Sunday worshippers motor to Alness drive-in church service

FORGET your Big Mac and Coke, the latest ‘drive-thru’ sensation in Ross-shire is a new church service.

Johnny Bremner (63), from Evanton, has been running Sunday drive-in sermons at Alness Academy’s car park for the last month.

As many as 25 cars have been rolling up, as well as others on foot, on a Sunday afternoon to hear gospel music and preaching from local ministers.

Johnny, a member of Rosskeen Free Church and a professional country singer, got the idea for the service from a similar event he saw at Portrush in Northern Ireland a couple of years ago.

He said: “Everyone has an issue in their life. I meet a lot of people and some people would want to go to church, but they don’t like going into the buildings.

“Then there are disabled people who can’t manage going to church, so this drive in means that people can come along and they won’t be seen, but at the same time we are getting the message across.

“It’s just an outreach for people to hear the gospel. I do it through music and then someone comes along and gives the word.

“There’re are people who don’t go to church that have been there. I was speaking to a lady who said she heard it way in the middle of Alness, so they hear it whether they come to the service or not.”

Preachers who have featured at the drive-ins include Rosskeen minister Rev Iain MacAskill and David Hepburn from the Fishermen’s Mission in Brora, who will also speak at this season’s final service on Sunday, July 27.

But this sermon is not the last for Johnny, who is looking for sponsors for an even bigger project in 2015.

He said: “Next year, I’m looking to try and get an exhibition trailer, which I can drive to different communities.

“Like the circus put up posters saying they’re coming to town, that’s what I want to do with the drive-in church. “I want to move about from place to place, but still have my yearly one in Alness.”

Johnny says a new trailer would allow him to spread the Lord’s word all year round, come wind, rain or shine.

“That’s my mission, to bring the message across to different communities and to people who would love to go to church, but are frightened to do so.”

Johnny has been a Christian for around 20 years and a professional singer for 35. During his career he has released 16 CDs and five DVDs.

He explained: “I’ve been on the go a long time. This is a new challenge for me and I love a challenge.”

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