Past Events
Christians For Independence played an important part in the 2014 Independence referendum, and has continued to be active ever since. Read on for a selection of what we have done.
2025
Stall at Alba conference
CFI had a stall at the Alba party conference in Dundee on 24th – 25th October 2025. We welcomed some new members, and we were encouraged by the interest shown in our leaflets and booklets. CFI Convener Dave Thompson was also a guest speaker.
CFI is completely non-party political, but we are happy to engage with all the independence-supporting parties.
AOUB march and rally 
CFI members took part in the All Under One banner march and rally in Edinburgh on 6th September. Meeting in Johnston Terrace we marched with other independence groups down the Royal Mile to Holyrood, where a rally was held with inspiring talks by several prominent indy activists.
AGM
Our AGM was held on Wednesday 18th June 2025 at 7pm – by Zoom,in order to enable as many members as possible to 
take part. Our guest speaker was Gordon Murray from Stornoway, who has been a Comhairle nan Eilean Siar Councillor since 2012. He is a Deacon in Stornoway Free Church of Scotland and has been a member of Christians for Independence for several years. He is a committed Christian and a passionate supporter of independence.
He gave a moving and inspiring address.
The AGM also heard reports on our many activities over the past year, and discussed our plans for the future.
Office-bearers were elected as follows:
Convener: Dave Thompson
Vice-Convener: Stephen Shilton
Treasurer: Robbie Mochrie
Committee members: Edward Andrews, Alison Campbell, Lesley Findlay, Rosemary Ramsay, Stuart Stevenson.
Marjorie Wilson continues as Co-ordinator.
Grateful thanks were expressed to Gareth Morgan, who stood down as Treasurer, after filling the post most efficiently for the last three years.
Independence Forum Scotland Convention
CFI Convener Dave Thompson was a panel member in the discussion
on what a Wellbeing Scotland should look like at the Independence Forum Scotland’s summer Convention in Perth on 14th June.
The Convention began with an update on topics from the spring Convention – land reform, energy and democracy – before going on to consider the questions of tackling poverty and of establishing a Wellbeing economy. There was also an inspiring session on Scotland’s culture and national identity, with the theme that culture leads politics, not the other way round.
Survey
We recently conducted a survey of our members, to find out what they thought CFI should be doing and which areas of our work we should concentrate on. We have noted requests for speakers at in-person meetings, for more outreach to individual Christians and to churches, and for more involvement in the Independence movement. We will be applying these insights to our plans for future activities.
BlueSky
Like many other organisations and individuals, we have decided to significantly reduce our use of Twitter / X, as we dislike Elon Musk’s politics. We now have an account on BlueSky: christians4indy.bsky.social. Please follow our posts there, as well as our continuing posts on Facebook.
Scotland’s Future Convention
Members of CFI took part in the Independence Forum Scotland’s first Convention, in Edinburgh on 1st March. The Convention looked at various issues affecting Scotland today, including land reform, energy and democracy, and is the first of a series. The aim is for many groups – not just those which support independence at present – to examine what needs changing in Scotland and how the necessary changes can be brought about. It should eventually become clear to all that, while some things can be achieved under devolution, we cannot effect real change without full independence.
Yes event in Elgin
CFI is a part of the much wider independence movement, 
and as such we take part in Yes events of other independence organisations as much as possible. Our Convener, Dave Thompson, flew the flag for CFI at a Yes event at the Plainstones, Elgin, held by Yes Moray, in February 2025.
2024
Speech at Al-Khair dinner
CFI committee member and Treasurer Dr Gareth Morgan gave a speech on 14th December 2024 about the situation in Gaza from a Christian point of view.
CFI were asked by the Al-Khair Foundation to provide a speaker for a dinner held in Glasgow to raise funds to be used for humanitarian aid to Gaza. The Al-Khair Foundation (khair means goodness) is a Muslim charity which supplies aid to suffering people in many parts of the world. Their efforts at this time are concentrated on Palestine and they have already succeeded in getting many truckloads of aid into Gaza.
Before food was served at the dinner, guests received a paper plate containing leaves, grass and sand, showing what many people in Gaza are now reduced to eating for survival.
Dr Gareth Morgan
In his speech, Dr Morgan spoke of the co-operation between Christian and Muslim organisations in Gaza, of the tradition of charitable giving which Muslims and Christians share, and of the basic teachings of our respective faiths that we have an obligation to show mercy and compassion to those less fortunate.
He also explained that we are Christians who want independence for Scotland, and pointed out the support which Scottish pro-independence politicians have shown for Gaza.
Dr Morgan’s talk was well received, and he was glad to be able to correct the impression which many Muslims seemed to have that Christians would support the UK Government in its backing of Israel. And CFI was very grateful for the opportunity to bring a Christian presence to the event and to show how Christians share in the anguish over what is happening in Gaza.
Alex Salmond Memorial Service
CFI Convener Dave Thompson held aloft the distinctive CFI flag at the memorial for Alex Salmond, outside St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh, on St Andrew’s Day. Dave served as an MSP under Alex for seven years (2007 to 2014).
The tributes which were paid to Alex at the service in the Cathedral, and the large crowd which gathered outside, show that Alex will never be forgotten, and CFI joins with numerous other Yes groups in reaffirming our commitment to Scottish Independence. The dream shall never die.
ICEC Conference
Members of CFI, including Convener Dave Thompson, took part in the conference of the European Commission of European Citizens (ICEC), which was held in Greyfriars Kirk, Edinburgh on Saturday 5th October. The conference was organised by members of the Scottish Independence Convention (of which CFI is a member). It brought together delegates from 14 different European nations which are seeking either independence or at least a greater measure of autonomy and better recognition of their own cultures and languages. the Basque Country, Catalonia, Galicia, Sardinia, Sicily, South Tyrol, Flanders, Scotland, Wales, Northumbria, Ireland, The Faroes and Greenland were all represented. Before the conference, the delegates visited the Scottish Parliament, where they signed a Declaration, expressing their ambition for a Europe with less centralisation and more democracy.
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Referendum anniversary rally
Several members of Christians for Independence attended the rally in Edinburgh on 18th September, the 10th anniversary of the Independence Referendum in 2014. It was held next to the Scottish Parliament, at the foot of Salisbury Crags, and was organised by Believe in Scotland. A large audience heard from several inspirational speakers, including Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp and Lesley Riddoch, making it clear that, ten years on, the demand for independence is as strong as ever.
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Interview
Our Convener Dave Thompson was interviewed by the team from Scottish Indy Podcasts about his views on the 2024 General Election result and on using elections to gain independence, and his ideas on how independence-supporting parties can win the 2026 Scottish parliamentary election. The interview took place outside the Scottish Parliament as the crowd gathered for the Referendum anniversary rally. As a former MSP and long-term independence activist, Dave had interesting views, partiuclarly on the need for all the parties who want independence to get over their differences and work together – an outcome which he has been trying to bring about for some time.
You can watch the interview at 2 minutes 30 seconds in to the podcast: https://youtu.be/OYF8SjFIRPA?si=7ojzYhCNTY2QbnTE
Inverness Day of Action
Convener Dave Thompson handing out leaflets
Christians for Independence was one of many independence groups taking part in the Day of Action in Inverness on 17th August organised by Believe in Scotland. We gave out lots of leaflets from our stall in the High Street and had some interesting conversations with members of the public who stopped to speak to us. With our Christians for Independence banner we also took part in the Bridges for Indy display of flags on Friars Bridge.
AGM
Our AGM was held by Zoom on Wednesday 17th July. Following the office-bearers’ reports, elections were held for the various offices and for the committee.
Dave Thompson remains Convener, with Gareth Morgan as treasurer. Alison Campbell stood down as Vice-Convener, and was thanked for her long service in this role. The new Vice-convener is Stephen Shilton. Alison remains a committee member; the other committee members are Edward Andrews, Lesley Findlay, Rosemary Ramsay and Stuart Stevenson.
The meeting concluded with a wide-ranging discussion on the results of the recent UK General Election, and CFI’s plans for future action.
Talk on Gaza
We hosted a talk in Stirling on Saturday 8th June by Dr Philippa Whitford,
a former SNP MP who represented Central Ayrshire from 2015 till standing down at the forthcoming election. Dr Whitford is a breast surgeon; she has worked as a breast surgeon in Gaza and in the West Bank.
Her talk was entitled “Working in Gaza – with reflections on the current situation”.
She spoke about her work in Gaza from the 1990s onwards, both carrying out operations and training local medical staff, and her ongoing work with MAP, the charity Medical Aid for Palestinians.
She described how Israel has increasingly suppressed the Palestinians, encroaching on their land in the West Bank with their illegal settlements.
Severe travel restrictions meant that it was often impossible to send patients to the hospital in East Jerusalem which was the only one with the facilities to deal with some cases, and restrictions on the movement of goods meant that many drugs and items of medical equipment were in too short supply for effective treatment of some patients. Attacks by Israeli military meant that doctors often had to deal with gunshot wounds as well as routine illness.
The situation in Gaza is now unimaginably worse, with hospitals destroyed, health care workers killed, and doctors having to deal with horrific injuries from bomb and rocket attacks, crush injuries from collapsing buildings and wounds becoming infected due to lack of antibiotics, disinfectants or even clean water. Thousands of children have suffered amputations, with no prosthetics for them. With the infrastructure of Gaza largely destroyed and Israelis preventing adequate aid from arriving or being distributed, disease and starvation are already adding to the death toll.
It was useful to have pointed out that the present situation did not arise suddenly as a result of the Hamas attack on Israel last October; it is rather the latest act in the systematic oppression of the Palestinians, arising ultimately from the way in which much of their land was handed over to become the state of Israel, and exacerbated now by the present extreme anti-Palestinian, right-wing Israeli government.
Dr Whitford also spoke of what an independent Scotland could do, for Palestine (including recognising it as a state) and as a force for good and for peace throughout the world.
A lively question and answer session followed the talk, and a collection for MAP raised a good sum. We would encourage anyone who is moved by the plight of the people of Gaza to make their own contribution to MAP: https://www.map.org.uk/.
We are grateful to the IndyPodcasters for recording the talk. It is now available to view on their YouTube channel. and to listen to on their podcast.
Video of talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Qz-kyrGYBc
Video of Q&A session: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCf-kCllAnw
Audio recording: : https://scottishindypod.scot/all-scottish-independence-podcasts-episodes/working-in-gaza/
Jesuits: statement on Gaza
A CFI member, who is also a member of the Society of Jesus
, has made us aware of a statement issued by the Jesuits about the situation in Gaza.
They say that they cannot remain silent in the face of the failure of anyone to stop the killing and halt the famine. The deaths, injuries, disease and homelessness are not inevitable but are the result of deliberate choices, and they advocate their dream for a different future and “the only road to true peace”.
Interview: strategies for Independence
Christians for Independence Convener Dave Thompson 
was interviewed recently on the Scottish Indy Podcast, in a series on Strategies for Independence. The discussion covered many aspects such as how we build support for independence, the role of a Constitutional Convention, the forthcoming UK General Election and more.
You can watch the interview on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZJnO2OUj80, or listen to it on the Scottish Indy Podcast website at https://scottishindypod.scot/scottish-party-politics/independence-strategy-debates-pt3/.
Route to Independence
Like other independence-supporting organisations, we have been discussing the Route to Independence: what will work in the current political situation, and how can we achieve this? Dave Thompson, our Convener, has drawn up our agreed and preferred Route to Independence, taking into account revisions suggested at our last two members’ meetings. You can read the Route to Independence here, and we welcome comments on it.
2023
Talk by Rev Dr Doug Gay
On Saturday 23rd September we hosted a talk by Rev Dr Doug Gay
on “What just happened? Reflections on a difficult year”.
Dr Gay is a senior lecturer in Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Glasgow and a prominent independence supporter. His address dealt with the need for integrity and co-operation in politics and on how we can ahieve independence. The event was filmed by the Indy Podcasters, and you can watch it on YouTube at https://youtu.be/PTJVHdk9pbU. The audio version is also available as a podcast from the Indy Podcasters’ website: https://scottishindypod.scot/grassroots-indy-campaign/what-just-happened-2/, and from Apple, Google and Podbean.
The event was held in the Renfield Centre in Glasgow and was chaired by our Convener, Dave Thompson.
Edinburgh march
Many of our members took part in the march and rally for independence on 2nd September in Edinburgh. It was organised by Believe in Scotland and Yes for EU and was attended by around 25,000 people. Marches are an important way to show both Scots and the rest of the world that we still firmly intend to regain our independence as soon as possible. And by joining
in such events, Christians for Independence demonstrate our strong belief that only when our country is free from Westminster rule will it be able to implement the Christian policies which will bring justice, fairness, equality, compassion and prosperity to all our people.
AGM 2023
Our AGM was held by Zoom on Wednesday 28th June. We heard reports on the last year’s activities and accepted the accounts for last year, and discussed plans for the future. Elections were held for office-bearers and committee members (see our About Us page for details).
CFI at Alba party conference
We held a fringe event at the Alba party conference on Saturday 13th May in the Eden Court Theatre, Inverness. This took the form of a talk by CFI Convener Dave Thompson on Religion and Politics – a Christian perspective. Dave is a former MSP and an elder in the Church of Scotland.
Dave’s talk
The meeting was chaired and prayers offered by Rev Edward Andrews.
The subject of the talk is one which has caused considerable controversy recently. A lively discussion after the talk showed a variety of views on how people with a religious faith can take part in politics. Among the
(l-r) Chris McEleny, Dave Thompson, Rev Edward Andrews
audience we were pleased to welcome Alba General Secretary Chris McEleny, who is one of our members.
We also had a stall, which was visited by many conference delegates. Thanks to all who came to speak to us and got copies of our booklet Scotland the Nation – a Christian case for independence. And welcome to the new members who joined us!
2022
Supreme Court ruling
Following the judgment by the UK Supreme Court on 23rd November that Scotland can not hold a referendum on Independence, CFI Convener Dave Thompson was interviewed on TWR. He explained that the ruling was in accordance with the Scotland Act, a law made by Westminster for the benefit of Westminster. The SNP has consistently won mandates for a referendum; to be refused one is a denial of democracy. Since there is apparently now no legal route to leaving the union, it can no longer be considered a voluntary union. Westminster will not let Scotland go because it depends on our resources. But this is far from being the end for the Independence movement; we can proceed with a plebiscite election, the result of which would be recognised internationally.
Many CFI members also took part in the rallies which were held 
all over Scotland; Dave Thompson was one of the speakers at the Inverness rally.
Friends of Yes event, Falkirk
We were invited to provide a speaker for a Falkirk Friends of Yes event,
held in the Park Hotel, Falkirk on Saturday 24th. September. Neil MacLeod (far right in photo) kindly agreed to give a talk and take part in the following discussion session. Neil is a long-time member of CFI, a lawyer and an elder in the Free Church of Scotland. You can read Neil’s talk about the work of CFI and about our beliefs here. Other speakers were Grant Thoms, editor of the Scots Independent, journalist and Yes campaigner Lesley Riddoch, Falkirk SNP Councillor Emma Russell, and Scottish Green MSP Gillian Mackay.
Inverness march
Several CFI members – some from as far away as Stornaway – took part in the March for Independence in Inverness on Saturday 20th August. The march had the biggest turnout of any since the pandemic, estimated at up to 3000. The march led from the Bught Park through the city to Castle Heather park, where a rally was held with several speakers including SNP MP Drew Hendry, Alba MP Kenny MacAskill and Green Councillor Chris Ballance. The whole event was friendly and good-natured, and it was great to see so many different aspects of the Independence movement coming together to demonstrate for our common goal of Independence.
2021
Service at Alba Conference
CFI were invited to hold a Time for Reflection type service at the first Alba party conference, which was held in
Greenock in September 2021. CFI Convener Dave Thompson took the service on the Sunday morning, with a contribution from Muslim Shaykh Rehan Raza. It was a great chance to show that Christians have a part to play in politics, as well as to provide conference delegates with a opportunity to worship.
Ken Gordon: Obituary
We are very sad that Canon Ken Gordon, a prominent and highly respected member of CFI, died in June 2021. We have written a short obituary for him.
2014 to 2020
Since the 2014 referendum, we did not give up hope but continued to be very active in the campaign for Independence.
We have held fringe events at SNP conferences, sometimes a service of worship, sometimes a talk or debate on an important issue. Here are details of some of our events:
In 2015 our Convener, Dave Thompson wrote an essay for a book, Christians in Parliament, by Andy Flanagan, and also gave a talk in Edinburgh on Christians in politics: 
Our members have taken part in several Independence marches, organized by All Under One Banner:
Meetings
AGM 2021
Held online on 16th June 2021, you can read a short report on it here.
AGM 2020
Held online on 24th. June 2020, you can read a short report on it here.
AGM 2019
Our AGM was held on Wednesday, 19th. June 2019 at 7 pm in the Iona Room of the Augustine United Church, 41 – 43 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1EL. You can read a short report on it here.
AGM 2018
Our Annual General Meeting was held on Tuesday 19th. June at 7pm in the Edinburgh Quaker Meeting House, in Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh. You can read a short report on it here.
Members’ meetings
The decision was taken at our meeting in June 2019 to try to make our meetings accessible to more of our members. We therefore held a members’ meeting in Perth on 31st. August, as we hoped that this more central location would enable more members to attend. Our meeting in the Salutation Hotel was well attended, and as well as receiving the usual reports on our activities and future events, members discussed a number of issues and made suggestions for what we should be doing. Following meetings were also held in Perth, until the covid pandemic forced a change to online meetings.
CFI supports Kate Forbes
Kate Forbes MSP delivers the Scottish Government’s budget, 6th. February 2020
In an article in The National (20th. February 2020), Christians For Independence has backed the appointment of Kate Forbes as Finance Secretary. It had been reported that unnamed sources were concerned about her wariness over proposed changes to the Gender Recognition laws, and that her Christian faith could make her unsuitable for a senior government position. Her links to former SNP MSP Dave Thompson, whom she succeeded in the constituency of Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, were also mentioned; Dave Thompson is also a committed Christian and a founder member and Convener of Christians For Independence (CFI).
In the article, Dave Thompson dismissed concerns about Miss Forbes’ suitability for office, saying that those who questioned it showed “a distinct lack of understanding of the Christian faith”. He also said that CFI welcomes all Christians believers, and that its core belief is Christ’s command to love our neighbours as ourselves, with independence giving Scotland the chance to build a “fair, just and compassionate society”.
He also explained that “As Christian views are very diverse, we do not take a position on those matters which are particularly controversial such as gay marriage, GRA, abortion and assisted suicide, which are left to the conscience of our individual members”.
The full text of the article can be found at https://www.thenational.scot/news/18247469.forbes-backed-christian-group-amid-lgbt-rights-concerns/
General Election Press Release
It was decided at our meeting on 23rd. November 2021 to issue a press release prior to the General Election on 12th. December, urging Christians to vote for an independence-supporting party. The press release was written by Dave Thompson, our Convener, and sent to as many as possible of all the Scottish media outlets. You can read the full text here.
Theology Working Group
In 2019 we set up a Theology Working Group to research arguments showing that a belief in Scottish independence is wholly compatible with Christian doctrine, and to formulate these arguments in a way that can be easily expressed in a leaflet for distribution amongst Christians. The first meeting took place in Edinburgh on 10th. August 2019, and a brief report was produced on its proceedings (see Theology Working Group page, link above).
The work of the group has resulted in the booklet: Scotland the Nation: a Christian Case for Independence, published in November 2020.
VOICES FOR SCOTLAND
In 2019 the Scottish Independence Convention (SIC) set up a new campaign organization, with the stated aim of raising support for independence to over 50% (and hopefully much higher), and getting the Yes movement to a place in the opinion polls where we can successfully call for a referendum. The launch of the new organization took place in Edinburgh on 25th. April 2019.
SIC UPDATE
Christians For Independence is a long-standing, voting member of the Scottish Independence Convention (SIC); our Convener, Dave Thompson, retired in August 2019 from his office as Vice-Convener of the SIC and Director of the SIC’s new campaigning company, Voices for Scotland.
In April 2019 the SIC published an update on its work: read the full report here.
CHRISTIANS AND BREXIT
CFI Convener Dave Thompson took part recently in a radio panel discussion which was broadcast on 11th. February 2019 by TWR UK, entitled Is it time Church leaders voice their views on Brexit? He was debating with Jonathan Tame, Director of the Jubilee Centre (a Christian social reform organisation) and David Robertson of the Solas Centre for Public Christianity and minister of St. Peter’s Free Church, Dundee. As well as being a founder member of CFI, Dave is an elder in the Church of Scotland and was until recently Vice-Convener of the Scottish Independence Convention. The discussion dealt with issues surrounding Brexit, as well as the general question of Christian involvement in politics.
The broadcast can be heard on https://soundcloud.com/twr-uk/is-it-time-church-leaders-voice-their-views-on-brexit?fbclid=IwAR0p_GWvXzMXHtCg1-02fJhNTmJJ78cW-5D-ZsPC1po4V2lWzr855JAo0WU, and can also be accessed via TWR’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TWRNewsDesk.
OBITUARY – Rev. Laurence Whitley
1949 – 2018
Rev. Laurence Whitley
CFI members were sad to learn of the death on 4th. November 2018 of Rev. Laurence Whitley, an eminent churchman and Scottish patriot. Read the full text of the obituary.
2014 – the Referendum Year
Christians For Independence played a big part in raising support for Independence during the months leading up to the Referendum.
In February 2014 we welcomed the Church of Scotland’s report Imagining Scotland’s Future: Our Vision, which called for the referendum debate to focus on issues such as social justice.
In April a video was published on You Tube in which Dave Thompson and Dennis Canavan were interviewed about Independence and freedom of religion.
In May Dave Thompson took part in a debate on the STV programme Scotland Tonight. And CFI committee member Neil MacLeod gave an address to the General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland, emphasizing the important role of the Christian churches in Scottish life, and the place Christianity must have in the constitution of Scotland after Independence.
In June CFI held a series of meetings all over mainland Scotland to give Christians the opportunity to discuss the pros and cons of Independence, and in July meetings were held in the Western Isles:
The meetings were well received and stimulated useful disussion, as was shown in reviews they received in local papers.
Also in July, an article by Dave Thompson suggesting why Christians should vote Yes in the forthcoming Independence referendum was published in the Church of Scotland magazine Life and Work.
Later in 2014 CFI inspired two full-page advertisements in the Sunday Herald newspaper. The first, in August, was a list of names of Church of Scotland ministers, the second, in September, a list of names of Scottish Catholics: all signed up to the statement: “We believe a Yes vote in the referendum makes possible a more socially just Scotland”.
Church of Scotland Ministers for YES
Scottish Catholics for YES
Several high-profile Church of Scotland ministers, including a former Moderator of the General Assembly and the then leader of the Iona Community also gave statements to the press, explaining why they were voting Yes.
And at the end of August a worship event entitled Let Love Shine was held, with activities for all ages. One of the stated aims was to “explore the Yes vision and how it fits with the Church”.
Launch of Christians for Independence 2014
Christians For Independence has been in existence since 2009, but in the run-up to the first Independence Referendum in September 2014 it registered itself with the Electoral Commission as a “permitted participant” in the Yes campaign. A launch event was held on 24th. February 2014 at the Scottish Storytelling Centre in Edinburgh. Various prominent Christian supporters of independence spoke of their reasons for supporting independence and explained how it fitted in with the Christian ethos. The event was widely reported in the press and served to bring the Christian perspective on independence to the notice of the public. As the Herald reported it: “Today is the day that Jesus enters the constitutional debate”.
Photos and speeches from the Launch
Before the Referendum
Christians For Independence was actually set up in 2009, and was active long before the announcement of the 2014 Independence referendum, mainly with services and meetings at SNP conference fringes. At the March 2013 conference, for example, we held an event entitled Scotland the Compassionate, about overseas aid and asylum seekers, with speakers from Christian Aid and SCIAF.
Dave Thompson (CFI), Cathy Galloway (Christian Aid), Humza Yusaf, Patricia Chale (SCIAF)