The Revd Nicola Furley-Smith, who currently serves as Moderator of United Reformed Church’s Southern Synod, has been appointed as the church’s new Secretary for Ministries.

Nicola brings a great breadth and depth of experience of the United Reformed Church (URC) to the role.

After being selected for ministry and training in Manchester in the 1980s, Nicola served as a minister to churches in Mersey, Yorkshire and the south of England before becoming Synod Moderator in 2011.

She has also undertaken several strategic roles on behalf of our Church, helping it to develop new forms of ministry and co-convening conversations with the Church of England and the Methodist Church.

The Revd Richard Church, Deputy General Secretary (Discipleship), who oversees the work of the Secretary for Ministries, said: “We warmly welcome Nicola to her new role. We give thanks for her many gifts and look forward to her contribution to the work of the Church locally, regionally and nationally and to the work of the Discipleship team at United Reformed Church House.”

The Secretary for Ministries oversees the work of the Ministries team and acts as secretary to the Ministries Committee, one of the main committees of the URC.

The committee is responsible for the Ministry of Word and Sacraments, Church Related Community Workers, Lay Preachers and Elders.

“I am excited in this new phase in my ministry,” Nicola said. “I firmly believe that resourcing ministry across the whole denomination isn’t just an activity for the trained and commissioned few but a holy habit for every disciple and I feel privileged to be part of this challenge.”

The Revd Craig Bowman, who has served as Secretary for Ministries since 2008, will return to local church ministry in November, which is when Nicola will take up her new responsibilities.

_{Published: 23 July 2019}