In his early twenties, Glass collapsed in Jamaica Street, Glasgow, due to the erosion of a blood vessel.
He was ordained to the ministry in 1968 after studying moral philosophy and English at the University of Glasgow, plus a three-year theological course in the Free Church College in Edinburgh.
Previous to this, Glass had left the Baptist Union College due to what he felt were its non-scriptural ecumenical involvements.
The church met first at Edrom St. in Shettleston, followed by a spell at the Woodside Halls and then on to the current premises in Polmadie, Glasgow.
Glass had stood for Parliament before; having been a candidate in the Glasgow Bridgeton constituency, a safe Labour seat, at the 1970 general election.
[3] On 1 June 1982, Glass and Ian Paisley jointly led a protest march through Glasgow which culminated in a demonstration near the landing site of the Papal helicopter in Bellahouston Park.
Glass and Paisley are said to have led the crowd in shouts of "The Beast is Coming", "No Surrender" and "Down with the Pope of Rome".
He protested against films (The Last Temptation of Christ), plays (Corpus Christi), and comedians (notably Billy Connolly's crucifixion skit).
Throughout his intense treatment of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, he continued to preach twice weekly, protesting and taking part in hours of filming with the BBC (they had requested to document his life).