URC and Baptist – what’s the difference?

The URC is a family of Christians who meet in local churches across England, Scotland and Wales, part of the worldwide family of Reformed Churches, a group of more than 70 million Christians. The URC has around 47,000 members in about 1,300 congregations with more than 600 ministers. More than 60,000 people worship in our churches each week, and many more take part in the weekday activities of the churches.

God loves you. And the URC does too. Regardless of who you are, your background, your family, your past, your present or future, the URC believes that God is alive and listening to us through prayer, guiding and speaking to us through the Bible, forgiving us for what we have done wrong, and waiting for us in Heaven after we pass away. We believe that each and every one of us can find contentment through loving and serving Jesus Christ, the Son of God. A lack of hierarchy, and a respect for individual principles, means that the URC is not rigid in the expression of its beliefs, and embraces a wide variety of opinions. At the same time, in the words of the URC’s Statement of Nature, Faith and Order, together we are committed to ‘God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit – the living God, the only God, ever to be praised.’

This church is now part of the Coventry Group of United Reformed Churches, together with Foleshill Road, Keresley, Baginton Road and Ansty Road URCs. Our church, however, is a mixture of URC and Baptist congregations, worshipping together.

What is the Baptist Church?

Baptist churches are found in almost every country in the world. As part of the world-wide Christian church, Baptists form one of the largest families of faith, alongside other trinitarian Christian traditions such as Anglicans, Methodists, Reformed, etc.

For Baptists the concept of a family is important. The church is not so much a particular place or building, but rather a family of believers, committed to Christ, to one another and to the service of God in the world.

In this Baptist family everybody is equal, for everybody has a part to play in the service of God. There is no hierarchy of bishops or priests exercising authority over their members. Equality of status, however, does not mean that all have the same role.

Each local Baptist church appoints its own leaders – or ministers – to have particular responsibility for preaching, teaching and pastoral care. Working alongside these ministers are also deacons, who together with the minister(s) form the leadership team of the local Baptist church.

Holyhead Rd URC joined with Hearsall Baptist Church after Easter 2024 to become a new group on the Holyhead Road premises. We became Sherbourne Community Church (commonly known as SCC) and we are working to grow together and within our community. We are part of Churches Together in Earlsdon, Chapelfields and Coundon (CTEC) and enjoy the ecumenical richness that this brings.

Instead of Elders (URC) and Deacons (Baptist), the Minister works alongside Trustees. We follow a very flexible non-conformist style of worship and recognise the equality of all members. All are welcome to church meetings, although only members can vote on decisions.

We are liberal in our outlook and worship, we have a heart for social justice, and a desire to be a growing and thriving part of our community.

A huge variety of community and other groups use the church hall and rooms when they are not in use for worship.