The Free Church of Scotland (Continuing) (abbreviation: FC(C),

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic (, ; Endonym and exonym, endonym: ), also known as Scots Gaelic or simply Gaelic, is a Celtic language native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a member of the Goidelic language, Goidelic branch of Celtic, Scottish Gaelic, alongs ...

: An Eaglais Shaor Leantainneach) is a Scottish

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

denomination which was formed in January 2000. It claims to be the true continuation of the Free Church of Scotland, hence its name.

Formation

In 1996, Professor Donald Macleod, later to be principal of the Free Church College in Edinburgh, was acquitted of charges of

sexual assault Sexual assault is an act of sexual abuse in which one intentionally Physical intimacy, sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or Coercion, coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their w ...

when a

sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland, the , which is common ...

ruled there had been a conspiracy against him. 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." The FCDA's chairman, Rev Maurice Roberts, was suspended for contumacy 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". In August 1999, the FCDA's magazine, ''Free Church Foundations'', referred to "the evil of Mr Roberts' suspension". A deadline was set for 30 November 1999 for the FCDA to disband, which it did not. Libels were drawn up against 22 ministers who refused to comply, and in a hearing by the Commission of Assembly on 19–20 January 2000 those libels were declared to be relevant. 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". 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 the Westminster Confession of Faith".

List of Ministers Suspended by the Free Church of Scotland

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). * Rev. B. H. Baxter * Rev. Graeme Craig - Lochalsh & Glenshiel * Rev. H. M. Ferrier * Rev. J. A. Gillies * Rev. James I. Gracie - North Uist & Grimsay * Rev. John W. Keddie - Minister of Bracadale * Rev. Donald M. Macdonald * Rev. Kenneth Macdonald - Minister of Snizort * Rev. Allan I. M. Maciver - Minister of Broadford * Rev. Malcolm Maclean (retired from North Tolsta) * Rev. Donald N. MacLeod (retired from Glasgow-Duke Street) * Rev. John MacLeod - Minister of Tarbat * Rev. John MacLeod - Minister of Duthil-Dores * Rev. Murdo A. N. Macleod - Minister of Harris * Rev. William Macleod - Minister of Portree * Rev. John Morrison - Minister of Kilmuir & Stenscholl * Rev. Allan Murray * Rev. David P. Murray * Rev. John J. Murray - Minister of Lochcarron * Rev. H. R. M. Radcliffe * Rev. Maurice J. Roberts - Minister of Inverness Greyfriars ad been suspended by the Commission of Assembly on 24 June 1999* Rev. Henry J. T. Woods - Minister of Paisley Furthermore, four other Ministers were suspended separately and became part of the Free Church of Scotland (Continuing). * Rev. James Frew uspended on 14 February* Rev. John J. Harding uspended on 24 June 1999* Rev. Daniel Mackinnon uspended on 14 February- Minister of Kilmorack & Strathglass * Rev. William B. Scott uspended on 29 February- Minister of Dumfries

Legal issues

Following their departure, the FC(C) sought a declarator from the

Court of Session The Court of Session is the highest national court of Scotland in relation to Civil law (common law), civil cases. The court was established in 1532 to take on the judicial functions of the royal council. Its jurisdiction overlapped with othe ...

as to ownership of the central funds and properties of the Church. When the appeal was sent to the

Outer House The Outer House (abbreviated as CSOH in neutral citations) is one of the two parts of the Scottish Court of Session, which is the supreme civil court in Scotland. It is a court of first instance, although some statutory appeals are remitted ...

of the Court of Session, Lady Paton dismissed their action without granting absolvitor.Opinion of Lady Paton
retrieved 16 June 2007 In March 2007 the Free Church of Scotland proceeded to take legal action at Broadford, on the island of Skye, seeking 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 '' ...

. The Free Church (Continuing) lost the action at first instance on the decision of Lord Uist, and also lost their appeal to the

Inner House The Inner House is the senior part of the Court of Session, the supreme civil court in Scotland; the Outer House forms the junior part of the Court of Session. It is a court of appeal and a court of first instance. The chief justice is th ...

of the

. The FC(C) expressed its intention to appeal both the above decisions, but in 2009, the

International Conference of Reformed Churches The International Conference of Reformed Churches (ICRC) is a federation of Reformed or Calvinist churches around the world. The ICRC convenes international meetings every four years. The ICRC was founded in 1981 at Groningen in the Netherlands ...

noted that the FC(C) had "withdrawn its appeal of the civil matter that was pending".

Recognition

The denomination is a member of the

and of

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Congregations

The Free Church of Scotland (Continuing) presently has 25 functioning congregations in Scotland, as well as some overseas. These churches belong to six presbyteries: the Northern, the Skye and Lochcarron, the United States of America, Navarre & Aragon, the Outer Hebrides and the Southern Presbyteries. There are seven congregations and preaching stations in the United States:

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;

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; Upstate South Carolina; Mebane, North Carolina;

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; Opelika, Alabama; Greenville, Texas; and Fredericksburg, Virginia. There is also a congregation and a preaching station in Canada, a congregation in Northern Ireland, and a seminars and demonstration farm in Zambia.

Preaching Stations and Missions

Seminary

The Free Church of Scotland (Continuing) maintains a

seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological college, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called seminarians) in scripture and theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as cle ...

on the outskirts of Inverness for the training of its ministers.

Music

The Free Church Continuing continues to hold to the exclusive use of metrical Psalms sung without instrumental accompaniment in worship, a position which the Free Church of Scotland has ceased to hold.

References

External links

The Free Church of Scotland (Continuing)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Free Church Of Scotland (Continuing) Reformed denominations in the United Kingdom Presbyterianism in Scotland Religious organisations based in Scotland Christian organizations established in 2000 Presbyterian denominations established in the 20th century 2000 establishments in Scotland Presbyterian denominations in Canada Presbyterian denominations in the United States Presbyterian denominations in Scotland Evangelical denominations in North America Church of Scotland Presbyterianism in the United Kingdom