The United Presbyterian Church (1847–1900) was a Scottish Presbyterian denomination. It was formed in 1847 by the union of the United Secession Church and the Relief Church, and in 1900 merged with the Free Church of Scotland to form the United Free Church of Scotland, which in turn united with the Church of Scotland in 1929. For most of its existence the United Presbyterian Church was the third largest Presbyterian Church in Scotland, and stood on the liberal wing of Scots Presbyterianism. The Church's name was often abbreviated to the initials U.P.
Adam Gib was a Scottish religious leader, head of the Antiburgher section of the Scottish Secession Church. He reportedly wrote his first covenant with God in the blood of his own veins. Gib was born in the parish of Muckhart, in southern Perthshire on 15 April 1714.
Ebenezer Erskine was a Scottish minister whose actions led to the establishment of the Secession Church.
Ralph Erskine was a Scottish churchman.
Thomas Gillespie was a Scottish minister of the Church of Scotland. He was founder of the Synod of Relief. Thomas Gillespie, born in 1708, at Clearburn, Duddingston, was the son of a well-to-do brewer and bonnet-laird — the only son of a second marriage. An interview with Thomas Boston, arranged by his mother, turned his thoughts to the ministry. On the completion of his Arts course in Edinburgh, he entered the Divinity Hall. After some months, however, he left for the Divinity Hall of the Secession Church in Perth. A few weeks’ experience of its narrowness being more than enough, he betook himself to Northampton to complete his studies under Philip Doddridge. He was ordained by a "classis" of the English Presbyterians. Presented and called to Carnock, he was inducted by the Presbytery of Dunfermline in 1741. In the early years of his ministry he was a leader in the Cambuslang and Kilsyth Revivals, and became a trusted correspondent of George Whitfield and Jonathan Edwards. Taking his stand, with the majority of the Presbytery, against the Inverkeithing Intrusion, he was summarily deposed by the General Assembly of 1752. In 1761, with two other ministers and their flocks, he formed a new body — the Presbytery of Relief, which had attained a quite considerable place in many parts of Scotland, by the time of his death in 1774.
George Gillespie was a Scottish theologian.
The Anti-Burghers were opponents of the Burgher Oath on theological grounds.
Thomas M'Crie was a Scottish biographer and ecclesiastical historian, writer, and preacher born in the town of Duns, and educated at the University of Edinburgh. He became the leading minister of the Original Secession Church. His work: "Life of Knox" (1813) was a means of vindicating the Scottish reformer John Knox who was a unpopular figure at the time. It was followed by a "Life of Andrew Melville" (1819). Melville was Knox's successor as the leader of the Reformers in Scotland. M'Crie also published histories of the Reformation in Italy and Spain. He received an honorary degree of D.D. in 1813, the first Secession minister to receive such an award.
Ralph Robb was a Scottish clergyman, the first Free Church of Scotland minister in the New World.
The First Secession was an exodus of ministers and members from the Church of Scotland in 1733. Those who took part formed the Associate Presbytery and later the United Secession Church. They were often referred to as Seceders.
Robert Liston was a Scottish minister who served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1787/88.
James Fisher (1697–1775) was one of the founders of the Scottish Secession church. He was born at Barr, on 23 January 1697, the second son of Thomas Fisher, minister of Rhynd. He was educated at University of Glasgow. He was licensed by the Presbytery of Perth on 31 October 1722 and subsequently called and ordained on 23 December 1725. He dissented and joined with his father-in-law Ebenezer Erskine in his appeal and complaint to the Assembly of 1733. He was one of the four original members of the Associate Presbytery founded at Gairney Bridge on 6 December 1733. He was deposed by the General Assembly on 15 May 1740, but continued to preach in the parish church till 13 August 1741, when he was forcibly ejected on a sheriff's warrant. He then preached in a tent on Kinclaven brae during the time he remained in the district. On 8 October 1741 he became minister of Shuttle Street Associate Congregation, Glasgow. He was deposed by the Associate (Antiburgher) Synod on 4 August 1748 over the question of the Burgess Oath. He was appointed Professor of Divinity by the Associate (Burgher) Synod in 1749. He died on 28 September 1775.
The Relief Church was a Scottish Presbyterian denomination founded in 1761. In 1847 it united with the United Secession Church to form the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland.
In the Scottish church of the 18th and 19th centuries, a burgher was a person who upheld the lawfulness of the burgess oath.
Thomas Boston, the younger (1713–1767) was a Scottish minister of the Relief Church.
Thomas Mair was a Scottish Anti-Burgher minister and moderator of the Anti-Burgher Associate Synod.
Patrick Hutchison (1741–1802) was a Presbyterian minister who produced the first systematic definition of the beliefs of the Relief Church in Scotland.
Alexander Moncrieff (1695–1761) was a Scottish Presbyterian minister. He was the son of Matthew Moncrieff of Culfargie and Margaret Mitchell. His paternal grandfather, also Alexander Moncrieff, was a well known minister of Scoonie. He was educated at Perth Grammar School and St Leonard's College, St Andrews. He graduated with an M.A. and then attended a course of theology at Leiden under John a Marck and Wesselius. He was licensed by the Presbytery of Perth 29 April 1719 and called 26 April, and by Presbytery jure devoluto, 24 August, and ordained 14 September 1720. He sympathised with Ebenezer Erskine, and the Commission of Assembly on 9 August 1733 suspended him and three associates from the exercise of their ministry. As they refused obedience, on 16 November the Commission declared them no longer ministers of the Church. Moncrieff with his brethren met at Gairney Bridge 6 December 1733, and formed the Associate Presbytery. The General Assembly of 1734 reponed him to office. From 1734 to 1740 he preached from the parish church pulpit, occupied the manse, received the stipend, yet protested against the jurisdiction of the Church, declined to attend Presbytery meetings, or in any way to be amenable to ecclesiastical authority. He was finally deposed by the Assembly on 15 May 1740. He was appointed by the Associate Presbytery Professor of Divinity in February 1742. He joined with those who were against the Burgess Oath, and was one of the founders of the General Associate Synod 10 April 1747. He died on 7 October 1761.
Thomas Nairn was a controversial Scottish Presbyterian minister. Although he served in several Presbyterian denominations perhaps his most important contribution to church history was his role in setting up the organisation which eventually became the Reformed Presbyterian Church. Although his stay with that religious community was relatively short he was acknowledged, by right of his valid ordination, to have the authority, along with John M'Millan, to form a legitimate presbytery and in so doing to be able to ordain others to the offices of the church. Before Nairn's arrival M'Millan had for more than 36 years been the only minister in what was essentially a small denomination known as the United Societies. Nairn had previously been a minister in the Associate Presbytery of the First Seceders, although he started and ended his days in the Church of Scotland.
Alexander Moncrieff was a minister with the Church of Scotland. The youngest son of Matthew Moncrieff of Kintillo, Alexander Moncrieff took a prominent part in the church history of the seventeenth century.
