Initially the South Parish Church was responsible not only for its present parish but also for the growing neighbourhood of Westwood and Sunday School were organised in Duncanrig School. It soon became clear that another separate charge was needed to serve this area and in 1962 Westwood Parish Church came into being, the first minister Rev. James Riach, M.A., being inducted to his new charge at a service held in the South Parish Hall-Church in May of that year. Since then the Greenhills Parish Church has grown from Westwood.
Having started with a congregation of around 600 members in 1958, numbers grew rapidly with the development of the New Town and by 1964 there were close to 1500 communicant members, with 1500 children in the Sunday School. In addition to using the Hall-Church, Heathery Knowe and Murray Primaries were used for the large Sunday School population.
In 1948 Rev. Patrick J. R. Hamilton, M.A. was inducted as Minister of the West Kirk. Its membership rose from 400 to 1500, as the population of East Kilbride increased. In addition to services in the West Kirk, services were also held in the Murray School Hall. Eventually a Hall- Church was set up in Baird Hill, its foundation stone being laid in the autumn of 1954 by Lord Mathers, Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly. It was dedicated on 12th December 1955 by the Very Rev. Professor G. D. Henderson, D.D., the Moderator of the General Assembly.
From then until 1958 duplicate services were held in the West Kirk and the Hall-Church. It was then decided that a separate charge to be known as the South Parish Church be set up at the new Hall-Church. Rev. Patrick J. R. Hamilton, M.A. together with 24 Elders from the West Kirk became Minister and Provisional Kirk Session of the new charge.
It was eventually decided to
build a proper new church for the congregation. The foundation stone for
the new church was laid on Saturday, 8th June 1963 by Rev. Hamish C. MacKenzie,
the Moderator of Glasgow Presbytery. The completed church was dedicated
by the Presbytery of Glasgow at a service on Friday 4th September 1964.
Rev. Patrick J. R. Hamilton, M.A. continued as Minister of the congregation
until his retiral in 1979. He was also Moderator of Hamilton Presbytery
in 1978/9. During his ministry the congregation also had the services
of Jean Steele as Deaconess from 1958 until 1964 and Robert Jones as Student
Assistant and Assistant Minister after his ordination from 1963 until
1966.
In 1980 Rev. Dr. John C. Sharp was inducted as the South Parish Church's second minister and he has continued to hold this post until the present. During his ministry two deaconesses were appointed to the congregation - Margaret Newlands (1985 -1986) and Katrina Cameron (1988 - 1989). In addition three members of the congregation were ordained as ministers - Sharon Colvin, Robert Malloch and Richards Gibbons. Duncan Ross trained as a deacon and moved to Northfield Parish Church, Aberdeen in 1995. Like his predecessor, Dr Sharp served as Moderator of Hamilton Presbytery in 2001/2.