About the United Reformed Church
We are a family of Christians, worshipping in the name of Jesus in about 1500 local churches from Orkney to Cornwall.
All our tasks and posts are open to women as fully as to men. We are an intercultural church, where people with varied ethnic roots enrich each other's Christian living. Our people hold a range of opinions about theology and church life. In the words of the denominations Statement of Nature, Faith and Order (1990) together we are firmly committed to 'God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The living God, the only God, ever to be praised.'
The Nature, Faith and Order in the United Reformed Church.
With the whole Christian Church, the United Reformed Church believes in one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
The living God, the only God, ever to be praised.
The life of faith to which we are called is the Spirit's gift continually received through the Word, the Sacraments and our Christian life together.
We acknowledge the gift and answer the call, giving thanks for the means of grace.
The highest authority for what we believe and do is God's Word in the Bible alive for his people today through the help of the Spirit.
We respond to this Word, whose servants we are with all God's people through the years.
We accept with thanksgiving to God the witness to the catholic faith in the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds. We acknowledge the declarations made in our own tradition by Congregationalists, Presbyterians and Churches of Christ which they stated the faith and sought to make its implications clear.
Faith alive and active: gift of an eternal source, renewed for every generation.
We conduct our life together according to the Basis of Union in which we give expression to our faith in forms which we believe contain the essential elements of the Church's life, both catholic and reformed; but we affirm our right and readiness, if the need arises, to change the Basis of Union and to make new statements of faith in ever new obedience to the Living Christ.
Our crucified and risen Lord, who leads us in our faith and brings it to perfection.
Held together in the Body of Christ through the freedom of the Spirit, we rejoice in the diversity of the Spirit's gifts and uphold the rights of personal conviction. For the sake of faith and fellowship it shall be for the church to decide where differences of conviction hurt our unity and peace.
We commit ourselves to speak the truth in love and grow together in the peace of Christ.
We believe that Christ gives his Church a government distinct from the government of the state. 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. Civil authorities are called to serve God's will of justice and peace for all humankind, and to respect the rights of conscience and belief.
While we ourselves are servants in the world as citizens of God's eternal kingdom.
We affirm our intention to go on praying and working, with all our fellow Christians, for the visible unity of the Church in the way Christ chooses so that people and nations may be led to love and serve God and praise him more and more forever.
Source, Guide, and Goal of all that is: to God be eternal glory. Amen.
More information about the United Reformed Church at www.urc.org.uk/
- 'Reformed' means that we delight in the Bible, we do not fear change, and we try to run our churches in ways that take everyone's insight and contribution seriously.
- 'United' is an important part of our story. We started when English Presbyterians merged with English and Welsh Congregationalists in 1972. Churches of Christ joined in 1981 and Scottish Congregationalists in 2000. We still work as closely as we can with Christians of all traditions and styles.
- And we are one 'Church'. We aim to grow through supporting one another and taking decisions together.
All our tasks and posts are open to women as fully as to men. We are an intercultural church, where people with varied ethnic roots enrich each other's Christian living. Our people hold a range of opinions about theology and church life. In the words of the denominations Statement of Nature, Faith and Order (1990) together we are firmly committed to 'God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The living God, the only God, ever to be praised.'
The Nature, Faith and Order in the United Reformed Church.
With the whole Christian Church, the United Reformed Church believes in one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
The living God, the only God, ever to be praised.
The life of faith to which we are called is the Spirit's gift continually received through the Word, the Sacraments and our Christian life together.
We acknowledge the gift and answer the call, giving thanks for the means of grace.
The highest authority for what we believe and do is God's Word in the Bible alive for his people today through the help of the Spirit.
We respond to this Word, whose servants we are with all God's people through the years.
We accept with thanksgiving to God the witness to the catholic faith in the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds. We acknowledge the declarations made in our own tradition by Congregationalists, Presbyterians and Churches of Christ which they stated the faith and sought to make its implications clear.
Faith alive and active: gift of an eternal source, renewed for every generation.
We conduct our life together according to the Basis of Union in which we give expression to our faith in forms which we believe contain the essential elements of the Church's life, both catholic and reformed; but we affirm our right and readiness, if the need arises, to change the Basis of Union and to make new statements of faith in ever new obedience to the Living Christ.
Our crucified and risen Lord, who leads us in our faith and brings it to perfection.
Held together in the Body of Christ through the freedom of the Spirit, we rejoice in the diversity of the Spirit's gifts and uphold the rights of personal conviction. For the sake of faith and fellowship it shall be for the church to decide where differences of conviction hurt our unity and peace.
We commit ourselves to speak the truth in love and grow together in the peace of Christ.
We believe that Christ gives his Church a government distinct from the government of the state. 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. Civil authorities are called to serve God's will of justice and peace for all humankind, and to respect the rights of conscience and belief.
While we ourselves are servants in the world as citizens of God's eternal kingdom.
We affirm our intention to go on praying and working, with all our fellow Christians, for the visible unity of the Church in the way Christ chooses so that people and nations may be led to love and serve God and praise him more and more forever.
Source, Guide, and Goal of all that is: to God be eternal glory. Amen.
More information about the United Reformed Church at www.urc.org.uk/