulted in the need for a larger church than Crown Court Church alone could accommodate.
The original St Columba's Church building of 1884 was destroyed by wartime bombing during the night of 10th May 1941. It was rebuilt on the same site in the 1950s to a striking contemporary design by the architect Sir Edward Maufe, who also designed Guildford Cathedral.
The two most recent past ministers of St Columba's Church both have served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. The current minister (since 2000) is the Reverend Barry Dunsmore MA BD.
