Synod Life
News from Mission Council October 2012
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- Category: Synod Life
- Created on Wednesday, 24 October 2012 17:51
Joint working with the Methodist Church
We met jointly with the Methodist Council, and explored barriers to progress, noting similarities and differences. It was agreed that our two churches would begin a theological conversation, and a practical conversation on where we might co-operate more.
Special Category Ministry scheme to continue and even expand (a little!)
Ministries Committee had been saying for some time that the current maximum of 60 special category posts was unsustainable because as the number of stipendiary Ministers of Word and Sacrament decreased, if the number of special category posts remained the same then the proportion of special category posts would be ever increasing. It was agreed to limit special category posts to 8% of the number of stipendiary Ministers of Word and Sacraments, which will probably allow up to 6 new SCM posts to be approved in January if there are applications.
Strategic Planning
It was agreed that there were a number of different pieces of work affecting the URC for the next few years, including the review of the Synod Moderator, unfinished from General Assembly, and these will all be brought together in one big piece of work.
And in other news...
General Assembly 2014 will be from Thursday 3 July to Sunday 6 July at St. David's Hall, Cardiff. Representatives will arrange and pay for their own accommodation and meals, and travel, but an allowance of £50 per day will be available towards these costs. Several other familiar features will be missing, in order to keep to the budget set by Assembly.
Radical plans could see a united church in Wales – if churches are bold enough!
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- Category: Ecumenical Work
- Created on Wednesday, 24 October 2012 17:45
How bold are the churches of Wales? Are they bold enough to work more closely together? Are they bold enough to go forward with a radical plan that could lead to a united church in Wales? Those were the challenging questions put to a major conference of the five covenanting churches in Wales.
Far-reaching recommendations for a Church Uniting in Wales, with nine bishops and an inter-change of ordained ministers, were launched at The Gathering, in Aberystwyth, when representatives of the five churches came together in the largest ecumenical meeting held in Wales in recent times.
Bold and imaginative thinking was highlighted in the brief given to the Commission of Covenanting Churches in Wales, the Rev Gethin Abraham-Williams, chair, told the meeting. How the Commission had responded to the challenge could be seen in its reports. But, he asked, were the churches, in turn, going to be bold enough to take it forward?
Continue reading - Radical plans could see a united church in Wales – if churches are bold enough!
The Year of the Lord's Favor
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- Category: Synod Life
- Created on Thursday, 18 October 2012 15:07
The Year of the Lord's FavorProclaiming Grace in the Year of Luke
Tom Arthur
We have been asked to draw attention to this new book from Circle Books.
Tom Arthur is an American Presbyterian minister serving in the United Reformed Church. He teaches New Testament Greek and other New Testament courses in the Cardiff Adult Christian Education Centre.
Ask for it at your local Christian book shop, or, for £11.99 (£1 off cover price, with free shipping), you can order from the author at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The Year of the Lord's Favor: Proclaiming Grace in the Year of Luke, is commentary on the texts of the Revised Common Lectionary that is contextualized, politically engaged and unflinchingly honest.
Comfort is cruel if it is based on an illusion. These reflections connect honestly and realistically with the ordinary circumstances of experience. They encourage the twenty-first century Christian to live in a way that transcends sentimentality and fear and live a faith that makes things happen.
THINK, SPEAK, ACT
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- Category: Training and Development
- Created on Sunday, 23 September 2012 18:37
Think, Speak, Act is a one day conference of inspiration and practical advice. It is designed to help church members join the dots between action, politics and discipleship. 
The conference is scheduled for 2 Feb 2013 and will take place at Carrs Lane URC in Birmingham,. Tickets are just £10 and early enrolment is advised. For more info, see the flyer below
Induction of Wales Synod Moderator
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- Category: Synod Life
- Created on Tuesday, 11 September 2012 12:09
JohnHumphreysInductionReflections.pdf25.43 KB
Revd Simon Walkling was inducted as the Wales Synod Moderator at Plough United Reformed Church, Brecon, on Saturday 1 September at 2.30pm.
Some photos are below and also a link to the text of the reflection given by Revd John Humphreys. John's ad-lib comments are not included, you just had to be there!
Links, too, to video of photos, here: