Black Isle community rallies to find future for axe-struck Killearnan Church in Highlands
ROSS-SHIRE campaigners are fighting for a closure-threatened church that has a 500-plus year history by outlining a bold vision for its future at the heart of their community.
And while criticising the Church of Scotland for “institutional incompetence and poor leadership” over its “cull” of buildings as part of a massive estate review, they are rallying their community to an open day at which a host of potential projects to safeguard its future will be discussed.
Killearnan Church, in a beautiful rural setting near Redcastle village on the Black Isle, was built in 1450 and been witness to centuries of history as well as offering a place of refuge and spiritual comfort to generations of locals.
Many have been married, christened or said farewells from within its walls. Campaigners say it still “enjoys a lively and strong congregation who enjoy coming not only for their spiritual welfare but for all the social and charitable activities that take place”.
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Catherine Zawalnyckyi, who is helping lead the effort, said: “The Church of Scotland have recently had to take stock of their finances due to falling congregational numbers nationally so they are in the process of closing down failing congregations and rural churches. All attempts to persuade them that Killearnan is a flourishing church and should not be closed has fallen on deaf ears.
“The way in which the Church of Scotland has carried out their cull of churches and congregations throughout the country has been greatly criticised is one of the worst examples of institutional incompetence and poor leadership within an organisation.”
She says all is not lost: “The congregation believe we can survive if we buy the church and the church hall and rebrand it for community use not only for religious worship but as a space for a wide range of activities. We need to find out what the community would like and together put forward proposals for pursuing funding streams.”
An open day on Saturday, April 26 from 10am till 4pm at the church will collect ideas “and discuss possibilities on how we could turn this into a vibrant community place”. There will be teas and baking in the hall.
As well as continuing as a church, ideas include developing it a scenic wedding venue with catering, a musical and cultural event centre and historical tourist attraction. The hall could be rented space for instructional classes, keep fit and yoga, outreach for the elderly, youth group, teaching opportunities and community projects.
She said: “All this is possible but we need community support, willing people to see it through and keep it going and, of course, funding. If you can give your time, your ideas your skills or if you’d be interested in giving financial support please come along and share your ideas with us at our open day.”
A Church of Scotland spokesman said that after careful deliberation, the congregation of Killearnan Church will unite with Urray and Kilchrist Parish Church in Muir of Ord, three miles away.
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He said: “This was delayed following a request by the Killernan congregation for a review of the Presbytery’s decision, but it is now expected that the building will be released by this autumn. In the case of Killearnan, the church lies outwith any local centre of population and has a small gathered congregation with members and attendees from both within and outside the parish and has limited disabled access.
“The union with Urray and Gilchrist Parish Church, just a short drive away, will ensure the Church will continue to serve the community. We welcome interest from community organisations which have a viable plan for the future of church buildings and this has led to a number of former churches passing into community ownership elsewhere in Scotland.”
The decision to release Killearnan is part of a nationwide programme of reform following a directive from the General Assembly in 2021 to ensure the best use of resources to meet the challenges of Christian mission in the 21st century.
He said the Church owns thousands of properties with many no longer suitable for the needs of congregations “or whose continued upkeep and maintenance may no longer be viable in the face of falling membership and a reduction in financial contributions”.
He said the church acknowledges that many “will understandably feel a great sense of loss that churches, where in some cases there will be a family connection which dates back generations, will have to close”.
He said: “The Presbytery Mission Plan for the Presbytery of Ross and the wider Clèir Eilean Ì area offers a way forward that has a clear emphasis on mission and draws on the existing resources of ministers and congregations as a whole, while seeking to make the best possible use of well-equipped spaces in the right places.”
