Thurso Salvation Army church set to close in April
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
THE Salvation Army church in Thurso is set to close in April after an association with the town which stretches back more than 130 years.
That was confirmed by Major Gillian Jackson, the divisional commander for North Scotland. She said a valedictory service will take place at the Esplanade building in Market Street on April 6 and after that there will be "no activities held there for the forseeable future."
She could not comment on the possible sale of the premises but said: "We are not considering the sale of the building for now."
Major Jackson said the congregation at Thurso is declining and "quite small" and it is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain the building. "There is a limit to what we can do."
"A lot of people know the Salvation Army Hall in Thurso and it will be particularly sad for the congregation who have gone there for years. It will be heart-wrenching for them and for us but even before Covid struck the congregation was small," she said.
Major Jackson stressed that the Salvation Army in Wick is "absolutely fine" as it has a larger congregation and provides a Sunday service as well as a number of activities such as prayer meetings, bible studies and the CAMEO (Come And Meet Each Other) club.
"It is just Thurso we are reviewing at the moment," she said. Major Jackson was speaking to the John O' Groat Journal from Kirkwall in Orkney and said the Salvation Army there is flourishing.
She said Wick is celebrating its 140th anniversary this year and explained that the Salvation Army hall in Thurso has been in use for in excess of 130 years. The building was used as a church before that.
"We have had to adapt to a number of changes over the years and what we need to do differently. We have to keep everything under review," added Major Jackson.
For more than a century the Thurso premises provided services and ran choirs, musicals, bible studies and prayer meetings and played a part in the local community.
Many people who came to Thurso to work and had been in the Salvation Army became members when they moved north but the numbers attending have been in decline for some time.
The Salvation Army is an international movement and part of the Christian Church. It is well known for its work to help the poor and needy.
