Rev William Brown, Convener of the Kirk’s Ecumenical Relations Committee, at the invitation of the Moderator, Rev Dr John Ross, addressed the Free Kirk Assembly.

The Free Church separated from the Church of Scotland at the “Disruption” in 1843 over state interference in the Church, and the Churches have remained separate since then due mainly to a looser interpretation in the Church of Scotland of the adherence of ministers to the Westminster Confession of Faith and particularly to the authority of Scripture.

The visit of Mr Brown follows the General Assemblies of both Churches agreeing on a Joint Statement on Tuesday of this week. This Statement, while recognising the differences between the two Churches, made clear that both recognised Scripture as the “supreme rule of faith and life”, have a shared historic creed, the Westminster Confession of Faith, and in particular a shared Reformed understanding of the unity of the Church. The Statement also committed both Churches to closer cooperation particularly at the local congregational level where appropriate.

Mr Brown, in addressing the Free Church Assembly told commissioners that the Kirk General Assembly had unanimously approved the Joint Statement. He referred to the talks that have taken place over the past two years as “robust deliberations” which had not avoided difficult issues, but had helped to build friendships.

He said, “This has been a learning experience all round, through which we have hoped to dispel caricatures and also to see what positive ways forward there may be for us all”. He said that the Joint Statement was an encouragement to people in local situations to move beyond assumptions that the two churches were completely different “despite continuing and not insignificant differences of approach.”

Mr Brown’s address was warmly received by the General Assembly of the Free Church.