History and Today

HISTORY 

The United Reformed Church began life in 1972 as a merger between most of the Congregational Churches and the Presbyterian Churches in England and Wales. These Churches have their roots in the time of the Reformation and emerged particularly during the turbulent times of the civil war and the restoration of the monarchy in the 17^th Century. In 1981 we were joined by the Churches of Christ, a Baptist denomination that began as a renewal movement in the 19^th Century. There are about 1,750 Churches in the URC with a total membership of about 150,000 adults and 100,000 children and young people served by about 1,100 ministers spread across England, Wales and Scotland.

Plume Avenue United Reformed Church used to be a Congregational Church. It was founded in 1843 as an offshoot of Lion Walk Congregational Church (now also URC) as Shrub End Congregational Church in the days when Shrub End was a village separate from Colchester. It became independent from Lion Walk in 1947. Its first building was in King Harold Road (now the Jesus Centre) and it moved to its present site in 1955. The building was enlarged and reopened in 1993 when the Church was renamed Plume Avenue URC.

TODAY

Plume Avenue United Reformed Church is a spiritual family home to some 200 adults and 100 children and young people. We began life as a ‘Mission station’ planted by one of the major town centre churches, and we endeavour to make Christian mission the focus of all that we do.

At the heart of the local community, we have strong links with the local schools and seek to live out the gospel as an act of witness. Local mission is taken seriously, as well as our support for world mission. We currently support two ‘home grown’ missionaries, in Armenia and Nepal; and have a very strong link with a group of churches in Malawi.     

We are committed to biblical expository teaching and hold to an ‘evangelical’ ethos. We worship in a relaxed and informal style, and seek to include people of all ages and traditions. Some years ago, the church showed its commitment to Youth work by employing a full time ‘Youth Pastor’, whilst at the same time supporting our older members through the work of an Assistant Pastor.

Whether you are a seeker or a committed Christian, we at Plume Avenue offer you a warm welcome to any of our services and activities. May God bless you.