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NOVEMBER 2016 DigestMonthly news from the United Reformed Church Email: digest@urc.org.uk PAST CASE REVIEW: SECOND PHASE LAUNCHED The United Reformed Church launched the second phase of its past case review on 4 October, where the public were invited to formally raise concerns about the behaviour or conduct of anyone affiliated with the URC since its formation in 1972. The first phase, which ran from September 2015 to May 2016, involved reviewing all URC ministers’ files. A specialist team read the records of everyone who held ministerial office from 1972 onwards (around 2,500 files) looking for historic incidents of inappropriate behaviour or abuse that may have been overlooked. Some significant cases emerged but the majority were found to have been handled appropriately. Further resources and information, including a comprehensive list of pastoral care organisations, are available online at www.urc.org.uk/past-case-review. To contact the past case review team, email pastcase.review@urc.org.uk or call 020 7916 8682. Northern Synod Moderator inducted Party Conferences report Representatives from the United Reformed Church, the Methodist Church, the Baptist Union, the Quakers and the Salvation Army attended the major party conferences in September and October. Grace Pengelly, URC Secretary for Church and Society, who attended the Labour and Conservative Party Conferences, sent us the following report: The Revd David Herbert (pictured centre) was inducted as Moderator of the United Reformed Church Northern Synod on 17 September, at St James’ URC, Newcastle. Mr Herbert’s colleagues, family and friends joined local church and faith leaders for the induction service. Civic guests included the Lord Lieutenant of Tyne and Wear and the Sheriff of Newcastle. The service was presided over by the Mr Alan Yates, Moderator of General Assembly. If you watched the television coverage of the crowds milling around at Party Conferences carefully, you might have seen a few dog collars and crosses, for, there among the party faithful, journalists and lobbyists, was a group of Free Church leaders, talking, listening, praying and meeting. Just like the party membership, these leaders reflected on Brexit, the challenges of leadership and the UK response to refugees and migration. But added to these, they reflected on the role of Churches in our fast moving political and world scene. Church leaders have Inside: • Olympic wedding in Otley • Bath hosts former MP • Stride and Ride success attended the Party Conferences for over a decade, aiming to listen and learn, to affirm the vocation of those who are called to party politics, to share some of the Churches’ concerns and to build relationships. The Labour Party Conference in Liverpool began after Jeremy Corbyn’s re-election, setting the tone for the whole event. We met with newly appointed members of Labour’s shadow cabinet. Shadow Foreign Minister Catherine West MP was particularly keen to explore ways in which the Churches could challenge the government to be more ambitious with their refugee resettlement programmes. Discussion of the refugee crisis also dominated many of the Labour fringe events; there was consensus amongst panellists at an Amnesty-hosted debate that much more can and should be done to respond to the needs of those fleeing persecution and conflict overseas. The Conservatives met in Birmingham under a new leader. The Conference was dominated by the question of whether the s Digest is sponsored by edwards insurance brokers 01564 730 900 www.edwardsinsurance.co.uk DIGEST • November 2016 • 1

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NOVEMBER

2016

DigestMonthly news from the United Reformed Church

Email: digest@urc.org.uk

PAST CASE REVIEW: SECOND PHASE LAUNCHED

The United Reformed Church launched the second phase of its past case review on 4 October, where the public were invited to formally raise concerns about the behaviour or conduct of anyone affiliated with the URC since its formation in 1972. The first phase, which ran from September 2015 to May 2016, involved reviewing all URC ministers’ files. A specialist team read the records of everyone who held ministerial office from 1972 onwards (around 2,500 files) looking for historic incidents of inappropriate behaviour or abuse that may have been overlooked. Some significant cases emerged but the majority were found to have been handled appropriately.

Further resources and information, including a comprehensive list of pastoral care organisations, are available online at www.urc.org.uk/past-case-review. To contact the past case review team, email pastcase.review@urc.org.uk or call 020 7916 8682.

Northern Synod Moderator inducted

Party Conferences report Representatives from the United Reformed Church, the Methodist Church, the Baptist Union, the Quakers and the Salvation Army attended the major party conferences in September and October. Grace Pengelly, URC Secretary for Church and Society, who attended the Labour and Conservative Party Conferences, sent us the following report:

The Revd David Herbert (pictured centre) was inducted as Moderator of the United Reformed Church Northern Synod on 17 September, at St James’ URC, Newcastle. Mr Herbert’s colleagues, family and friends joined local church and faith leaders for the induction service. Civic guests included the Lord Lieutenant of Tyne and Wear and the Sheriff of Newcastle. The service was presided over by the Mr Alan Yates, Moderator of General Assembly.

If you watched the television coverage of the crowds milling around at Party Conferences carefully, you might have seen a few dog collars and crosses, for, there among the party faithful, journalists and lobbyists, was a group of Free Church leaders, talking, listening, praying and meeting. Just like the party membership, these leaders reflected on Brexit, the challenges of leadership and the UK response to refugees and migration. But added to these, they reflected on the role of Churches in our fast moving political and world scene. Church leaders have

Inside: • Olympic wedding in Otley • Bath hosts former MP • Stride and Ride success attended the Party Conferences for over a decade, aiming to listen and learn, to affirm the vocation of those who are called to party politics, to share some of the Churches’ concerns and to build relationships.

The Labour Party Conference in Liverpool began after Jeremy Corbyn’s re-election, setting the tone for the whole event. We met with newly appointed members of Labour’s shadow cabinet. Shadow Foreign Minister Catherine West MP was particularly keen to explore ways in which the Churches could challenge the government to be more ambitious with their refugee resettlement programmes. Discussion of the refugee crisis also dominated many of the Labour fringe events; there was consensus amongst panellists at an Amnesty-hosted debate that much more can and should be done to respond to the needs of those fleeing persecution and conflict overseas.

The Conservatives met in Birmingham under a new leader. The Conference was dominated by the question of whether the s

Digest is sponsored by edwards insurance brokers

01564 730 900

www.edwardsinsurance.co.uk

DIGEST • November 2016 • 1

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