His comical portrayal of Scotland’s most miserable minister brought laughter to television audiences for more than 40 years.
But the late Rikki Fulton’s iconic character Rev I M Jolly, known for his doleful Last Call TV sermons has, according to one real-life minister, ‘cast a shadow’ over how Scots perceive the Kirk.
While the fictional clergyman’s satirical, gloomy speeches from the comfort of a green leather armchair left fans chuckling, Reverend Neil Glover says it has given the lasting impression that church is ‘dour’.
The Perthshire minister is now making it his mission to change the image of the ‘joyless Christianity’ personified by the downtrodden Scotch and Wry sketch show character.
He says it needs to be ‘less about locking up swings on a Sunday’ and more about creating places that offer the ‘gift of stillness’ in a busy world.
Rev Glover, who is minister at Aberfeldy Church, said: ‘I think the Rev I M Jolly presented a version of religion that was dour and, in a way, he hadn’t learned to be human.
When he was trying to be religious he felt very dull and wooden but when he relaxed and learned to be himself he could be quite funny.’
He added that the image presented by Rev I M Jolly was that ‘you had to pretend to be religious to come to church’.
The minister has written a book, Finding Our Voice: Searching for Renewal in the Mainline Church, which he hailed a ‘manifesto’ for the Kirk to address ways it can throw off its gloomy image and show people it is ‘engaging’.
He wants the church to be seen as a place where people can ‘grow’ and ‘be ourselves’. In turn he hopes it can encourage more people back through the church doors following a drastic decline in numbers.
Rev Glover admitted that it would be hard to shake off the gloomy image cast by Rev I M Jolly but he was optimistic that the church would survive for generations to come.
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