This article concerns the Free Church of Scotland after 1900, for the Free Church of Scotland existing during the 19th century, see Free Church of Scotland (1843-1900).

The contemporary Free Church of Scotland is that part of the original Free Church of Scotland that remained outside of the union with the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland in 1900. It remains a distinct Presbyterian denomination in Scotland to this day.

Aftermath of the union of 1900

In 1900 the Free Church of Scotland united with the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland to form the United Free Church of Scotland. However,

The protesting and dissenting minority at once claimed to be the legitimate Free Church. They met outside the Free Assembly Hall on October 31, and, failing to gain admission to it, withdrew to another hall, where they elected John Bannatyne as moderator and held the remaining sittings of their Assembly.

It was reported that between 16,000 and 17,000 names had been received of persons adhering to the anti-unionist principle. At the Assembly of 1901 it was stated that the Free Church had twenty-five ministers and at least sixty-three congregations. However, her congregations were mostly in the Gaelic-speaking districts of Scotland.

The initial problems were obvious, her congregations soon grew in number, but were far apart and there were not nearly enough ministers. The church received little sympathy or assistance from the United Free Church, and her work was conducted under considerable hardship.

The Free Church Case

(see Free Church case)

After the union of 1900, the United Presbyterian Church and the continuing Free Church, not only contested the legacy of the Free Church of 1843-1900, they perhaps more importantly also contested its assets. After attempts at agreement failed, the whole matter ended in the Scottish courts. The litigation was initially decided in favour of the continuing Free Church, but in the end the matter was settled by Parliamentary intervention.

The Life of the Church

By 1906, a Free Church College had been re-established in Edinburgh. By 1925, there were 91 ministers and 170 congregations, in 12 Presbyteries (including two in Canada). Its magazine, the Evangelical Quarterly was inaugurated in 1929.

Post 1945, the FC engaged with the wider evangelical cause. But after its growth in the early decades, it began a statistical decline that, except for a short period in the 1980s, has continued to this day.

The church today maintains its strong commitment to the Westminster Confession and Reformed Theology. It continues in the traditional style of Scottish Presbyterian worship, chiefly the sole use of the Psalms in their metrical form, sung unaccompanied. Its offices remain on The Mound, Edinburgh.

The Free Church of Scotland belongs to the International Conference of Reformed Churches.

References

Cameron, N. et al (eds) Dictionary of Scottish Church History and Theology, Edinburgh T&T Clark 1993.

In January 2000, there was a division in the Free Church of Scotland, which resulted in the formation of the Free Church of Scotland (Continuing).

• official site.