As a Presbyterian church our congregation is governed by office-bearers who are elected to that position by the members of the church.
The Minister and the elders have responsibility for pastoring the congregation, with the majority of the teaching being done by the minister. There is no hierarchy with all the elders and ministers having the same authority.
Deacons are also elected by the members of the church and have responsibility for ensuring the best use of the material assets of the congregation to further the cause of Christ.
Rev Alasdair Macaulay
Minister
Alasdair is a Lewisman who worked for 2 years in the oil fabrication yard in Stornoway before joining the BBC where he was employed as a journalist for 16 years working in Inverness and Stornoway. He is married to Mairi and they have 4 of a family, Christina, Luke, Emma and Kate. Having felt called to the ministry, they moved to Edinburgh in 2009 where Alasdair studied for 3 years before becoming the minister of Tain & Fearn Free church in August 2012.
Hector Campbell
Elder
Hector was brought up in Evanton. He worked as a woodcutter and fencer since leaving school and has been self-employed since he was twenty one. In 1972, he married Winnie and they have two sons, one daughter and five grandsons. He attended the Free Church in Evanton and was an elder there for about twenty five years. Hector joined the Tain and Fearn Free Church congregation two years ago and is now one of their Precentors. He was inducted to the eldership there on 2nd February 2020.
Bill Ferrier
Elder
Bill has been an office bearer in the Free Church of Scotland for many years, serving as a deacon in Inverness Free North and as an elder in
Dornoch Free Church and the Tain and Fearn congregation. He is married to Donella and they have three adult children and three small grandchildren. Bill worked in the NHS for forty seven years, specialising in mental health care before finally retiring in November 2024.
Dornoch Free Church and the Tain and Fearn congregation. He is married to Donella and they have three adult children and three small grandchildren. Bill worked in the NHS for forty seven years, specialising in mental health care before finally retiring in November 2024.
John Garvie
Elder and Session Clerk
John is married to Fiona. They have three children and eleven grandchildren. Educated in Aberdeen, John spent 43 years in the teaching profession and retired as Rector of Dornoch Academy in 2014. He was ordained as an elder in the Church of Scotland and served congregations in Balfron, Stirlingshire and Gairloch. Fiona and John have been members of the Free Church since 2000. He was elected an elder in 2020.
Hugh Mackenzie
Elder
Hugh was born and brought up in Inverness and moved to Balintore permanently in 1970. He has been farming there for over 50 years. Hugh and Mary married in 1972 and have four sons and one daughter and now have fourteen grandchildren. He was previously an elder in the APC Tain & Fearn congregation. Hugh was inducted to the eldership of Tain and Fearn Free Church on 2nd February 2020.
Roderick Mackenzie
Elder
Roderick was brought up in the village of Hilton and lives there with his wife Emma and their son Kenny-Hugh. He manages the mixed family farm which grows crops and runs a flock of sheep. He is also a Crew Commander in the local fire station in Balintore.
Having previously been a member in the local APC congregation he became a member of Tain & Fearn Free Church in 2017. He attends the Hilton end of the congregation and is one of the precentors there. He helps with the Youth Fellowship and holds a young men’s Bible Study in his home. Roderick was ordained and inducted to the eldership of Tain and Fearn Free Church on 2nd February 2020
Having previously been a member in the local APC congregation he became a member of Tain & Fearn Free Church in 2017. He attends the Hilton end of the congregation and is one of the precentors there. He helps with the Youth Fellowship and holds a young men’s Bible Study in his home. Roderick was ordained and inducted to the eldership of Tain and Fearn Free Church on 2nd February 2020
Willie Mackenzie
Elder
Willie was born and raised in the Easter Ross area and was part of the Associated Presbyterian Church in Hilton until it merged with the Free Church congregation in 2018. He is married to Kate, who hails from Louisville, Kentucky, and they have three energetic wee boys, Fraser, Aiden and Lachlan. He works at Christian Focus Publications as Director of Publishing, a role that requires regular trips abroad, one of those trips being the one where he and Kate first met, back in 2006. Willie was ordained and inducted as an elder in 2020.
Angus Macleod
Elder
Angus was born and brought up on the Isle of Skye. He has been married to Julie since December 1999, they have two grownup children Lorna and Ruairidh. He became a Christian in his late twenties. He qualified in Electronic & Electrical Engineering and spent most of his career in IT specialising in security. He has held various senior roles for companies he worked for and has been running his own business along with his wife Julie for the last 12 years. He is a member of several boards one of which is CCAST.
Fin Macrae
Elder
Fin is originally from Wester Ross. Even though ‘West is best’ he has adapted to life in Easter Ross, having lived in Tain for the past 24 years! Fin is a graphic designer and is married to Margo. They have a daughter, Joell, who is in Tain Royal Academy. Fin became a Christian aged 12 and is a director local charity CCAST. In his spare time he enjoys going to the gym, music and travelling. He was elected an elder in 2023
David Merrick
Elder
David has a joinery background and had worked as a site manager for a national construction company until he took early retirement to look after his wife Linda who had suffered from MS for forty years, Linda went to be with her Lord in 2022. They had been married for over fifty years and have two grown up daughters. In their youth had both attended the Church of Scotland. In 1985 they moved to Hilton and shortly afterwards started to attend the Free Church where they were both admitted to membership at the same communion. He was elected an elder in 1999.
William Paterson
Elder
William was brought up in Hilton and worked as a salmon fisher. He trained for the ministry of the Free Church and was licensed to preach in 2010. He ministers to several small rural congregations. He is married to Mary and they have one daughter. He was elected an elder in 2014.
James Skinner
Elder
James is a retired GP and has been a deacon since 1979 and an elder since 1982, having joined the Tain congregation after moving back to his home patch of Easter Ross in 1972. He is married to Murdina who sadly is no longer able to attend worship, as she now requires full time care. Because of this he is not now able to be as active in congregational things as he would like.
John Skinner
Elder
John is a retired social worker, born and brought up in the Seaboard Villages. He is married to Doreen and has four grown-up children and seven grandchildren. John was elected an elder in 2014.
Tom Walker
Elder
Tom is married to Catherine and has two married daughters and two grandsons. He is a retired teacher and engineer. He came to Easter Ross, from the Central Belt, at the end of 1984 to teach in Tain Royal Academy and latterly Dornoch Academy. He has been a member in Tain Free Church since the beginning of 1985 and became an elder that year.
Johnny Allan
Elder
Marcus MacIver
Elder
Duncan Macdonald
Deacon
Duncan grew up in Alness before moving to Aberdeen to study architecture. He returned to the Highlands after graduating and married Michelle in 2008. They live in Edderton and have two children, Sarah and Mackenzie. Duncan runs his own architect practice in Tain and outside of work is into anything relating to cars. He also likes watching sport and travelling. He became a Christian in his mid-20s after working with Christians who invited him along to an Alpha Course.
Hugh Ross
Deacon
Uisdean (Hugh) was brought up in the Seaboard Villages. He is married to Dorothy and they have one son and two daughters as well as eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild. He has attended Fearn Free Church since childhood and is the Precentor. He was elected a Deacon in 2014
Will Ross
Deacon
William is a lifelong local to the Seaboard villages. He qualified as a Mechanical Engineer from RGIT after attending Tain Royal Academy and worked as an Engineer in the Oil Industry for most of his working life at home and abroad. He has been married to Cheryl for over 33 years and are both retired, but continue to enjoy the outdoor life along with a bit of travel.
Samuel Roberston
Church Officer
David Skinner
Deacon
David lives in Hilton with his wife, Emily, and their three children: Rebekah, William, and Daniel. He was converted while studying in Glasgow and then spent nine years working in England. The family moved to the Seaboard villages in 2020 where they have enjoyed settling in to the Church and wider community.