St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church of Funchal 

About St. Andrew’s Church – A History of Faith, Resilience, and Community

The origins of the Presbyterian Church in Madeira date back to 1838, with the arrival of Dr. Robert Reid Kalley, a Scottish physician and missionary, and his wife Margaret. Originally seeking a milder climate for health reasons, Kalley quickly turned his attention to the social needs of the island. He founded a hospital in Funchal offering free treatment to the poor and established 17 schools, reaching over 2,500 students — adults and children alike.

Driven by a philanthropic and spiritual mission, Kalley began to share the Gospel in Portuguese, introducing translated Bibles and gathering a growing community of converts. On 8 May 1845, the Presbyterian Church of Madeira was founded in secret — the first Protestant church on Portuguese soil.

This peaceful movement, however, was met with severe religious persecution. Converts were excommunicated, assaulted, and stripped of their livelihoods. Churches, schools and even Bibles were burned, and in 1846, the Kalleys — along with more than 2,000 Madeiran Presbyterians — were forced into exile in places such as Trinidad, the United Kingdom, the United States, Brazil and Hawai‘i.

Despite this, the Presbyterian faith endured in Madeira. The community reorganised, supported by the Church of Scotland and other Protestant churches worldwide. In 1895, the present-day St. Andrew’s Church in Funchal was inaugurated as a lasting symbol of resilience, faith and service.

Today, the Presbyterian Church of Madeira continues to promote compassion, education, and spiritual life, remaining connected to its global roots and historical mission, and also, music!