A NEW ERA will begin today for a Moray church community as the first service is conducted by a pastor who has moved from a thriving city community to Burghead.
Peter Turnbull was preaching to 900 church goers at his last job in Sheffield – but today he is likely to find fewer than 30 taking seats at the Burghead Free Church.
Not that he is put off in the slightest – in fact, he is welcoming the challenge in attracting more people to the church at a time when congregations are falling throughout the country.
“We welcome anyone and everyone – and our hope is that attending will become a real community event,” Peter said ahead of the service at 11am today.
He added: “Some may be sceptical about Christianity and others may be looking for a way back into church, having drifted away from attending. Either way, we think that they will find a warm welcome and have an interesting time with us.”
Peter has been getting out and about the community in recent weeks, talking to people at their doorsteps and outside shops, and found that many are curious about what the church is doing.
He said: “We don’t assume that people believe or know about the Christian faith. Visitors do not have to wear anything special and will not be asked to do anything strange.”
The pastor has embraced modern technology in his attempt to attract new or lapsed members to the church, having set up his own Facebook and Twitter accounts in which he advised that Burghead’s is the church “for people who would not normally go to church”.
Services are held each Sunday at 11am in the Burghead Free Church on Grant Street.