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UNITED REFORMED CHURCH
SOUTH MANCHESTER CHURCHES
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Our District Officers are:-
  • President: Mr Keith Whiting,
  • Secretary: Mrs Angela Bogg,
  • Treasurer: Mrs Jen Strachan.

All ministers are ex officio members, and each church elects a lay member to represent them as well. Retired ministers are Associate Members.

There are now 4 districts in the North Western Synod, and the synod moderator is Revd Peter Brain. More details can be found below.
Mr Keith Whiting: URC South Manchester District president

Mr Keith Whiting
District President for 2006 - 2008

Future meetings are:-
  • Wednesday 20th September 2006 at Tintwistle, starting with food at 6.30 pm.
  • November 2006 NW Synod Meeting at Morcambe.
  • 25th February 2007 at 10.00 am.

    The Pastoral and Mission Committees carry out the business of the District between meetings, and provide written reports to the District Council, which debates any issues and amends them if appropriate.

    • Mrs Angela Bogg: URC South Manchester District Secretary
    Mrs Angela Bogg
    District Secretary
    Mrs Jen Strachan: URC South Manchester District Treasurer
    Mrs Jen Strachan
    District Treasurer
    What does the District do?

    A major part of the Pastoral Committee's work is to oversee pastoral care and support for its churches, providing care and help during vacancies or with ministerial problems. It also provides an overview of the grouping of churches in the District, sometimes in association with other denominations. It also advises on buildings, worship (Ed Strachan) and ecumenical matters (Revd. Geoffrey Clarke).

    The Mission Committee looks after Youth (Andrew Checkley) and Children's Work (Revd Paul Brewerton), World Church (Revd Kate Gray) , Evangelism (Revd Mike Walsh), Racial Justice (Revd John Campbell), Inter-faith (Revd Bob Day), Health and Healing (Revd Sarah Brewerton),Silence & Retreats (Revd Elizabeth Wyatt), Commitment for Life (Miss Stella Salmon), Environmental Concerns (Revd Gary Gotham), and Communications (Peter Southern). These people are available for Churches to call on.

    Revd. Brian Jolly: URC South Manchester District Pastoral Committee Convener
    Revd Brian Jolly
    Pastoral Committee Convener.
    |Miss Mary Moon: URC South Manchester District Mission Committee Convener
    Miss Mary Moon
    Mission Committee Convener.
    What does the District do for us?

    The District is primarily a democratic decision-making body, providing support where it can. It has no paid staff, and consists of representatives from churches.

    An equally important role is to pass on information; from National and Synod downwards, from churches upwards, and sideways to other member churches.

    The Mission Committee also expect to hold some District events in future.

    The NW Synod:-
  • gives practical help to churches in legal and property matters;
  • encourages recruitment and training of ministers and lay people;
  • discusses matters of faith and policy, and links to Assembly;
  • fosters ecumenical relations and action;
  • has a full-time Moderator, currently Revd. Peter Brain, who is a minister with a pastoral and leadership ministry.

    The Synod has two of the main training establishments within its boundaries (from Barrow-in-Furness in the north to Macclesfield in the south) - Northern College at Luther King House, Manchester M14 5JP where many of the URC students are trained, and The Windermere Centre (click to get programme of events) which is the National Training Centre of the United Reformed Church.

    The four districts are Cumbria, North (Churches from across Lancashire), Central (Bolton, Bury, Salford, Rochdale,Oldham and Tameside) and South (Manchester, Stockport, Trafford, and some churches in High Peak and Cheshire) Districts.
    More details can be found on the synod website at www.nwsynod.org.uk.