St Ninian’s Church in Invergordon was packed to the doors on Saturday 7th August for the Installation of the Revd Andrew McMichael as Priest-in-Charge of St Ninian’s Invergordon, St Andrew’s Tain and St Gilbert’s, Lochinver.

People from the three congregations, along with Diocesan and visiting clergy, were joined by eleven folk from Lancashire who travelled by from Fr Andrew’s former parish of St Paul’s Little Marsden with St Mary’s Nelson in the Diocese of Blackburn where he has served as Vicar since 1999.

In his sermon, Bishop John Crook spoke about the new shared ministry which was about to begin, in which Fr Andrew would be working with the ministry teams in Tain, Lochinver and Invergordon, and of his vision for a greater network of support and encouragement of mission throughout the Diocese. At the end of the service Fr Andrew thanked everyone for coming to support him and said he had been so impressed with the warm welcome he had received from everyone.

Fr Andrew was ordained Priest in 1990 and served as Curate of St George Chorley from 1992-94, Curate of St Andrew Burnley and Chaplain to Burnley Health Care Trust from 1994-99, before becoming Rector of St Mary Eccleston Chorley in 1994.

After the service the crowds of people enjoyed a splendid lunch which had been prepared by members of the three congregations, spreading outside from the hall to enjoy the glorious sunshine where tables had been set up along the side of the church.