| Activity | Ordained into the Church of Scotland on 17/07/1940, James Maitland was Minister in Pathhead West Church, Kirkcaldy, 1942-1949; in St Bride's Church, Edinburgh, 1949-1954; and in Aidrie, 1958-1966. From 1954-1958 he was warden of the Iona Community's house in Glasgow, which was the mainland headquarters of the Iona Community.
Maitland's commitment to the ecumenical movement prompted him to apply for the post of Minister in the newly established Ecumenical Experiment in Livingston, and it was here where he spent the remainder of his career, serving as Minister in the Craigshill and then Knightsridge areas of the town from 1966 until his retirement in 1983. The Ecumenical Experiment was a joint venture by four of the churches in Scotland to share buildings, resources and worship in an attempt at inter-denominational co-operation.
The ecumenical movement was a passionate subject for Maitland, and he read and wrote widely on the subject throughout his life. As well as numerous articles, Maitland had two pieces of substantial length published. The first, in 1985, was the pamphlet "Living Stones: Unity Where it Matters", and the second, published posthumously in 1997, was the book "New Beginnings: Breaking Through to Unity". Both of these works combined passionate arguments for greater unity within the churches in Scotland, with memories and anecdotes of his early years in Livingston New Town. Holidaying in Orkney, Maitland became friends with the Orcadian poet George Mackay Brown, who provided the foreword for New Beginnings.
After his retirement Maitland remained in Livingston where he retained an interest in community matters in Livingston and West Lothian. He and his wife, Elizabeth, were awarded the Lothian Award for Community Service in 1989.
Reflecting his commitment to ecumenicalism and social action, in 1969 the University of Edinburgh awarded Maitland an Honorary Doctorate in Divinity.
James Maitland died on 20 August 1996. |