History was again made at the 2023 United Reformed Church (URC) General Assembly when its first black and ethnically-minoritised Moderator was inducted. Ordained in 2018, the Rev Dr Tessa Henry-Robinson became Moderator for 2023~2024 at the annual meeting held in July at The Hayes Conference Centre in Derbyshire.  Items on the 2023 General Assembly included the welcoming of two new congregations, the Bristol Korean Church and the digital yoURChurch, Legacies of Slavery and proposals for repairing justice, such as mandatory anti-racism training; ways to support the Transcarpathian Reformed Church in Ukraine; opposition to the Illegal Migration Bill; the appointments of Synod Moderators; proposals for a formal ministry of URC Children’s, Youth and/or Family Minister; and the Church Life Review. A recap of all the business discussed and decisions made, can be found on your day one, day two, day three, and day four round-ups. Also, you can learn more about Tessa.

This news harps back to 1917 when Rev Constace Coltman was the 1st woman ordained in a main stream church in UK our founding Congregational Church, which merged in 1972 with the Prebyterian Church to form the United Reformed Church.