NEW ASSEMBLY MODERATOR INDUCTED: MERSEY'S REVD TIM MEADOWS
Revd Tim Meadows
The Revd Tim Meadows, Minister of Allerton and St Stephen’s Wavertree in Mersey Synod, has now begun his moderatorial year as General Assembly Moderator 2024-2025. The Moderator of General Assembly is the national figurehead for the denomination, representing the URC both internally and within the wider world.
You can read more about this here or see the story below: Revd Tim Meadows elected as Moderator of General Assembly 2024/25 — URC Mersey (urcmerseysynod.org.uk)
Tim has also begun a blog for his year as Moderator, which can be read here: All in a Year – Tim Meadows, Moderator of General Assembly
“Will you undertake to exercise your ministry in accordance with the statement concerning the Nature, Faith and Order of the United Reformed Church?
“I will, and all these things I profess and promise in the power of the Holy Spirit.”
The Revd Timothy Meadows was inducted as the Moderator of the General Assembly 2024-2025, during an act of worship at the close of the 2024 General Assembly.
Inducting Tim, the outgoing Moderator, the Revd Dr Tessa Henry-Robinson, declared: “In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and representing the General Assembly of the United Reformed Church I declare Tim to be inducted as Moderator of General Assembly. May you continue to walk in the way of Christ, following in his footsteps. ‘Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever.’”
“This is really something else. Recently one church person asked me if the URC could not find any British people to do the job. To which I replied, ‘whatever gave you that idea, I’m from Liverpool, can’t you tell from my accent?!
“I originally come from rural America, where Christianity was instilled in me from a very early age. I am well-appointed with the evil exacted on the queer community by society and the church, although that is not the impetus of my moderatorial year.
“The AIDS pandemic has left trauma. It wasn’t long ago, and it still exists, and I stand here on the ashes of thousands. I come with a lesson for us all. The forces of religious extremism with right wing politics is in the rise on our lands, and the global church is split. I dare say ecumenism is no longer about denominations but political affinities.
“I am so full of hope. The URC is a safe harbour in a stormy sea. It is a place of grace, and the divine, as we continue to learn to respect each other. I am so deeply grateful to you, that with God, we can face our fears and anxieties head on. As the chaplains said earlier, we have to live into hope.
“The URC is a gift to the body of Christ. Yet our work is far from finished. It was, and is, time to share our faith. Revival and resurrection is in the air. Let’s go out and share our treasure. We are diverse and we are united in being followers of Jesus Christ. Now is the time to recentre on that which we hold most dear, a Jesus-shaped church for all.”