Shortly after Greer and Moira Johnston moved to Sutherland from the Central Belt, in 1969, they had a vision to promote fellowship among the various church denominations in the area.

After a period of time getting to know the communities and the people across Sutherland, in 1981 Greer and Moira opened their own home as a neutral venue for Christians to meet, and people came. And so the first “convention” meeting was held, though not called that at the outset.

Over the coming years, Captain Stephen Anderson, Mike Griffiths (of LBC and OMF), Rev Dennis Lennon (C of E), Sinclair Ferguson (C of S), and others, known and respected for their acumen in expounding scripture, were invited to speak, with around 60 to 80 adults travelling from across Sutherland to attend these events.

As these events grew, provision was also made for children, with a programme run by SU (Scripture Union) staff. The teaching and fellowship were all well received, people were encouraged and enthused to work together in the shared endeavour in the heart of Sutherland.

Many recall the 1991 Billy Graham Crusade in Glasgow. Across Scotland, Churches arranged to receive satellite live-links from the Kelvin Hall to be picked up at venues all over the country. Locally, a committee of church leaders was formed from across the county of Sutherland, and live link locations were set up to join in and receive the broadcasts. Souls were saved in Sutherland as a result.

Thereafter, the committee considered that some form of inter-church activity should continue the good work. So outreach work, among the young started up in various schools and communities. An annual Saturday gathering, for Christian adults, was also started and hosted in Dornoch. This was to build on the ministries started in Lairg and came to replace the annual gatherings in the Johnston’s home. After a few years this developed into the weekend event that we now know as the “Sutherland Convention”, and this proved, and still proves to be, a popular conference for Christians from the Easter Ross area too.

By then, established as the “Sutherland Convention”, it was led by a committee whose members comprised mainly local ministers reflecting the various denominations, and the geographical area covered. At that time, Greer was the only “lay person” on the committee.

The three-fold vision of the committee was: 

Firstly - to have a themed in-depth look at issues and teaching from the scriptures, brought by Biblical preachers of national and international standing.

One of the main purposes of the teaching was to stimulate more local Christian activity by way of local outreach. 

Secondly - to continue fostering the growing appreciation of the fact that all the believers in Sutherland had more in common, faith in Jesus Christ, than denominational differences .

And thirdly, to foster the bond of Christian Fellowship with each other personally, with neighbouring congregations, with other denominations. 

The convention's Sunday evening service was seen as having a pronounced evangelistic, gospel call, at its core.

Youth work was also sponsored throughout the county.

Fundamental changes in the Christian scene in Scotland have not missed out on Sutherland. While the Bible Message never changes, the way it is presented needs to be relevant to the current generation, as well as relevant to the 21st Century culture of the Scottish Highlands.

The Sutherland Convention membership has also changed over recent years, involving more “lay people” and younger members, as former members retire or move away.

While remaining very much true to the local people, its historic roots and vision, the Sutherland Convention has recently become associated with the “Keswick Fellowship”, which operates throughout the UK as a national network to encourage the leaders of Bible Conventions and other “Keswick events” through prayer, practical support and fellowship.

Building on the vision of the founding members, the Sutherland Convention aims to promote activities to strengthen the unity and fellowship of the Churches, to renew the vision for evangelical mission, and to present the Christian Gospel, with everything that represents.

We continue to look for God’s blessing and wisdom and vision for the coming years. Where there is no vision, or purpose, the people perish!

Committee

The Sutherland Convention Committee comprises members from several denominations, including ministers and lay people, all committed to bringing believers together around the faithful teaching of God’s Word, to strengthen unity across denominations in Christ, and to equip the Church for gospel witness in our communities and for the generations to come.

• There is one God in three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

• God is sovereign in creation, revelation, redemption and final judgment.

• The Bible, as originally given, is the inspired and infallible Word of God. It is the supreme authority in all matters of belief and behaviour.

• Since the fall, the whole of humankind is sinful and guilty, so that everyone is subject to God’s wrath and condemnation.

• The Lord Jesus Christ, God’s incarnate Son, is fully God; he was born of a virgin; his humanity is real and sinless; he died on the cross, was raised bodily from death and is now reigning over heaven and earth.

• Sinful human beings are redeemed from the guilt, penalty and power of sin only through the sacrificial death once and for all time of their representative and substitute, Jesus Christ, the only mediator between them and God.

• Those who believe in Christ are pardoned all their sins and accepted in God’s sight only because of the righteousness of Christ credited to them; this justification is God’s act of undeserved mercy, received solely by trust in him and not by their own efforts.

• The Holy Spirit alone makes the work of Christ effective to individual sinners, enabling them to turn to God from their sin and to trust in Jesus Christ.

• The Holy Spirit lives in all those he has regenerated. He makes them increasingly Christ-like in character and behaviour and gives them power for their witness in the world.

• The one holy universal church is the Body of Christ, to which all true believers belong.

• The Lord Jesus Christ will return in person, to judge everyone, to execute God’s just condemnation on those who have not repented and to receive the redeemed to eternal glory.

(Statement of Faith – adopted from Keswick Fellowship).