The Story of the Two Churches

There were once two Churches in Glenfarg, the one up Church Brae (now being converted to a home) and the one up the hill at Arngask (now a ruin). But why two?

The first records of a church in Glenfarg dates back to 1689, just the one. This is the Church up the hill at Arngask. The second one comes about due to "the Great Disruption" in 1843.

Up until 1843 "the right of patronage" held sway where the patron of the church (usually the local laird) chose the Minister. Up until then Churches would usually be built with a separate part, above the main pews, where the patron and their family would sit. Colloquially it was known as "the Lairds Loft". You can still see the existence of one in Dunbarney Church (Bridge of Earn, built in 1787) and there is still a complete, but unused, one in Forgandenny Church.

In the General Assembly (the Parliament of The Church of Scotland) of 1843 there was a major schism where a significant number of the Commissioners (delegates) argued that it was the Congregation who should choose their Minister as it was the Congregation that issued 'The Call' to the Parish. The movement was rejected so the supporters left and set up the United Reform Church, a Presbyterian Church as was the Church of Scotland, but different in that the congregation chose and called their Minister.

The Church up Church Brae was built in 1907 as The United Reform Church with its own congregation and Session, separate from the Church of Scotland up at Arngask.

In 1925 the Church of Scotland and the United Reform Church settled their differences and re-combined. The two congregations in Glenfarg, however, couldn't agree on which Church to use so continued as two congregations until 1943 when they finally became one. Then the Church at Arngask was known as the Summer Church and the one up Church Brae the Winter Church. Maybe that was the one with heating!

The old Church was sold in 1953, the Church Brae Church was sold in 2024.