Sandemanian, member of a Christian sect founded in about 1730 in Scotland by John Glas (1695–1773), a Presbyterian minister in the Church of Scotland. Glas concluded that there was no support in the New Testament for a national church because the kingdom of Christ is essentially spiritual. He also believed that the Christian church could not be built or upheld by political and secular weapons but only by the word and spirit of Christ. Deposed for his beliefs from the Church of Scotland in 1730, Glas established his own church, first in Dundee, Scot., and then in Perth. Robert Sandeman, Glas’s son-in-law, came to be the recognized leader of the sect, whose members were called Sandemanians in England and America.
The Sandemanian churches attempted to conform to primitive Christianity as understood by them. Each congregation had several elders, pastors, or bishops, who were chosen according to St. Paul’s instructions, as interpreted by the Sandemanians, without regard to education or occupation. The Lord’s Supper (communion) was observed weekly, and each Sunday noon a feast was held that was attended by every member. Foot washing was also practiced. They believed that the accumulation of wealth was unscriptural and improper.
Several churches were founded in Scotland, England, and America, but the sect gradually declined. Some scholars believe that Thomas and Alexander Campbell, the founders of the Disciples of Christ (Christians), were influenced by the Sandemanians.