Moderators of the United Reformed Church General Assembly joined four other Free Church leaders at three political party conferences this autumn. At each conference, the delegation spoke to MPs and Lords about issues of concern to Christians, prayed with and for political leaders at a dedicated prayer breakfast, and sought to listen and learn from conference delegates. Together, the five leaders represented the URC, the Methodist Church, the Baptist Union of Great Britain, Quakers in Britain and the Salvation Army.
Mr Derek Estill, who attended the Labour conference in Liverpool, said that the delegation ‘demonstrated unity across our various denominations’. The Revd Nigel Uden, who was part of the delegation to the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, said: ‘It was especially significant to be part of bringing into creative dialogue our various perspectives on topics that too often can mar abundant life – not least migration, climate change and poverty.’