URC holds first digital General Assembly & Mission Council

For the first time in its history, the United Reformed Church (URC) live-streamed its General Assembly – the URC’s main decision-making body – on YouTube on 11 July.

The main business of this Assembly was worship and the inductions of Assembly-appointed officers. Namely, the Revd Dr John Bradbury as URC General Secretary, and the Revd Clare Downing and Peter Pay as Moderators of the General Assembly.

The event included contributions from ecumenical partners, including Hannah Brock Womack who was prevented from taking up her Fourth Presidency with Churches Together England due to being in a same-sex marriage, and the Revd Dr Barbara Glasson, former President of the Methodist Conference.

The URC also held a digital version of Mission Council – the executive body of General Assembly – on 10 July. Items discussed included: the URC’s safeguarding strategy 2020-2025, pastoral supervision following the outcomes of the Past Case Review Learning Report, and the future of Walking the Way: Living the life of Jesus today, the URC’s focus of lifelong missional discipleship.

A round up of General Assembly can be found here, and a roundup of Mission Council here.