IN popular mythology it is a church that epitomises religious intolerance, but in a bold ecumenical move the Free Church of Scotland has appointed a Church of England minister to a congregation.
In what is being hailed as a historic first, the Rev Paul Clarke will lead the Free Church in St Andrews, which has been without a minister since the end of last year.
Mr Clarke, widely regarded in Anglican circles as a promising preacher, previously served at one of the biggest congregations in England – St Helen's Bishops-gate in inner city London. It is understood he plans to stay in St Andrews for at least three years.
Mr Clarke, a 38-year-old father-of-three, has made clear he is not turning his back on the Church of England for good. A graduate in law from Durham University, he served in a student congregation in the town before moving to London in 1999.
At St Helen's his official title was "Team Leader & Central Focus/Home Groups" but he led the church's ministry on a Sunday morning.
He said yesterday he and his family were absolutely delighted to be joining the Free Church congregation in St Andrews, which he described as a "wonderful and historic town".
He added: "The congregation is already encouraged to have seen many new faces at our services over the last few weeks – and of course there is still room for many more."
The Free Church, which is trying to throw off its Wee Frees nickname, and the Church of England are at different ends of the spectrum of reformed faiths.
The latter's roots go back to the 16th century in the Henrican Reformation, when Henry VIII broke with the Roman Catholic Church, but still has an Anglo Catholic movement within it.
The Free Church was born in "the Disruption" of 1843 when 450 ministers of the Church of Scotland broke away over the issue of patronage – whether congregations or wealthy patrons were to have the greatest say in selecting parish ministers.
However, the spirit of inter-church co-operation is already evident in Scotland's ancient university town.
The Free Church in St Andrews does not have its own building at present, so meets in the Baptist Church on Sunday mornings and Hope Park Church of Scotland on Sunday evenings.
Indeed, the commissioning service tomorrow to welcome the new Free Church minister will be held at Hope Park.
Rev David Robertson, minister of St Peter's Free Church in Dundee and director of the Solas Centre for Public Christianity, has been acting as caretaker minister for St Andrews.
He said: "This is a great example of biblical ecumenism at its best.
"Who would have thought an Anglican would be appointed to minister in a Free Church congregation? It certainly challenges the tired worn out cliche of the Free Church just being a declining Highland Church. With a former Church of Scotland minister being appointed to the Free Church in Perth this year as well, this is a sign of how things are changing."
It certainly appears the church is repositioning itself with Scottish society. It has 12,500 worshipping in 104 congregations across the country.
In February, national moderator Rev Dr Iain D Campbell, who is minister of Point Free Church on Lewis, attacked the media's use of Wee Frees "as being an outdated and offensive stereotype in reference to the Free Church".
He said no other church had been subjected to such long-standing ridicule.
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