Kirk; Kirk Session

In Scotland the word “kirk” is still used interchangeably with “church.” Originally the allusion was with particular reference to the national Church of Scotland (hence, “Auld Kirk”), but it has come to be employed generally to denote the denomination or the place of worship of any of the mainline Scottish churches other than Roman Catholics and Episcopalians. The kirk session is the lowest court in any Presbyterian Church, concerned with the oversight of a single congregation. In the case of the Church of Scotland, the kirk session's interest technically extends to the whole parochial area.