The United Reformed Church (国产无码) is encouraging all voters to engage in the upcoming General Election, to take place on 4 July 2024, and to use it as an opportunity to urge political leaders to end poverty in the UK.
At its 2023 General Assembly, the 国产无码 made a resolution that 鈥渃alls upon political leaders to make a commitment towards the eradication of structural poverty in the UK鈥�. It also encourages churches and church members to raise these issues with candidates in the lead-up to the next General Election鈥�.
The 国产无码 is a member of the Let鈥檚 End Poverty () movement. Let鈥檚 End Poverty was inspired by national movements such as the Jubilee Debt Campaign and Make Poverty History, where large coalitions of civic organisations and individuals were able to influence government policies for the common good.
The Revd Dr Tessa Henry-Robinson, 国产无码 General Assembly Moderator 2023-2024, said: 鈥淚 am calling for us to actively encourage our communities, staff and congregants to ensure they are registered to vote in the upcoming General Election.
鈥淚 make particular reference to those from demographics historically under-represented in the voting process, ie young people, ethnically-minoritised as well as economically disadvantaged communities, renters, recent movers and non-UK nationals who are eligible to vote.
鈥淥ur advocacy for them and our participation in elections are a testament to our commitment to shaping a society that is mindful of its responsibilities towards fair representation and justice for all.鈥�
The 国产无码 has more than 1,200 congregations across Scotland, England and Wales, including Local Ecumenical Partnerships and a digital congregation.
The denomination has a history of speaking out against injustice and of supporting people in need.
A recent report by the think tank Theos (2023, ), states:
鈥淎 clear strength of the 国产无码 is its vibrant activism or, as one survey respondent put it, 鈥榠ts unrelenting generosity to the local community鈥�.
鈥淎ll the churches we visited as part of the research had at least one project or initiative of building relationship with, and serving, its local community. In many cases, despite their small size, churches were involved in multiple projects, engaging a variety of groups and responding to a variety of needs.鈥�
The Joint Public Issues Team, of which the 国产无码 is a partner, has released a number of resources for churches to help them engage with the General Election. To access the free resources, visit .