At General Assembly in July Resolution 27 was passed:
General Assembly adopts the process for the 13 new pioneering posts intentionally to grow new Christian communities.
Each Synod is invited to make an application for a post to then declare a vacancy and call a Minister of Word and Sacraments based on the process and criteria outlined in paper H2: https://urc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/H2-Criteria-for-13-new-pioneering-posts.pdf
As a Synod we wish to open up a discussion about where such a post could be based. We encourage local churches, Mission Partnerships and individuals to reflect on this possibility.
Your attention is drawn to the preference indicated for Innovators and Activists, p.3-4.
Pioneer Innovators: are those whose ministry ventures into a host context, for example a new housing estate or an urban centre and allow the gospel response to shape the new ecclesial community; and Model 3b those whose ministry ventures into the edges of post-modern culture, exploring spirituality alongside fellow spiritual seekers or nomads.
Pioneer Activists: those who operate outside the institutional church seeking to align community, network or industry with the values of the Kingdom. These are ‘fresh start’ pioneers who enjoy starting with a blank canvas. They have been released from the expectations of traditional pastoral ministry or chaplaincy to minister in places where the church is not present.
The discussion will begin as part of our Synod meeting in October, and expressions of interest are requested by Monday 5th January 2026 to David Coaker, Eastern Synod Clerk: clerk@urceastern.org.uk or via the Synod office.
The form is available on the Synod website:
https://urceastern.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Pioneer-Minster-Possibility.pdf
The expressions of interest should include draft answers to the criteria set out in 5.2.1 and 5.2.2 on p.4: a named contact, the local church or Mission Partnership, and an indication of the local resources (e.g. people, buildings and finance) that could be available to support such a post:
Context A description of the geographical area and context in which this ministry is to be exercised; the reasons that leads to this application and what are the theological assumptions lying behind them. Not all pioneers are the same. Nor should they be. There are common threads to their ministry; creativity, initiating things, building teams and so on. But it’s the context that is key.
Central conviction A description of the overall mission and ministry of the post, as well as the theological assumptions lying behind this, in no more than 50 words.
Local resources (e.g. people, buildings and finance) that could be available to support such a post.
