Church holds special service in Lochinver to mark 200 years of the RNLI
A Sutherland port has marked the 200th anniversary of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) with a service of thanksgiving.
The service on Sunday at Assynt Church in Lochinver, which remains one of Scotland’s most important fishing ports, celebrated 200 years of saving lives at sea.
It was attended by several local RNLI volunteers and fundraisers, who are vital to the charity’s continued service.
Assynt, Rosehall and Scourie minister, Rev Iain MacLeod, said: “In rural communities like ours we appreciate just how essential the great work of the RNLI is, not only in rescuing people at sea and on the coast, but in providing support to the other emergency services.”
In the 200 years since it was founded as the National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck, the RNLI has saved an estimated 144,000 lives – a figure which Mr MacLeod pointed out appears in the Book of Revelation as the number of people saved out of a time of tribulation.
The service in the Sutherland village included a reading from Sir William Hillary’s 1823 “Appeal to the Nation” to form an institution to save lives and property from shipwreck, marking the very beginning of the RNLI’s history, in which he expressed his hope that: “Every stranger, whom the disasters of the sea may cast on their shores, should never look for refuge in vain.”
Mr MacLeod told the congregation: “We give thanks for the vision of Sir William Hillary and we thank all who give generously of their time and gifts to volunteer or work for the RNLI.
“We also want to inspire others to join the RNLI’s One Crew so that we can look ahead with confidence for the next 200 years of saving lives at sea.”
The service coincided with Father’s Day and Mr MacLeod reflected on how God is the Father we can run to in times of need, a message illustrated by Jo Wright, a member of the church’s Songs of Hope group, with her performance of Cody Carnes’ contemporary hymn “Run to the Father”.
The RNLI now operates a fleet of over 400 lifeboats across the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, but as a charity it relies on the support of the public.
