United Reformed Church (URC) Youth are celebrating that the wider denomination has officially recognised the climate emergency.

URC Youth presented a resolution, which subsequently passed, at Mission Council, the executive body of General Assembly, held digitally on 10 July.

Not only did the resolution ask Mission Council to officially recognise the climate emergency, it also asked that local churches across the denomination be challenged to “make conscious changes to their practices in order to reflect this.”

In light of the various guidance issued by the governments in England, Scotland and Wales, the United Reformed Church (URC) Synod Moderators strongly encourage the use of face coverings for all people attending worship and other URC events that involve face-to-face meetings. 

We recommend that these do not need to be surgical-type masks but should have at least three layers of material, in line with World Health Organisation guidance.

It is with deep sadness that the United Reformed Church (URC) announces the death of the Revd Robert Waters.

Mr Waters, widely known as Bob, died peacefully in his sleep at home on 3 July, just four days shy of his 90th birthday.

The reverend trained at the Scottish Congregational College and served as a minister at East Kilbride from 1962 to 1968, Augustine Bristo in Edinburgh from 1968 to 1971, was Chairman of the Congregational Union of Scotland from 1970 to 1971, and General Secretary of the Congregational Union of Scotland from 1971 to 1995.