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SEPTEMBER 2018 DigestMonthly news from the United Reformed Church EXTENDED EDITION! Email: digest@urc.org.uk GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2018 EDITION This special edition reports on the major decisions of this year’s United Reformed Church General Assembly – the key decisionmaking body of the Church – which took place in Nottingham from 6 to 9 July. The Assembly meets to celebrate, discuss and make decisions about the work and life of the URC. For detailed, day-by-day reports of Assembly news, visit urc.org.uk/news. To read formal Assembly papers (including the Book of Reports), a twopage ‘News round up’ or speeches from the main Assembly speakers, visit bit.ly/urcGA. Moderators encourage transformative faith On the opening day of the United Reformed Church General Assembly (6 July), two new moderators were inducted – the Revd Nigel Uden (pictured centre right) and Mr Derek Estill (centre left). Mr Uden, Minister of Fulbourn URC and Downing Place URC, Cambridge, and Mr Estill, church secretary and elder of Westbury Gardens URC, Blackburn, will represent the URC whilst continuing to fulfil their existing roles. The two Immediate-past Moderators, the Revd Kevin Watson (left) and Mr Alan Yates (right), were thanked for their service to the Church. The Revd Nigel Uden addressed Assembly on the day of his induction, speaking about the transformational potential of listening. ‘It is the vocation of the whole Church to be a listening people,’ he argued, using both personal and biblical examples to support this. When we get listening right, Mr Uden said, it becomes ‘the most potent agent of change’, the method through which we can hear God's voice in one another and engage with the world. On the final day of Assembly (9 July), Mr Estill gave a speech encouraging members of Assembly to put faith into action. ‘Let us deepen our discipleship,’ he said: ‘Living a life that Jesus would live today through our actions and good works … and committing ourselves to love one another in the knowledge that God is the source of all hope, joy and peace.’ General Assembly’s future After three days of discussion, and careful consideration of 15 resolutions, the United Reformed Church took six decisions about the future of its highest council, General Assembly: • from 2020, the Assembly will decrease in size by about 20%. It will be comprised principally of 208 synod representatives, their number equally divided among the Inside: • Young people speak out • Community awards • Interfaith focus 13 synods. This propsal is now referred for synods to consider; • the Assembly's duration will remain at three nights; • a task group will work on proposals concerning the duties, the duration of service and the number of Assembly Moderators, as well as the frequency of Mission Council. The group will report to Mission Council in May 2019 for decision at the 2020 Assembly; • General Assembly will continue to be funded primarily from the ministry and mission fund; • from 2021, the Assembly will meet annually at The Hayes conference centre, Derbyshire; and • from 2020, the number of representatives from ecumenical and global partners will be reduced to five each, while URC Youth and EM1 student representation remains unchanged. Initially presented to Assembly on Friday, the task group‘s report contained 15 resolutions (6 to 19, and 36) concerning how the Assembly is funded, how to reduce Assembly membership, how changes to the Assembly will affect Mission Council, whether the Assembly should have one or two moderators, and the frequency and location of future Assemblies. A much more detailed report on the discussions about this can be found, online, via bit.ly/urcga18m. Digest is sponsored by edwards insurance brokers 01564 730 900 www.edwardsinsurance.co.uk DIGEST • September 2018 • 1

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SEPTEMBER

2018

DigestMonthly news from the United Reformed Church

EXTENDED

EDITION!

Email: digest@urc.org.uk

GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2018 EDITION

This special edition reports on the major decisions of this year’s United Reformed Church General Assembly – the key decisionmaking body of the Church – which took place in Nottingham from 6 to 9 July. The Assembly meets to celebrate, discuss and make decisions about the work and life of the URC. For detailed, day-by-day reports of Assembly news, visit urc.org.uk/news. To read formal Assembly papers (including the Book of Reports), a twopage ‘News round up’ or speeches from the main Assembly speakers, visit bit.ly/urcGA.

Moderators encourage transformative faith

On the opening day of the United Reformed Church General Assembly (6 July), two new moderators were inducted – the Revd Nigel Uden (pictured centre right) and Mr Derek Estill (centre left). Mr Uden, Minister of Fulbourn URC and Downing Place URC, Cambridge, and Mr Estill, church secretary and elder of Westbury Gardens URC, Blackburn, will represent the URC whilst continuing to fulfil their existing roles. The two Immediate-past Moderators, the Revd Kevin Watson (left) and Mr Alan Yates (right), were thanked for their service to the Church.

The Revd Nigel Uden addressed Assembly on the day of his induction, speaking about the transformational potential of listening. ‘It is the vocation of the whole Church to be a listening people,’ he argued, using both personal and biblical examples to support this. When we get listening right, Mr Uden said, it becomes ‘the most potent agent of change’, the method through which we can hear God's voice in one another and engage with the world.

On the final day of Assembly (9 July), Mr Estill gave a speech encouraging members of Assembly to put faith into action. ‘Let us deepen our discipleship,’ he said: ‘Living a life that Jesus would live today through our actions and good works … and committing ourselves to love one another in the knowledge that God is the source of all hope, joy and peace.’

General Assembly’s future After three days of discussion, and careful consideration of 15 resolutions, the United Reformed Church took six decisions about the future of its highest council, General Assembly:

• from 2020, the Assembly will decrease in size by about 20%. It will be comprised principally of 208 synod representatives, their number equally divided among the

Inside: • Young people speak out • Community awards • Interfaith focus

13 synods. This propsal is now referred for synods to consider; • the Assembly's duration will remain at three nights; • a task group will work on proposals concerning the duties, the duration of service and the number of Assembly Moderators, as well as the frequency of Mission Council. The group will report to Mission Council in May 2019 for decision at the 2020 Assembly; • General Assembly will continue to be funded primarily from the ministry and mission fund; • from 2021, the Assembly will meet annually at The Hayes conference centre, Derbyshire; and • from 2020, the number of representatives from ecumenical and global partners will be reduced to five each, while URC Youth and EM1 student representation remains unchanged.

Initially presented to Assembly on Friday, the task group‘s report contained 15 resolutions (6 to 19, and 36) concerning how the Assembly is funded, how to reduce Assembly membership, how changes to the Assembly will affect Mission Council, whether the Assembly should have one or two moderators, and the frequency and location of future Assemblies. A much more detailed report on the discussions about this can be found, online, via bit.ly/urcga18m.

Digest is sponsored by

edwards insurance brokers

01564 730 900 www.edwardsinsurance.co.uk

DIGEST • September 2018 • 1

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