In 1909, the General Assemblies of the Church of Scotland and the United Free Church took the first official steps towards reunion. A conference of 210 representatives of the two Churches took place on 9 November 1909. On St Andrew's Day, exactly three weeks after the first meeting of representatives to explore the issues involved in reunion, another conference between the two Churches took place to review their social work. By then, there had already been cooperation between the Churches in the field of social work, for example in response to the welfare needs of those in Glasgow affected by the downturn in trade that year. The Conference showed some concern that there might be a duplication of work, and so it was decided that the Church of Scotland should continue to put its emphasis on practical social work, while the United Free Church should continue the interest it had already expressed in social theology and criticism. The ensuing debate about social theology in the United Free Church was conducted within diverging views about the Kingdom of God.