Free Church of Scotland to become first denomination in Scotland to use Facebook to attract new members

THE Free Church of Scotland is to become the first major Scottish denomination to advertise for new members using social media.

The step is an attempt by the church, which has 100 congregations and approximately 14,000 members, to reach out to a wider audence.

A 24-hour advert will appear on certain profile pages tomorrow inviting users to sign up to the official Free Church page for the latest updates and also giving its Twitter details.

Until now, the Free Kirk as a denomination has been reluctant to engage with the digital community, only recently launching its Facebook and Twitter accounts on the web.

A Free Church of Scotland spokesman said: “Although a number of our ministers and congregations use Facebook and Twitter, we understand this is the first time a denomination the size of the Free Church has actually advertised on Facebook.

“Social media brings huge opportunities and supports what we’re already doing in a very cost-effective way.

“It’s fair to say in recent years there has been a declining interest in the Church in general, and this is one way of showing the Free Church of Scotland is relevant and willing to engage with the culture of the day.”