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International

International Partnerships

The United Reformed Church’s international involvement is shaped through our membership of several international church agencies and by the bilateral relationships which have developed out of our participation in these bodies. As such our membership of these international agencies forms the framework for our belonging to the world church.

The most significant of these international agencies for our work is the Council for World Mission which developed out of the overseas mission work of the predecessor bodies to the United Reformed Church (the Congregational Church, the Presbyterian Church and the Churches of Christ). Through the Council for World Mission (CWM) we are linked with 30 other churches around the world grouped together in six regions: Europe, the Caribbean, East Asia, South Asia, the Pacific and Africa (link to page with CWM map).

Through CWM we are involved in sharing people in mission and with our partners in CWM we organise the majority of our Belonging to the World Church.

CWM member bodies recognise that they are partners together in God’s global mission, each with responsibility for that mission in their context, but called together to support and encourage one another and to respond collectively to the global challenges of our time. As such we are all involved in sharing people, money and ideas, each giving as we are able and each receiving according to need.  Following this principle each member body, regardless of size or wealth, has one representative and one vote on the governing body of CWM. 

Within the CWM European Region, comprising churches in Great Britain and the Netherlands and working in partnership with other similar European churches/agencies, we focus on mission in our context drawing on the resources of the world church.

In addition to CWM the United Reformed Church is a member of

• The World Council of Churches

• The World Alliance of Reformed Churches

• The Disciples Ecumenical Consultative Council and participates in the World Convention of the Churches of Christ

• The Conference of European Churches

• The Community of Protestant Churches in Europe – Leunberg Church Fellowship

Beyond the CWM family of churches the United Reformed Church is also involved in a number of bilateral relationships with churches in Europe and across the World. In particular in Africa we are working with three churches developing and supporting locally based training programmes and with our partners in the USA we are working together on responses to the ‘war on terror’.

The United Reformed Church is not responsible for the content of external websites

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