Where do we come from?

The United Reformed Church is one of the smaller mainstream denominations – but although it is small it plays a dynamic and challenging part in the British Christian community.

It was formed in 1972 by English Presbyterians and English and Welsh Congregationalists – that is 40 years ago. In 1981 this union was joined by the Churches of Christ and then in 2000 by Scottish Congregationalists.

The URC seeks to work with all traditions and rejoices in being part of more than 400 Local Ecumenical Partnerships (Methodist, Anglicans, Baptists and others). It is also committed to theological and cultural diversity – valuing and holding together different insights and understandings.

The Statement of Faith and Order, helps us to understand this and to see how it works out in practice.

In a nutshell:

We uphold the historic Trinitarian Creeds;

We find the supreme authority for our lives in the Word of God discerned in the Bible, through the Holy Spirit;

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;

We order our lives through Councils of the church, where Ministers and lay people together discern the mind of God.

(Many thanks to the Rev. Angela Hughes of Stainbeck URC for that summary.)

We’ve added a new page to tell you more about what the URC believes in. You can find it here or by looking at the menu under “About Us”