| United Reformed Church | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Classification | Protestant |
| Orientation | Reformed |
| Scripture | Protestant Bible |
| Polity | Presbyterian Congregationalist |
| Moderator | The Revd Timothy Meadows (since 2024)[1] |
| Associations | World Council of Churches, World Communion of Reformed Churches, Council for World Mission, Conference of European Churches, Community of Protestant Churches in Europe, Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, Churches Together in England, Action of Churches Together in Scotland, Cytûn, Christian Aid, World Development Movement |
| Region | Great Britain |
| Origin | 1972; 54 years ago (1972) |
| Merger of | Presbyterian Church of England,Congregational Church in England and Wales, Re-formed Association ofChurches of Christ,Congregational Union of Scotland |
| Congregations | 1,284 |
| Members | 36,986[2] |
| Official website | https://urc.org.uk/ |
TheUnited Reformed Church (URC) is aProtestant Christian church in theUnited Kingdom. As of 2024 it had approximately 44,000 members in around 1,250 congregations with 334 stipendiary ministers.[2]
The URC is aTrinitarian church whose theological roots are distinctlyReformed and whose historical and organisational roots are in thePresbyterian traditions andCongregational traditions. Its Basis of Union contains a statement concerning the nature, faith and order of the United Reformed Church which sets out its beliefs in a condensed form.[3]
The United Reformed Church resulted from the 1972 union of thePresbyterian Church of England and theCongregational Church in England and Wales. In introducing the United Reformed Church Bill in theHouse of Commons on 21 June 1972,[4]Alexander Lyon called it "one of the most historic measures in the history of the Christian churches in this country".[5] About a quarter of English Congregational churches chose not to join the new denomination; in England, there are three main groups of continuing Congregationalists: theCongregational Federation, theEvangelical Fellowship of Congregational Churches and theFellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches.
The URC subsequently united with the Re-formed Association ofChurches of Christ in 1981[6] and theCongregational Union of Scotland in 2000.[7]
In 2007, a detailed report was submitted to the General Assembly exploring the church's position onsame-sex relationships.[8] In 2011, the URC allowed theblessing of same-sex unions.[9] On 9 July 2016 the church formally voted by 240 votes to 21 in favour of allowing any local church to offer same-sex marriages, if it chooses to obtain a licence.[10][11] In 2012, the URC voted to allow theblessing of same-sex civil partnerships.[12]
Formed in an act of ecumenical union, the URC is committed toecumenism. The denomination is a member of many ecumenical organisations, includingChurches Together in England,Cytûn (Churches Together in Wales), the Enfys covenant,Action of Churches Together in Scotland (ACTS) andChurches Together in Britain and Ireland, theWorld Council of Churches, theConference of European Churches, theCommunity of Protestant Churches in Europe, theWorld Communion of Reformed Churches and theCouncil for World Mission.
In 1982, the URC voted in favour of acovenant with theChurch of England, theMethodist Church and theMoravian Church, which would have meant remodelling its moderators as bishops and incorporating its ministry into theapostolic succession. However, the Church of England rejected the covenant.[13][14][15][16]
The denominational archives of the United Reformed Church are held in the Congregational Library, housed at theDr Williams's Library, in London, as are the archives of the Congregational Union of England and Wales.[17] The papers of the Presbyterian Church of England are held atWestminster College, Cambridge.[18] The papers of associated missionary societies (London Missionary Society, theCouncil for World Mission (Congregational), and the Foreign Missions Committee (Presbyterian)) are held by the Archives of theSchool of Oriental and African Studies, London.[19]
Local church records are the responsibility of the church concerned, and will normally be found either in the relevant local record office, or at the church concerned.
The URC is governed by a combined form ofcongregationalism andpresbyterian polity.
According to its 2022 Yearbook, the United Reformed Church has approximately 40,000 members in 1,284 congregations with 334 stipendiary ministers, 56 non-stipendiary ministers, 110 non-active or in non-URC posts, 844 retired ministers, 209 of whom are active, 30 church-related community workers, 218 ministers of other churches, 36 Synod recognised local lay leaders and lay pastors, 2 mission partners, 342 accredited lay preachers, 7,286 serving elders and 6,278 non serving elders.[2][20] The decline of the denomination matches that of other Christian churches in the United Kingdom such as the Church of England and the Methodist Church.[2]
Each congregation (local church) within the URC is governed by a Church Meeting consisting of all its members, which is the ultimate decision-making body in the local church. There is also an elders' meeting (similar to the presbyterianKirk Session in theChurch of Scotland) which advises the Church Meeting and shares with the minister the spiritual and pastoral oversight of the church.Elders are normally elected to serve for a specific period of time.
Within the present structures, congregations are able to manage themselves and arrange their services as they choose, reflecting their circumstances and preferences. As a result, congregations, even neighbouring ones, may have quite different characters, types of service and eligibility forcommunion.
Congregations, through the Church Meeting, are responsible for the selection (issue of a 'call') of ministers to fill vacancies. They also select elders from within the membership and accept new members.
At a regional level, representatives of the congregations assemble in asynod. There are 11 English synods, roughly corresponding to eachregion of England, one inScotland and one inWales; each is served by a synod moderator. The synod and its committees provide oversight within the framework ofpresbyterian polity, givingpastoral care and making important decisions about where ministers serve and how churches share ministry. Through the synods, the URC relates to other Christian denominations at a regional level such asAnglican dioceses. Synods make many key decisions about finance, and about church property, which is usually held in trust by a synod trust company. Synods have committees and employ staff to encourage and serve local churches.
The URC has a General Assembly (chaired by aModerator, who can either be an Elder or an ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament or a Church Related Community Worker (CRCW) which gathers representatives of the whole of the URC to meet annually.
Advised by the Assembly Executive, formerly known as the Mission Council, the General Assembly plans the activity of the URC across Great Britain and makes key policy decisions about the direction of the life of the denomination.[21][22]
It also appoints central staff (i.e. those responsible Britain-wide), receives reports from committees, and deals with substantial reports and mission initiatives. The synods are represented along with the convenors of the Assembly's standing committees.
There are 11 standing committees appointed by General Assembly to carry out its policy and to advise the Assembly. Each committee relates to a different area of church life, including communications, mission, ministries and education and learning.
Assembly Executive, formerly known as the Mission Council, the executive body of the General Assembly, meets once a year every February (until 2022 this meeting took place every November).
Church Related Community Work (CRCW) is a distinctive ministry within the URC. CRCW ministers use the principles of community development to respond to issues facing their neighbourhoods, working alongside local individuals and organisations, developing initiatives to transform communities.
Between them, CRCW ministers enable churches to widen their mission by:
URC Youth is for young people aged 11–25. Formed in 1974, with the name the Fellowship of United Reformed Youth (FURY), it is led by URC Youth Executive who plan the annual Youth Assembly. The Youth Executive comprises a representative from each Synod, and several other members such as the Moderator and Moderator-Elect.
The United Reformed Church has publishedReform magazine since 1972, as a forum for "News, comment, inspiration debate". A digital edition of the magazine, accessed through an app or online, was launched in April 2015.Reform was called "a prophetic voice" by the theologianRobert Beckford in 2013.[citation needed]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
