North west minister bucks trend on church attendance
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When Rev Andrea Boyes was thinking about a new parish she asked the Almighty for just three things.
That it was not somewhere rural; it did not have two churches; and it involved no big building projects.
But Andrea ended up 18 months ago as the Church of Scotland Minister for Durness and Kinlochbervie. She admits nowhere could be more rural, with two churches and big building works on the agenda!
But incredibly Andrea has seen her flock doubling in Durness and up a third in Kinlochbervie, where she lives with her husband Jimmy (53) a psychiatric nurse.
This is bucking the national trend where church attendance is falling.
When Andrea arrived from Larkhall in South Lanarkshire she found only “six to eight” worshippers at Durness and around 20 in Kinlochbervie. Now Durness welcomes around 20 each week and Kinlochbervie more than 30.
“I had never been this far north, but I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the area, so much so I asked why did they need a minister, surely they must all believe in God living among such beauty?” joked mother-of-three Andrea, 50.
“We now have a significant percentage of the population coming to the churches, from children to people in their 80s.
Andrea introduced a café church every second Sunday of the month in Durness Village Hall and a “messy church” – aimed at families and craft-based – in both churches.
She added: “My hope is that the church will be a blessing for the community sharing in the love of God.
“It’s not at all about numbers but about a relationship with God and one another.
Having said that ageing buildings cannot be maintained by small numbers. Durness, in particular, will require major renovation works.”
In her spare time, Andrea, who was a street pastor in Inverness for three years, enjoys keeping fit with spin classes.
