Free Church of Scotland (post 1900)
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The Free Church of Scotland (
Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as ...
: ''An Eaglais Shaor'', ) is an
evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual expe ...
,
Calvinist Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John C ...
denomination in
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...
. It was historically part of the original Free Church of Scotland that remained outside the union with the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland in 1900. Now, it remains a distinct
Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their n ...
denomination in
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...
. The Free Church was and still is sometimes colloquially known by the term The Wee Frees, even though, in 21st century Scotland, it is the largest Presbyterian denomination after the
national church A national church is a Christian church associated with a specific ethnic group or nation state. The idea was notably discussed during the 19th century, during the emergence of modern nationalism. Samuel Taylor Coleridge, in a draft discussing ...
. Since this term was originally used in comparing the Free Church with the United Free Church (which is now a much smaller denomination), the Free Church of Scotland now deprecates the use of the term.


Theology and doctrine

The church maintains its commitment to
Calvinist theology Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John ...
(as espoused by the
Westminster Confession The Westminster Confession of Faith is a Reformed confession of faith. Drawn up by the 1646 Westminster Assembly as part of the Westminster Standards to be a confession of the Church of England, it became and remains the " subordinate standard ...
). Its polity is
Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their n ...
. A complete
psalter A psalter is a volume containing the Book of Psalms, often with other devotional material bound in as well, such as a liturgical calendar and litany of the Saints. Until the emergence of the book of hours in the Late Middle Ages, psalters w ...
in modern English was published in 2003. Its offices and
theological college A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy ...
remain on The Mound, Edinburgh, although the denomination no longer holds the original Free Church College
buildings A building, or edifice, is an enclosed structure with a roof and walls standing more or less permanently in one place, such as a house or factory (although there's also portable buildings). Buildings come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and func ...
. The Free Church continues to be
evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual expe ...
in character, presenting its understanding of the Christian message, namely that
Jesus Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and relig ...
is sole Lord and
Saviour Savior or Saviour may refer to: *A person who helps people achieve salvation, or saves them from something Religion * Mahdi, the prophesied redeemer of Islam who will rule for seven, nine or nineteen years * Maitreya * Messiah, a saviour or ...
.


History


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 The United Free Church of Scotland (UF Church; gd, An Eaglais Shaor Aonaichte, sco, The Unitit Free Kirk o Scotland) is a Scottish Presbyterian denomination formed in 1900 by the union of the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland (or UP) and ...
. However, a minority of the original Free Church remained outside this new union. The protesting and dissenting minority at once claimed to be the legitimate Free Church. They met outside the Free Assembly Hall on 31 October and, failing to gain admission, withdrew to another hall, where they elected Rev Colin 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. It has been estimated that the number of Free Church communicants dropped from a little under 300,000 in 1899 to just over 4,000 in 1900. At the Assembly of 1901 it was stated that the Free Church had twenty-five ministers and at least sixty-three congregations, with most being found in the
Gaelic Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, an ...
-speaking districts of
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...
. The initial problems were obvious: the congregations soon grew in number, but were far apart; there were not nearly enough ministers; the church was treated in a hostile manner by the United Free Church; work was conducted under considerable hardship; and there was little success in appealing to the general popular sentiment of
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...
. However, the revenue of the church gradually increased; in 1901, the sustentation fund was able to support only 75 ministers, but by 1903 it maintained 167.


The 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, but also claimed its assets. After attempts at agreement failed, the matter ended in the Scottish courts. The litigation was initially decided in favour of the Free Church by the House of Lords in 1904, on the basis that in the absence of a power to change fundamental doctrines in the trust deed, a dissenting minority retains the property. As it was not possible for the Free Church to use all the property, Parliament intervened, generally securing for the church the congregational property she could effectively use plus a significant share of central assets.


The Church in the 20th century

In 1906, a Free Church College was re-established in
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
and by 1925 there were 91 ministers and 170 congregations in 12 presbyteries. The general magazine of the Free Church is ''The Monthly Record'' and there are magazines for young people. Two of the professors in the Free Church College began a theological journal the '' Evangelical Quarterly'' in 1929, but in 1942 control passed outside the church, initially to Inter Varsity Fellowship. Today the College offers degrees in conjunction with the
University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...
. Post-1945, the Free Church 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, continued throughout the 20th century.


2000 events

In the 1980s and 1990s there were allegations of sexual misconduct against Donald Macleod, principal of the Free Church College. No misconduct was ever proven against Macleod; he was tried and acquitted in 1996 in the civil courts. A to Macleod pursued the charges in church courts, to no avail. There was considerable dissatisfaction with the handling of the charges, and claims of a cover-up. Maurice Roberts of the Free Church Defence Association (FCDA) publicly reiterated the accusations, and denounced the General Assembly for its "wickedness and hypocrisy". He was suspended for
contumacy Contumacy is a stubborn refusal to obey authority or, particularly in law, the willful contempt of the order or summons of a court (see contempt of court). The term is derived from the Latin word ''contumacia'', meaning firmness or stubbornness. I ...
. His supporters demanded his reinstatement and the FCDA. In January 2000, 22 FCDA ministers were removed from their pulpits. These and other ministers formed the Free Church of Scotland (Continuing) (FCC); they are approximately 20% of the ministerial strength of the pre-2000 Free Church of Scotland. From 2005 to 2010, the Free Church of Scotland saw an 18% drop in its membership. Following the split, the Free Church Continuing sought a declarator from the
Court of Session The Court of Session is the supreme civil court of Scotland and constitutes part of the College of Justice; the supreme criminal court of Scotland is the High Court of Justiciary. The Court of Session sits in Parliament House in Edinburg ...
as to ownership of the central funds and properties of the church. In a landmark decision,
Lady Paton Ann Paton, Lady Paton, (born 1952) is a Scottish advocate and judge. She is a Senator of the College of Justice, sitting in the High Court of Justiciary and the Inner House of the Court of Session. In 2019 she became the Chairman of the Scottish ...
dismissed their action without granting ''absolvitor''. The Continuing Church then said they would appeal Lady Paton's decision, but ultimately chose not to proceed. In March 2007, the Free Church filed suit to reclaim the church
manse A manse () is a clergy house inhabited by, or formerly inhabited by, a minister, usually used in the context of Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist and other Christian traditions. Ultimately derived from the Latin ''mansus'', "dwelling", from ' ...
at Broadford, Isle of Skye.
Lord Uist Roderick Francis Macdonald, Lord Uist is a Scottish retired judge. As a Senator of the College of Justice, he was a member of the Court of Session, Scotland's highest court. Early life Macdonald was educated at St Mungo's Academy, a Roman Cat ...
ruled that the property belonged to the Free Church. The Continuing Church had to pay the expenses of the Free Church. The Continuing Church appealed to the Inner House of the
Court of Session The Court of Session is the supreme civil court of Scotland and constitutes part of the College of Justice; the supreme criminal court of Scotland is the High Court of Justiciary. The Court of Session sits in Parliament House in Edinburg ...
, which upheld Lord Uist.


List of Moderators

*Very Rev Prof Colin Archibald Bannatyne (Coulter) twice Moderator: 1900/01 and 1906/07 *
James Duff MacCulloch James Duff McCulloch or MacCulloch (1836–1926) was a minister of the Free Church of Scotland who served as Moderator of the General Assembly in 1901/02. Life He was born on 28 April 1836 at Logie Easter in Ross and Cromarty, the son of And ...
(Hope Street,
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...
) 1901 * Donald MacKinnon Macalister (
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
) 1902 * Angus Galbraith ( Lochalsh) 1903 * Murdoch MacQueen (
Kiltearn Kiltearn ( Gaelic: ''Cill Tighearna'') is a parish in Ross and Cromarty, Scotland. It is in the Presbytery of Ross. The principal settlement is the village of Evanton, and the parish extends almost to Dingwall and about halfway to Alness. The ...
) 1904 * Ewan Macleod (
Oban Oban ( ; ' in Scottish Gaelic meaning ''The Little Bay'') is a resort town within the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. Despite its small size, it is the largest town between Helensburgh and Fort William. During the tourist season, ...
) 1905 * Colin Archibald Bannatyne (Free Church College) 1906 * Murdo Mackenzie (
Inverness Inverness (; from the gd, Inbhir Nis , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness"; sco, Innerness) is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands. Histor ...
) 1907 and Interim Moderator J. C. Robertson (resigned) * William MacKinnon (
Gairloch Gairloch ( ; gd, Geàrrloch , meaning "Short Loch") is a village, civil parish and community on the shores of Loch Gairloch in Wester Ross, in the North-West Highlands of Scotland. A tourist destination in the summer months, Gairloch has a go ...
) 1908 * James Hendry (
Forres Forres (; gd, Farrais) is a town and former royal burgh in the north of Scotland on the Moray coast, approximately northeast of Inverness and west of Elgin. Forres has been a winner of the Scotland in Bloom award on several occasions. There a ...
/ Burghead) 1909 * John Kennedy Cameron (Free Church College) 1910 *
William Menzies Alexander William Menzies Alexander ( Shettleston, then in Lanarkshire, 12 May 1858 – Edinburgh 30 August 1929) was a Scottish medical and theological writer. He was Moderator of the General Assembly for the Free Church of Scotland for 1911/12. Life ...
(Free Church College) 1911 *
William Fraser William Fraser may refer to: Military people * William W. Fraser (1844–1915), American Civil War soldier and Medal of Honor recipient * William Archibald Kenneth Fraser (1886–1969), British army officer * William Fraser (British Army officer ...
( Strathpeffer) 1912 * Samuel Lyle Orr (Glasgow) 1913 * Finlay MacRae (
Plockton Plockton ( gd, Am Ploc/Ploc Loch Aillse) is a village in the Lochalsh, Wester Ross area of the Scottish Highlands with a 2020 population of 468. Plockton settlement is on the shores of Loch Carron. It faces east away from the prevailing winds, ...
) 1914 * John MacDonald (
Rosskeen Rosskeen is a parish in Ross and Cromarty on the Cromarty Firth in northern Scotland, containing the settlements of Invergordon, Bridgend and Saltburn. It lies on the A9 between Inverness and Thurso. Notable Buildings *Newmore Farmhouse (1845) ...
) 1915 * Angus Mackie ( Kingussie) 1916 * John Macleod (
Urray Urray ( gd, Urrath) is a scattered village and coastal parish, consisting of Easter, Old and Wester Urray and is located in the county of Ross in the Scottish council area of the Highland. Urray is also a parish in the district of Wester Ross ...
) 1917 * Donald Munro ( Ferintosh, Black Isle) 1918 * Donald Maclean (Free Church College) 1919 * John Macleod (
Inverness Inverness (; from the gd, Inbhir Nis , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness"; sco, Innerness) is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands. Histor ...
) 1920 * Roderick Macleod ( Knock, Isle of Lewis) 1921 * Norman Campbell (
Dingwall Dingwall ( sco, Dingwal, gd, Inbhir Pheofharain ) is a town and a royal burgh in the Highland council area of Scotland. It has a population of 5,491. It was an east-coast harbour that now lies inland. Dingwall Castle was once the biggest cas ...
) 1922 * George Mackay ( Fearn) 1923 * Kenneth Cameron (
Stornoway Stornoway (; gd, Steòrnabhagh; sco, Stornowa) is the main town of the Western Isles and the capital of Lewis and Harris in Scotland. The town's population is around 6,953, making it by far the largest town in the Outer Hebrides, as well ...
) 1924 * Robert Moore (Free Church College) 1925 * Alexander Stewart (Edinburgh) 1926 * Alexander Dewar (
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring coun ...
) 1927 *
Archibald Donald Cameron Archibald Donald Cameron (1866–1946) was a minister of the Free Church of Scotland who served as Moderator of the General Assembly in 1928/29. Life He was born in Urray, Ross and Cromarty in 1866. His religious education is unclear but he ...
( Creich) 1928 * John R. Mackay (Free Church College) 1929 * Robert M. Knox (Edinburgh) 1930 * Alexander Macdonald Renwick (Free Church College) 1931 * Peter Clarkson 1932 * A. M. Ross 1933 * Duncan MacDonald 1934 * Alexander Ross 1935 * Peter W. Miller 1936 * Donald MacLean 1937 * John MacKay MacLennan (
Lairg Lairg ( gd, An Luirg, meaning "the shank/shin") is a village and parish in Sutherland, Scotland. It has a population of 891 and is at the south-eastern end of Loch Shin. Lairg is unusual in the northern Highlands in being a large settlement th ...
) 1938 * Farquhar Matheson ( Stoer) 1939 * William MacLeod 1940 * John Shaw 1941 * John Calvin MacKay 1942 *D MacKenzie 1943 *
Ewen MacRury Ewen MacRury (1891–1986) was a Free Church of Scotland minister who served as Moderator of the General Assembly in 1944. Life He was born in 1891 one of eight children to John Little (Ewan Beag) MacRury (b.1843) and his wife, Betsy MacDon ...
1944 * Roderick Alick Finlayson 1945 *William Fraser 1946 *William Campbell 1947 *Alexander MacDonald 1948 * G. N. M. Collins 1949 *A. MacLeod 1950 * Murdoch MacRae 1951 * Duncan Leitch (
Dingwall Dingwall ( sco, Dingwal, gd, Inbhir Pheofharain ) is a town and a royal burgh in the Highland council area of Scotland. It has a population of 5,491. It was an east-coast harbour that now lies inland. Dingwall Castle was once the biggest cas ...
) 1952 * Murdoch Campbell 1956 *
William John Cameron William John Cameron (1907–1990) was a Scottish minister. He twice served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland: in 1962 and 1977.Annals of the Free Church of Scotland 1956 Life He was born in Brora, Sutherland ...
(Free Church College) (1962 and 1977) son of Rev Kenneth Cameron *M. K. Murray 1970 *J. Douglas Macmillan 1971 *D. MacDonald 1972 *committee 1973 *committee 1974 *committee 1975 *committee 1976 *committee 1977 *committee 1978 * Hector Cameron 1980 * John MacLeod 1983 *Kenneth W R Cameron, (Thurso and Reay), 1989 (son of
William John Cameron William John Cameron (1907–1990) was a Scottish minister. He twice served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland: in 1962 and 1977.Annals of the Free Church of Scotland 1956 Life He was born in Brora, Sutherland ...
) * Donald MacDonald 1992 * Alex Murdo Macleod 1994


21st Century

*Donald Smith (2008) * David Meredith 2010 *Rev
James Maciver James Maciver (born 1954) is a Free Church of Scotland minister who served as Moderator of the General Assembly in 2011. Life Reverend James Maciver was born in Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, in 1954. He was educated at Tong Primary School and The N ...
(Knock) 2011 * Iain D. Campbell (Point) 2012 *Angus J Howat 2013 * David Miller 2014 * David Robertson (Dundee) 2015 * John Nicholls 2016 *
Derek Lamont Derek is a masculine given name. It is the English language short form of ''Diederik'', the Low Franconian form of the name Theodoric. Theodoric is an old Germanic name with an original meaning of "people- ruler". Common variants of the name ...
2017 * Angus MacRae (Dingwall and Strathpeffer) 2018 * Donnie G. MacDonald 2019/20 *Neil MacMillan 2021 *Iver Martin 2022


Recent history

At the 2011 census, 10,896 people identified as being "Free Church of Scotland". The Free Church has about 100 congregations in Scotland and circa 80 ministers and 8,000 attenders. About 50 dissenting or former
Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland. The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Reformation of 1560, when it split from the Catholic Church ...
congregations had been talking about joining the Free Kirk because the Church of Scotland's ordination of openly gay ministers.


Growth

As of 2021, the Free Church had an average attendance at Sunday services of 8,000 including 5,400 communicants. As of May 2013 the Free Church worship attendance was 12,639, up from 12,431 in 2007. The number of people under 30 increased by 30% since 2007. The church is growing outwith the Western Islands, especially in the bigger cities. Sunday school attendance has grown by 25% in recent years, from 575 to 709 in 2013. In 2013, Murdo Murchison, an elder from Dunblane Free Church gathered a core group to plant a church in Stirling. With some growth it was recognised as a church plant in 2014 by the Glasgow Presbytery, and in 2016 appointed Iain MacAskill as its minister. There had previously been no Free Church in Stirling since 1948. In 2014 two congregations, the North Harris Free Church, and the Stornoway group of the High Free Church Stornoway and two former Kirk ministers have recently joined the Free Church, makes it total about ten former Kirk pastors who have joined the Free Church. North Harris held its first service with around 100 people in attendance. Kirkmuirhill congregation and New Restalrig have also joined. The High Free Church has regularly attracted around 300 people in Stornoway Primary School since leaving the Church of Scotland earlier this year. Stornoway High was previously the Church of Scotland's biggest congregation on the Western Isles. In early 2015 an
Inverness Inverness (; from the gd, Inbhir Nis , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness"; sco, Innerness) is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands. Histor ...
Church of Scotland pastor quit, and took some of his flock with him to set up a new Free Church congregation in the west of Inverness. Rev McMillan was unhappy about the Presbytery of Inverness, which voted against controversial plans to give congregations the freedom to appoint a person in a gay relationship if they wished. Other new churches welcomed into the Free Church included a new church in Leith planted originally in association with the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in the USA. and Christ Church, Craigintinney, a new church plant led by David Court. David led most of the congregation of New Restalrig out of the Church of Scotland. In 2015 the Covenant Church in Newmilns, East Ayrshire joined the Free Church. Covenant Church had split from the Church of Scotland in 2013. The number of congregations have grown to 139 in the end of 2015. New churches continue to be planted, such as in
Dunfermline Dunfermline (; sco, Dunfaurlin, gd, Dùn Phàrlain) is a city, parish and former Royal Burgh, in Fife, Scotland, on high ground from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. The city currently has an estimated population of 58,508. Acco ...
and
St Andrews St Andrews ( la, S. Andrea(s); sco, Saunt Aundraes; gd, Cill Rìmhinn) is a town on the east coast of Fife in Scotland, southeast of Dundee and northeast of Edinburgh. St Andrews had a recorded population of 16,800 , making it Fife's fourt ...
and most recently Montrose in November 2015 and Charleston, Dundee in September 2017 by the existing Dundee church. There has been an increase in the numbers applying to the Free Church ministry, and studying in its Saturday course (provided by the Edinburgh Theological Seminary).


Worship


Church services

Typically, Free Church services are at 11 am and 6:30 pm on
Sunday Sabbath Sabbath in Christianity is the inclusion in Christianity of a Sabbath, a day set aside for rest and worship, a practice that was mandated for the Israelites in the Ten Commandments in line with God's blessing of the seventh day (Saturday) making i ...
, or the Lord's Day. A typical order of service is: * A singing of praise * A prayer * A second singing of praise * A reading from the Bible * A third singing of praise * The sermon * A second prayer * A fourth singing of praise * The benediction Intimations may be read out before the first singing (in effect, before the actual service begins) or immediately after the reading, or before the benediction. A 'first' reading may appear between the first singing and the first prayer. This reading will be of relevance to the 'main' reading. A message to the children may appear after the first prayer, and children may depart for Sunday school or Bible class after the second singing. Lay preachers will replace the benediction with a short prayer.


Church music

Since just after the union of 1900 until the events of 2010, only the
psalms The Book of Psalms ( or ; he, תְּהִלִּים, , lit. "praises"), also known as the Psalms, or the Psalter, is the first book of the ("Writings"), the third section of the Tanakh, and a book of the Old Testament. The title is derived ...
of the
Old Testament The Old Testament (often abbreviated OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew writings by the Israelites. The ...
(and in a very few instances, paraphrases of other parts of the Bible) were sung during the services. Musical instruments were never used. However, in November 2010, a special
plenary Plenary is an adjective related to the noun plenum carrying a general connotation of fullness. Plenary may also refer to: *Plenary session or meeting, the part of a conference when all members of all parties are in attendance **Plenary speaker, ...
assembly took place to debate and vote on allowing the singing of
hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn ...
s and use of musical instruments in Free Church services. The motion was passed by a narrow margin. A number of ministers insisted on recording their dissent over the decision. One congregation and four ministers resigned over the decision. The November 2010 motion allowed that instruments can be used as an
accompaniment Accompaniment is the musical part which provides the rhythmic and/or harmonic support for the melody or main themes of a song or instrumental piece. There are many different styles and types of accompaniment in different genres and styles o ...
and hymns may be sung, though at least one of the items of sung praise must be a psalm; some congregations continue to sing unaccompanied psalms only. In 2003 the church's Psalmody and Praise Committee produced a new
Psalter A psalter is a volume containing the Book of Psalms, often with other devotional material bound in as well, such as a liturgical calendar and litany of the Saints. Until the emergence of the book of hours in the Late Middle Ages, psalters w ...
called ''Sing Psalms''. Although of a similar format to the
Scottish Psalter Decisions concerning the conduct of public worship in the Church of Scotland are entirely at the discretion of the parish minister. As a result, a wide variety of musical resources are used. However, at various times in its history, the General A ...
it contains metrical versions of the
psalms The Book of Psalms ( or ; he, תְּהִלִּים, , lit. "praises"), also known as the Psalms, or the Psalter, is the first book of the ("Writings"), the third section of the Tanakh, and a book of the Old Testament. The title is derived ...
with 21st century vocabulary and grammar.


Congregations and affiliations

There are over 100 congregations throughout Scotland, one in London and three pastoral charges in North America. The Church has maintained an extensive missionary commitment for its size, with missions in
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
,
Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...
and South Africa, which now have self-governing status. Along with the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in England and Wales and the Free Church of Scotland (Continuing), the denomination is one of the three members of the International Conference of Reformed Churches from Great Britain, and one of seven European Christian denominations who founded the European Conference of Reformed Churches. There is a close relationship with the
Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia The Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia (PCEA) is a small Presbyterian denomination which was formed in Sydney on 10 October 1846 by three ministers and a ruling elder. As of December 2012 it consists of 13 pastoral charges with a total o ...
.


References


Bibliography

* Cameron, N., et al. (eds.) (1993). ''Dictionary of Scottish Church History and Theology''. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark. . .


External links

*
Free Church of Scotland CollegeCongregational Websites
{{Authority control Presbyterianism in Scotland Religious organisations based in Scotland Free Church of Scotland Christian organizations established in 1900 1900 establishments in Scotland Reformed denominations in the United Kingdom Presbyterian denominations in Canada