The Princess Royal Visits Bennachie Parish Church, Aberdeenshire
On 10 October, Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal arrived in the village of Kemnay to the sounds of the Kintore Pipe Band. Her Royal Highness was greeted at the church gate by Mrs Lorna Smith, the Deputy Lord-Lieutenant for Aberdeenshire. Mrs Smith accompanied The Princess Royal to the church entrance, where Rev Neil Meyer, the minister of Bennachie Parish Church, was presented to her.
Mr Meyer then introduced the Presbytery Moderator Rev Shuna Dicks, the Presbytery Clerk Rev Stella McBurnie, the Session Clerk Mrs Carole Horne and the Treasurer Mr Andrew Radcliffe to Her Royal Highness.
After a short conversation at the church door, The Princess Royal was invited to enter the church building, where Mr Meyer showed her the map of the parish.
Bennachie Parish was formed on 1 September 2023 as a union of Blairdaff and Chapel of Garioch, Cluny, Echt and Midmar, Kemnay, Kintore, and Monymusk Church of Scotland congregations. The parish covers a wide rural area of Aberdeenshire and is to be served by two ministers (one charge currently vacant) across five church buildings. Worship is sustained through the use of technology, including live streaming, pre-recorded and joint services.
The Princess Royal was given the opportunity to witness Bennachie’s innovative approach to worship first-hand. She watched the other four churches of the parish go live on screen and heard greetings from Monymusk, Kintore, Echt and Chapel of Garioch.
A team of Community Led Worship leaders were presented to Her Royal Highness after the live broadcast - they had the opportunity to share further details with her of how worship is led in the physical absence of a minister.
In fine weather, the visit continued with a tour of the Commonwealth War Graves at the Kemnay Church cemetery. The tour was led by local historian, Mr Duncan Downie and the Commonwealth War Graves representative, Mr Scott Laird.
The next stop of the royal visit was the Kemnay Church Centre. In the Loaves and Fishes Café The Princess Royal was introduced to volunteers who run the congregation’s three café’s: Loaves and Fishes in Kemnay, Thursday Drop-in at Kintore and Hope Café in Echt.
One of the halls of the Church Centre was set to display all the charities and initiatives the parish is involved with locally and internationally. Children’s ministry in the parish includes Scripture Union at Kemnay Academy, a mainly music® group and Sunday School at Monymusk, a monthly Messy Church at Kintore and the weekly Little Lambs of Kemnay. Charities on display included Christian Aid, Toilet Twinning, WaterAid, Famine Relief for Orphans in Malawi and local charities such as the Aberdeenshire North FoodBank and the parish’s own Hospital Transport scheme.
Her Royal Highness learnt about the environmental project run at Monymusk, which is trying to re-establish a swift colony in the church tower. The Princess Royal also heard about the recent project to relocate the Cluny War Memorial following the sale of Cluny Church. The rededication of Cluny War Memorial will take place on Sunday, the 19th of October at 2 pm at Cluny Cemetery.
The visit ended in the main hall of the Church Centre, where Her Royal Highness met with over 80 of Bennachie’s most dedicated volunteers, who had gathered for tea in anticipation of her arrival. To mark the occasion, Her Royal Highness unveiled a plaque commemorating her visit to the parish.
The Princess Royal was then presented with gifts from the congregation, including a painting of Bennachie by local artist Mr Ian McCracken, and a picture of the 121st Toilet Twinned by the parish. In a particularly touching moment, 102-year-old Elder Emeritus, Mrs Agnes Ryle, presented Her Royal Highness with a posy on behalf of the parish.
In his parting message to The Princess Royal, Mr Meyer said,
“Your Royal Highness, is has been a real joy to have you visit us here at Bennachie Parish Church today.
“When we heard that you would be able to visit us we gave a lot of thought to what message we want to convey to you.
“We decided that we didn’t just want to show you the “best little church in Aberdeenshire”, even though I, of course, think we are that.
“We wanted, instead, to give you a picture of “every church” in Aberdeenshire.
“We are very conscious that we have colleagues and friends in churches across the whole of the North East who are facing the same challenges as we are with diminishing resources and congregational readjustments.
“We are all having to find new and creative ways to continue worshipping God and serving our communities. And we are doing so.
“We are doing so because the hope for the world lies in congregations of men and women who believe that the power which has the final word in human affairs is represented by a man hanging on a cross.
“We believe it; and we live by it – and that is why we continue to serve as we do."