History

The Knock congregation began with the Parliamentary Church built at Knock in 1829, with the charge being declared quaod sacra in 1833.
After the Disruption in 1843 the centre of worship of the newly-formed Free Church congregation was established at Garrabost, but the congregation retained the name of Knock Free Church.

The present church building was completed in 1886, and the congregation worshipped there until deprived of the building in 1900 after the Union Controversy.

The congregation built another church in 1902, made up mostly of corrugated iron, and called by the locals The Iron Church. The original stone church had fallen into disrepair when it was returned to the congregation and as a result the congregation continued to worship in the Iron Church until 1924, when it was decided that rather than repair the Iron Church, the Stone Church would be restored. Worship has been held there ever since. The Point congregation was disjoined from Knock and established as a separate charge in 1963, following a rift in the congregation in 1960. The first minister, the Rev. John MacSween, was inducted in 1966.

The ministers of both the Knock and Point congregations did not associate themselves with the Reconstitution in January 2000, and the displaced members of both congregations met to worship, initially at the church building in Knock, and subsequently in the Community hall in Knock. At the October 2000 Commission of Assembly the congregations of Knock and Point were consolidated into a single charge to be known as Knock and Point Free Church of Scotland (Continuing). It is, perhaps, worth noting that this was almost exactly 40 years to the day from the rift in 1960. Rev Kenneth Smith (Retired), Knock, was appointed Interim-moderator and continued until his health failed. During his time as Interim-moderator, the Deacons’ Court began a building fund to erect a new church for the congregation but Mr Smith, and two of the Elders, did not live to see the building completed. The new church was completed, and worship services began with a service of thanksgiving on Tuesday 17th April 2012.

The first minister of Knock and Point Free Church of Scotland (Continuing) was Rev James Clark, who was inducted to the charge in April 2006 and continued until his translation to Inverness in November 2012.

The congregation is currently vacant. The Interim Moderator is Rev Iain Smith (Retired)

 

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