Our History...
Sandy Purdie is a Scot who was born and brought up in Edinburgh. He became a committed
Christian in 1972 which refocused his life. After pursuing a career in higher education
Sandy felt a real call from God to help the ‘poor and needy’. Initially he worked
with Aids sufferers and in addicion before commencing counselling work with his wife.
Sandy is qualified to post-
Sandy was led to work with Jackie Pullinger-
Gwen Purdie (formerly McDowell) was born and raised in Scotland. Becoming a Christian
as a teenager changed her life dramatically and led her into professional social
work, desiring to see people made whole. It became clear that Gwen’s work with people
had to be done in the power of God and with all of His resources. After ten years
as a specialist with adolescents and alcoholics, Gwen was one of the first pioneers
in Christian counselling in Scotland. It was as though she heard the deep cry of
peoples’ hearts to be set free from emotional pain and the very real symptoms that
come from inner turmoil. She has a Certificate Qualification in Social Work, trained
other counsellors and directed the Christian Counselling Service in Edinburgh, which
continues to operate as Dove Christian Counselling in Glasgow. She has been a Christian
counsellor for well over twenty years having initially been sponsored by her church
at that time, Bruntsfield Evangelical Church, Edinburgh and has seen God working
His healing out in countless lives.
In 1996 Sandy married Gwen, and they have been working together as full time Christian
workers since then. They have a particular heart for reaching people with hope. Primarily
they have ministered to individuals or couples on a one-
Gwen has counselled exclusively from a Christian perspective since leaving professional social work twenty years ago to minister to people who were not especially labelled as having problems. She pioneered Dove Christian counselling in Scotland and was involved in counselling an epidemic of people who had been abused in some way, along with all the other issues that present themselves in a busy counselling service.
Sandy and Gwen were members of Selkirk Baptist Church in the Scottish Borders for eleven years. They attend Rothesay Christian Fellowship on the Isle of Bute. They are mainstream Christians who believe that the Lord is able to transform lives, answer prayer and make all things new. Both of them feel strongly that society today is confusing and does not give answers to the dilemmas that are faced. They are keen to teach Biblical truth about how to live and about God’s expectations for relating to Him and to other human beings. His love is real, as is His presence and power. There is nothing too hard for God.
In 1996 Sandy married Gwen, and they have been working together as full time Christian
workers since then. They have a particular heart for reaching people with hope. Primarily
they have ministered to individuals or couples on a one-
Gwen has counselled exclusively from a Christian perspective since leaving professional social work twenty years ago to minister to people who were not especially labelled as having problems. She pioneered Dove Christian counselling in Scotland and was involved in counselling an epidemic of people who had been abused in some way, along with all the other issues that present themselves in a busy counselling service.
Sandy and Gwen were members of Selkirk Baptist Church in the Scottish Borders for eleven years. They attend Rothesay Christian Fellowship on the Isle of Bute. They are mainstream Christians who believe that the Lord is able to transform lives, answer prayer and make all things new. Both of them feel strongly that society today is confusing and does not give answers to the dilemmas that are faced. They are keen to teach Biblical truth about how to live and about God’s expectations for relating to Him and to other human beings. His love is real, as is His presence and power. There is nothing too hard for God.
