We are part of the South West Hants Group of Churches, comprising three other Southampton URC’s:  Avenue St. Andrew’s, Isaac Watts Memorial and Freemantle, along with associate members,  Lordshill Ecumencial Church, Southampton, and an Anglican-Methodist-URC Ecumenical Partnership at St. Francis Church, Valley Park.  

There is an Anglican Minister  at the latter church, and he, and our Group Minister have exchanged pulpits on several  occasions, working towards a more ecumenical group.

Currently we have one Group Minister for the four United Reformed churches, with preparations in hand for declaring a vacancy for a second minister.  When the vacancy is filled each minister will then provide leadership for two of the churches each.

We are in our sixth year of Ministerial Deployment Grouping, which was particularly valuable in giving us a Minister to guide us through the first vacancy.   As well as the exchange of pulpits, we are sharing Elders’ Training, Bible Studies and Social events, but at this stage remain financially independent.   The new way forward for the Group’s Ministry and budgets has been approved by our own Church Meeting, but there are still further details to be worked out and approved by each church, before it comes into effect .  Revd. Tim Searle and the incoming incumbent will then concentrate on  future integration,  Mission and Finance.