They say they are experiencing huge difficulty in attracting ministers to vacant pulpits across the county.

Three of the nine charges in Sutherland are currently without ministers. And it is feared that, with four incumbent ministers about to retire over the next few years, the situation is set to worsen.

The Presbytery of Sutherland has now appealed to Church of Scotland headquarters at 121 George Street in Edinburgh for help.

Presbytery clerk the Rev Leslie Goskirk of Lairg and Rogart said this week: "It is a crisis that is looming unless things change. We could find ourselves in the next few years with a lot more vacancies."

Concern was first raised around six years ago when Sutherland had 12 parishes, three of which were vacant. At the time, the crisis was blamed on a nationwide shortage of ministers.

Congregations were warned that the Kirk had to find new ways to serve the area with fewer ministers. A special one-day conference was held in Brora in 2002 in a bid to find solutions to the situation.

Ideas thrown up by the conference included team ministries, or "community ministers" who would be centrally based and look after more than one parish. The recruitment of more lay readers was also suggested.

A committee was formed to draw up a "Presbytery Plan 2002" on ways to tackle the crisis.

Sutherland Presbytery is one of three presbyteries in Scotland taking a lead role in coming up with innovative suggestions for the ministry in the future.

In 2003 it was decided that new ministers appointed in the area should be given short-term contracts only, renewable every five years. The rationale behind the move was to give the flexibility to introduce, if needed, groups of parishes served by a team ministry.

Mr Goskirk explained this week that as part of the 2002 plan the number of parishes in Sutherland had been reduced from 12 to nine through amalgamation.

Brora was now linked with Helmsdale under the Rev Ian McCree. And when the present minister, the Rev Graeme Muckart, retires in three years it is intended to link his parish of Kincardine, Croick and Edderton with the vacant parish of Creich and Rosehall.

Other parishes currently vacant are Altnaharra and Farr, which has been without a permanent minister for three years, and Lochinver which is in effect now being treated as a linked charge with Scourie under the Rev John Macpherson.

Mr Goskirk said that over the past few years the shortage of ministers had eased but the recruitment difficulties had continued.

"I know there is an encouraging increase in the number of students in training, although they take a while to come through the training system," he said. "We find it difficult to understand why they apparently do not want to come here when it is such a great place in which to live and work."

"It does seem to be a problem encountered in other rural areas, and Caithness is in an even worse situation. Probably one of the reasons is that, if you have a married minister whose spouse is working, unless he or she can get a job in the north it is difficult for them to consider moving."

The presbytery has made a plea for help to the Ministries Council at Church of Scotland HQ in Edinburgh.

But Mr Goskirk said: "The feeling is we are a bit out on a limb here, and are not getting as much support from the central committee of the Church as we might do."

The presbytery is now considering a suggestion that a recruitment video should be made, promoting the benefits of living and working in Sutherland.

It is felt that a high-profile church gathering to be held in May at Ingliston, near Edinburgh, could be an ideal opportunity to show the video.

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