In this blog, Tessa introduces herself and outlines her aspirations for her moderatorial year:
Friends, I am Tessa Henry-Robinson – Minister of the Word and Sacraments in a four-congregation pastorate in Thames North Synod. I am the present Moderator of the General Assembly of the United Reformed Church. I am also a spouse, mother, grandmother, sibling, and colleague.
In my moderatorial year, I aim to meet many of you where you are and look forward to visiting partners of the URC where they are, having already attended the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Wales.
I am interested in listening to and sharing stories, insights, and experiences as part of my commitment to assist in helping to guide the denomination to become a Church where all God’s people are embraced with grace, peace and the knowledge that they are seen and heard.
My goal is one of encouragement to uplift congregations towards an understanding of the ongoing changes within our denomination which has embraced the intention to be a multicultural Church with an intercultural habit, one that has newly expressed its commitment to becoming an anti-racist Church. This is a Church that has come a long way in its reflections on its past failings and I am delighted that we are here, now, at this moment, taking the steps further.
Friends, this, for me, is a year where I hope we all begin to truly believe in changing for the best, where we begin in earnest to drown out any divisive rhetoric that might be creeping in with the aim of encouraging anti-community thoughts and ideas.
Together, we are strong with hopefulness and courage that can overcome the troubles we are seeing, and bring our communities, especially our youth, firmly alongside. So, in working towards the eventual transformation of the denomination, we have much work ahead, and, in this moderatorial year, I am very pleased to be leading this charge with your help, and with the help of my Chaplains – Karen and Stephen.