New Ness Bank minister is ‘simply the best’

The new minister at Ness Bank, Rev Stuart Smith thought he had missed the opportunity to move to one of the busiest churches in Inverness.

He was thinking of moving on from his charge at Gairloch and Dundonnell on the other side of the Highlands when he saw Ness Bank was vacant, but although he was interested, the timing was not right.

"I viewed Ness Bank as a challenging and exciting opportunity, but the timing wasn't going to work for us because as well as Gairloch, I had also committed myself to a month of locum work in Switzerland," he said.

However, when the sole nominee withdrew and the church began a new search for a minister, Mr Smith was able to reapply successfully for the post.

"It was a very clear case of the time working out in a way it hadn't seemed it would earlier on with my availability and their continuing vacancy," he said.

Mr Smith, who began his ministry career with 22 years at Partick Trinity in his home city of Glasgow, is the second Rev Smith in succession to become minister at Ness Bank, having been preceded by Rev Fiona Smith, now principal clerk of the General Assembly.

This prompted interim moderator Rev Ian Manson to joke to the packed induction congregation that: "With Stuart Smith taking over from Fiona Smith, we are saving money on changing the notice board. That was an important consideration."

The induction service was led by Rev Doug McRoberts, Moderator of Clèir Eilean ì, the new Presbytery of the Highlands and Hebrides, who began by welcoming the congregation to "this happy occasion, the induction of a minister", and went on to share his hopes for Ness Bank.

"Start to think of this building as a factory turning out the things people need," he said, telling the congregation that as apostles, they were charged with changing people's lives.

Although Mr Smith's son Cameron, daughter-in-law Danielle and grandson Iver were unable to attend the induction because of illness, he and his wife Elspeth were joined by their daughter Catriona, who stood in for her absent brother to introduce her father to the congregation.

Warning that while his jokes might have them rolling their eyes, she added: "In the words of one of his favourite singers, the late Tina Turner, he is simply the best and I know in time you will all love him as much as I do and through God he will bless you all."

A church for the city centre

Speaking later, Mr Smith revealed what had attracted him to Ness Bank.

"Meeting the people here, there was a very strong sense that they appreciated what I felt were my strengths and were engaged in the type of ministry and outreach that I would want to become a part of," he said

"In one sense, it is hugely daunting. It's a huge congregation, bigger than anywhere I have been before. But it's also an opportunity. There are lots of people to do things.

"I think the big challenge for Ness Bank is that the parish boundaries have changed and Ness Bank has been allocated the bulk of the city centre. City centre ministry is different from what Ness Bank has done in the past. We do have a lot going on at the church, including Inverness Foodstuff, which is an independent charity, but works alongside the congregation.

"Other church organisations are involved with traditional parish ministry based around the people living in the area, so the challenge is keeping that going at the same time as asking what city centre ministry looks like and how do we engage with the council and the business community or tourists, and how we build the partnerships to do that.

"Inverness is blessed with a number of strong congregations, both in the Church of Scotland, but also in other denominations, and clearly the sensible way to tackle city centre issues is by the churches working together, building those relationships and sharing the working opportunities."

Although it is on the other side of country and an hour-and -a-half away from his previous parish, Inverness is the nearest city to Gairloch and where people would regularly visit for shopping or services, so Mr Smith is no stranger to the Highland capital.

"It feels familiar," he said.

"I was not particularly looking to stay in the Highlands, but I was looking for a ministry post where I could be at the heart of the congregation, working with a team with a particular role as a preacher and teacher, but also facilitating and planning. Somewhere that was geographically more centralised, that would provide the opportunity to work in a single church rather than across multiple linkages or places of worship.

"I am very keen not to arrive with a whole heap of fresh ideas because I have a number of distinguished predecessors at Ness Bank who have achieved a great deal and there are clearly all sorts of skillsets already at work in the congregation. I want to learn from them what they are good at and what they value, and then find out how I can support and encourage and be involved with that work.

"I am looking forward to becoming part of the congregation and finding out where they are blessed and can be a blessing for others."