Work has commenced on a £100,000 revamp of a Moray village kirk.
Minister Peter Turnbull relocated from a parish in England to oversee Burghead Free Church last summer, with the ambition of reinvigorating the small congregation.
The 31-year-old has now launched an ambitious scheme to modernise the 19th century venue – and is selling off all 40 of its pews to help fund the work.
He has already amassed £42,000 from well-wishers across the UK to pay for the first phase of the project, and aims to have it finished this summer.
Local builders and joiners are restoring parts of the church’s crumbling exterior stonework, and installing new windows to reduce the damp inside the building.
A solid wall at the front of the church will be knocked down to create a spacious entry and a new floor and heating system will be added.
Mr Turnbull said: “We want this to be a place for everyone, including people who don’t think of themselves as Christians.
“This should make the building more people-friendly.
“We will have comfortable chairs instead of pews, which we hope will make it a more welcoming place.”
Mr Turnbull has lodged several applications with trust funds and grant bodies in an effort to secure funding for the remainder of the planned improvements.
The Grant Street kirk was originally opened in 1845, and Mr Turnbull said the current renovation was a continuation of the work that began more than 170 years ago.
He added: “This is a modernisation, but it will look much the same outside – it will just be more watertight.”
Mr Turnbull lives beside the church with his wife, Morag, and four young children.
Last year, he left a 900-strong flock in Sheffield to lead 30 mainly elderly parishioners in Burghead. And he vowed to reach out and connect with people regardless of their religious views.
As he said: “This is such a welcoming place, everyone speaks to everyone and that is really helpful in allowing us to spread our message.”
He aims to have the first phase of improvements completed by the middle of August, when Burghead Primary School will use the venue for a holiday club.
