The present day Stevenston Parish Church is the result of the union of three former churches within the town of Stevenston, Ayrshire: Ardeer, High Kirk and Livingstone. The union took place on 1st August 2024 followed by a Service of Union on 20th July 2025.
Stevenston has long established links with Christianity, and the presence of a church in the parish can be traced back to at least the mid-15th century. In pre-Reformation times it was dedicated to St. Monach, and like other churches in nearby towns and settlements, it was overseen by the Abbot at Kilwinning Abbey.
A new church for the town was constructed in 1670, with an aisle added for Saltcoats-based parishioners in 1744. David Landsborough became minister of the church in 1811, and he was still in the charge in 1832 when it was decided that the church no longer fit for use. The foundation stone of the then new Stevenston Parish Church was placed on 4th May that year, and it opened on 12th May the following year.
The Disruption of 1843 led not only to Dr Landsborough leaving the Parish Church to become the first Free Church minister at a new church in the Saltcoats end of the parish, but to the founding of other churches nearby. As the Free Church in Saltcoats was some distance away, a new building opened in New Street in February 1845. As the Free congregation grew, larger premises were required, and so a new church was erected further along New Street, with the foundation stone laid on Saturday 4th September 1886, opening on Thursday 7th July 1887.
Prior to this, the United Presbyterian Church had began missionary work at Ardeer, to the south of Stevenston. This led to the construction of the Stevenston and Ardeer U.P. Church, with its foundation stone laid on 12th May 1894 and officially opening on 14th June 1895. A union of denominations c. 1900 led to the Stevenston Free Church and the Ardeer U.P. Church becoming Stevenston United Free Church and Ardeer United Free Church respectively.
The 1929 reunification led to the majority of the United Free Church rejoining the Church of Scotland, including the two Stevenston churches. With three CoS churches now in the town, distinct naming was required: the original Stevenston Parish Church became the High Kirk, Stevenston U.F. Church became Livingstone Church, and Ardeer U.F. Church became Ardeer Church.
Following a linkage of Ardeer and Livingstone in 2001, the three churches fully united as one congregation in 2024, utilising the former Livingstone building, and coming full circle as a single CoS church serving the town: Stevenston Parish Church.