▁the ▁free ▁churches . ▁From ▁ 1 8 7 9 ▁they ▁were ▁joined ▁by ▁the ▁evangel ical ▁rev ival ism ▁of ▁the ▁Salv ation ▁Army , ▁which ▁attempted ▁to ▁make ▁major ▁in ro ads ▁in ▁the ▁growing ▁urban ▁cent res . ▁▁ 2 0 th ▁and ▁ 2 1 st ▁centuries ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁existing ▁Christian ▁denomin ations ▁were ▁joined ▁by ▁other ▁organis ations , ▁including ▁the ▁Bre th ren ▁and ▁Pent ec ost al ▁churches . ▁Although ▁some ▁denomin ations ▁th riv ed , ▁after ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁steady ▁overall ▁decl ine ▁in ▁church ▁attend ance ▁and ▁resulting ▁church ▁clos ures ▁for ▁most ▁denomin ations . ▁Tal ks ▁began ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s ▁aim ing ▁at ▁a ▁grand ▁mer ger ▁of ▁the ▁main ▁Pres by ter ian , ▁Epis cop al ▁and ▁Method ist ▁bodies ▁in ▁Scotland . ▁The ▁tal ks ▁were ▁ended ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁when ▁the ▁General ▁Assembly ▁of ▁the ▁Church ▁of ▁Scotland ▁rejected ▁the ▁propos als . ▁The ▁religious ▁situation ▁was ▁also ▁alter ed ▁by ▁imm igration , ▁resulting ▁in ▁the ▁growth ▁of ▁non - Christ ian ▁relig ions . ▁In ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁census ▁ 4 2 . 4 ▁per ▁cent ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁identified ▁with ▁the ▁Church ▁of ▁Scotland , ▁ 1 5 . 9 ▁per ▁cent ▁with ▁Catholic ism ▁and ▁ 6 . 8 ▁with ▁other ▁forms ▁of ▁Christian ity , ▁making ▁up ▁roughly ▁ 6 5