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The congregation of Fala United Associate, which belonged to the Burgher branch of the Secession church, was first established in 1779 following a petition to the Burgher Presbytery of Edinburgh from a number of Burgher residents of Fala, requesting that they be provided with sermon. Prior to this date those residing in Fala had belonged to the Burgher congregations of Stow, Dalkeith or Haddington, Dalkeith, the nearest of the three churches, being approximately 9 miles from Fala. A supply minister was initially appointed and the first permanent minister of Fala, James Blyth, was ordained in 1788. The original members of the kirk session of Fala had been appointed 2 years prior and were namely, James Johnstone, George Rough and Robert Lees. Fala United Presbyterian congregation had no church in which to worship until 1799, their first meeting place had been an old building called 'the long stable' which was cleared out to allow them to take temporary residence. In 1900, at the union of the United Presbyterians and the Free Church, Fala United Presbyterian became Fala United Free Church and, following the 1929 union between the United Free Church and the Church of Scotland, Fala United Free was renamed Fala and Soutra West Church of Scotland. In 1937, Fala and Soutra West was united with the congregation of Fala and Soutra Old, under the name of Fala and Soutra, following the union both churches remained in use. The kirk session of Fala United Presbyterian, United Free and Church of Scotland sat initially within the Presbytery of Edinburgh and later of Dalkeith. |