Who are you?
What do you believe about the Lord Jesus Christ?
What must I do to be saved?
Why are you a separate Church?
Are you a "broad church"?
Are you ecumenical?
What are your standards?
What about public worship?
What about family worship?
Should Christians Celebrate Christmas?

We are a main descendant branch of the Church of Scotland. When doctrinal liberalism and religious doubt overcame the Presbyterian churches in the 19th century, we took up a separate position in 1893 to preserve the Church of Scotland of the Reformation, and to maintain Reformed doctrine, worship and practice. We have established a number of congregations in other countries and we have an extensive mission in Zimbabwe and Kenya.

The Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland is the most Reformed church in Britain today. There are other churches which claim to be Reformed in doctrine, but most of these are not Reformed in worship and practice, (which is the outworking of Reformed doctrine at the ecclesiastical level).

What do you believe about the Lord Jesus Christ?

The Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland believes the biblical doctrines of the Trinity, the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ, His Virgin Birth, His substitutionary atonement for the sins of His people, His bodily resurrection from the dead, His ascension into heaven, His reigning at the right hand of His Father, and His intercession, as the great High Priest of His people, until He shall return to judge the world at the general judgment on the last day.

What must I do to be saved?

All mankind is called upon to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and to repent of their sinful lives by returning to God through Christ that they may find His free mercy. The fruit of such reconciliation will be a life of faith and obedience to Christ, Who said: "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15).

Why are you a separate Church?

The marks of a true Church of Jesus Christ include:

1. the acknowledging of none but the Lord Jesus Christ as her Head;
2. taking the Word of God as her doctrinal foundation, and as the standard of her faith and practice;
3. the preaching of the true Gospel of the grace of God in Jesus Christ;
4. the proper administration of the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's supper;
5. and the maintaining of scriptural discipline.

We take the Bible alone as our guide to Doctrine, Worship and Practice. We preach the Gospel of God's sovereign and free grace.
"By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8).
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).
"Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely" (Revelation 22:17).

In order to safeguard these precious truths, we are separate from other Presbyterian churches which have compromised on these matters. You are welcome to join us in our worship of God. See Congregations & Services and Contacting Us.

Are you a "broad church"?

When theologians in other churches claim to be in a "broad church", they mean that there is a wide breadth of interpretation of the Bible allowed. We do not accept the dishonest interpretation of scripture which only too often explains away the plain meaning. The Apostle Peter calls it twisting the scripture (2 Peter 3:16).

The Lord Jesus Christ warns us against broadway Christianity. "Wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. ... Beware of false prophets. ... Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." (Matthew 7:13, 15, 21-24).

Are you ecumenical?

Being a Presbyterian church we believe in the unity of congregations in a Presbyterian structure. We do not believe in the spurious unity of the modern ecumenical movement which minimises doctrinal difference between the Protestant churches and which is leading towards re-union with Roman Catholicism under the pope of Rome. We believe in the unity of all Spirit-taught, born-again, believers in Christ throughout the world, and that they ought to be united in one Presbyterian Church.

What are your standards?

The Church's supreme standard is the Bible, which is the inspired and infallible Word of God. The subordinate standard of the Church is the Westminster Confession of Faith - the doctrines of which all office-bearers in the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland swear by solemn ordination vows to assert, maintain and defend.

What about public worship?

We praise God from His own inspired song-book, the Book of Psalms, which is available in a metrical version in English.

A ten-minute sermon once a week is unlikely to convey much biblical teaching. That is why the Free Presbyterian Church teaches its congregations through sermons of 30-60 minutes' duration, twice on the Lord's Day, and usually at midweek prayer meetings. A recent survey shows that most people in the U.K. gain their knowledge of Christianity through sermons and would like to have more information provided this way. If people are to attain to a saving knowledge of Christ they must find this knowledge in the Bible. Yet a Lifestyle Survey conducted in 1985-1986 showed that 69% of members in the Church of Scotland seldom or never read their Bibles. This has resulted in widespread biblical illiteracy and it is truly astonishing for a professing Christian Church. It is hardly remarkable, however, when people are not sufficiently aware that the Bible is God's Word from which the Church must derive all her teaching.

What about family worship?

Families are expected to read the Bible privately and to have family worship. This fosters the Christian family - the basic unit of the Church and society. It is by holding on to our Reformed heritage that the Free Presbyterian Church and its families are seeking to be intelligent and upright contributors to society.