Revd Tim Meadows elected as Moderator of General Assembly 2024/25

Caption: Revd Tim Meadows, Moderator of General Assembly 2024/25

“Walking with Jesus will often take you to some of the most unexpected places."

Revd Timothy Meadows has been duly elected as Moderator of General Assembly 2024/25. The moderator of General Assembly is the national figurehead for the denomination, representing the United Reformed Church both internally and within the wider world; the moderator chairs major meetings, visit churches at home and abroad, and seeks to provide worship, teaching and pastoral care.

Revd Tim Meadows is the minister for Allerton and St Stephen’s Wavertree in Mersey Synod.

Revd Geoff Felton, Mersey Synod Moderator commented: “Mersey Synod are delighted that Revd Tim Meadows has been elected by United Reformed Church General Assembly to serve as Moderator to General Assembly. The role is a key part of the operating strategy of the URC and Tim will be expected to represent the URC on a national level. Tim brings a wealth of experience of ecumenical, pioneering and local church ministry to the role, and we all assure him of our prayers as he prepares to take on the challenges of the role.”

Tim said, when Mersey nominated him: "I felt deeply humbled and affirmed that my colleagues and peers would put me forward. Walking with Jesus will often take you to some of the most unexpected places."

Tim’s Moderator-Elect 2023-2024 acceptance speech is below:
“Have we not seen assembly charting a clear course to uphold the dignity and integrity of humankind in all its multi-faceted, colour-filled, relational wonder?”

So began the acceptance speech by the Revd Timothy Meadows, Moderator-Elect for the office of the United Reformed Church General Assembly Moderator 2024-2025.

“The United Reformed Church continues to embrace a diverse creation. Calling the church to be and practise the ways of grace. In short, we respond to the Spirit’s beckoning; what does it mean to love as God loves? We have chosen to be a witness by speaking compassionately into the fear and division of this world. More than that, we have not limited our witness to the secular. The wider church is invited to step beyond borders to encounter a fully exalted humanity in Jesus who took the form of a servant not bound by power and privilege.
“What does it mean to love like God loves, in our assembly, councils, synods and local churches? I am looking forward to walking that direction of travel with you in the next few years. As God’s covenanting and covenanted people.

“I am honoured and already feel the weight of this new adventure. I accept your call to be Moderator of General Assembly 2024 – 2025. I look forward to the chance to meet and listen to you. Let’s all keep travelling together, lift God’s people up and recognise the Christ among us. Please, I ask for your prayers and guidance with big doses of grace. My sincerest thanks to you all.

The Revd Timothy Meadows served with the United Church of Christ, and after accepting a call to the URC, served with Liverpool City Centre, at Stoneycroft, Allerton and St Stephen’s Wavertree, and with a Mersey Synod-directed ministry.

The Revd Timothy Meadows
Nominated by the Mersey Synod, Tim comes from an Appalachian-mountain family in the USA. He studied history and music at Bethany Lutheran College in Lindsborg, Kansas and then completed post graduate theological education at Candler School of Theology, Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.

He grew up in a non-denominational congregational church which believed a personal confession of faith in Jesus Christ was very important.

He was ordained as a Minister of Word and Sacraments in 1987 of the United Methodist Church. In his first pastoral appointment, he became involved in ministry beyond the local church including work with the homeless and disadvantaged.

He served as a Case Management Supervisor at AID Atlanta until 1995 and his work was focussed on children and families living with HIV/AIDS as well as providing pastoral care for the dying and bereaved, before accepting a call to begin a new congregation in Memphis, Tennessee, focussed on advocacy and providing a witness for peace and justice.

He acted as team leader for hurricane relief effort to the Bahamas and to New Orleans, and came to the UK with a partnership between The United Reformed Church and The United Church of Christ.

In 2010, he accepted a call to Special Category Ministry in Liverpool City Centre to establish an ecumenical centre in the city. During which time he served as a Chaplain to Merseyside Police, put in place street pastors for the night-time economy; and offered weekly “Theology in the Pubs” and had group meetings in the local Quaker Meeting House.

In Autumn 2014, he accepted the call to serve Allerton, Stoneycroft, St. Stephen’s United Reformed Churches in Liverpool. In Mersey Synod, he has served with Synod Executive, in its Ministries Committee and has been a representative to Mission Council and the General Assembly.

Nationally, he has been a member of the Faith and Order Committee and am presently an URC ecumenical representative to the Church of England.

Tim and his partner Chris, with a bulldog called Winnie, have been together for twenty-eight years, and married for thirteen. They have two grown children who live in the USA.