Being Church

It is our great claim that we gather together in the name of Jesus and that therefore he is with us.  We recognise that others too gather in his name and that he is with them as well.

When we commit ourselves to Christ we offer ourselves and our children in baptism and when we are of full age into church membership.

We worship and pray together, learning and discerning about our faith and try to do our bit to care for our fellows, our community and God’s world.

In order to work together we need some structures and agreed procedures for decision-making.  The fundamental building block in our tradition is the church meeting.  However it would be cumbersome for every action to be discussed in open forum and so a small number of the church members are selected to serve as elders.

It is the church meeting too, with guidance from the synod, that calls a minister of the word and sacrament to lead them. Within this congregation we also have several lay and ordained ministers in secular or other employment. All church members are encouraged to offer their talents through one or more ministry teams.

There are some things that it is difficult for one small village congregation to achieve alone, for example the training and support of ministers.  We therefore at a regional level, gather together into synods. Wheatley falls within the Wessex Synod. Together with congregations throughout the United Kingdom we form The United Reformed Church.