The Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland is the constitutional heir of the historic Church of Scotland. We descend directly from that church first established through the God-owned labours of John Knox and others in 1560. It pleased God in His sovereign grace to bring the Church of Scotland (along with the Church of Calvin’s Geneva) more closely to the Scriptures than the other churches of the Reformation. The principles forming the testimony of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland today go back to the New Testament Church established by Christ through His apostles.
For more information on the historical background of the Free Presbyterian Church, see History. Vital historical documents from the Reformation onwards, which define the heritage we hold precious today, can be found here. For the reasons why the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland came into existence, and why it exists today, click here.
We have congregations throughout Scotland and in other parts of the United Kingdom. In addition, we have an international presence in Eastern Europe, North America, Australasia and the Far East, as well as an extensive mission in Zimbabwe (with many congregations and also a hospital, a secondary school and an orphanage). A warm welcome is extended to all to attend our services. For more about worship, see How We Worship.
Our claim to be Reformed in Doctrine, Worship and Practice is grounded in holding Scripture as our only supreme standard, and the entire Westminster Confession of Faith as our subordinate standard. What We Believe gives a summary of the Biblical Christianity to which we adhere. For what makes the Free Presbyterian Church different and distinctive, see What We Contend For. For our Presbyterian system of church government, see How We Are Organised. The Catechism of the History and Principles of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland explains various aspects of our witness. The Statement of Differences summarises our distinctives compared with other Presbyterian Churches present in Scotland.
Our main focus is on the three great marks of the visible church of Christ in the world:
- Preaching the Word of God. To download or listen online to Free Presbyterian preaching, the Sermons section contains an extensive library of the labours of past and present ministers.
- Dispensing the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
- Maintaining ecclesiastical discipline according to Scripture.
Our other activities include the following:
- Communion seasons. These are held once or twice a year in each of our congregations in connection with the administration of the Lord’s Supper. Preparatory services begin on Thursday, the Supper is dispensed on the Lord’s Day, and then the season ends with thanksgiving on Monday. Communion seasons are a most precious part of the Church’s life.
- Foreign mission. Currently our main efforts are in Zimbabwe, but ordained missionaries have also laboured in Israel and Kenya in recent years, and endeavours continue in Eastern Europe, where a Free Presbyterian congregation has been formed in Ukraine.
- Conferences. Theological Conferences are held annually in Scotland and Zimbabwe, Young People’s Conferences in Scotland and Australia/New Zealand. Recordings of past papers are available at the links.
- Training of the Ministry. We train our own divinity students called to the ministry of the gospel.
- Publications. We produce two monthly magazines. Past copies of both the Free Presbyterian Magazine and The Young People’s Magazine are available to read or download. We print other publications and operate a Bookshop in Glasgow.
- Witness. We interact with government, other organisations and key individuals, witnessing for Biblical religion and morality, especially through our Religion and Morals and Sabbath Observance committees.
- Care of the Elderly. We run two residential care homes for the elderly in Scotland.
If you have questions or queries, we would be very glad to hear from you. You are welcome to contact us. A number of matters are dealt with at Frequently Asked Questions. You can search the entire site using the Search option in the top right hand corner.