The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has visited Dundee and Fife as part of a two-day tour of Scotland.
He visited a church cafe project at St Luke’s in Downfield, Dundee, which he described as “inspirational” and said his first visit to the city had been a positive one.
“Here we see a community that clearly has real challenges but it has the capacity to face them which is inspirational,” he said.
“I think this is exactly what the church should be doing. This should be emanated around the country, both in Scotland the rest of the UK.
“I want us to be the kind of church that welcomes everyone.
“We want a world where it is not necessary for people to sleep rough in church doorways, where it is not necessary to have foodbanks or refugee camps, and there are enough resources for everyone.”
St Luke’s Church was packed with those involved in the Church Army project who told the archbishop about what it meant to them.
He spoke to the congregation of around 80 and many other people, including an RE class from Baldragon Academy, who wanted to meet him and have their picture taken.
“I have just enjoyed meeting such interesting people,” the archbishop said.
“Everyone has been very welcoming and they have been asking lots of questions.”
The visit was the last of a series to the provinces of the worldwide Anglican communion, which has taken him around the world since he took office in March last year.
On Monday he met First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at Bute House and, after leaving Dundee on Tuesday, he travelled to Fife where he joined the congregations of Aberdour, Burntisland and Inverkeithing in an act of worship at St Columba’s Church, Aberdour.
The Most Rev David Chillingworth, Bishop of St Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane, and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, hosted the tour.
He said: “The reason why I decided to bring him here is because this is a place where the local community here have been busy trying to make a fresh start on building connections with the community.
“This is a place where the church was fading away and the numbers had gone down and down. Either the church was going to close or it would have to be renewed.
“Now this Church Army project has drawn people in and made connections with the community so there is plenty of life here now.”
They were also joined by Bishop of Brechin Nigel Peyton, who said: “This church had a tiny faithful congregation and I felt we needed something different.
“This could be a real game-changer in the way we reach out to people in Dundee.”
He added congregation members were “thrilled” to have the archbishop visit their church and see the work they are doing.
The project is still at an early stage it was launched in September but it took more than two years to come to fruition.