The United Free Church of Scotland (UF Church; Scottish Gaelic: An Eaglais Shaor Aonaichte, Scots: 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 the majority of the 19th-century Free Church of Scotland. The majority of the United Free Church of Scotland united with the Church of Scotland in 1929.

The Free Church of Scotland seceded from the Church of Scotland in the Disruption of 1843. The United Presbyterian Church was formed in 1847 by a union of the United Secession and Relief Churches, both of which had split from the Church of Scotland. The two denominations united in 1900 to form the United Free Church (except for a small section of the Free Church who rejected the union and continued independently under the name of the Free Church).

The minority of the Free Church, which had refused to join the union, quickly tested its legality. They issued a summons, claiming that in altering the principles of the Free Church, the majority had ceased to be the Free Church of Scotland and therefore forfeited the right to its assets – which should belong to the remaining minority, who were the true 'Free Church'. However, the case was lost in the Court of Session, where Lord Low (upheld by the second division) held that the Assembly of original Free Church had a right, within limits, to change its position.

An appeal to House of Lords, (not delivered until 1 August 1904 due to a judicial death), reversed the Court of Session's decision (by a majority of 5–2), and found the minority entitled to the assets of the Free Church. It was held that, by adopting new standards of doctrine (and particularly by abandoning its commitment to 'the establishment principle' – which was held to be fundamental to the Free Church), the majority had violated the conditions on which the property of the Free Church was held.

The judgement had huge implications; seemingly it deprived the Free Church element of the UF Church of all assets—churches, manses, colleges, missions, and even provision for elderly clergy. It handed large amounts of property to the remnant; more than it could make effective use of. A conference, held in September 1904, between representatives of the UF and the (now distinct) Free Church, to come to some working arrangement, found that no basis for agreement could be found. A convocation of the UF Church, held on 15 December, decided that the union should proceed, and resolved to pursue every lawful means to restore their assets. As a result, the intervention of Parliament was sought.

A parliamentary commission was appointed, consisting of Lords Elgin, Kinnear and Anstruther. The question of interim possession was referred to Sir John Cheyne. The commission sat in public, and after hearing both sides, issued their report in April 1905. They stated that the feelings of both parties towards the other had made their work difficult. They concluded, however, that the Free Church was in many respects unable to carry out the purposes of the trusts, which, under the ruling of the House of Lords, was a condition of their holding the property. They recommended that an executive commission should be set up by act of parliament, in which the whole property of the Free Church, as at the date of the union, should be vested, and which should allocate it to the United Free Church, where the Free Church was unable to carry out the trust purposes.

The Churches (Scotland) Act 1905,^[2] which gave effect to these recommendations, was passed in August. The commissioners appointed were those on whose report the act was formed, plus two others. The allocation of churches and manses was a slow business, but by 1908 over 100 churches had been assigned to the Free Church. Some of the dispossessed UF Church congregations, most of them in the Highlands, found shelter for a time in the parish churches; but it was early decided that in spite of the objection against the erection of more church buildings in districts where many were now standing empty, 60 new churches and manses should at once be built at a cost of about £150,000. In October 1906 the commission intimated that the Assembly Hall, and the New College Buildings, were to belong to the UF Church, while the Free Church received the offices in Edinburgh, and a tenement to be converted into a college, while the library was to be vested in the UF Church, but open to members of both. After having held its Assembly in university class-rooms for two years, and in another hall in 1905, in 1906 the UF Church again occupied the historic buildings of the Free Church. All the foreign missions and all the continental stations were also adjudged to the United Free Church. (Incidentally, the same act also contained provided for the relaxation of subscription in the Church of Scotland, thus Parliament had involved itself in the affairs of all Presbyterian churches.)

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The United Free Church was during its relatively short existence the second largest Presbyterian church in Scotland. The Free Church brought into the union 1,068 congregations, the United Presbyterians 593. Combined they had a membership of some half a million Scots. The revenue of the former amounted to £706,546, of the latter to £361,743. The missionaries of both churches joined the union, and the united Church was then equipped with missions in various parts of India, in Manchuria, in Africa (Lovedale, Livingstonia, etc.), in Palestine, in Melanesia and in the West Indies.

The UFC was broadly liberal Evangelical in its approach to theology and practical issues. It combined an acceptance of the findings of contemporary science, and the more moderate results of higher criticism with commitment to evangelism and missions. The UFC's approach to doctrinal conformity was fairly liberal for a Presbyterian denomination at the time. In its 1906 Act Anent Spiritual Independence of the Church, its General Assembly asserted the power to modify or define its Subordinate standard (the Westminster Confession) and its laws. Although its subordinate standard remained, ministers and elders were asked to state their belief in "the doctrine of this Church, set forth in the Confession of Faith". Thus the Church's interpretation of doctrine was prioritised over the confession.^{[citation needed]}

The UFC had three divinity halls, at Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen, served by 17 professors and five lecturers. The first moderator was Robert Rainy. Its theologians and scholars have included H.R. Mackintosh, James Moffatt as well as John and Donald Baillie. British Prime Minister Bonar Law was raised in a Canadian Free Church manse and was a member of the United Free Church in Helensburgh.^[3]

As its early days were preoccupied with the aftermath of union, so its later days were with the coming union with the Church of Scotland. The problem was the CofS's position as an established church conflicted with the Voluntaryism of the UFC. Discussions began in 1909, but were complex. The Very Rev William Paterson Paterson, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland made much progress during his period in office 1919/20.^[4]

The main hurdles were overcome by two parliamentary statutes, firstly the Church of Scotland Act 1921, which recognised the Church of Scotland's independence in spiritual matters (a right asserted by its Articles Declaratory of 1919). The second was the Church of Scotland (Properties and Endowments) Act 1925 (15 & 16 Geo. 5. c. 33), which transferred the secular endowment of the church to a new body called the General Trustees. These measures satisfied the majority of the UFC that the Church-state entanglement of the Church of Scotland, which had been the cause of the Disruption of 1843 had at last ended. In 1929, the merger with the Church of Scotland largely reversed the Disruption of 1843 and reunited much of Scottish Presbyterianism. On 2 October 1929, at an assembly at the Industrial Hall on Annandale Street off Leith Walk in Edinburgh, the two churches merged.^[5] The Hall is now the central bus depot for Lothian Region Transport.

A relatively small minority stayed out of the union, and retained the name of U.F. Church.

Voluntaryism led some to oppose the union (the United Free Church Association, led by James Barr – minister of Govan and Labour MP for Motherwell). When it came, 13,000 UFC members remained outside, calling themselves the United Free Church (Continuing).^[6] The phrase 'continuing' was used for five years to avoid confusion between the remaining United Free Church and the pre-union Church. It was dropped from the title in 1934. An agreement between the parties avoided the property disputes of the 1900 union. UFC members increased slightly during the 1930s, to a peak of 23,000 by 1939, but it never regained anywhere near the numbers it had had prior to the union with the Church of Scotland.^[6]

The ongoing UFC continues in the 'broad evangelical' tradition.

The continuing UFC agreed to permit the ordination of female ministers in 1929.^[7] The church elected a woman as its moderator in 1960,^[7] when Elizabeth Barr became the first female moderator of a general assembly of a Scottish church.^[8]

In 2016, the UFC had 53 congregations in its three presbyteries.^[9] By 2022, this had reduced to 47 congregations.^[10] These three presbyteries are 'The East', 'The West' and 'The North'.

• The East: meets in Bo'ness and covers central Scotland, South Fife and the Lothians. It has 14 congregations.
• The West which meets in Glasgow and covers Strathclyde, and has 21 congregations within its bounds.
• The North meets in Aberdeen and Perth covering Tayside, The Highlands, Grampian and the Northern Isles. It has 12 congregations.

The General Assembly of the United Free Church of Scotland meets annually, beginning on the Wednesday after the first Sunday in June, and lasting until the Friday. Since 2008, they have committed to having the General Assembly in a central location, meeting in the Salutation Hotel, Perth.^[9]

In 2016, they had 60 ordained ministers, including retired and those serving part-time. There were three students, and a further three probationer ministers. The denomination has 388 Elders, and 255 Deacons, Managers or board members who are not Elders.

In 2023, there were 22 serving ministers, along with seven Ministry Assistants. There was one Student Minister, and 22 Retired Ministers. The denomination has 300 Elders, and 183 Deacons, Managers or board members who are not Elders. The total membership (Communicants) at the end of 2023 was 1782 individuals.^[10]

The modern UFC is involved in the ecumenical movement in Scotland and is a member of Action of Churches Together in Scotland.^[11] Internationally, it is a member of the World Council of Churches,^[12]

The denomination, as of 31 December 2023, currently has 47 congregations.

1900 - 1929

• Robert Rainy (1900)
• Robert Laws (1908)
• John Young (1910)
• George Reith (1914)^[13]
• Dugald Mackichan (1917)
• Robert James Drummond (1918)
• Adam Philip (1921)
• Donald Fraser (1922)

1929-

• 1929 James Barr BD
• 1930 Rev Charles Robson MA BD
• 1931 Rev J Sommerville Smith MA
• 1932 Rev David M Forrester DD
• 1933 Rev Adam Johnston Millar
• 1934 Rev Bruce B Blackwood BD LRAM
• 1935 Rev James Sneddon
• 1936 Rev Alfred M Merriweather
• 1937 Rev Samuel W Wilson MA
• 1938 Rev David G Young
• 1939 Rev Prof Allan Barr DD
• 1940 Rev Prof Allan Barr DD
• 1941 Mr James Goldie FEIS
• 1942 Rev Andrew McNab MA
• 1943 James Barr BD
• 1944 Rev Colin MacDonald
• 1945 Rev Peter M Shepherd OBE MD
• 1946 Rev Thomas F Crow
• 1947 Rev H Taylor Cape
• 1948 Rev George A Hardie
• 1949 Rev Frank Gardner FRGS
• 1950 Rev Peter MacLeod MA
• 1951 Rev Bruce B Blackwood BD LRAM
• 1952 Rev Alfred M Merriweather
• 1953 Rev Peter C MacIntosh
• 1954 Mr John Forrester-Paton CBE
• 1955 Rev J Howie Haldane
• 1956 Rev David W Roy
• 1957 Rev John A Paterson
• 1958 Rev James Porter MA
• 1959 Rev Francis Cougan
• 1960 Rev Elizabeth Barr BD
• 1961 Rev Alexander Innes MA
• 1962 Rev Ninian A P Bisset MA
• 1963 Rev Henry G McCall
• 1964 Rev Robert K MacDonald
• 1965 Rev Robertson Taylor BD
• 1966 Rev James Cassels MA
• 1967 Rev Alexander Ross
• 1968 Rev Colin MacDonald
• 1969 Rev Albert Petrie
• 1970 Rev Ernest Watson MA
• 1971 Rev Duncan S Mitchell
• 1972 Rev Henry L Brownlie
• 1973 Rev Robert Buchan
• 1974 Mr Robert S Clark
• 1975 Rev A Douglas Scrimgeour MA BD ThM
• 1976 Rev James P Young MA
• 1977 Rev Archibald A Small
• 1978 Rev Gregor Cameron MA
• 1979 Rev Dr A M Merriweather CBE PH
• 1980 Rev Joseph G McPhee
• 1981 Mr John Gray
• 1982 Rev David W Roy
• 1983 Mr Edward S Nicoll DFC
• 1984 Mr Andrew K M Rankin
• 1985 Rev William Johnston
• 1986 Rev James H Alexander
• 1987 Rev Thomas A B Patterson
• 1988 Rev Arthur M Lawless
• 1989 Rev James Cassels MA
• 1990 Rev Graeme B Bruce LTh
• 1991 Rev Andrew McG Begg
• 1992 Mr J Fergus Henderson
• 1993 Rev John A M McFie
• 1994 Rev John Billows
• 1995 Rev Joseph Creelman
• 1996 Rev Gordon L Cowan
• 1997 Rev James D Neil BD
• 1998 Rev John C Allan BD
• 1999 Rev A Douglas Scrimgeour MA BD ThM
• 2000 Rev John O Fulton BSc BD
• 2001 Rev Archie M Ford BSc
• 2002 Rev Colin C Brown BD
• 2003 Rev Donald Mackenzie
• 2004 Rev Stephen J W Matthews BD
• 2005 Rev James G Marshall CA BD
• 2006 Rev Andrew McMillan BD BA
• 2007 Rev David Cartledge BA
• 2008 Dr Donald Macdonald BSc MRSC
• 2009 Rev Martin C Keane BA BD
• 2010 Rev Robert Owens BA
• 2011 Mr George H McRobb
• 2112 Rev Iain F R Lloyd BSc BD
• 2013 Rev Graham G Brown BSc BD
• 2014 Rev Gary J A Barclay BD
• 2015 Mr Andrew Scott
• 2016 Rev Alexander Ritchie MA LLM BD MTh
• 2017 Rev I A Boa BSc BD
• 2018 Mr John Cross
• 2019 Rev J O Fulton BSc BD
• 2020 No Assembly
• 2021 Rev Dr I D Miller BA BD MTh PhD
• 2022 Rev A M Ford BSc
• 2023 Rev Andrew Downie
• 2024 Rev Colin C Brown BD

The dispute over assets between the Free Church and the United Free Church was satirised by Neil Munro in his Erchie MacPherson story "Erchie and the Free Church", first published in the Glasgow Evening News on 8 August 1904.^[14]

• History of Scotland
• United and uniting churches

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

• Official website