Free Church of Scotland (since 1900)

The Free Church of Scotland (since 1900) is a Scottish Presbyterian denomination formed in 1900 by the union of the vast majority of the Free Church of Scotland with the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland. This union created the United Free Church of Scotland.

The name "Free Church of Scotland (since 1900)" refers to the continuing minority that did not enter the union. This continuing Free Church maintained that it, and not the newly formed United Free Church, was the true heir to the original Free Church of Scotland formed in the Disruption of 1843. They argued that the United Free Church had compromised the Free Church’s original commitment to the doctrines of grace, the establishment principle, and the exclusive jurisdiction of the church.

Following a protracted legal battle, the House of Lords in 1904 ruled in favor of the continuing Free Church, awarding it the assets of the pre-union Free Church. However, Parliament subsequently intervened with the Churches (Scotland) Act 1905 to redistribute the assets more equitably between the Free Church and the United Free Church, taking into account the relative sizes and needs of the denominations.

Since 1905, the Free Church of Scotland (since 1900) has continued as a distinct Presbyterian denomination, maintaining a conservative theological position and a commitment to traditional Presbyterian worship and church governance. It has a presence primarily in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, with a smaller number of congregations elsewhere. The denomination maintains a theological college, publishes literature, and supports missionaries both at home and abroad.