Three centuries of kirk history comes to an end in Badenoch and Strathspey
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An era spanning more than three centuries of kirk life in Badenoch and Strathspey has come to an end.
The last ever meeting of Abernethy Presbytery took place at St Columba's Church in Boat of Garten on Tuesday evening before a major shake up in the Church of Scotland's governance in the New Year.
For over 300 years, local church leaders have been meeting in the strath to look after kirk business.
But now even the Church is not immune to centralisation.
The last gathering in its present form included worship, business, and a shared meal, as well as hearing some insights from the history of the Presbytery from historian Rev Dr Frank Bardgett.
Rev Jim MacEwan, Aberenthy Presbytery clerk, explained: "The Presbytery of Abernethy has administered the business of the Church of Scotland in this area for just over 300 years, with various forms of church government existing before that.
"In its present form it reaches from Laggan to Tomintoul and Inveravon.
"The number of parishes has varied over the years as both faith and prosperity have waxed and waned.
"Institutional religion is out of fashion at the moment, and with reducing numbers and finances the Church of Scotland is rationalising its administration and amalgamating Presbyteries.
"In our case this entails merging with eight others – Argyll, Inverness, Lochaber, Ross, Sutherland, Caithness, Lochcarron Skye, and Uist, and from January 1 we will be part of 'Cleir Eilean I, the Church of Scotland in the Highlands and Hebrides’.
"I understand that the Gaelic phrase means The Presbytery of Iona – presumably because it was from Iona that the Christian faith was brought from Ireland to the North and West of Scotland by Columba and his followers.
"I don’t think anyone underestimates the complexities of this change but the hope and prayer is that less time and effort will need to be spent on administration, freeing people to express their faith in worship and service."
