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.

The post General Assembly 2026: day four round-up, 6 July appeared first on United Reformed Church.

The Revd Dr Peter Green, Dean of Chapel at Lincoln Bishop University, led a second Bible study, this time on the story of the Syrophoenician woman who asked Jesus to deliver her daughter.

Fully accepting the great difficulty of the passage, Dr Green that when we cannot understand something in the New Testament it is often because we fail to understand the Old Testament background, and he outlined the connection with the story of Elijah and the Gentile Widow of Zarapheth.

Dr Green asked members of Assembly whether they – like Jesus here – had we been confronted with a request for help, and said, ‘We can’t help these people, we have other priorities.’

Dr Green reflected on the way that worshippers in the Church of England have traditionally been invited to use the Syrophoenician woman’s words in Holy Communion, in the prayer known as ‘The humble grumble’: ‘We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under your table’. He said he has come to see the wisdom of inviting all people to say those words. In this chapter of the Gospel, Jesus has been condemning hypocrisy and the woman is the one without a shred of it. We must put aside hypocrisy and instead accept our solidarity with perpetrators of evil.

Session eight��

Paper G2 – Nominations – List of Committees
The Convenor or the Nominations Committee, Ms Victoria Blunt, spoke to Paper G1 – the Nominations Committee’s Report to General Assembly, which had been passed in the en bloc papers. Victoria wished to speak to two matters and to bring forward two further names as committee appointments.

1. Victoria said that the process of recruiting Assembly-level committee members is now set up. She said there had been issues to iron out, but that the process is working well in the majority of cases. All roles at Assembly level must follow this process.
2. She also spoke to the process of recruiting members of the newly-formed Church Life Fund (CLF) committee. General Assembly 2025 had directed that the committee should include a representative from each of the URC’s 13 synods, and that it should reflect the diversity of URC’s membership. Synods were asked to provide two names each, from which one would be selected in order to form a diverse group. However, Victoria said that of the 26 names put forward, only one nominated person was from a global heritage background.

General Assembly has instructed Nominations Committee to co-opt two more members to the CLF committee from a global heritage background in order to try to reflect the diversity of the denomination. But Victoria asked: Given Assembly’s discussions about Legacies of Slavery and anti-racism, how do we reflect our diverse memberships and heritages in our committee structures?

Assembly then vote on Resolution 16: the Revd Darren Holland appointed as a member of the FiA committee; and Resolution 17: Catriona Wheeler was appointed to serve as a director of the United Reformed Church Trust from 7 July 2026 to 6 July 2030.

Remaindered Business��

A2 – Business Committee – A Fitness to Practice (remaindered from Session 4)
General Assembly welcomed the report of the Ministerial Disciplinary Working Group and affirmed the direction of travel towards a ‘Fitness to Practice’ process. A working group is developing a new process to replace the current ministerial disciplinary arrangements, aiming for a clearer, fairer, more consistent and legally robust system.

The work has widened from discipline alone to a broader ‘Fitness to Practice/Fitness to Minister’ approach, so that disciplinary, capability, competency and health-related concerns can be handled appropriately. Further policy and rules work has been commissioned from Ed Morgan KC, including a review of ministries policies and a revised draft framework to support a coherent new process.

“It’s right to do this right rather than at top speed, even though this is urgent,” John Bradbury, General Secretary, said before a presentation delivered by Dr Morgan.

Dr Morgan said that introducing a fitness to practise process is not about importing a secular disciplinary system into the Church, but about enabling the Church to fulfil its own mission with integrity. He stressed that ministers occupy positions of trust, and the Church must be able to demonstrate that it upholds the standards of behaviour it proclaims, protecting both those who raise concerns and those against whom allegations are made through fair, transparent and consistent procedures.

His speech highlighted how the nature of misconduct has evolved beyond traditional safeguarding issues to include online behaviour, financial exploitation and abuses of pastoral relationships. He warned that churches now face increasing scrutiny from regulators, insurers and the nation’s charity commissions (in England, Wales and in OSCR in Scotland), and that making robust governance is essential, not only to reduce the legal risk but also to preserve public confidence and the Church’s witness.

The proposed framework is intended to provide confidence, transparency, resilience and proportionality. It would establish clear procedures, ensure allegations are investigated fairly and evidence-based, safeguard the rights of both complainants and ministers, and reinforce that ministry is a privilege carrying accountability.

Ultimately, Ed said, such a process strengthens rather than restricts the Church’s mission by ensuring it lives out the values it proclaims.

Before adoption, the proposals will go through wider consultation and testing with Ministers, Church Related Community Workers (CRCWs), Moderators, Safeguarding Officers and others to identify issues and unintended consequences. Implementation, governance arrangements, guidance, training, support, transitional and adoption is now likely to be sought from General Assembly next year.

Paper I2 – Synod Safeguarding Reviews
Introducing Paper I2, Roger Jones, Convenor of the Safeguarding Committee, said the proposals would introduce a programme of safeguarding reviews across the URC’s synods to strengthen safeguarding policy and practice. He said similar quality assurance processes have become standard across churches, charities and social care organisations over the past decade and noted that both the Makin Review and the IICSA report had recommended robust systems of independent scrutiny, audit and learning. The proposed reviews are intended to embed those recommendations and support continuous improvement in safeguarding across the denomination.

Kerry Baker, Policy Development Officer for Safeguarding, acknowledged that the reviews would place additional demands on synods but said the process had been designed to strike a balance between gathering meaningful information and keeping the workload manageable. Drawing on two pilot reviews, she said the process would continue to be refined in response to feedback, with work already underway to streamline self-assessments, clarify expectations and improve scheduling. She also reassured Assembly that the process would reflect the different safeguarding legislation and policy framework in Wales. Kerry said the reviews would strengthen both safeguarding practice and the Church’s accountability.

During the information stage, Tim Crossley, Yorkshire Synod Clerk, sought clarification on whether General Assembly could “instruct” synods, whether the proposals would alter the Basis of Union by placing additional responsibilities on synods, and whether the financial implications understated the workload for already stretched synod staff. The Clerk of Assembly, Sarah Moore confirmed that the wording of the paper was in order.

During the discussion phase of the paper, members voiced support for the proposals. Graham Jennings informed that East Midlands was the first synod to take part, and although there was a lot of work, it was of benefit to the synod taking part.

Following a vote, Resolution 39 was carried. Before Assembly voted on Resolution 40, the Revd Dr John Bradbury, General Secretary, clarified that General Assembly has oversight of the synods and that its role in monitoring safeguarding policy and practice is explicitly set out in the Church’s governance. The resolution was passed.

In the Sunday Worship sermon at the 2026 URC General Assembly, the Revd Geoff Felton, Moderator of the Mersey Synod, challenged delegates to reflect on what the Holy Spirit has been saying during the Assembly, and encouraged them to carry that vision back to their local churches.

While much of the work of the Assembly reflects on the church’s past, Geoff urged the church to look to the future with hope. He said that reports of the church’s decline are exaggerated. He cited the projects shared as part of the Community Project Awards as examples of how the church is flourishing.

Drawing on Jesus’ words in Matthew, he emphasised that the church’s future rests not on human leadership, management or strategy, but on the identity and lordship of Jesus Christ. Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Messiah is the foundation upon which Christ promises to build his church. The church’s calling, therefore, is not to build a larger institution but to be a faithful one. “Chill out! … Size doesn’t lead to faithfulness, but faithfulness leads to size.”

The sermon encouraged a broader understanding of the church. Although many congregations in the UK are closing, this should not be seen as the death of the church. Christianity continues to grow across much of the Global South, and local church closures can be reframed as a mission that has been “completed” rather than one that has failed. There are even some URC’s that are growing.

Turning to Ephesians (where in Ephesus, the church no longer exists), Geoff described the characteristics of the future church. Leadership exists not simply to perform ministry but to equip others for service, creating a community where “everyone gets to play.” Every Christian has gifts to contribute, and leaders should be asking both who they are equipping and how they themselves are being equipped. “How is your equipping going, and let’s flip that – how are you being equipped? We are called to equip one another.”

He stressed that maturity in Christ comes through growing in the knowledge of Jesus. Such maturity enables Christians to resist being swept along by cultural trends or social media narratives. Geoff contrasted the gospel’s message of hope and identity with popular culture, citing songs like Critical Thinking by the Manic Street Preachers, and Trash by Suede, that reflect cultural confusion, superficiality and hopelessness.

Against song lyrics and messages that people are “trash” or should simply “live their truth,” Christians proclaim that every person is created in God’s image, loved by God and given purpose in Christ. “Ephesians calls us God’s workmanship… look at you, you may not be as young as you used to be, you might be falling off the conveyer belt, but you are God’s work of art. However difficult life might be for people, there is a God that loves them.”

In conclusion, he reminded the Assembly that Christ alone is the head of the church. The church belongs neither to governments nor denominational leaders, but to Jesus himself.

Session nine

Paper AB1:��Business/Faith in Action��Committees��–��URC/Methodist Liaison��
This paper was brought jointly by the Business and Faith in Action Committees. The Convenor of Faith in Action, Sarah Lane Cawte said Resolution 4 builds on existing cooperation between the Methodist Church and United Reformed Church, proposing a consultative meeting of Methodist District Chairs and URC Synod Moderators and directing the Business Committee in consultation with the liaison group to report to the 2027 General Assembly with proposals concerning the vision and shape of future possible collaboration.

She noted that the Methodist and URC offices are now “handily located near each other” (both now in Tavistock Place in London) and that there are around 200 Methodist/URC Local Ecumenical Partnerships. She added that the discussions would consider how collaboration could be strengthened without making firm commitments, and at a low cost. Sarah said that the paper “promotes unity, reciprocity and effective stewardship while ensuring that any future proposals are carefully considered and brought back to GA for consideration.”

She added that Methodist Conference passed the same resolution earlier this week.

In discussion, Reuben Watt, East Midland, quoted the Statement Concerning the Nature, Faith and Order of the URC, which speaks of the “visible unity of the Church”. He said Assembly had been honest about challenges it faces and had acknowledged membership decline; but wondered whether, in speaking about collaboration with the Methodist Church, Assembly was thinking broadly enough. Are we setting our sights high enough? Reuben asked; might 2027/2028 be the year when instead of further collaboration, we ask whether the Methodist Church and URC become one?

The Revd Lindsey Sanderson had represented the URC at this year’s Methodist Conference. She asked Assembly the same question she had asked there – a question borrowed from the Australian Churches Covenanting Together Process. “What is possible if we go to the limits of what is permissible.” She said, there is already much that is possible, “but I am firmly of the opinion that there is more that is permissible. So my hope and prayer for this consultative meeting is that we can begin to discern an answer to this question.”

The Revd John Bremnar, Ecumenical Officer for the National Synod of Scotland, spoke of his experience of working with the Waldensian Church in Italy in the 1990s; formally, “the Union of Waldensian and Methodist Churches”. Their pact of integration was a not a way of uniting the Churches in a way that erased their identities. The Waldensian Church remains Waldensian, he said, and the Methodist Churches conduct their business in a very similar way to Methodist Churches in Britain. But for all practical purposes they are one Church. He said there was a possibility in the proposal before Assembly that the URC and Methodist Church each retain their identity but be one in ministry and membership.

The Revd Tom Osborne, the Methodist representative, affirmed the benefit of the conversations. He wasn’t sure that full unity should be on the agenda, but he agreed that what was possible should be fully explored.

The Revd Dr Kirsty Thorpe, a former Moderator, reminded Assembly that “we’ve been down this path before”. She said the URC’s Mission Council and Methodist Council had met together in joint sessions – “large, visionary gatherings” – and endeavoured to lay foundations for further work. However, “we did look at buildings and how they can be used as platforms for mission together, but the other work we hoped to do went into the sand”. Quoting the report, she emphasised that the new proposed conversations should avoid “becoming immersed and lost in process and technicalities”. She also reminded Assembly that the Methodist covenant with the Church of England (CofE) is “a complicating factor for all of us”.

The Revd Dr Romily Micklem also pointed out that the Methodist/CofE covenant was most successful at a national level, but his experience was of churches locally that “behaved as if they’d never even heard of it outside of the [Methodist] circuit meeting”. We have to take the local with us, he said – it can’t be something that just happens at Assembly and synod level. “Don’t just look at the opportunities; we have to be realistic and open-eyed.”

The General Secretary, responding for the Business Committee, said Reuben had called Assembly to a central point of who we are. But he also said, “We’ve done quite a lot of growing up” and asked how we institute the vision of unity. He warned that if we set full unity as our goal, “we will do nothing else for the next 20 years”. He said the Waldensian example was a helpful one. He also said that one of the shadow sides of the formation of the URC was that “we ripped from underneath people their identities”. He noted that there are cultural differences between the Methodist and URC denominations – “and those are the things that can trip us up if we’re not careful”.

Ms Lindsey Brown, Head of Ecumenical Relations and Ecumenism, welcomed the warmth of contributions to the discussion. She spoke of the existing sharing of facilities management and times of prayer between Methodists and the URC in Tavistock Place, but she agreed that there can be complexities at a local level.

Resolution 4 was carried.

Paper P5: West Midlands Synod – Clarifying “pastoral necessity” for lay presidency at the Sacraments��

Presented by the Revd Steve Faber, Moderator of West Midlands Synod, Paper A5, containing Resolution 60, highlights that the URC’s current guidance on lay presidency at the sacraments no longer reflects the realities of ministry. Since General Assembly last reviewed the policy in 2016, the number of churches served by each stipendiary minister has increased significantly — now an average of 1 to 5, whereas in 2016, it was 3.2 — making it increasingly difficult for ministers to preside at each of the churches they serve where the most common pattern for Communion is monthly, without factoring in ministers’ annual or study leave.

While paying tribute to the contribution of non-stipendiary and retired ministers, he said many congregations are finding it a harder to secure authorised sacramental presidency and that the need for lay presidency is growing rapidly. The West Midlands Synod’s Ministry Development Committee is also receiving an increasing number of requests to appoint Authorised Elders.�� Therefore, the paper essentially asks for clearer guidance on what constitutes “pastoral necessity” when authorising elders to preside, so that decisions are transparent, consistent and reflect the realities of ministry across all synods.

Steve posed questions such as: What defines that necessity? How should we manage a Minister being expected to preside at four or five Easter morning Communions, or Christmas Eve services many miles apart?

Following a brief discussion, Resolution 60 was carried.

Session Ten

Paper A3: Business – Resource Centres of Learning – Education for Ministry Phase 1
This session followed on from the initial presentations made on Saturday morning, with questions for clarification.

In response to several questions, the Revd Dr John Bradbury, the General Secretary, said:

• The resolution would be taken as a whole, in order to ensure that the package of recommendations forms a coherent whole
• The reason for recommending having two RCLs, not one, derives from the two pedagogical approaches embedded in Luther King Theological College (LKTC) and The Scottish College, and the hope that increased collaboration between the two would strengthen their shared approaches.
• Regarding the future of Westminster College, he said it wasn’t immediately possible to say whether the URC would continue as “partners” or “customers” of the college – “neither approach is ruled out”. He said there was good reason to believe that partnership would be ongoing, but that the precise shape of that would have to be worked out. He acknowledged that though the report explicitly deals with EM1, the desire to integrate as many strands of learning as possible suggests that it may also be logical for the RCLs that deliver EM1 to also deliver EM2, but this report does not specify that. He could envisage Westminster College making offerings for EM3. Westminster would continue as an RCL at the moment.

Moving to the discussion stage, the Moderator invited those who have a direct conflict of interest to speak first before recusing themselves.

The Revd John Bremnar, who is on the Board of Trustees of The Scottish College, noted that the difference in the numbers of students at LKTC and the Scottish College was not huge, despite the use of the terms “primary” and “complementary” (which he suggested could be misleading). Dr Bradbury said that the main difference between the two institutions was the balance of resources required to maintain them.

Those who have a direct conflict of interest recused themselves before further discussion.

Lythan Nevard, Moderator of Eastern Synod, noted that only one candidate for stipendiary minister would begin training next year. She said that, as a denomination, we have not done enough to raise up potential candidates. She also said that to candidate for stipendiary ministry, an individual has to be under 54 – which of our churches, she asked, has members who are under that age who are being discipled to candidate for ministry?

Simon Cross, Yorkshire, argued that the report was of insufficient quality and detail to be the basis for the Assembly’s decision-making. He asked: if the assumptions in the report “are presented as facts, how can we accept its conclusions?” He said the transitional arrangements are not defined but would be complex; and wondered how Westminster would continue to fulfil its charitable purposes?

Mr Cross proposed an amendment to Resolution 2, Section G: “Assembly instructs the Business Committee and Resources Committee to work with Westminster College Governors to bring forward a clear transitional plan that ensure a fair financial settlement and enables Westminster College to continue fulfilling its charitable purposes, including through agreed areas of ministerial training and development, and to continue to play a full part in the Cambridge Theological Federation.”

The proposed amendment was ruled out of order due to its financial implications which had not been discussed with the relevant committee.

In response to questions to date, Dr Bradbury said that the outcomes of this review could alter the balance of the identities that make up the United Reformed Church, and that the Church would have be to be alert to this in a very intentional way.

He argued that financial modelling is different from presenting facts; and he said he hadn’t heard any inaccuracies pointed to outside of that.

Alan Yates, the URC Treasurer responded to financial questions. He said that while he couldn’t guarantee that the remaining RCLs would flourish as a result of the proposals, the modelling done so far gave him hope. For the record, he said that there had been a difference of opinion over the modelling, and he also that he was never given any data about Westminster College fundraising.

A member of Thames North Synod feared for Westminster’s future – he worried that if the report was accepted, Westminster would soon be recorded in Assembly’s list of closing buildings.

The Revd Dr Charles Baczyk-Bell, the Church of England representative, thanked Assembly for its courage and realism. He said the CofE is having to make its own difficult decisions about theological institutions and that for too long “we’ve had our head in the sand”. He said that he hoped his own Church would learn from the URC’s deliberations.

Pfarrer Martin Henninger, Evangelische Kirche der Pfalz, spoke about his own experience of learning at Westminster. He said Cambridge is one of the best universities in the world – did the URC want to walk away from that; he said people at Cambridge would be forming the future of the country – was it not important for the URC to meet those people? In response, Dr Bradbury said that Cambridge’s reputation did not mean that other institutions didn’t also give excellent experiences for those training for ministry and for engaging with the public square.

Dr Bradbury agreed with the Revd Liz Adam, who took CRCW and Stipendiary modules at Northern College, that we can’t ignore the need to make brave choices – just as we say to local churches they must consider hard choices about moving out of, or closing, their buildings, we should be addressing our RCLs, with their “sub-standard accommodation”. She suggested that, from a carbon footprint point of view, Cambridge is the least easy location to reach without a car.

The Youth Moderator-Elect told Assembly that six young people had spoken to him in recent months about their interest in training for ministry but that he couldn’t say to them that there were flourishing RCLs for them to train at; that he also had to say that they would be training into a very fragile denomination.

The Moderator of Mersey Synod, the Revd Geoff Felton, spoke in part as a governor of Liverpool Hope University, which has recently cut to delivery theological training. He said he was listening hard to the debate and was wavering about how to vote. He was fearful that the “breadth of our theological education will be diminished”. He said that underlying the paper is a question about discipleship – why do people no longer eel called to ministry? – it is a question we need to address, he said. Responding, Dr Bradbury reflected on the contracting theological education. He didn’t quite believe the contribution of non-conformist training colleges was no longer required. Her referred to comments by the Revd Aled Jones, Thames North Synod, who had been trained in Welsh Independence College – he said he had preached at its closure in 2022, but he now brought a word of hope. He had recognised that a long season had come to a close; nevertheless, that didn’t mean God was done with ministerial formation – training has carried on in another way. However, Dr Bradbury did question the wisdom of relying on universities for a full theological grounding and training for URC ministers – he wasn’t convinced this would always be available.�� The Revd Sally Bateman has benefited from the support of all RCLs during her doctoral training. Her concern was that Assembly was being asked to make a decision based on a report with serious issues; that insufficient weight had been given to the location of Westminster College – she spoke of a “soft power” benefit to being associated with Cambridge University. To leave Westminster might also lead to a weakening of ecumenical relations, she believed. She also felt that the criteria included in Paper A3 did not match the criteria set out by 2025 General Assembly; Dr Bradbury responded that the panel’s criteria accurately incorporated the requirements of the Minutes of 2025 General Assembly.

The Revd Dr Susan Durber, who has taught at LKTC and is a former Principal of Westminster College, proposed an additional paragraph (Section H.) to the resolution:

“Mindful of the need for our Resource Centres for Learning to have a strong complement of URC staff, encourages the Resources Committee [later amended to read “relevant committees”] and the RCLs to work together to ensure a flourishing URC presence in staff teams and thus a continuing URC contribution to theological education.”

Dr Bradbury said this amendment reflected a concern that had been felt by the panel, and he said the panel would accept Dr Durber’s amendment, with the change indicated above.

The Revd Dr Romilly Micklem said, “If we wait for complete evidence, we may wait a very long time.” He added that that there has always been over-capacity for URC students; and shared his concern about the money that will be required to look after Westminster’s Grade II Listed Building. Other speakers also contributed their own personal experiences of both training and spaces before the Moderator tested the mind of the Assembly.

On a vote, Resolution 2, including the addition of a new Section H, was passed.

Resolution 3 was also carried.

Both before and following the votes, the Moderator’s chaplain led Assembly in prayer.

Memorial for Deceased Ministers and��CRCWs
The General Assembly remembered the Ministers, Church Related Community Workers and others who had passed since its last meeting. The Revd Nicola Furley-Smith, Deputy General Secretary (Ministries), read out the names and the Chaplain to the Moderator, the Revd Jane Wade, led prayers.

Peter Digby Ball
Robert John Blows
Colin George Bones
Elizabeth Jean Brown
Janet Calderley
John Mackenzie Chisholm
Malcolm Bernard Clarke
John Cranley Cohen
Kenneth Mervyn Coles
Meryl Court
Peter Charles Cruchley
Graham Herbert Dadd
Robert Francis Damer
Lillian Evangeline Dean
Myra D Dillistone
John Colbeck Durell
Richard Eastman
Alan Frederick Theodore Evans
Mary Elaine Elizabeth Frost
James Ronald Garfitt
Richard Hambly
Kenneth Harris
Keith Leonard Havers
Geoffrey Herickx
Malcolm Hill
Alwyn John Knight
Michael John Lay
Lesley Anne McNeil
Elizabeth Denise Megson
David John Netherwood
Robert Freeland Philip
Barbara Plenderleith
Derek Charles Redfern
Michael James Rigney
Anthony Tony Ritchie
Geoffrey Smith
Michael John Bemrose Spencer
John Alan Stanyon
Brian Sadler Stone
Harold Robert Tonks
Valerie Ann Towler
John Wadhams
James Norman Walker
Robert John Way
Stephen Alexander Wilkins
Alan Frederick Edward Wise
Ambrose David Wright

Giving thanks for the life of churches that have closed
The General Assembly gave thanks for the life of churches that had closed, or had ceased being a Local Ecumenical project, since the last meeting. Prayers for the life and mission of those churches were shared by the Chaplain.

Synod 1 – Northern Synod
St Cuthbert’s Heaton LEP, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 31 August 2025

Synod 2 – North Western Synod
Edgeley Community Church, Stockport, 14 February 2026
St Peter’s Church LEP, Manchester, 14 December 2025

Synod 4 – Yorkshire Synod
Lowedges, Michael Church, Sheffield, 28 February 2026
Riddlesden United Reformed Church, Keighley, 31 January 2026

Synod 5 – East Midlands Synod
Trinity United Reformed Church, Lincoln, 31 January 2026
Harrold & Carlton LEP, Bedford, 31 December 2025
Oadby United Reformed Church, Leicester, 29 March 2026
London Road United Reformed Church, Kettering, 31 March 2026

Synod 6 – West Midlands Synod
Baxter United Reformed Church, Kidderminster, 31 August 2025

Synod 7 – Eastern Synod
Southchurch Park United Reformed Church, Southend-on-Sea, 28 March 2026

Synod 8 – South Western Synod
Martock United Reformed Church, Martock, Somerset, 3 August 2025
Curry Rivel United Reformed Church, Curry Rivel, Somerset, 1 June 2025

Synod 9 – Wessex Synod
Hope United Reformed Church, Weymouth, 22 February 2026
Wonersh United Reformed Church, Wonersh, Surrey, 19 October 2025

Synod 11 – Southern Synod
Pagham United Reformed Church, Pagham, West Sussex, 29 November 2025

Synod 12 – Wales Synod
Tabernacle United Reformed Church, Holywell, Flintshire, 30 September 2025
Tabernacle United Reformed Church, Llanvaches, Newport, 7 December 2025

Synod 13 – Scotland Synod
Hamilton United Reformed Church, Hamilton, 28 September 2025
Greenock West United Reformed Church, Greenock, 31 December 2025

Celebrating Jubilee Ministers
The Revd Nicola Furley-Smith, Deputy General Secretary (Ministries), led Assembly in celebrating ministers who have marked significant periods of service:

Celebrating 70 years of ordained ministry in 2026:
Robert William Courtney, Charles Knowlson Meachin, David Stollery Morris

Celebrating 60 years of ordained ministry in 2026:
Clabon James Allen, Robert Andrews, David Batchelor, Michael John Cruchley, David Murray Cuckson, Lesley Gordon Giller, Rosemary Ruth Hartley, Glyn Jenkins, Kenneth William Marsh, Hugh Nixon McKee, Donald William Norwood, Leonard Rees Phelps, David Alistair Pratt, Rodney Alan Ward, Leonard John Wigg, David Wiseman

Celebrating 50 years of ordained ministry in 2026:
Derek Corner, Jack William Dyce, Brian O’Neill, David Raymond Peel, David Trafford, Elizabeth Anne Welch.

Greeting��ministers and CRCWs newly received onto the roll��
Nicola listed those who have been admitted to the Roll of Ministers of the Word and Sacraments, 1 April 2025 to 30 April 2026

By ordination and induction: Margaret Elizabeth Dexter-Brown, Susan Ann Knight, Clare Nutbrown-Hughes, Maurice Philips Omorojie, Tina Louise Wilson

By transfer from other Churches: Packiaraj Asirvatham (Church of South India), Juan Cruz (Presbyterian Church in the Philippines), Nomaqhawe Marambi (United Church of Zimbabwe)

The Moderator greeted the Revd Elizabeth Welch on her 50^th Anniversary of Ordination, the Revd Maurice Philips Omorojie on being Ordained and Inducted as a new Minister, the Revd Juan Cruz after his transfer from the Presbyterian Church in the Philippines, the Revd Nomaqhawe Marambi after her transfer from United Church of Zimbabwe, the Revd Dr Phil Wall, the new Head of Ministries Learning and Development, and Dr Jo Griffiths, the new Head of Children’s, Youth, Intergenerational and Discipleship.

Session��eleven

Synod Moderators’ Report: (Extra) Ordinary Hope
Lythan Nevard, Moderator of Eastern Synod and Geoff Felton, Moderator of Mersey Synod, presented an invitation to reflect on our hope in Jesus and on where we can bring God’s hope into the world today.

Their report said, ‘Hope is rooted not in the achievements of individuals or human institutions but on the character and promises of God as fulfilled in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.’

Lythan said that ‘hope’ was a word we had heard more than any other through General Assembly – apart from Moderator.

Other synod moderators shared their idea of what hope is, including:

• Something beyond our imagination
• Sharing the unconditional love of God
• What we have to share with broken world
• Found in Jesus
• God’s kingdom coming on earth
• Participating in what God is doing

The Moderators invited Assembly, and local churches, to discuss:

• If we say we put our hope in Jesus, how should this shape how we live?
• How can we demonstrate that we are hopeful people?
• What does hope look like in your context?
• What does it mean to let go of what is known, with hope?

The Moderators’ report is here

The meeting then closed with prayers and worship.

Reporting team: Andy Jackson, Ann-Marie Nye, Laurence Wareing and Steve Tomkins.

The post General Assembly 2026: day three round-up, 5 July appeared first on United Reformed Church.

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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Mrs Irish Sirmons, Convenor of the General Assembly Business Committee, welcomed members of Assembly.��

The Bible was brought forward by Ms Kacie Hodgson, Moderator of Youth Assembly, and she was followed by officials of Assembly. The Revd Dr John Bradbury, General Secretary, invited the Moderator, through her chaplain, and an act of worship, to constitute General Assembly 2026.��

Opening worship��

An opening service of worship was led by the Moderator’s Chaplain, the Revd Jane Wade; beginning with Bessie Porter Head ‘s hymn “O breath of life come sweeping through us”.��

Having retold the story of the first Pentecost (Acts 2: 2-4), Jane said that, as Assembly, “we do not gather because we have all the answers, but because God’s Spirit is still at work, inspiring and guiding”. She introduced the theme of the weekend’s Bible studies: “God empowers ordinary people in ordinary places to do extraordinary things”.��God does not call the equipped; God equips the called, she said – a theme underlined by a reading from St Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, verses18 to 31.��

Jane invited��the��Revd Dr Peter Green��to introduce his Bible study series for Assembly.����

Peter said his Bible studies would focus on individuals who in one way or another were marginal in their societies: Melchizedek; the unnamed Syrophoenician/Canaanite woman who asks Jesus to exorcise her daughter; and the apostle Barnabas.��

He said two principles apply to the readings at the heart of the studies:����

1. The whole of Scripture is the story of��the human race��– “your story and mine is in scripture”,��so we��have to��ask, “Where am I in this story? Who am I in this story?”��
2. The New Testament is hidden in the Old Testament; the Old Testament is revealed in the New Testament.
   ��

Inspired by words of C.S. Lewis, Peter added that Scripture passages that include details we nowadays find repellent��more often than not��hold important truths, especially if look for the ways in which Old and New Testaments are intertwined. He concluded that “our hope and prayer is that, with the gift of the Holy Spirit, really ordinary people will be empowered to do extraordinary things”,��adding that “these could be extraordinarily bad things but we hope they will be extraordinarily good things”.��

Jane Wade then led Assembly in the sharing of Holy Communion.��

Ecumenical guests

Ms Lindsey Brown, Head of Ecumenical Relations and Evangelism, introduced ecumenical guests from the UK:

• Fr Marc Homsey, National Ecumenical Officer for the��Catholic Church in England and Wales
• Right Revd Gordon Kennedy, Moderator of the Church of Scotland General Assembly
• Revd Tom Osborne, Methodist Church in Britain
• Revd David Warboys, Baptist Union
• Revd Dr Charles Baczyk-Bell, Church of England

Ms Karen Campbell, Head of Global and Intercultural Ministries, welcomed guests from international partner Churches:

• Janet McConnell, Council for World Mission Secretary for Social Justice
• Pfarrer Martin Henninger, Evangelische Kirche der Pfalz
• Dr Joanna Simpson from Jamaica (Assistant Lecturer, University of the West Indies)
• Revd Najla Kassab, National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon,��and a former President of the World Communion of Reformed Churches (2017–25)
• Sadly unable to be at Assembly in person was the Right Revd Dr Collin Cowan, Moderator, United Church of Jamaica & the Cayman Islands

Fr Marc Homsey and the Revd Najla Kassab were invited to address General Assembly.

Fr Marc Homsey said it is an exciting time for the Catholic Church, with a new Pope who has already shown how important ecumenical relations are to him. He said that the fourth phase of the Roman Catholic/URC Dialogue Group will soon be convened by the URC’s General Secretary, the Revd Dr John Bradbury, and Bishop Paul Hendricks, Auxiliary Bishop for the Kent area of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Southwark. The discussions have the working title, “Being the People of God”.

The Revd Najla Kassab said that, recently, she had walked over a bombed bridge that crosses the border from Lebanon into Syria, in order to visit churches that are in her synod. “The bridge had been damaged, but it still did not stop me from reaching out and to live hope. It reminded me that nothing – not even war, destruction – can separate us from sharing the love of Christ with one another. God’s love always finds a way across broken places.”

She said that though Assembly was gathering in a world marked by uncertainty, conflict, and deep division, “yet we remain people of hope because our hope is rooted in the living Christ”, and she said: “May we all have the courage to cross bridges – not only the physical bridges damaged by war, but also the invisible bridges that divide our communities, our churches. May we dare to see the world from the other side of the bridge, to discover perspectives different from our own, and to stand where God stands – with those who long for justice, peace, and hope.”

Session one��

Introductions and Greeting of Ecumenical Guests��

En bloc��

The following reports and resolutions were passed��en��bloc. En bloc items 1are voted on without debate, having been��deemed��uncontroversial. This has no reflection on their importance.��Read the full reports and resolutions��for��each��paper.����

Synod Moderator’s Report
An invitation to churches to reflect on��our hope in Jesus and on where we can bring God’s hope into the world today.����

Senior Leadership Team Report
An��update on��the work of the team, and the agenda for work��emerging��from the General Assembly.����

A1 – Business Committee Report��
An update on the work of the committee and decisions taken on behalf of the General Assembly since Assembly Executive met in February 2026.����

AD1 – Church Life Fund Progress Update
Approving the terms of reference of the CLF��Committee and��providing for the appointment of committee members.��

B1 – Faith in Action Committee Report��
An overview of the work of the committee and team since September 2025, including children, youth and intergenerational; communications; equalities, diversity and belonging; evangelism and ecumenism; global and intercultural ministries; global justice and interfaith; lay learning; public issues.��

B4 – Future of URC at Greenbelt��
Extending the URC’s presence at Greenbelt festival for three years, granting funding and requiring annual reports on effectiveness.��

B5 – Net-Zero Task Group Report
An update on the activity of the Task Group, including the report on annual synods’ progress towards net zero.��

B6 – Net-Zero Terms of Reference��
Adopting terms of reference for the Net Zero Task Group.��

C4 – Active Ministers Policy��
Adopting the revised Active Ministers Policy, which provides a framework for the recognition,��authorisation��and accountability of active Ministers of the Word and Sacraments, and CRCWs.��

C5��–��Inactive��Ministers Policy��
Adopting the Inactive Ministers Policy, which distinguishes between lifelong ordination and current��authorisation��to minister.

C6 – Review of Ministers Retirement Age��
Affirming the normal retirement age of 68 for Ministers of Word and Sacraments and CRCWs, and the existing procedure for extension.��

C7 – Process for ill-health early retirement��
Adopting the process for the ill-health early retirement of��office-holders, aiming that ministers continue to be treated��in accordance with��the current arrangements.��

C8 – Competencies and Expected Standards��
Adopting the framework of Competencies and Expected Standards of Conduct and��Behaviour��for Ministers.����

C9 – Reasonable Adjustments
Adopting the Reasonable Adjustments Policy, which aims to remove barriers arising from disability or health conditions for Ministers, CRCWs and those in training.��

C10 – Sickness and Ill-health��
Adopting the revised Sickness and Ill Health Policy for Ministers of the Word and Sacraments and Church Related Community Workers, following changes to the law.��

C11 – Accreditations Sub-Committee Terms of Reference��
Adopting the revised terms of reference for the Accreditations Sub-Committee of the Ministries Committee.

CD1 – Ministry & Mission Fund Review Task Group
An update on the work of the Resolution 46 Task Group,��established��to undertake a URC-wide consultation on the sustainability of the Ministry and Mission Fund. The process is being developed, and findings and options will be brought to��General��Assembly in 2027.��

CH1 –Ministries Support and Wellbeing Sub-Committee��
Creating a single Ministries Support and Wellbeing Committee, bringing together the work of the Pastoral Reference and Welfare Committee and��the��Maintenance of the Ministry Sub-Committee.��

G1 – Nominations Committee Report��
Establishing best practice for selecting synod reps for General Assembly, to be communicated through��new resources. Two members of the Church Life Fund Committee will be coopted to ensure diversity. Appointments include the Revd Dr John Bradbury as General Secretary, and the Revd Jamie Kissack as Moderator of the Yorkshire Synod, both for second terms.��

H1 – Pastoral References and Welfare Committee Report��
Update on the work and future of the committee and its oversight of welfare funds.��

I1 – Safeguarding Committee Report��
Annual update of safeguarding in the URC, including highlights, risk areas, areas of development, and a summary of church safeguarding returns.��

J1 – Worship,��Faith��and Order Committee Report��
An update on the work of the committee.��

J4 – Assisted Dying��
Commending ‘A Theological Resource on Assisted Dying’ to churches as an aid to discussion.��

J5 – Permission to Coopt Members
Allowing the Worship,��Faith��and Order Committee to��co-opt��specialists and URC members of ecumenical or international bodies.����

P1 – New Synod Name��
Changing the name of the Wessex Synod to the Wessex and Islands Synod, from 1 January 2027.��

Nomination��of individual��appointments��
The��appointments��were��celebrated��at General��Assembly��and greetings were offered to:����

• The Revd Dr��John Bradbury is appointed to serve as General Secretary for a further term of five years.��
• The��Revd Jamie Kissack��is appointed to serve��as Moderator of Yorkshire Synod��for��a��further five-year term.��
• The Revd Revd Nicola Furley-Smith is reappointed to serve a second term as Deputy General Secretary (Ministries); and ����
• Karen Campbell is reappointed to serve a second term as Head of Global and Intercultural Church��
• Mike Thomason was also welcomed as Moderator of��North Western��Synod.��

Keynote — Dr Krish Kandiah on “The Surprising Power of Hospitality – how to respond to the rise of Christian Nationalism with grace and truth”��

is founder of The Sanctuary Foundation, a charity that supports refugees to find welcome, work and housing in the UK. He is also a passionate advocate for supporting children out of the care system through adoption, fostering and kinship care. He was invited by the Moderator, Catriona Wheeler, to address Assembly.

Krish said that his theme was radical hospitality and what he regards as its polar opposite – toxic nationalism.

He spoke about his own family, which has grown out of a mixed-race heritage. His mother was brought over to Britain from an orphanage in India and became a nurse, “to give something back” to the country that had given her a home, but experienced extreme racism and xenophobia. She responded by cooking up a meal every Friday and inviting others who didn’t “fit in” (including “a tall, young Malaysian student” who became Krish’s father).

Krish, who has founded a fostering and adoption charity, used this topic as way of helping Assembly understand what radical hospitality can look like. He said that one of the ways we show what the grace of God is like is by caring for the most vulnerable in society. He said that, though we are all experiencing the same world (and Assembly members chose quite dark words to describe it – “concerning, worrying, challenging, confusing”), as Christians we should see the world differently. Sometimes we struggle to do this, Krish said.

He used the example of Robert, a child in care, who, at five-years-old has “difficult to manage behaviour”. Krish said that most prospective adopters who consider Robert’s profile move on because they are concerned about what that behaviour will look like when he’s 15. Krish’s question was: “When God looks at Robert, what does God see?” A range of possibilities were offered, with discussion focusing on questions of vulnerability and humanity. Krish then used these responses to speak about what he sees as a parallel issue: attitudes to those coming to the UK from other countries.

Krish compared the public response to providing a home for refugees from Ukraine with similar appeals to provide hospitality to refugees from Sudan and young medical evacuees from Gaza. “It probably took as much effort to get five Gazan children over [to the UK] with their mothers as it took to bring 250,000 Ukrainians. He cited his experience of Christians who were critical of what Hamas had done in Israel but had then applied the same anger towards the care of Gazan children in need.

Using a clip of an interview he had given to GB News, Krish emphasised the need to see as human those who disagree with you. He argued that Jesus, the Good Shepherd, had a voice for those who were weary and heavy laden, and another voice for “the wolves” – a voice that criticised religious leaders. He said that sometimes “we use the wrong voice on the wrong people. I think if Jesus was looking at the audience of GB News, he would offer them rest too.” He argued that we need to be welcoming to those white, working-class people who have been left behind as well as those who have fled to our country for asylum. It’s both/and, not either/or, he said. As people of God, in our local church we are part of the local but care about the global. “You can’t choose between your heart or your lungs – one is not more important than the other. When we are speaking out for the vulnerable, speak for local and global at the same time so that you can’t be accused of being for one and not for the other.”

Finally, Krish spoke of Christian leaders taking distinct political positions: some ��“jumping into the culture war with both feet, mainly from the right-wing end of the political spectrum” and using the Christian faith as a barrier to keep other people out; others drawn to “the other end of the political spectrum – equity, welcome, fighting injustice –“ but arguably pursuing a “progressive project that goes beyond what the Bible says”. Others avoid both extremes but end up “neutering” the Bible and abdicating from the Church’s prophetic task. Our work, Krish concluded, is to be discerning – to show the world that God calls us to radical hospitality.

Paper B3 – Faith in Action – Inter Faith
The Faith in Action Committee presented a report on the URC’s interfaith work, with three resolutions, in different areas, which were all passed.

Resolution 7 is to work towards a joint Christian-Muslim declaration. The past year has been a wake-up call for the Church’s commitment to interfaith work, the committee says. The rise of far-right nationalism invoking the name of Jesus to vilify other religions is sending shockwaves through the Church.

However, there is no established structure for Muslim-Christian engagement at senior denominational level. The resolution is intended as a step towards such an organisation. The committee will report back on progress to the 2027 Assembly.

Sarah Lane Cawte, Convenor of Faith in Action Committee, said the resolution was about overcoming division and intolerance, and developing more cohesive and resilient communities.

She commended the publication ‘Reaching Out In Love’, an interfaith toolkit developed by the Revd Peter Colwell, and published by Churches Together in Britain and Ireland. .

Resolution 8 commends prayerful study of ‘Kairos II’, a document produced by Palestinian Christians reflecting their experience and perspective. Ms Lane Cawte said that ‘Kairos II’ was offered for reflection, not in the expectation that readers would necessarily agree with all of it. She said the committee had consulted with the Council for Christians and Jews, who would be responding to ‘Kairos II’ in due course.

Resolution 9 creates a task group to address antisemitism in the Church. Ms Lane Cawte said members of Assembly might be shocked by the idea of antisemitism in the URC, but she compared it to the URC having learned that it needed to tackle racism and start to become an anti-racist church. The Woolf institute has identified areas for review.

A point emerged in debate which Ms Lane Cawte heartily agreed with: commending involvement in local authority Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE) meetings.

Paper B2 – Five Marks of the Faith in Action Team
General Assembly commended the Five Marks for the Faith in Action (FiA) team, which was created last September following a restructure with the staff of the Office of General Assembly.����

The framework for the team was to support its work and help to set priorities. It used a framework based on the Five Marks of Mission and adapted it for the work of the team, helping it to ensure coverage of all areas related to discipleship and mission.������

Jenny Mills, Deputy General Secretary (Faith in Action), said: “We knew that a clear framework for our work would help us become better at not only asking ‘what shall we do’,��but also what should we stop doing. This idea blossomed and is already providing the what, the how and the why whilst��we’re��focusing on mission and discipleship in their widest forms … I offer this paper to the General Assembly as an act of encouragement for the whole��FiA��team.”��

The team is responding to a wide range of General Assembly��work��so there is need for a broad, descriptive framework to clarify it.

The paper included next steps, future��suggestions��and the��FiA��Team Creed.��

Paper P6 – Mersey Synod – Evangelism
Presenting Paper 6 on behalf of Mersey Synod, its Moderator, the Revd Geoff Felton, said that the paper wasn’t so much about bringing resolutions as about inviting local congregations to express, confidently, the hope that we find in Christ and the Gospel life we express through worship. The paper had arisen out of the Synod’s Talking Faith project, designed to help churches build confidence among church members to enter into conversation about questions of faith.

Emphasising the centrality of worship, the report described evangelism as “a matter of discipleship not desperation” and as best understood as “invitation to encounter”. It argued that hesitancy to speak confidently about the Church as Christ’s presence in the here and now “can unintentionally weaken evangelistic confidence”.

One member of Assembly asked, with reference to a comment in the paper, which forms of mission and theologies are “insufficient”. Mr Felton said there was concern about when the work of God is not considered to be active in the world today but did say no particular theology was being criticsed. Another speaker asked about materials that might be recommended to help churches make evangelism integral to their work. Mersey Synod has produced some resources that are available to others but Mr Felton said it would be helpful if other URC resources were produced nationally.

In response to another question, Mr Felton said that evangelism in Mersey Synod became increasingly “relational” as a result of the Talking Faith initiative – it wasn’t about enforcing certain ideologies.

Resolution 61, containing Mersey Synod’s invitation to affirm evangelism as integral to the life and mission of the United Reformed Church, was passed.

Session two

Paper B7 – Legacies of Slavery: Affirming the will and finding the way(s)
Introducing the discussion, Lindsey Brown, Head of Evangelism & Ecumenism, explained that the paper on the Legacies of Slavery being presented to General Assembly was, in one sense, a formality. Much of its content had already been considered by previous General Assemblies, which had authorised the work undertaken so far. However, she stressed that some formal decisions and processes still needed to be completed. The purpose of both the paper and the discussion session was therefore to enable the Assembly to formally ratify work that was already underway, while also providing an opportunity for questions, concerns and further reflection. Lindsey noted that although the journey began several years ago, not everyone in the Church has been part of those conversations. She encouraged members to engage with the issues, share differing viewpoints where necessary, and help shape the work going forward so that as many people as possible can participate in the Church’s ongoing journey of learning and action.��

Lindsey then asked each of the panel members — David Reynolds, Joanna Simpson and Karen Campbell — to introduce themselves and explain why they had engaged with the issues around Legacies of Slavery. ��

David Reynolds, Convenor of the URC’s Legacies of Slavery group
David explained that he became involved after being asked to take on the role by John Bradbury. As a historian who teaches and writes about the past, he was concerned that Britain is often not fully honest about its history, an issue that he believes is closely connected to his Christian faith. Reynolds described his involvement in the project as both a responsibility and one of the most moving experiences of his Christian life. Working alongside people from a range of backgrounds and perspectives has deepened his understanding and reinforced the importance of the Church engaging honestly with the legacies of slavery and their continuing impact today.��

Dr Joanna Simpson, Lecturer in Community Social Work – University of West Indies
Joanna reflected on how her work in community social work and her upbringing in Jamaica shaped her understanding of justice and social transformation. As the daughter of a pastor committed to social justice, she was exposed from��a young age��to communities facing significant challenges and saw the impact faith could have on people rebuilding their lives. Her later research into crime and violence in Jamaica led her to examine the deeper social and historical causes of these issues. She concluded that many present-day inequalities and patterns of violence are rooted in the enduring legacy of colonialism and its impact on communities. Joanna emphasised that tackling these challenges requires addressing the social factors that undermine dignity and opportunity. She also highlighted the vital role of churches and faith volunteers in promoting justice,��mercy��and transformation, particularly through supporting young people and responding to issues such as youth violence.��

Karen Campbell, Head of Global & Intercultural Church
Karen reflected on her journey with the URC’s Legacies of Slavery programme, which began in 2017 through the Council for World Mission’s work exploring the history and continuing impact of transatlantic slavery. She explained that, despite growing up in the UK as the daughter of Jamaican parents and being aware of racism and inequality, she had not fully understood how deeply these experiences were connected to the legacy of slavery. Through her involvement in the project and later the URC task group, she embarked on a significant journey of learning and reflection. Since taking a leading role in the work in 2020, she has sought to encourage others to engage with the same process of learning. Karen��emphasised��that people begin from��different backgrounds��and levels of understanding, but the important thing is a willingness to��grow in��awareness, become allies, and help bring about positive change.��

Lindsey Brown, Head of Evangelism & Ecumenism
Speaking about the URC’s work on the legacies of slavery, Lindsey recalled that many local churches initially felt disconnected from the issue, seeing it as something from the distant past with little relevance to them. As an elder, Lindsey experienced this reaction firsthand during the consultation process. Joining one of the Legacies of Slavery subgroups gave her the opportunity to��represent��those perspectives, but it also became a significant learning journey. Lindsey reflected on how much she had not previously understood about the subject and described the process as both eye-opening and challenging. Lindsey said she believes the URC’s extensive consultation, which engaged the whole Church from the outset, has enabled it to make greater progress on the issue than some other denominations.��

Video presentation by the Revd Dr Collin Cowan
The Revd Dr Collin Cowan, Moderator of the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands (UCJCI), praised the URC for its “courage and commitment” in acknowledging its historical involvement in transatlantic slavery and committing to reparative justice.��

Speaking from the UCJCI’s first Garden of Justice, Reconciliation and Peace, Dr Cowan described the URC as the first church within the Council for World Mission to respond to the call to address the legacies of slavery through apology and practical action.��

He said reparations are not about charity or token gestures, but about repairing broken relationships and working together to create a more just future.��

“When we talk about reparations, first and foremost we’re talking about building bridges of reconciliation,” he said. “Only after we have repaired broken relationships can we talk about financial relinquishment.”��

Reflecting on the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa, Dr Cowan said the storm had exposed the continuing legacies of slavery, with the poorest communities suffering the greatest losses. Many people��remain��without secure housing months after the hurricane, leaving them vulnerable as another hurricane season approaches.��

He urged the URC to continue its partnership with the UCJCI by supporting the creation of three new villages to provide safe housing for communities most affected by both the hurricane and the long-term effects of historic injustice.��

“If the United Reformed Church were to work with the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, we could build at least one of these three villages,” he said.��

Calling on churches to confront their shared history, Dr Cowan concluded: “We must do whatever it takes to change that narrative and create hospitable communities in which all of us will flourish together, live in peace and harmony, serve one another and give��honour��and glory to the God of justice.”��

Lindsey then explained the three-strand ‘repairing justice’ proposals of the paper: global, regional, and local aspects.��

David and Karen highlighted key points of the Global strand. David explained that the legacy of slavery��remains��visible in Jamaica today. He highlighted that around 30% of the population has no legal right to the land on which they live, leaving many families��living��in insecure housing.��

He said Hurricane Melissa had exposed that vulnerability, with many of those already living in precarious circumstances suffering the greatest losses.��

Referring to Issue 3 of��Reformed��magazine, David explained that the Churches Reparations Action Forum (CRAF) is working to use church-owned land to develop sustainable, hurricane-resilient housing as a practical response to the continuing legacy of slavery.��

Joanna — who visited the URC’s central office in November as part of a collaborative project between the URC and the Ascension Trust about a��mentoring project for young black man in key demographic areas of the URC��— shared powerfully about the��Regional��strand.��

Joanna started by reflecting on a biblical basis for reparative��justice and��said that the Church is called not only to pray and worship, but also to take practical action against injustice.����

Drawing on Isaiah 58–61, she argued that God calls Christians to “loose the chains of injustice”, care for those who are oppressed, comfort the broken-hearted and work for justice and mercy. Jonna went on to say that the legacy of slavery, including its ongoing trauma, is part of that calling, and added that the Church’s mission is to combine evangelism with practical expressions of love and justice. “God requires it,” she said. “Faith must be lived out in acts of justice, mercy and love for our��neighbour”.��

Karen outlined the third strand of the Legacies of Slavery programme, which focuses on anti-racism within the URC itself. She said the Church’s anti-racism training is designed to encourage reflection rather than��provide��simple right-and-wrong answers, inviting people to examine privilege, challenge assumptions and��recognise��systemic racism. While the training has been well received, Karen said lasting change will require more than individual learning. The challenge, she said, is transforming the culture and structures of the��Church��so they no longer unintentionally perpetuate inequality. “We have yet to make that individual journey come together to change the��organisation,” she said.��

Each panel member then spoke about what has brought them joy about the work so far. A key moment��mentioned��was the URC’s confession and apology for��its��role in��the��Transatlantic��Slave Trade.��

Assembly then broke up into groups, to discuss the follow questions:

• How do you understand the term “reparations” or “repairing justice”��
• What does it mean for the URC to be a community of justice in the face of injustice (how��might this relate to our response to the Legacies of Slavery?��
• What clarification do you need��regarding��these specific proposals��

The paper will be discussed again on day two of Assembly.����

Reporting team: Andy Jackson, Ann-Marie Nye, Laurence Wareing, Steve Tomkins. Pictures: Kevin Snyman.

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