Olivia Stokes-Roberts (main picture) has “a special empathy” for the significant numbers of home-educated and neuro-diverse children attending Junior Church and Pilots at Hornsea United Reformed Church, says Elder and youth leader Margaret Knapton. “Olivia is able to engage the children lovingly in activities and support them through situations they find challenging – a gift we as children’s workers have very much appreciate.”

Olivia is now a member of the Pilots leadership team, taking a full and active part in the planning and delivery of sessions. “We very much value her insights on the dynamics of the group, which help us to involve all the children in safe, age/interest appropriate activities.”

Like many other 2026 Lundie winners, Olivia also reads in church and is involved in the planning of worship. Similarly, James Cole, at The Bay URC in Birchington, Kent, has organised a Songs of Praise afternoon, and carol singing in local cafés as part of the church’s outreach and charity fundraising. Not only that, but he also plays the organ for Sunday services, funerals and weddings, and has supported the church treasurer with online banking and by setting up a card payment machine for the church.

Charity fundraising is important to many nominees for the Lundie Awards, which celebrate the good work an individual child or young person is doing for their church and community. Rosie Stone put on her pyjamas to inspire the fundraising efforts at Stag Community Church for one of their chosen charities – One by One. Impressed by the charity’s work with children and families internationally, Rosie proposed a 10km walk around Rother Valley Country Park in South Yorkshire – in pyjamas. She not only gave “wonderful messages in church asking the community to support the walkers”, but she herself raised £150, and encouraged friends and grown-ups to also participate, said Children’s and Families Worker Lu Hunt.

And at West Bromwich Albion football ground, Alice Coleyshaw joined her family with whatever they could take to keep warm, and slept in the stands to raise funds for work with homeless people. “Actually, it was not that bad, though I would not like to do it every night like the homeless. For dinner I had a lovely steak pie that was delicious, but it is sad to know that the homeless don’t get anything.”

Endorsing Alice’s nomination, Sharon Lloyd, the URC’s Programme Officer for Children’s, Youth and Intergenerational Work, said: “How fantastic to have a heart for the homeless at such a young age. A worthy recipient.”

The Lundie Memorial Awards scheme was established in 2020. Award winners receive a medal and certificate, and get to choose how to spend £100 for the benefit of children or young people in their church, synod or local community. Over thirty awards are still available under the scheme. To find out more and to nominate a young person you know, go to bit.ly/URCLundie.

Pictured: (main) Olivia Stokes-Roberts; (middle) Alice Coleyshaw and James Cole; (bottom) Rosie Stone

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The day began with worship and the morning’s Bible Study.

Bible Study

The Moderator’s Chaplain, the Revd Jane Wade, led General Assembly in a Bible Study on Barnabas, whose name was a nickname meaning ‘Son of Encouragement’. Jane looked at how he developed the potential of Paul, noting that some of the people who have had most impact on our Christian lives are not the most talented or most recognised, but those who saw our potential and encouraged it.

Barnabas’s encouragement, said Jane, was not about��optimism or positive thinking, but flowed from the Holy Spirit. His leadership was not about��seeking followers but making leaders.

Barnabas also saw potential in Mark.��When Paul and Barnabas disagreed about forgiving his lapse, Barnabas recognised Mark’s potential to overcome failure

Where Paul is remembered for what he accomplished personally, Barnabas is remembered more for the potential he nurtured in others. We are not all called to be Paul, some of us are called to be Barnabas.

Jane closed by asking, ‘What nickname would people give you? What would you hope it might be?’

Paper J2 – Worship, Faith and Order – Celebration of Creationtide

Presenting Paper J2, the Revd Dr Robert Pope, Convenor of the Faith and Order Committee, encouraged the URC to officially observe the Feast of Creation in Christ, also known as Creationtide or the Season of Creation. He said celebrating God as Creator is central to the Christian faith and noted that churches across the global ecumenical movement have been encouraged to include the feast in their liturgical calendars. While recognising that the URC does not have a formal liturgical calendar, he said observing the feast would both celebrate God’s creation and help churches respond to the ecological crisis facing the world. The paper also proposed curating worship resources to help congregations mark the season.

During discussion, the Revd Dr Susan Durber (Mersey Synod) described the proposal as “a huge moment in the story of Christianity”, saying it reflected a growing recognition across the worldwide Church of the theological importance of creation care. She urged churches to celebrate the Feast of Creation as enthusiastically as Christmas and Easter.

Responding to questions about the need for new resources, Dr Pope said many URCs already mark Creationtide, but the proposal was about joining ecumenical partners around the world in formally celebrating the Feast of Creation. He said it was an opportunity for the denomination to affirm both God as Creator and its shared commitment to caring for creation. The Revd Andy Braunston, Secretary for Worship, Faith and Order Committee, explained that the Revised Common Lectionary was suggesting different readings and thereby a different focus for the first Sunday in September. Officially recognising the day, will keep a focus on Creationtide.

Resolutions 41 and 42 were carried.

Paper J3 – Worship, Faith and Order – “Nature, Faith and order” – third version

The Revd Dr Robert Pope invited Assembly to adopt (Resolution 43) a shorter, responsorial version of A Statement Concerning the Nature, Faith and Order, which he said was close to the original text.

He said this is the one set of words required to be used in services of ordination, induction and commission. He said it is a living document that helps us proclaim who we are – an expression of our identity.

Version 1 was the original version of the Statement; Version 2, a responsive version.

Alvin Mark, a Youth delegate from Northern Synod, questioned the rewording in the proposed Version 3, which removed the explicit reference to the death and resurrection of Christ. The General Secretary said that this Statement is essentially a statement of order and is distinct from other, more comprehensive statements of faith.

The Revd Dr Michael Hopkins stood to oppose the resolution, primarily because “it dilutes our common life” – he referred to Version 3 as a “pick and mix” version of the original (non-responsive) version. He asked, if the Resolution is passed, that it be referred to local church meetings as well as to synods for discussion.

The Revd Lythan Nevard, Moderator of Eastern Synod, felt that Version 2 helps us respond to the statement whereas Version 3 “makes us part of the statement”. She asked if the main aim had been to make our services shorter. She said we should make the most of the fuller versions that describe who we are and what we believe in language of “beauty and poetry”.

Jamie Laird, a Youth delegate, said that, should this resolution not be passed it would be reviewed in any case as part of the already agreed task of reviewing the gendered language of the Statement and its schedules.

Alvin Mark remained concerned about the loss of a specific reference to the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ which, he said, is one key statement that is agreed upon across all Christian traditions. Other speakers criticised the layout and flow of Version 3, one describing it as “clunky”.

The Revd John Bremner, National Synod of Scotland, said the use of the statement should be used for more than just at ordinations, inductions and commissions. He said it was valuable as a resource for elders’ training, group discussion, as an introduction to who we are, and ecumenically.

Dr Pope recognised the discomfort of many in Assembly and proposed the withdrawal of Resolution 43. This was agreed, but this allows for the review, mentioned by Jamie Laird, of the gendered language in the document.

General Assembly Moderator’s Address 2026

“The past year has been a year full of blessings,” said Catriona Wheeler, General Assembly Moderator 2025-2026, as she delivered her address.

Passing on a piece of advice given to her from a past Moderator, Val Morrison, Catriona encouraged incoming Moderator Neil Thorogood to “savour the year”.�� Catriona went on to say that the “friendliness of each welcome” had been the highlight of her year.

“No matter where I have been or what I was visiting I was greeted with wide smiles,” said Catriona. ��“Often also cake or other food at some point during my visits. I’m surprised I’ve not increased a dress size.”

Explaining how her term started off quietly, after writing to synods asking for invitations to visit churches and their activities, invitations soon flooded in. Over the course of the year Catriona has visited churches in all of the URC’s Synods, even attending her first Messy Church service in Blackburn in June. “It was a fun time with a good mixture of worship and friendship,” she said.

Catriona also found that churches found it important to celebrate their anniversaries, no matter whether marking the event annually or in a year with a significant zero at the end of it.

“What they have in common is celebrating the Lord’s work in that community through the people of the church.”

The Moderator added that it had been “wonderful” to see the ways in which local congregations often worked with other churches and other members of their communities who feel called to serve God. The dementia café run in Diss URC, Northallerton’s secret garden, cafés in places such as Bocking and Wilmslow, and Wooler URC’s new labyrinth were highlighted as key places of inspiration along her travels.

People also voiced their concerns.

“None of these will be new to anyone here,” explained Catriona. “The main worries that people raised were members growing older without as many of a younger generation following behind; how they are becoming part of larger groups sharing a minister and what this will mean in practice; and responsibilities for church buildings.

“For myself these discussions have been especially poignant. My own church, Trinity URC in Lincoln, after much prayerful consideration decided to close and held its final service in January this year. A good number of us have been welcomed into St Columba’s LEP in Lincoln, where I am learning new ways of being church, while others have chosen to go to churches in their home villages surrounding Lincoln.”

Catriona said that she recognised all too well the many factors churches are considering when looking at their future.

“I pray that the Church Life Fund will provide a meaningful practical support to churches who will then be able to devote their energy to other aspects of church life.”

Referring to the dynamism of URC Youth, Catriona said she had been struck over the years by the high level of engagement that the Youth representatives have in the business of Assembly. Praising them, Catriona said they were always so well prepared and confident; qualities which showed themselves at Youth Assembly — a weekend blend of fun, prayerful discussions and joyful worship.

The Moderator went on to highlight opportunities to represent the denomination at ecumenical, civic and international events, including the Church of Scotland General Assembly, the installation of the Archbishop of Canterbury, and worship with partner churches in Germany, describing them as valuable occasions to strengthen relationships and share the URC’s witness. She also praised the work of the Joint Public Issues Team (JPIT), whose advocacy enabled the URC to speak out on issues including child poverty, refugees, peace in the Middle East, and human rights. Concluding her reflections, Catriona said that while the URC may sometimes be anxious about its future, it remains “a Church full of people who are devoted to doing their utmost to serve God” by serving others.

The Moderator concluded her address with a blessing she has used at the end of a number of services:

Go out from here with a pocket full of free gifts to give to those you meet.
Give freely your love and concern as a token of the greater love of God.
Give feely your time and effort as a token of the sacrifice of Jesus.
Give freely your help and friendship as a token of the upholding of the Spirit.
And may all you give and you do cause others to seek the true gift of the god who blesses without end.

Amen.

Moderator Elect 2026-2027 Acceptance Speech

The Moderator-Elect of the United Reformed Church General Assembly, who will serve as Moderator from 2027-2028, is the Revd Dr Susan Durber.

In accepting the role after the election held at the 2026 meeting of the General Assembly, Dr Durber said that she accepted it with gratitude, and in all humility.

Susan thanked the South Western Synod for its nomination and the General Assembly for issuing “this call to serve our church and to continue ministry in this way.

“In our family when anyone goes to take an exam or do something daunting we say ‘JDYBL’ – ‘Just do your best love.’ I shall get a wristband made. … I do not underestimate either the size of the task or your generosity in calling me to it. Thank you.”

“It was Maundy Thursday when I received the letter from our General Secretary to tell me that I had been nominated to serve as Moderator of General Assembly – and that I was the only candidate. That weekend I then went to several services where we sang Isaac Watts’ lines – ‘Love so amazing so divine, Demands my soul my life my all’. I knew that I had to say ‘yes’.

“I will have a whole year to prepare for this role – and I shall keep on singing and praying.”

As Moderator-Elect, Susan will serve on a number of committees for the following year and, after her year in office, will serve on them for a year as Immediate Past-Moderator.

Address to the throne

Catriona Wheeler, General Assembly Moderator 2025-2026, delivered the Address to the Throne to Assembly, after which Assembly voted to approve the Address.�� It was then signed by the Moderator and Clerk and sent to the King.

For those of us new to General Assembly who may wonder, and even for those who have been before and still wonder, here’s a short explanation of why an ‘Address to the Thone’ features in our General Assembly business each year.

The Statement concerning the Nature, Faith and Order of the URC, which is said together in the General Assembly’s closing worship today, includes:

In things that affect obedience to God
the Church is not subordinate to the state,
but must serve the Lord Jesus Christ,
its only Ruler and Head.

Civil authorities are called
to serve God’s will of justice and peace for all humankind,
and to respect the rights of conscience and belief.

General Assembly’s Address, therefore, sets out some of the ways in which the URC seeks to serve God this year and in the years ahead, based on the decisions made at General Assembly. It also reminds King Charles, should he choose to read it, of our prayers for him in his role of serving God’s will of justice and peace for all.

The formal language peppering the Address might seem strange to our ears: perhaps outdated, fawning or grovelling towards the King. The content of the Address, however, points to a different kind of rule and reign. It points to a world where every human being is treated with equal worth and dignity, where all can flourish and our planet is renewed.

Each year, if approved by General Assembly, the Address is sent to the King’s Private Secretary, and we request that it is ‘laid before the King’. We can’t be sure if it ever reaches the eyes or ears of the Monarch, or if the King would even miss it if we didn’t send one, but we have hope that the nature, faith and order of the URC will be evident in its words for any and all who read it.

After the Address is read out, General Assembly will be invited to vote to approve it. If approved, the Moderator and Clerk of General Assembly will sign it on behalf of the denomination, and it will be laid before the King.

The Address reads as follows:

To the King’s Most Excellent Majesty,

The General Assembly of the United Reformed Church, meeting in Derbyshire, sends loyal greetings to Your Majesty. Grace, mercy and peace from God the Creator and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Witnessing Your Majesty’s visit to the Vatican in October 2025 to pray publicly with Pope Leo XIV was an encouraging sign of improving relations within the Christian Church. The URC has ecumenism rooted at the very heart of its existence. As discord and enmity continue to blight our world, we welcome Your Majesty’s commitment to build bridges between faiths and cultures.

At a time when division can seem loud, we have celebrated the everyday acts of kindness, care and connection found in places of worship and community hubs across the UK. While we have seen Christian symbols misused at protests to try to legitimise superiority over people of other cultures, the ‘Million Acts of Hope’ campaign in May reminded us that strong, healthy, caring communities are the backbone of British society.

Your Majesty’s words in April to the United States Congress, that our nations exist ‘not just for the benefit of our peoples, but of all peoples’, remind us to work actively for peace beyond our own shores. Alongside prayer, emergency appeals and statements of concern, we realise that more costly advocacy is necessary when seeking to tend to the needs of others and transform unjust structures, including working for a just peace for all who call the Holy Land their home.

We have begun to demonstrate our determination to address the legacies of historic transatlantic slavery, with plans forming for a programme of support for the mentoring of young black men in the UK. This is alongside a commitment to partner with the United Church in Jamaica, as they seek to address the issue of landlessness and generational poverty, and work to support recovery efforts in the wake of the devasting Hurricane Melissa in October 2025.

Sharing Your Majesty’s passion for nature, we rejoice that almost half of our congregations have registered as Eco Churches, well above the national average. This treasuring of God’s creation has increased our awareness of our impact upon the planet in all its beautiful diversity, prompting us to take stronger action to reduce our carbon footprint as good global neighbours.

Young people are not only our future, but a vital part of today’s society and of our Church. At this General Assembly, they have prompted us to encourage local congregations to help prison leavers safely join faith communities. Our young people have led us to declare together our deep pastoral concern for those affected by the erosion of trans rights in the UK. We have also invited our congregations to show clearly if they offer a safe space for trans people.

As we teach faith, hope and love together, in and through established and new communities of discipleship and worship, our renewed hope is to tell the good news of Jesus to a rapidly changing world through our words and actions. We are living in increasingly uncertain times. Our resilience and compassion as a nation and as people of God is being tested. There has never been a more important time to ‘be ready to give a reason for the hope that is within us, and to do it with gentleness and respect’ (1 Peter 3:15).

Closing worship, including the induction of the Revd Neil Thorogood as Moderator

A special Assembly choir sang the hymn “I love the Lord who heard my cry”

Inauguration of Moderator

The Revd Neil Thorogood was inducted as Moderator of Assembly. His chaplain, the Revd Samantha Sheehan led worship.

The Revd Dr Doug Gay, Minister in the Church of Scotland and Senior Lecturer in Practical Theology at Glasgow University, preached on the resurrection appearance and catch of fish in John 21.

Doug likened the disciples’ night without a catch to the present moment in the life of the Church, and talked about a conversation he had had with a retiring Minister who felt like a failure. “There is a time to weep,” Doug said.

But in the Gospel story, Jesus showed himself. He told the disciples to cast their nets on the other side of the boat.

If someone tells us to cast our nets again, Doug said, we might get snappy: “Do you know how many things we’ve tried in this neighbourhood? We are all boat and no fish.”

Doug said to the URC, “If you are harbouring a sense of failure and loss of hope, today you’ve caught this story in your nets.” Jesus shows himself and calls us to do something new.

Doug cited the philosopher Charles Taylor saying that when as the public power of Christianity weakens, there comes a time when those who critiqued the old faith, they have to start telling their own stories and hosting their own rituals, and if young people find these secular improvisations too thin, they may look again at the faith their parents left. “Maybe that’s the moment the shoal moves.”

If we think we have already tried everything, we may find we haven’t been as good at change as we think. We may find the fish don’t stay in one place. We may find we need Jesus to show himself.

Doug pointed out those who serve in churches that the story contains a call from Jesus to feed his sheep, but before that he feeds us himself.

Doug concluded with three prayers from the Gospel passage, for the URC and for Neil: “Jesus lead us into change”, “Jesus feed us so we can feed others” and, above all, “Show yourself Jesus. Show yourself to us again.”

Neil signed the Bible of the General Assembly and was welcomed by the Assembly with warm applause. ��

“A Merriment of Moderators”

Reporting team: Andy Jackson, Ann-Marie Nye, Steve Tomkins and Laurence Wareing. Photos and videos: Kevin Snyman and the team.

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Bible Study

Today’s Bible study was led by the Revd Dr Peter Green, Dean of Chapel at Lincoln Bishop University. He looked at the story of Melchizedek in Genesis and Hebrews, where Abraham meets Melchizedek, the priest-king of what will be Jerusalem, and is given bread and wine.

Dr Green asked, Who are we, the ordinary people, in this story? His answer was: We are in the loins of Abraham, as his descendants by faith. And what are we to do? If we ordinary people have faith we will do extraordinarily good things. Faith is an action.

“In my tradition,” he said, “all baptised people are members of the common priesthood; we all stand between each other and God. We can bring each other into the presence of God –��or we can stand in their way.”

Session three

Paper A3 – Resource Centres of Learning – Education for Ministry Phase 1 (EM1) Review [presentations session]

Proposals were brought to Assembly about the future of the Resource Centres for Learning (RCLs, formerly known as “colleges”) in relation to Education for Ministry Phase 1 (EM1). EM1 refers to the training undertaken by those wishing to enter ordained ministry (of Word and Sacraments or as Church-Related Community Workers). Currently URC students train at one of three RCLs: Westminster College, Cambridge; Luther King Theological College, Manchester; Scottish United Reformed and Congregational College, based in Glasgow.

Assembly 2025 determined that the number of RCLs should be reduced by at least one. Subsequently, a review has been undertaken, leading to the proposals presented to this Assembly. At the heart of Resolution 2 were the proposals that:

• Luther King Theological College (LKTC) becomes the primary RCL for the United Reformed Church, and provider of EM1 training
• Scottish College becomes the complementary RCL for the United Reformed Church, and provider of EM1 training
• Westminster College to ceases as a partner for EM1training

The review addressed declining student numbers, over-capacity in training provision, and financial sustainability in EM1. The review panel agreed with the conclusion of General Assembly 2025 that it is unsustainable to maintain three institutions and that the Church must therefore “concentrate resources to ensure long-term viability; move to a model of sustained partnership with one primary and one secondary institution; and enable the partner institutions to flourish, not merely survive”.

The Revd John Bradbury, General Secretary, spoke on behalf of the Business Committee and the review panel.

He spoke about the importance of theological education in the Free Church and United Reformed traditions, including within the Sunday School tradition. He acknowledged the difficulty of the task in hand but pointed to the difference in numbers of candidates coming forward for training. He compared the figures for 2026 with those in 2006 (the last time the structure of RCLs was reviewed): 13 stipendiary candidates across the three RCLs in 2026 compared with 51 in 2006; and 42 non-stipendiary candidates in 2026 compared with 92 in 2006.

The option to purchase theological education from other providers had been rejected.

There is a desire for students engaged in EM1 to undertake their training with those who are training for other of forms of ministry – LKTC is already particularly well-placed to offer that type of integrated experience. And where LKTC is an example of integrated training derived from individual student pathways, the Scottish College delivers an integrated approach through its programmes, which are themselves rooted in other theological institutions within the Scottish university system. This, the panel observed, allows the Scottish College considerable flexibility.

Dr Bradbury spoke of the angst in making the decision to end the URC’s EM1 partnership with Westminster College, and the pain involved for all concerned.

Mr Alan Yates, the URC’s Treasurer, spoke to the financial analysis within the report. Financial sustainability was only one of ten criteria in the process, he said; nor was a forensic financial investigation undertaken. Financial modelling was based on estimates made through until 2032, by which time LKTC will have undertaken a multi-million refurbishment programme, and the review’s proposals will have been fully implemented.

Mr Yates noted that the average of eight new students estimated per year, assumed in the report and used for the purposes of planning over the coming years, is higher than statistically-generated numbers, and higher than in 2027.

He confirmed that the URC cannot afford to support three RCLs from the Mission and Ministry budget, which is in any case under pressure. With two RCLs, there is a chance of providing the support needed. However, he warned that if student numbers continue on the current downward trajectory, this may not be the last time the URC will need to re-visit its partnership with the RCLs.

Finally, Mr Yates addressed Westminster College’s disagreements with the panel’s financial conclusions. He noted that there was a view that, though Westminster’s financial status might be similar to LKTC’s in 2032, LKTC has considerably more reserves.

The Revd Dr Peter McEnhill, Principal of Westminster College, addressed Assembly on behalf of its governors. He said Westminster’s concerns with report’s conclusions fell into two parts. He said he didn’t believe that where courses are located at present is a good way of assessing what can be provided in the future. He also spoke about the deep and rich collaborations with other ecumenical institutions in Cambridge that are at least comparable with those in place at LKTC. He said that the panel’s conclusions regarding Westminster’s annual £300,000 debt for capital expenditure and the view about grants being obtained in the future were unduly pessimistic. He said that “switching off” EM1 would have complex consequences, including unravelling the relationship with the URC, which he said “owns” the college. Additionally, he asked how the college’s charitable commitments would be sustained in the future. The URC has a commitment of stewardship towards Westminster College, he argued.

The Revd Dr Adam Scott, URC Principle at LKTC, expressed gratitude for the openness of the panel’s approach, acknowledging difficult issues had to be addressed. He said LKTC (formerly Northern College) was in a very different place from a few years ago. He welcomed the confidence expressed in LKTC and Scottish College, which allows for existing collaboration to be extended; but he expressed concern for colleagues at Westminster.

The Revd Dr John McNeil Scott spoke on behalf of the Scottish College. He said collaboration with other RCLs over the period he has been Principal has been transformed (and the contribution of Westminster to it has been substantial and generous). There are structural outcomes that he would have preferred – but he acknowledged that some serious crunch in finance and student numbers was inevitable. He questioned the designation “complementary RCL”, which he said both allays concerns but raises others for the future. But he said the college is confident in what it delivers and in the partnership with the URC first established in 2000; and he committed the college to working positively with LKTC and the Ministries Committee.

Responding to the principals, Dr Bradbury felt the ecumenical balance at Westminster is more weighted towards the Church of England; he said that at LKTC the balance is more evenly distributed between denominations. He said that a lot would require to be developed at Westminster if it were to continue delivery EM1; for example, weekend pathways that serve lay preachers and other forms of ministry. He addressed complex issues of charity purposes and acknowledged these would need unravelling.

Assembly broke at this point and will return for questions and debate on this report on Sunday.

Session four

Community Project Awards 2026

Four local church initiatives were named as winners of the 2026 Community Project Awards, sponsored by the insurance company Congregational, receiving prizes of £2,000 each:

• Children’s and Youth Project at Stag Community Church, Rotherham, a longstanding young people’s work that has become a renewed focus for the church;
• Time 4 Everyone at The Mead Centre at Newport Pagnell URC, Buckinghamshire, a safe space for coffee, craft and food, welcoming people on the margins;
• Songs and Stories from St Andrews URC in Monkseaton, Tyneside, a parents and children’s group providing coffee and cake, and activities based on Bible stories;
• Pop-In project at Broadstone URC, Dorset, a monthly group offering children’s activities and worship.

Additionally, two projects were highly commended, receiving prizes of £1,000 each:

• Welcome Space at Old Meeting Place URC, in Bedworth, Warwickshire, a weekly event for people whose needs include loneliness or a warm place to chat;
• St Arbucks community café from Trinity Church in Market Lavington, Wiltshire, a high street café that serves the community and makes the church visible.��

Full reports on all six projects will be published in Reformed over the coming year.

Session five

Presentation of candidates for General Assembly Moderator for 2027-2028, and vote

The Revd Dr Susan Durber was the sole nominee for the role of Moderator of General Assembly, 2027-28. She was nominated by the URC’s South Western Synod.

Susan was invited to address General Assembly. She spoke about her life in Pembrokeshire, Wales (including her “rather good” Welsh cakes!), and about “the other part” of her life, which is defined by her life with the World Council of Churches (WCC). Her faith, as a result of her work and relationships in the WCC across many years, has deepened and broadened, she said.

Susan said she regards the URC as the “order” to which she belongs – her home within the world communion of Churches – but that she has a “desire and inclination to bring people together across all divides”. She would bring to the role of Moderator her “relentless ponderings about how things are in our Church and world”. She said that though it’s a tough time for the Church and the world, “we need not fear being honest about our griefs and losses. Only then may we be honest about what we can do in the world.” She concluded: “I have no need of another role, but if you ask me to do this, I will do it with all the joy and grace I can find. I am at your service, for the sake of Jesus Christ.”

(Photo credit: World Council of Churches)

In response to a question from the Moderator about how the Church might bring joy to a world that gives us so much cause for concern, Susan suggested that it can bring joy because our confidence is in God. She recalled Lesslie Newbigin being asked whether he was an optimist or a pessimist, and replying: “I believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” Susan herself had recently talked to a group of students at her daughter’s school and one lad had said at the end: “I never realised before that being religious could make you happy.” Susan said she was glad to have conveyed some of that joy – which, she added, can be transformative. “Joy is something that erupts unbidden,” she said, “but it can also be chosen.”

Susan has served pastorates in Manchester, Salford, Oxford, Cumnor and Taunton.�� She was Principal of Westminster College, Cambridge, and played a leadership role within the Cambridge Theological Federation (2007–2013). She served as Theological Advisor at Christian Aid, engaging deeply with issues of global justice, poverty, the environment and development. From 1993 onwards, Susan has played an active part in the World Council of Churches, becoming Moderator of the Faith and Order Commission in 2014; and in 2022, she was elected WCC President from Europe. She is known as a writer and liturgist, including for many publications within the URC.

Following a vote, the Revd Dr Susan Durber was elected as Moderator for 2027-28.

Paper C2 – Sustainability of Stipendiary Ministry in the United Reformed Church

Presented by Mary Thomas, Convenor of Ministries Committee, Paper C2 warns that the sustainability of stipendiary ministry is now at a critical theological and strategic issue. Mary asked the Church to begin a conversation, and posed the question: What does a faithful pattern of ministry in the years ahead look like?

Mary explained that, at heart, the question was a theological question and not one focused on the number of ministers the denomination has. The convenor explained that there are currently around 241 deployable Ministers of Word and Sacraments serving around 1,200 churches, and that these churches are increasingly carried by ministers with multiple pastorates, retired ministers, lay people, and by those going over and above what is sustainable in the long-term.

The paper asks, added Mary, whether ministry needed to be thought about differently, not because stipendiary ministry was less important but because it is so central to the life of the Church, and whether its ecology could be brought together with others – such as CRCWs, Assembly Accredited Lay Preachers, Lay Pioneers, Elders for example – together forming one interconnected pattern of vocation, formation and service.

Assembly was asked to wrestle with three questions:

1. What are we actually trying to sustain? Are we simply trying to preserve numbers, or are we seeking to sustain a faithful pattern of ministry?
2. What level of stipendiary ministry is the Church willing and able to sustain over the coming decade?
3. What would a faithful and sustainable ecology of ministry look like by 2035, and what do we need to begin doing now to move towards it?

Assembly then discussed the three questions and fed back to the convenor.

During the discussion phase, Assembly members welcomed the report and reflected on the future of ministry, leadership and vocation across the United Reformed Church.

The Revd Anne Sardeson, Eastern Synod, said the paper encouraged honest conversations and offered hope to churches that may feel weary or uncertain about the future. The Revd George Watt, Moderator of Thames North Synod, urged the Church to think “outside the box”, suggesting that traditional approaches to ministry may be limiting opportunities for new forms of leadership. The Revd Helen Everard, Wessex Synod, called for greater recognition of the role of elders and lay leadership, while the Revd Dr Michael Hopkins, Moderator of Wessex Synod, encouraged the Church to renew its focus on encouraging vocations and to consider a broader understanding of local church leadership, rather than assuming every congregation requires the same model of ministry.

Responding to the discussion, the Revd Nicola Furley-Smith, Deputy General Secretary (Ministries) said responsibility for nurturing vocation belongs to the whole Church, not solely those overseeing ministries, and indicated that further work on vocation and calling is already underway. The Revd Jenny Mills, Deputy General Secretary (Faith in Action) highlighted existing resources, including conversation starters on vocation, which are available through the , alongside new training modules and work to develop elders’ training.

Referring to the 50th anniversary of her ordination, the Revd Dr Elizabeth Welch, former General Assembly Moderator 2001-02, questioned whether the Church places enough emphasis on what the URC stands for today, and what the denomination offers, either in contrast to or alongside other Christian traditions. Elizabeth asked how the Church can dig enough into that vision to encourage the Church to grow to inspire new generations, or is it coming to an end? Louise Sanders, Northern Synod, encouraged a more holistic approach to discernment for ministry, arguing that academic qualifications alone should not determine someone’s calling.

Drawing on the experience of the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, Janet McConill, Deputy General Secretary and CWM Mission Secretary, described how her denomination is exploring team ministry as a response to similar challenges around sustainability. She suggested that ministers of the future would need greater skills in leading and developing teams of ordained and lay people, requiring changes to theological education and congregational understanding of shared ministry.

Following further comments, Mary acknowledged that the Church is already grappling with many of these issues, including how ministers are prepared for increasingly collaborative forms of leadership. While recognising the challenges ahead, she expressed confidence that the URC has a distinctive contribution to make and reaffirmed the denomination’s commitment to equipping those called to ministry through appropriate training and support.

Paper C3 – A Three-Year Review and Strategic Framework for Ministry [2026-2029]

General Assembly instigated a review of learning and formation across all accredited ministries in the United Reformed Church, to bring proposals to the 2029 Assembly.

Bringing this resolution to General Assembly, the Ministries Committee argued that ministerial formation should be understood as a single interconnected ecology rather than a series of separate pathways. Different roles in Church life are part of one shared system of discernment and learning.

The committee is inviting the Church to consider the theological purpose of accredited ministry, the nature of different ministries within a shared ecology, standards required for trusted ministry and pathways for lifelong learning.

Introducing the resolution to Assembly, Mary Thomas, Convenor of the Ministries Committee said that it was an opportunity to consider carefully, prayerfully and strategically how Church supports those in whom it discerns a call.

Points that arose during debate included the need to listen to the world Church on this subject as well as ecumenical partners, and the need to consider what it means to minister specifically in a Reformed Church.

The resolution was carried.

Paper D1 – Resources Committee

The General Assembly noted the Annual Report and audited accounts for 2025. These can be read on the General Assembly papers page on the URC website.

Paper D2 – Investment Committee becoming a Sub-committee of Resources Committee

The General Assembly passed three resolutions that were a “simple piece of governance housekeeping with the demise of the Pensions Trust following the [pensions] buyout,” explained Michael Hopkins, Convenor of the Resources Committee.

The paper proposed a significant change to how the URC oversees its investments by replacing the current Investment Committee with a new, smaller, governance structure that separates strategic oversight from day-to-day investment management.

The resolutions:

• replaced the existing Investment Committee with a more focused committee responsible for investment governance rather than detailed portfolio management;
• clarified the committee’s role so that it concentrates on setting investment strategy, overseeing and reviewing the work of the Church’s professional investment managers, monitoring investment performance, ensuring investments align with the URC’s ethical investment policies and overall objectives;
• delegated routine investment decisions to the professional fund managers, allowing the committee to focus on long-term stewardship and accountability rather than individual investment choices;
• strengthened reporting and accountability to the Resources Committee and Assembly Executive, providing clearer oversight of investment performance and risk;
• retained ethical oversight, ensuring the Church continues to invest in ways consistent with its values while making use of professional expertise.

The report said that the changes reflect modern charity governance, where trustees set strategy and monitor performance while specialist investment managers make day-to-day investment decisions. This should make the Church’s investment governance more efficient, transparent and resilient.

Paper P3 – The URC’s treatment of ministers arrested for theologically motivated peaceful civil disobedience

Thames North Synod brought a resolution to General Assembly asking for an urgent review of disciplinary procedures in cases of theologically motivated peaceful civil disobedience.�� The proposed resolution said that that such action by ministers is in line with the dissenting tradition of the URC but noted that, as things stand, disciplinary action could be taken against ministers who are arrested for following their conscience in peaceful protests against unfair legislation.

The resolution was ruled out of order by the Moderator as contravening the Basis of Union, which says it is up to the Church to determine when the rights of personal conviction are asserted to the injury of unity and peace.

The Revd Dr John Bradbury, as Convenor of the Complaints and Discipline Advisory Group, explained to Assembly that there was no disagreement about the place of dissent and peaceful protest in our tradition, but it is for the Church to test this. We must require ministers to report any arrest to the Church, and a disciplinary panel�� must then make evidence-based decisions. Any circumvention of this process could cause serious problems. No disciplinary sanction is automatically imposed by the Church, even in case of conviction and imprisonment, and a minister would��not necessarily get a disciplinary record.

Dr Bradbury noted that Christian ministers in Minnesota had been arrested resisting ICE. We are not in the same political condition as the USA, he said, but it could come to that. With that in mind, he assured Assembly that these matters are live and under consideration.

Session six

B7 – Legacies of Slavery: Affirming the Will and Finding the Way(s) (cont’d)

Following on from yesterday’s presentations and discussions, Sarah Lane Cawte, Convenor of the Faith in Action Committee, introduced the resolutions in Paper B7, which proposed the next stage of the URC’s commitment to reparative justice, as offered by the Legacies of Slavery Task Group.

She said the resolutions build on previous General Assembly decisions by moving from acknowledgement and apology to practical action, setting out a framework centred on anti-racism, support for communities affected by the legacies of slavery, and long-term partnerships. The paper also establishes funding priorities, governance and accountability arrangements to ensure the work is effective and sustainable. Sarah encouraged members to read previous Assembly papers to understand the journey so far and welcomed the thoughtful engagement and questions raised during yesterday’s discussions. She said the resolutions would help turn the URC’s commitment to reparative justice into “meaningful action and responsible stewardship”.

Karen Campbell, Head of Global and Intercultural and Church, shared a poem called “Black”.

Sarah explained that Resolution 12 proposes that General Assembly adopts the three strand programme – Global, Regional and Local – outlined in the programme. She reminded members that the paper was not introducing new initiatives but was about the continuation of the commitments it had already made in 2022, which began with the confession and apology, and the subsequent decisions made in 2023 and 2024. The convenor explained that the paper, as a whole, builds upon the URC’s commitments and moves the denomination from apology to action. It also builds on partnerships and expertise that has already developed.

During the discussion phase, Alan Yates, URC Treasurer, voiced his strong support for the Church’s reparative justice work, recalling that he had been involved since its early stages during his time as Moderator of General Assembly in 2017. He welcomed the proposal to establish three new villages in Jamaica but asked whether the project could begin before the full estimated £5 million cost of a village had been secured. Responding, Karen Campbell confirmed that construction could start once sufficient funding was in place to begin meaningful work, with further fundraising continuing alongside the project. She also said discussions were already taking place with other denominations about supporting the initiative, expressing hope that the URC’s commitment would encourage wider ecumenical involvement. Resolution 12 was carried.

Moving to Resolution 13, Sarah proposed that the funding model would allocate up to 30% of the reparative justice fund to UK work and at least 60% to global initiatives, including the Free Villages project in Jamaica. She said the model balances investment between local and international priorities while providing a clear and flexible framework for delivering the Church’s reparative justice commitments. Resolution 13 carried.

With regard to Resolution 14, Sarah said the proposal recognises that reparative justice is built through long-term relationships rather than one-off funding. She said the Task Group has already established trusted partnerships in Jamaica and the UK, and that the resolution would provide the flexibility needed to develop those relationships and respond to future opportunities. Resolution 14 was carried.

The wording of Resolution 15 was amended to say: “General Assembly delegates the authority to determine a specific funding allocation for each project to the Faith in Action and Business committees, to be advised by the Legacies of Slavery Task Group, bringing dates to General Assemblies via the usual reporting processes”. ��This too was carried; as was Resolution 16, which requires the Task Group to work with senior leadership, legal advisors and other relevant bodies to ensure appropriate governance, safeguarding and financial oversight. The Task Group then received a round of applause.

K1 – Gendered language in the Basis of Union

The Basis of Union and its schedules are foundational documents for the United Reformed Church, setting out the Church’s understanding of its own identity, mission and purpose.

In Resolution 46, URC Youth Assembly asked that the gendered language in the Basis of Union and its schedules, reflective of the times at which the document was written, be reviewed, with the aim of exploring potentially more inclusive language. It has been noted that some of the language used in the Basis of Union documents is heavily gendered.

The Youth Moderator, Kacie Hodgson, said the language as it stands doesn’t reflect the URC’s commitment to the ministry and roles of women in the denomination; nor does it acknowledge the existence of ministers who identify as non-binary and gender nonconforming, who are already working in the URC. At the same time, Kacie stressed the importance of respecting the broad range of theologies held across the denomination, and said that no changes to doctrine or structure were being suggested.

She said URC Youth Assembly feels that it is important to recognise that there is room for improvement; and that if in fact no such appropriate language exists at the moment, “then at least we have taken the first steps and begun a discussion”.

One youth member of the Assembly asked whether a timescale could be attached to the resolution. The General Secretary said that requiring a report to come to Assembly 2028 would be achievable.

One Assembly member commended Youth Assembly for bringing the resolution. She said language matters, but that it’s also evolving and expansive. In response, Kacie agreed, saying the Basis of Union is a living document – “it’s never meant to be set in stone”.

The resolution was carried by a majority.

K2 – Place of URC Youth

The General Assembly instructed the Business Committee to establish a task group to explore the identity, purpose and future development of URC Youth. It instructed the task group to report to Youth Assembly in 2027 and to bring final recommendations to Youth Assembly 2028, which, if adopted, would form the basis of recommendations to be brought to General Assembly in two years’ time.

Following the Church’s structural review and recent governance changes, URC Youth Moderator Kacie Hodgson said that the Church must reconsider the identity, purpose and role of URC Youth in light of changing patterns of church life and the experiences of young people today.

The paper identified several key challenges:

• inconsistency across the denomination in the opportunities and support available to young people;
• national youth structures feeling distant and inaccessible to local churches;
• too much focus on events rather than sustained relationships, discipleship and ongoing engagement;
• young people’s increasing geographical mobility making traditional models of church membership more difficult;
• young people wanting their voices to be integrated into the wider decision-making of the General Assembly, rather than separate structures.

The work will be closely coordinated with the Children and Youth Development Officers.

The proposed 12-person task group would consist of young people with lived experience, alongside representatives with governance and institutional knowledge. Members would be appointed through the Nominations Committee.

The proposed timetable includes scoping and planning by the end of the year, research and consultation across the denomination, particularly with young people, in 2027, and presentation of recommendations to General Assembly for approval and implementation in 2028.

Kacie concluded by saying that the proposals were not about managing decline or making minor organisational adjustments, but about discerning God’s calling for youth ministry in the URC and creating a clear, sustainable vision for the future.

Billy Logan, East Midlands Synod, explained he was not a member of the URC by choice because the current membership model doesn’t work for him and for others. He commended the paper. Reuben Watt, West Midlands, is a member of a local URC but feels more at home at Youth Assembly and Greenbelt. The transition from URC Youth to the wider URC should be looked at to stop people losing their connection to the URC.

Nicola Furley-Smith asked if Ministries could be part of the task group (which Kacie explained was an omission in the writing of the paper).

Tom Osborne, Methodist representative, shared the impact of 3Generate, which meets at the National Exhibition Centre for a weekend in October with 1,800 young people and helpers. He encouraged discussions with ecumenical partners.

It was also noted that while more than 25,000 under-26s are associated with the life of the URC, only a small proportion engage with Youth Assembly, suggesting there is significant untapped potential.

Resolutions 47, 48 and 49 were carried.

K3 – Involvement with the Welcome Directory

Presented by Maya Withal, a member of URC Youth and based within the National Synod of Scotland, Paper K3 encourages local churches to engage with the Welcome Directory, a charity active in every prison across England and Wales, which lists faith and belief communities willing and able to welcome and support people leaving prison.

Maya, a former URC Youth Moderator, supported by Jay Tynan of North Western Synod, explained that the heart of the paper is to raise awareness of Welcome Churches’ work. Maya explained that the paper did not seek to mandate that churches get involved with the charity, but encourages those who feel equipped, resourced and called to do so.

Maya further explained that joining the directory would not bypass the URC’s safeguarding policies and procedures but work with them, and also that the charity provided free training on welcoming prison leavers.

Following a short debate around safeguarding in practice in local churches, on who determines the risk of prison leavers (the prison or probation service), who makes the decision on whether to join the directory (Elders/local church meeting), a change to the amendment to read:

• General Assembly encourages local churches to work with the Welcome Directory, to help prison leavers with joining faith communities, in line with guidance in the URC’s safeguarding Good Practice document, and after agreement from the Synod Safeguarding Officer and Synod Pastoral Committee or equivalent.

Maya further explained that the charity provides a range of support and free resources. Resolution 50 and 51 then carried.

P2 – Keeping Trans people safe (Wessex Synod)

General Assembly passed resolutions inviting those local churches who want to do so to offer clear voluntary affirmation of the dignity of transgender people and signposting of their commitment to their pastoral care.

The 2023 Assembly agreed a statement along these lines and churches who support it are invited to publicly affirm it. St Columba’s URC, Oxford, has started to do this on their church website. Churches making similar affirmations can indicate their support as part of the Annual Return for publication on the URC’s online “Find a church” tool.

Wessex Synod said it did not seek to reopen the debate behind the 2023 General Assembly statement on transgender, or to persuade any local church to adopt a particular view. Rather it invites those churches which wish to do so to make clear their support for the 2023 statement.

Chrissie Chevasutt, Outreach and Development Worker with the Transgender, Intersex and Non-binary Community at St Columba’s, seconded the resolution, saying that transparency is vital to the safety of trans people, who need to know where they will be welcome.

A number of members of Assembly spoke warmly in favour of the proposal. Jo Clare-Young, Convenor of the Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Sub-Committee, said that though she supported the aims, she questioned the mechanism, in which churches self-identify on their websites and on “Find a church”. Church websites are often out of date, she said, and are churches as welcoming as they think they are?

The resolutions were passed.

Paper Q1 – Response to the impact of single-sex court rulings on transgender people and their communities

The General Assembly recognised the challenges and decisions faced by organisations as they have responded to recent rulings and definitions regarding the protected characteristic of sex.

It also expressed deep pastoral concern for those affected by the decisions regarding trans people made by Girlguiding and similar organisations in response to the Supreme Court ruling regarding the characteristic of sex.

Kacie Hodgson, URC Youth Moderator, introduced a private members resolution, endorsed by the URC Youth Executive, and said that the URC has a longstanding tradition of speaking out on social justice and supporting vulnerable and marginalised people, and that this resolution continues that tradition.

In April 2025, the UK Supreme Court ruled that, for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010, “sex” refers to biological sex.

This has resulted in organisations such as the National Federation of Women’s Institute and Girlguiding amending their membership policies to align with the court decision.

These organisations should not be blamed, Kacie emphasised, as they were responding to legislative complexities rather than acting out of prejudice. But the pastoral consequences means that transgender young people may lose access to groups where they previously felt accepted; friends, families and wider communities are also affected when children are excluded from established social networks; and the resulting feelings of grief, rejection and isolation could extend beyond the individuals directly affected.

The Assembly was reminded about its 2023 commitment affirming the dignity of transgender, non-binary and gender non-conforming people, and said that those earlier commitments should now be put into practice.

The resolutions do not seek to challenge the law or criticise organisations that have changed their policies, Kacie continued. Instead, it calls on the URC to stand in solidarity with transgender people affected by these changes; encourage churches that feel able to do so to provide welcoming and affirming spaces for LGBTQ+ people; continue to support those offering pastoral care to transgender young people and their families; to ensure that, where other organisations have had to close their doors because of legal constraints, churches remain places of welcome and compassion.

They also called for the Church to review its policies and guidance in light of changes, provide practical advice to congregations, and work ecumenically and with partners to advocate for the wellbeing, safety and human rights of transgender people while ensuring compliance with the law as it evolves.

Charlotte Samson said that trans suicide rates are skyrocketing and challenged the URC about what it could and should be doing, to make all feel supported and safe like Jesus taught us to do. Claire Nutt shared concerns about the churches with connections to Girlguiding.

Following the Supreme court decision, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has prepared updated draft guidance which is currently before parliament for approval. This clarifies that organisations wishing to remain single-sex can lawfully do so based on biological sex regardless of gender identity or a Gender Recognition Certificate.

The resolution was passed.

[Note: After the time of writing, on 9 July the EHRC guidance referred to, namely “The Services, Public Functions, and Associations Code of Practice”, became statutory, following the normal 40-day scrutiny period.]

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While all eyes are currently on the Men’s World Cup tournament, another national team from England has qualified for the World Amputee Football Federation (WAFF) World Cup 2026, which will take place in November in San Juan de los Lagos, Mexico. One member of that team, Charlie, has inspired Dexter to an award-winning feat of fundraising.

Dexter, aged eight, who is also a keen footballer, heard about Charlie, a young man who had lost a leg to cancer but found fresh opportunities with the England Amputee Football Association’s junior programme. Last year, he was called up to play in the England men’s national amputee football team.

When Dexter learned that the team receives no central funding and that Charlie and all the other players must self-fund their travel, he created and shared a fundraising presentation with Charlie’s family, set up a fundraising page, and began raising money with impressive focus and determination. He organised a Christmas jumper day with his own football team, hosted a charity match (with Charlie, his dad and uncle all taking part), wrote to famous footballers, and involved local schools.

It wasn’t long before he had raised over £1,500 – an achievement that Hilary Miles, a church Elder at Christ Church URC, Petts Wood, said showed “extraordinary compassion, initiative, and determination. His efforts have given Charlie’s whole team hope and show what a powerful impact one person’s actions can have.”

The Lundie Memorial Awards scheme was established in 2020 to celebrate the good work an individual child or young person is doing for their church and community. Award winners receive a medal and certificate, and get to choose how to spend £100 for the benefit of children or young people in their church, synod or local community.

Confirming Dexter as an award winner, Sharon Lloyd, the URC’s Programme Officer for Children’s, Youth and Intergenerational Work, said: “What a wonderful youngster, so determined and driven. I look forward to hearing what he’ll do with the £100 – though I can guess!”

Over thirty Lundie awards are still available under the scheme. To find out more and to nominate a young person you know, go to bit.ly/URCLundie.

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The four congregations that make up the Norwich Area URC Mission Partnership are teaming up with Norfolk Youth Justice Service (NYJS) to receive practical support for their buildings and community events.

NYJS works with children to help prevent them re-offending and to repair the damage they have caused to their victims. It operates throughout England and Wales under the auspices of the Ministry of Justice.

When the Revd Tina Wilson met with Paul Usher (pictured above), one of three reparation workers in Norfolk, she realised a partnership with the scheme would not only be a way to engage with important work in the area, but that her churches could themselves suggest practical projects for children to engage with.

Each church has provided a wish list of options and, together with NYJS, they will prioritise what is possible and where the work is most needed. Conversations are already happening about producing bird tables, planters and other items that can be sold as part of a planned fundraising day. Possible maintenance work has also been talked about, and support at community mornings, serving teas and coffees.

Children aged 10-18 taking part in the scheme do so voluntarily – otherwise it can’t be restorative, says Operations Manager Carla Hamilton. Restorative justice aims to help keep children out of remand centres and to repair harm done, and may include conversations between a child and their victim. Recommendations, and the duration of the reparation period, are overseen by a panel of volunteers and facilitated by a multi-agency team.

Options for reparation can be varied, says Carla. They range from making cards for a card shop to repairing bikes or clearing a churchyard. “It’s not just about saying sorry – it’s about repairing harm to the community they’ve offended in and recognising that their actions have had an impact.”

Tina says the scheme recognises that many churches don’t have a lot of money, but that in many congregations there are needs that it can meet, from painting or window cleaning to washing up at community events. At the same time, in churches there are people willing to be encouragers and supporters of young people.

Delighted by the opportunities already emerging from the initiative, Tina says her conversations with Paul and Carla have been “full of hope, shared purpose, and practical ideas for supporting young people and strengthening our churches. I’m encouraged by the possibilities ahead and look forward to building this partnership across our four churches.”

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This was the key question addressed by a gathering of Council for World Mission representatives in Mae Sot, Thailand, in May. The visit was coordinated by the Revd Anji Barker (pictured below), Pioneer Cluster Leader for the URC’s West Midlands Synod. Lodge Road URC and Seedbeds, both based in the synod, have partnered with local projects in Mae Sot, a border town in northern Thailand, to where hundreds of thousands of Burmese refugees have fled, and continue to flee to each day.

“Mae Sot is situated on the Myanmar border. It is a place where displacement is not theoretical but lived,” Anji said – “where migrant communities build fragile new lives, and local organisations work daily to provide education, skills, and hope.”

The CWM programme invited participants to reflect on their own experiences of refuge and displacement, and to ask: “Where do I find my refuge? When has that been threatened?” These were not abstract questions, Anji said: “They asked each of us to find the place where our own vulnerability meets the suffering of others – and from that place, to see with renewed compassion.”

She said that many of the delegates came with their own personal experience of the refugee journey, as well as experience of being in places where refugees are fleeing to, including Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana, where Venezuelan and Haitian refugees seek safety. “We explored the biblical narrative of the migrant God and the refugee Christ – a God who is perpetually on the move, who appears in the stranger, the hungry and the imprisoned. The words of Matthew 25 echoed through every session: ‘I was a stranger and you welcomed me.’ We asked ourselves what inviting in the stranger truly looks like, and what stops us – fear, prejudice, the sheer overwhelm of the scale of need.”

Delegates visited projects initiated and run by refugees, and which serve displaced communities: skills centres, community schools, social enterprises making T-shirts, food, and handicrafts, and grassroots organisations advocating for employment justice and labour rights. In this way, “we were encountering the faces and stories behind the statistics. Behind every migration statistic is a person carrying the weight of loss, trauma and suffering, and the stubborn spark of hope.”

Delegates reflected on how to turn their encounters into local and regional engagement, and longer-term advocacy for justice at national and international levels, committing to return to their local church contexts and respond both personally and organisationally to the needs of displaced people in their local areas.

“The question that stays with me,” Anji concluded, “is not whether the Church should be a place of refuge – Scripture leaves no room for doubt on that. The question is whether we will have the courage, the imagination, and the commitment to make it so.”

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The Revd Dr Kevin Snyman, Head of World Justice and��Inter Faith Relations��for the��United��Reformed��Church, was one of 25 representatives from across Europe who travelled to the city of Nagyvárad (Oradea), where they were hosted by the western district of the Hungarian Reformed Church in Transylvania. Together, they considered a question inspired by St Paul’s letter to the Hebrews: “What does it mean for European Christians to persevere in their witness?”

Bishop Szabolcs János Bogdán (pictured below), from the Reformed Church in Hungary, argued that steadfastness is not about institutional self-preservation or digging in for a culture war. Rather, it is the freedom of faith in Christ. He sounded “a gentle but urgent note of caution”, saying that churches can be tempted to swap biblical language of forgiveness and salvation for the latest secular or political buzzwords. It is a temptation to be resisted with good humour and theological clarity, he said.

Kevin noted that “the Reformed family comprises churches forged in very different contexts”, and as a result there was “real sparkle” in the small group discussions. “It became abundantly clear just how much historical and political context shapes our theological accents. Differences emerged not only between east and west, but also north and south.” He said that the question on everyone’s lips was: “Whose voices do we actually hear when we open the Bible and attempt to read the signs of the times? And how do voices from the global South participate in a distinctly European gathering?”

No-one pretended there were any quick fixes. “But participants managed to listen, acknowledge and appreciate one another’s perspectives without papering over genuine differences. That, all agreed, is the work of the Spirit as much as the agenda.”

The World Communion of Reformed Churches��is a network of Protestant churches in 108 countries, with an estimated combined membership of 80 million people. Forty Churches from 29 countries are represented in the European Area.

Kevin Snyman is Vice-President of WCRC Europe.

Images by Kevin Snyman: Bishop Szabolcs János Bogdán; (montage) Kevin with Ulrich Weinhold and Kerstin Kich, Jenny Dobers, Oradea, small groups

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91��Ƭ��’s Sharon Lloyd, Programme Officer (Children’s, Youth and Intergenerational Work), and Helen Bell, Mission Practitioner (Children) for the URC’s Eastern Synod were among the representatives in the ten-day programme organised by the Council for World Mission (CWM).

Guided by the Revd Dr Amelia Koh-Butler, CWM’s Mission Secretary for Education and Empowerment, the consultation examined how churches can renew Christian education for contemporary contexts while remaining rooted in faith traditions. There was discussion about inherited educational models, many of which were shaped by missionary approaches and systems developed in earlier eras and considered how these might be reimagined to better minister to children today.

With only one other participant from Europe, Sharon says that the experience of cultural diversity was an important takeaway from the event. There were leaders in children’s ministry and education from countries as far apart as Zambia and Hong Kong, India and Australia, Trinidad and Tahiti – and even from the world’s third smallest country, the tiny island of Nauru in the Pacific.

“I was very aware of how Sunday School teaching in some countries is still so influenced by white people who went there many years ago. We wanted to learn from each other, exploring how to cross the boundaries of countries and yet share traditions.”

She says the approach was to open up choice – “and to do this in a way that we were all asked to challenge ourselves. We can all stagnate in the way we do things.” Sharon adds that she was struck by the “broad range of storytelling, and how far storytelling can go amongst people of different cultures”.

Sharon says that meeting Māori people at a sacred dwelling (a Marae) in Ōhope, the Bay of Plenty, was especially formative. Learning about their rich indigenous traditions, including words of welcome that emphasised the importance of the land and of meeting in peace, made Sharon and Helen ask what was distinctive about their own British heritage.

It was in this context that Amelia Koh-Butler said, “it is necessary to examine and critique how our learning strategies embed colonial thinking and practice. To decolonise education, it is necessary to look at foundational learnings and strategies for formation.”

Many participants were encouraged by the commitment of teachers and facilitators who adapted lessons and learning methods to meet the needs of individual children. They noted that effective ministry with children depends not only on resources and programmes but also on strong relationships, consistent accompaniment, and a willingness to learn alongside young people.

Sharon and Helen say they came away with a renewed sense that children’s ministry isn’t just about educational techniques. “It is necessary to connect with children in order to encourage life-long relationships with God.” Intergenerational ministry was affirmed by all the participants, and together they expressed a shared desire to develop educational approaches that nurture faith, encourage participation, and equip children to flourish in a rapidly changing world.

Images: Main – the Revd Tamiana Thrupp, Moderator of te aka puahou Māori Synod of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand, and Honey Thrupp (centre), with Helen Bell and Sharon Lloyd; in article – participants outside a Presbyterian Church school, and in a group session.

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Lydia Neshangwe met representatives of URC synods at the Offices of General Assembly in London, to hear about the development of partnerships with synods and local communities in Africa.

She said she had seen many British flags in London and the south of England and been made aware of their links with nationalist campaigns and protests. But she said: “I want to applaud you for the work you’re doing for justice, with ‘foreigners’, and on migration issues, disregarding hatred and putting out love where there is hatred. When I leave London tomorrow, I’ll leave with a sense of hope, not with disappointment, because of the work you’re doing to build the Kingdom of God.”

At the gathering, hosted by Karen Campbell, the URC’s Head of Global and Intercultural Church, URC representatives shared their experiences of setting up and working to maintain partnerships with synods across Africa.

The Revd Lythan Nevard, Moderator of the URC’s Eastern Synod, said her Synod saw the twinning of individual churches as “a key plank” of their approach, and said, “You get to understand what expressing faith looks like in a different context.” She said the Synod is trying to improve its use of online communications and wanted to encourage an exchange of videos between partners that explore responses to Bible readings out of their different contexts. This idea was well received, though there was also a strong understanding that relationships are best built in person where possible.

Some participants said that getting the balance of a partnership right can be difficult. Because representatives of partner Churches in Africa may encounter difficulties getting visas to enter Britain, exchange visits can be one-sided. Concern was also expressed about the carbon footprint associated with long-distance travel between continents.

Speaking to these ecological concerns, Lydia agreed that visits should be well-planned and meaningful, limiting use of fuel as much as possible. However, she also reflected on the saying, “Give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day; but teach a man to fish and he’ll eat for a lifetime”, adding that it is important for people in the West to “come and encounter, so you understand how we fish, and why we fish the way we do”.

She said that only by being present in Africa can British partners really understand why African churches do what they do. Worship with 1,000 people needs to be experienced in person, for example. You also come to understand that services are long not least because many people have walked two hours to get there. They don’t want to worship for only an hour and then go home again; they need time to rest and to share a meal.

Lydia said that, in the past, international church partnerships have often been about giving money, but now “they must be about relationships”. She said Africans may not have much money but they have a sense of community and relationships. Partnerships “can share spiritually”, she said, and shared prayer is powerful regardless of distance.

Lydia Neshangwe is the immediate past Moderator of both the Council for World Mission and the United��Presbyterian��Church��in��Southern��Africa, and is a serving minister in Mutare, Zimbabwe, with her husband Paul.

Images by All Africa Conference of Churches and Andy Jackson

The post To Africa, with hope appeared first on United Reformed Church.

Kingdom Over Nation presents eight accessible Bible studies and theological reflections that explore discernment, justice, hospitality, power, ideology, and faithful Christian witness in today’s world.

Contributors from across the ecumenical and denominational spectrum include Chine McDonald, director of the religion and society think tank Theos, the Right Revd Mike Royal, General Secretary of CTE, and the Revd Dr Helen Paynter, a Baptist minister whose most recent book is Faithful Presence in a Fractured World: A Church Toolkit for Resisting the Far Right. The resource has been edited by Minister Shermara Hoyte, who leads CTE’s work in the areas of Pentecostal, Charismatic and Multi-cultural Relations.

The authors say the resource is not a knee-jerk reaction but a careful response that has “grown out of a sustained period of reflection and response across the ecumenical landscape”. They add: “At a time when the Church is navigating political polarisation, culture wars, and questions around national identity, this resource seeks to help Christians think biblically, prophetically, and pastorally about what it means to place the Kingdom of God above every earthly allegiance.”

“The Church’s primary identity is found in Christ and not in national or political allegiance,” writes Minister Hoyte. She quotes words of Jesus from the Gospel of John 18:36�� – “My Kingdom is not of this world.”

The URC’s Head of Ecumenical Relations and Evangelism, Lindsey Brown, adds that the resource includes “many practical suggestions for how we might respond. Please do share these resources widely, and perhaps even initiate a discussion group yourself.”

Kingdom Over Nation can be , where other resources responding to Christian Nationalism are also available.

The post What does the Bible say about Christian Nationalism? appeared first on United Reformed Church.