United Reformed Church Act 1972
| Jurisdiction | UK Non-devolved |
| Citation | 1972 c. xviii |
| Year | 1972 |
United Reformed Church
Act
1972
c. xviii 1
ELIZABETH H
1972 CHAPTER xviii
An Act to make provision as to property held on behalf of
the Congregational Church in England and Wales and
its member churches and of the Presbyterian Church of
England, and for other purposes incidental to or conse-
quential upon the formation of the United Reformed
Church (Congregational-Presbyterian) in England and
[29th June 1972]
wffiREAs-
(1) The Congregational Church in England and Wales (herein-
after called " the Congregational Church ") is a voluntary un-
incorporated association of autonomous groups of persons
(known as " churches ") of the congregational denomination the
affairs of which are regulated by a council and an assembly:
(2) The Congregational Union of England and Wales (Incor-
porated) is a company limited by guarantee having for its main
object the promotion of evangelical religion according to the
principles and usages for the time being of protestants of the
congregational denomination and having power to act as trustee
of
any
property vested in the company:
2 c. xviii
United Reformed Church
Act
1972
(3) The incorporated associations whose names are set out in
Part I and the second column of Part II of the First Schedule to
this Act and in paragraphs (d) to (g) inclusive of subsection
(3)
of section 12 (Property held in trust for the congregational
denomination) of this Act are companies limited by guarantee
(or otherwise limited) having objects and powers similar to the
objects and powers of
The
Congregational Union of England and
Wales (Incorporated):
(4) The associations whose names are set out in the
first
column
of Part II of the First Schedule to this Act are voluntary unincor-
porated associations of churches of the congregational denomina-
tion within particular counties or areas formed for the purpose
of
mutual guidance and assistance:
(5) The church or denomination known as the Presbyterian
Church of England (hereinafter called
" the
Presbyterian Church")
is a voluntary unincorporated association of persons organised for
the purpose of Christian worship, instruction, fellowship and
work
into groups (known as " congregations ") having a form of church
government administered through representative councils or courts
known as Sessions, Presbyteries and the General Assembly of
which the last mentioned is the supreme court whose decisions
are
final and binding upon the whole Presbyterian Church:
(6) The Presbyterian Church of England Trust is a company
limited by guarantee having for its main object the carrying on,
promotion and furtherance of religious or other charitable work
directed to the advancement and support of the Presbyterian
Church and having power to act as trustee of any property vested
in the company:
(7) The Assembly of the Congregational Church and the
General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church being convinced
that the will of God is a union of their respective churches or
denominations have for many years been engaged in discussions
towards the achievement of that end:
(8) The said discussions culminated in the preparation of a
Scheme of Union (hereinafter called " the Scheme ") which was
approved by the Assembly of the Congregational Church on the
eleventh day of
May
One thousand nine hundred and seventy-one
and by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church on the
same day:
(9) The
Scheme
provides for the formation of a united
church or
denomination under the name of the United Reformed Church
(Congregational-Presbyterian) in England and Wales (hereinafter
called " the United Reformed Church ") if the procedures and
conditions defined and declared in the Scheme are satisfied:
(10) The formation of the United Reformed Church must
involve the variation of trusts of property held for or for the
United Reformed Church
Act
1972
a xviii 3
purposes of (amongst other bodies) the Congregational Church,
churches and associations of churches and of the Presbyterian
Church and of the organisations and associations of that church
or denomination:
(11) It is expedient that the variations of trust for which
provision is made in this Act should be made if the United
Reformed Church is formed:
(12) It is further expedient that the other provisions of this Act
(being provisions incidental to or consequential upon the forma-
tion of the United Reformed Church) should be enacted:
(13) And whereas the purposes of this Act cannot be effected
without the authority of Parliament:
May it therefore please Your Majesty that it may be enacted,
and be it enacted, by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and
with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal,
and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the
authority of the same, as follows:—
1.
This Act may be cited as the United Reformed Church Act Short title.
1972.
2.—(1) In this Act, unless the subject or context otherwise Interpretation.
requires—
" clerk " means the clerk of the General Assembly;
"commissioners" means the Charity Commissioners for
England and Wales;
" Congregational Church " means the voluntary unincor-
porated association known
as
the Congregational Church
in England and Wales;
" Congregational Union " means The Congregational Union
of England and Wales (Incorporated);
" date of formation " means the date on which is passed the
Uniting Declaration;
"enactment" means an enactment in this Act or in any
general or local Act or in any order, rule or regulation
made under any Act;
" General Assembly " means the General Assembly of the
United Reformed Church;
" land " includes any
estate,
interest or right, in, over or under
land;
"
local
church " means a local church of the United Reformed
Church;
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