Church closure proposal unsettles worshippers
AN Inverness congregation is facing a painful split after one of its two churches was earmarked for possible closure.
The local Church of Scotland Presbytery has proposed that St Stephen’s, in the upmarket Crown area, be sacrificed in favour of its very old and historic mother church the Old High, overlooking the River Ness and with a history going back to St Columba.
In 2003 the congregations of both churches agreed to join together, but in an unusual move, the new congregation of Old High St Stephens was allowed to keep both buildings, but shared a minister and kirk session.
But now because there are nationally too few ministers coming forward for the ministry, and too many expensive to run church buildings, difficult decisions have to be made.
Presbyteries across Scotland have been asked to draw up a 10-year plan which will involve church closures in some cases, and the Inverness presbytery has started this process.
It has proposed that St Stephen’s should close and the Old High, with its links back to Celtic times, be retained. But church officers stress that at this stage it is only a proposal, and months of discussion lie ahead.
St Stephen’s is the only church in the city that has a closure proposal hanging over it, but others in the rural areas have been earmarked for possible closure too.
Both the Old High and St Stephen’s churches come under the same Kirk session, and it was told at a special meeting in February that the presbytery planning committtee’s draft proposal was for St Stephen’s Church to go.
The position of ministers currently serving in churches is protected under their contracts.
St Stephens and the Old High are currently being served by an interim minister because the regular minister, the Rev Peter Nimmo has been off ill for some time.
Session clerk Linda Philip said the Kirk session plans to question the presbytery with regard to the proposed plan, seeking clarification of the criteria used in its decision to propose St Stephen’s for closure.
She said the situation was very unsettling for those that worship at St Stephen’s, including one man who has attended there for 70 years. She has worshipped there for 50.
Mrs Philip said: “St Stephen’s is a perfectly viable church with a viable congregation. Personally I think they are proposing closing the wrong church. The presbytery are trying to do their best but it is a difficult decision to make.”
St Stephen’s congregation is regularly about 80 while the Old High number 20 - 30.
“I think the presbytery thinking is that St Stephen’s congregation will move en masse to the Old High.” said Mrs Philip.
“A decision is a long way off, and if it was eventually decided to close St Stephen’s, we have a right of appeal in any case, and any decision on such a closure is reviewable annually.”
She said that because of the upkeep costs of the Old High, about three years ago they sought assistance from Highland Council, Historic Scotland and Visit Scotland, but without success.
It is likely to be late spring before presbytery consider their final proposal.
One insider in the joint congregation said it the presbytery were having to weigh up the history of the Old High and its higher running costs, against the younger church that is in better condition structurally.
The Old High, the historic town church of Inverness, was the oldest congregation in Inverness and is a Category A listed building.
It mainly dates from the 18th century, and it was built on a grassy knoll where it is said the Irish monk St Columba preached when he brought Christianity to Inverness.
The congregation can claim therefore to have been founded by St Columba. Among many notable features are a Father Willis organ, restored in 2010.
The Old High has close links with the various councils and local authorities that have governed over the years, as it is the scene of the annual “kirking of the council” when provost, councillors and other dignitaries process there from the Town House.
St Stephen’s was founded as a “daughter church” of the Old High in 1897 and is a category B listed building.
Both churches serve a parish which includes much of the city centre Crown, Drummond, Lochardil, Culduthel and Slackbuie.
