| Free Church of Scotland (Continuing) | |
|---|---|
| An Eaglais Shaor Leantainneach | |
_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1034757.jpg) The FC(C) church building inStaffin | |
| Classification | Protestant |
| Theology | Calvinistic |
| Polity | Presbyterian |
| Associations | International Conference of Reformed Churches,Affinity |
| Origin | 2000 |
| Separated from | Free Church of Scotland |
| Congregations | 25 active congregations in Scotland, 1 in Canada, 1 in Northern Ireland, and 5 overseas in the United States |
| Ministers | 25 Ministers in post, plus 5 others not in a post. |
| Official website | www |
TheFree Church of Scotland (Continuing) (FC(C);Scottish Gaelic:An Eaglais Shaor Leantainneach) is a ScottishPresbyterian denomination which was formed in January 2000. It claims to be the true continuation of theFree Church of Scotland, hence its name.
In 1996, ProfessorDonald Macleod, later to be principal of theFree Church College in Edinburgh, was acquitted of charges ofsexual assault when asheriff ruled there had been a conspiracy against him.[1]However, within the church, there were many that believed he was guilty, and that the courts of the church should conduct a full investigation of the matter. It divided the church massively: some called from Professor MacLeod to be suspended until further notice, others for all the papers relating to his alleged misconduct to be destroyed.[2] An organisation called the Free Church Defence Association believed that "it was wrong not to put Professor Macleod on trial in the General Assembly, and that the majority has therefore departed from the principle that allegations of misconduct must be investigated, not by a Committee of the General Assembly, but by the whole General Assembly."[3]The FCDA's chairman, RevMaurice Roberts, was suspended forcontumacy in June 1999 for refusing to withdraw his claim that General Assembly in May of that year was characterised by "gross and irremediable wickedness and hypocrisy".[1]
In August 1999, the FCDA's magazine,Free Church Foundations, referred to "the evil of Mr. Roberts' suspension".[1][4] Following this, a deadline was set for 30 November 1999 for the FCDA to disband, which it did not.[5] Libels were drawn up against 22 ministers who refused to comply, and in a hearing by the Commission ofAssembly on 19–20 January 2000 those libels were declared to be relevant.[6] The 22 ministers were suspended, and they responded by leaving the commission.
On 20 January 2000 the 'Free Church of Scotland (Continuing)' was formed when those ministers and a number of others adopted a "Declaration of Reconstitution of the historic Free Church of Scotland".[7] Johnston McKay suggests that although on the surface the split was about Donald Macleod, in reality it was about theology, with the FCDA "composed of people who adhere much more firmly to theWestminster Confession of Faith".[3] It is reasonable to assume that both reasons played a significant part.
Below are the list of the 22 Ministers of the Free Church of Scotland who were suspended on 20th January 2000, and became the first ministers of the Free Church of Scotland (Continuing).[8]
Furthermore, four other Ministers were suspended separately and became part of the Free Church of Scotland (Continuing).[12]
Following their departure, the FC(C) sought a declarator from theCourt of Session as to ownership of the central funds and certain Continuing-affiliated properties of the Church. When the appeal was sent to theOuter House of the Court of Session,Lady Paton dismissed their action without granting absolvitor.[6] In March 2007 the Free Church of Scotland proceeded to take legal action atBroadford, on the island ofSkye, seeking to reclaim the churchmanse. The Free Church (Continuing) lost the action at first instance on the decision ofLord Uist,[13] and also lost their appeal to theInner House of theCourt of Session.[14]
The FC(C) expressed its intention to appeal both the above decisions, but in 2009, theInternational Conference of Reformed Churches noted that the FC(C) had "withdrawn its appeal of the civil matter that was pending".[15]
The denomination is a member of theInternational Conference of Reformed Churches[16] and ofAffinity.[17]
The Free Church of Scotland (Continuing) presently has 25 functioning congregations in Scotland, as well as others overseas.[18] These churches belong to six presbyteries: the Northern Presbytery, the Presbytery of Skye and Lochcarron, the Presbytery of United States of America, the Presbytery of Navarre & Aragon, the Outer Hebrides Presbyteery and the Southern Presbytery.[19] There are seven congregations and preaching stations in the United States:Atlanta metropolitan area;Washington Metro;Upstate South Carolina;Mebane, North Carolina;St. Louis, Missouri; Opelika, Alabama; Greenville, Texas; and Fredericksburg, Virginia.[20] There is also a congregation and a preaching station in Canada, a congregation in Northern Ireland, and a seminars and demonstration farm in Zambia.[21][22]
| Church | Location | Presbytery | Minister | Active | Web | Founded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cross (Ness) FCSC | North Dell, Na h-Eileanan Siar | Outer Hebrides | Rev. Greg MacDonald | [1] | 2000 | |
| Harris FCSC | Northton, Na h-Eileanan Siar | Outer Hebrides | Rev. James Clark | 2000 | ||
| Knock and Point FCSC | Garrabost, Na h-Eileanan Siar | Outer Hebrides | Vacant | [2] | 2000 | |
| North Uist and Grimsay FCSC | Bayhead, Na h-Eileanan Siar | Outer Hebrides | Rev. David M Blunt | [3] | 2000 | |
| Scalpay Harris FCSC | Scalpay, Na h-Eileanan Siar | Outer Hebrides | Rev. Raymond A Kemp | 2000 | ||
| Shawbost (Bragar) | Shawbost | Outer Hebrides | Vacant | No services. Linked with Stornoway. | 2000 | |
| Stornoway FCSC | Stornoway, Na h-Eileanan Siar &Bragar | Outer Hebrides | Vacant | 2000 | ||
| Assynt and Eddrachillis FCSC | Scourie andLochinver, Highland | Northern | Vacant | 2000 | ||
| Brora FCSC | Brora, Highland | Northern | Rev. Thomas J Buchanan | 2000 | ||
| Duthil-Dores FCSC | Dores, Highland | Northern | Rev. Davide Ratti | [4] | 2000 | |
| Grace Reformed Church, Aberdeen | Aberdeen, Aberdeen | Northern | Rev. Timothy J McGlynn | [5] | 2000 | |
| Inverness-Greyfriars FCSC | Inverness, Highland | Northern | Rev. Murdo MacIver | [6] | 2000 | |
| Kilmorack and Strathglass FCSC | Beauly, Highland | Northern | Vacant | 2000 | ||
| Kiltearn FCSC | Evanton, Highland | Northern | Vacant | No services. | 2000 | |
| Poolewe and Aultbea FCSC | Aultbea, Highland | Northern | Vacant | [7] | 2000 | |
| Tarbat FCSC | Portmahomack andInver, Highland | Northern | Vacant | [8] | 2000 | |
| Bracadale & Duirinish (Struan & Waternish) FCSC | Struan andCarbost, Highland | Skye and Lochcarron | Vacant | [9] | 2000 | |
| Broadford | Broadford, Skye | Skye and Lochcarron | Rev. A James MacInnes | No services. | 2000 | |
| Lochalsh & Strath FCSC | Ardelve,Highland | Skye and Lochcarron | Rev. A James MacInnes | 2000 | ||
| Snizort FCSC | Skeabost, Highland | Skye and Lochcarron | Rev. Murdo A N Macleod | [10] | 2000 | |
| Kilmuir and Stenscholl FCSC | Staffin, Highland | Skye and Lochcarron | Vacant | 2000 | ||
| Portree FCSC | Portree, Highland | Skye and Lochcarron | Rev. Richard R Ross | 2000 | ||
| Arran (Brodick) FCSC | Brodick, North Ayrshire | Southern | Vacant | No services held. Remaining members worship with local FC. | 2000 | |
| Bethel Free Church, Ayr | Ayr, South Ayrshire | Southern | Rev. Graeme Craig | [11] | 2000 | |
| St Columba's FCSC, Edinburgh | Edinburgh &Galashiels, Borders | Southern | Rev. James I Gracie | Has an outreach in Galashiels. | [12] | 2000 |
| Knightswood FCSC | Knightswood, Glasgow | Southern | Rev. Calum Smith | [13] | 2000 | |
| Partick FCSC | Partick, Glasgow | Southern | Rev. Andrew R Allan | [14] | 2000 | |
| Shettleston FCSC | Shettleston, Glasgow | Southern | Vacant | [15] | 2000 | |
| Rothesay | Rothesay, Argyll and Bute | Southern | Vacant | 2000 | ||
| Ballyclare and Doagh FCSC | Doagh, Antrim &Portavogie, Down [Northern Ireland] | Southern | Rev. E Trevor Kirkland | Free Church (Continuing) website | 2014 | |
| Cornerstone Presbyterian Church | Burlington, North Carolina | United States | Rev. Gavin Beers | [16] | 2016 | |
| Dallas Presbyterian Church | Dallas | United States | Vacant | 2015 asRPCNA (joined FCC in 2024) | ||
| Greenville Presbyterian Church | Greenville, South Carolina | United States | Rev. Robert D McCurley | [17] | 2007 | |
| Metropolitan Presbyterian Church, Washington | Washington, D. C. | United States | Vacant | No services at present | 2003 | |
| Providence Presbyterian Church | Opelika, Alabama | United States | Rev. J Logan Shelton | 2023 | ||
| Reformation Presbyterian Church | Atlanta, Georgia | United States | Rev. Brent C Evans | 2006 | ||
| Sovereign Grace Presbyterian Church, St Louis | St Louis, Missouri | United States | Rev. Jonathan Mattull | [18] | 2008 | |
| Zion Presbyterian Church | Fredericksburg, Virginia | United States | Rev. Rom Prakashpalan | 2024 | ||
| Iglesia Reformada Continuada | Rubí, Spain | Navarre & Aragon | Rev. Jorge Ruiz Ortiz | 2015 | ||
| Igreja Presbiteriana de Braga | Braga,Portugal | Navarre & Aragon | Vacant | 2017 (joined FCC in 2022) | ||
| Pau | Pau, France | Navarre & Aragon | Rev. Hughes Pierre | 2021 |
| Iglesia Presbiteriana Reformada de Nuevo Laredo | Nuevo Laredo,Mexico | United States | Vacant | |||
| Nobleford Presbyterian Church | Nobleford,Canada | United States | Vacant | 2022 | ||
| Reformed Presbyterian Mission | Vavuniya,Sri Lanka | Home & Foreign Missions Committee | Rev. Shanmugam N.V. Partheepan | 2012 | ||
| Westminster Presbyterian Church | Greenville, Texas | United States | Rev. Craig J. Scott | 2022 |
The Free Church of Scotland (Continuing) maintains aseminary on the outskirts of Inverness for the training of its ministers.
The Free Church Continuing continues to hold to theexclusive use of metrical Psalms sung without instrumental accompaniment in worship, a position which the Free Church of Scotland has ceased to hold.[23]
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