UNITED REFORMED CHURCH

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: LMA/4303
Held at	: London Metropolitan Archives   Click here to find out how to view this collection at https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/lma ›
Full title	: UNITED REFORMED CHURCH
Date(s)	: 1841-1999
Level of description	: Collection
Extent	: 10.4 linear meters
Name of creator(s)	: United Reformed Church

Context

Administrative/Biographical history:

The United Reformed Church formed in 1972 following the union of the Presbyterian Church of England and the Congregational Church in England and Wales. The United Reformed Church is a part of the historic Reformed tradition, whose member denominations make up one of the largest single strands of Protestantism with more than 70 million members world-wide. The Re-formed Churches of Christ joined the union in 1981, followed by the Congregational Union of Scotland in April 2000. The United Reformed Church also has over 400 local churches united with other denominations. The United Reformed Church is divided into 13 Synods and throughout England, Scotland and Wales there are around 1750 United Reformed Church congregations served by some 1100 ministers, both women and men. The Church is governed through democratic Councils.

The Presbyterian Church is composed of presbyters (elders), all of equal status, and deacons and trustees who manage temporal affairs. The presiding ministers and elders make up the 'session' or 'consistory', the first in the hierarchy of courts. Since both the minister and ruling elders are elected by the congregation, the Presbyterian polity is ultimately determined by the people. Appeal from the session may be made to the 'presbytery' or 'colloquy', the next highest court. The presbytery includes equal numbers of ministers and lay elders, and holds jurisdiction over church properties and ministers. The next court in the hierarchy is the 'synod' which exercises limited supervisory authority over both presbyteries and congregations. Finally there is the 'general assembly' which meets annually to supervise the interests of the entire denomination.

Content

Scope and content/abstract:

Records of the Presbyterian church including Presbytery minutes, Committee minutes and planning for reconstruction of war damage for the Presbytery of London North, 1841-1972; Presbytery minutes, financial accounts and Committee minutes for the Presbytery of London South, 1888-1972; and Presbytery minutes and Committee minutes for the Presbytery of the South Coast, 1920-1972.

Minute books, magazines, syllabi and event programmes for various groups and societies connected with Presbyterian and Congregational churches, mostly Young Men's Societies and Literary Societies, 1854-1965.

Architectural plans of Congregational and Presbyterian churches, 1850-1968:
Aldershot United Reformed Church;
Alexandra Park United Reformed Church;
Banstead United Reformed Church, Woodmansterne Lane;
Battersea Congregational Church, Bridge Road;
Battersea Rise Presbyterian Church;
Belvedere Congregational Church;
Iden Green Chapel, Beneden;
Bermondsey Presbyterian Church, Southwark Park Road;
Jewish Mission, Bethnal Green;
Bethnal Green Congregational Church;
Blackheath United Reformed Church, Long Lane;
North Bow United Reformed Church;
Bracknell Presbyterian Church;
Bromley Congregational Church;
Bromley Presbyterian Church;
Shortlands Congregational Church, Bromley;
Bromley-By-Bow United Reformed Church;
Buckhurst Hill United Reformed Church;
Clemance Hall United Reformed Church, Camberwell Green;
Grove Road Congregational Church, Camberwell Green;
Camberwell Church, Friern Road;
Canterbury Presbyterian Church;
Catford Trinity Congregational Church, Stanstead Road;
Charlton Congregational Church;
Saint Andrew's United Reformed Church, Chatham;
Saint Andrew's United Reformed Church, Cheam;
Chiswell Green United Reformed Church, Saint Albans;
Clapham United Reformed Church, Grafton Square;
Clapton Park United Reformed Church;
College Park Presbyterian Church;
Christ Church United Reformed Church, Crawley;
Crossway Central Mission;
Dalston Congregational Church, Middleton Road;
Dartford Presbyterian Church;
Deptford Congregational Church;
Emmanuel United Reformed Church, Dulwich;
Dulwich Grove United Reformed Church;
Festivals Park Free Church, Ealing;
East Finchley United Reformed Church;
East Greenwich United Reformed Church;
East Ham Congregational Church, Wakefield Street;
East Ham Presbyterian Church;
Plashet Park United Reformed Church, East Ham;
Saint James' Presbyterian Church, Edgware;
Edgware Congregational Church;
Lower Edmonton Independent (Congregational) Church;
Elmers End United Reformed Church;
Eltham United Reformed Church;
Windmill Hill Presbyterian Church, Enfield;
Ewell United Reformed Church;
Saint George's United Reformed Church, Felixstowe;
Finchley And Whetstone United Reformed Church;
Claremont Central Mission, Finsbury;
Forest Gate United Reformed Church, Romford Road;
Saint Mark's United Reformed Church, Greenwich;
Hampton Hill United Reformed Church;
Hayes Free Church (Congregational);
Herne Hill United Reformed Church;
The Hyde United Reformed Church, Hendon;
Highbury Quadrant Congregational Church;
Camden Road United Reformed Church, Holloway;
Holloway United Reformed Church;
Hounslow United Reformed Church;
Trinity Congregational Church, Ilfield;
Goodmayes Congregational Church, Ilford;
Vine United Reformed Church, Ilford;
Buck Street Presbyterian Church, Kentish Town;
Kenton United Reformed Church;
Saint Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Kilburn;
Burnt Ash United Reformed Church, Lee;
Lenham United Reformed Church;
Letchworth Free Church Hall;
Algernon Road United Reformed Church, Lewisham;
High Street United Reformed Church, Lewisham;
Lewisham High Road Congregational Church;
Elmore/Langthorne Congregational Church, Leyton;
Leytonstone United Reformed Church;
Lowestoft Congregational Church;
Mill Hill East United Reformed Church;
Millward United Reformed Church;
Muswell Hill United Reformed Church;
Saint John's Presbyterian Church, New Barnet;
North Finchley United Reformed Church;
Northwood Hills United Reformed Church;
Saint John's Presbyterian Church, Northwood;
Marlborough Chapel United Reformed Church, Old Kent Road;
Orange Street Congregational Church;
Clifton Congregational Church, Peckham;
Penge Congregational Church;
Petts Wood United Reformed Church;
Plaistow United Reformed Church;
Ponders End United Reformed Church;
Presbyterian Housing, Poplar;
Pratts Bottom United Reformed Church;
Purley United Reformed Church;
Granard Presbyterian Church, Putney;
Saint Paul's United Reformed Church, Richmond;
Saint Paul's Cray Congregational Church;
Sanderstead United Reformed Church;
Oaklands Congregational Church, Shepherds Bush;
Pilgrim Church, Southwark;
Enmore Road Congregational Church, South Norwood;
Kingston Road Congregational Church, Staines;
Stamford Hill United Reformed Church;
Stanwell Congregational Church;
Coverdale And Ebenezer Congregational Church, Stepney;
John Knox United Reformed Church, Dempsey Street, Stepney;
Latimer Congregational Church, Stepney;
Stepney Meeting House (United Reformed Church);
Abney United Reformed Church And Youth Club, Stoke Newington;
Manor Road United Reformed Church, Stoke Newington;
Rectory Road United Reformed Church, Stoke Newington;
Brickfields United Reformed Church, Stratford;
Sunbury On Thames Congregational Church;
Swanley United Reformed Church;
Saint Peter's United Reformed Church, Tooting;
Whitfields Memorial United Reformed Church, Tottenham Court Road;
Totteridge United Reformed Church;
Upper Norwood United Reformed Church;
Providence Congregational Church, Uxbridge;
Wallington Presbyterian Church;
Wood Street United Reformed Church, Walthamstow;
Walton-On-Thames United Reformed Church;
Wandsworth Presbyterian Church;
East Hill Congregations Church, Wandsworth;
Saint Steven's Presbyterian Church, Watford;
Welling United Reformed Church;
Welwyn Garden City Free Church (United Reformed Church);
Wembley United Reformed Church;
Westborough Congregational Church;
West Brompton Congregational Church;
West Ealing Presbyterian Church;
West Kensington Congretional Church;
Westminster Chapel, Buckingham Gate;
West Norwood Presbyterian Church;
West Wickham United Reformed Church;
Whetstone United Reformed Church;
Dundonald Road Congregational Church, Wimbledon.

Please note that wherever possible the most modern (URC) name for the congregation has been used, unless there was no evidence from the URC Year Books to suggest that the congregation joined the URC, in which case the older Presbyterian or Congregational name has been used.

Access & Use

Language/scripts of material:
English

System of arrangement:

This collection has been arranged into five sub-fonds: LMA/4303/A - London North [Presbytery of]; LMA/4303/B - London South [Presbytery of]; LMA/4303/C - South Coast [Presbytery of]; LMA/4303/D - Plans; LMA/4303/E - Literary and Young Men's Societies and Related Organisations.

Conditions governing access:

Available for general access.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Copyright: Depositor

Finding aids:

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

Archival Information

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

This collection was deposited by the United Reformed Church (URC) History Society in 2001, with a further deposit in 2010.

Allied Materials

Related material:

Publication note:

Description Notes

Archivist's note:

Rules or conventions:
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions:
January to March 2009