While the Church of Scotland is not “Established” in the manner of the Church of England, it nevertheless holds a special constitutional position. The Protestant Religion and Presbyterian Church Act 1707 of the Scottish Parliament, still in force, establishes the Church’s worship, discipline, and government to continue unaltered for future generations, while Article III of the Articles Declaratory annexed to the Church of Scotland Act 1921 describes it as “a national Church representative of the Christian Faith of the Scottish people.” Under the Union with Scotland Act 1706 and the Union with England Act 1707, which are both still in force, on his or her Accession, the Sovereign must swear to uphold the Church’s security — a tradition upheld by King Charles III at the Accession Council in 2022.

One element of this special status is the Monarch’s appointment of a Lord High Commissioner to the Kirk’s General Assembly. Continue reading →