CJ28

Collection

Creation: 1963-2003

This collection includes general account books, appeal fund accounts book and annual accounts in folders from 1963 to 2003. There are small books of minutes of the joint Presbyterian churches of Bristol and Birmingham from 1963-1967 and the minutes of the URC Church meetings from 1972-2003 and Elders meetings from 1969-2003 in folders. The church minutes only begin when the church became a United Reformed church. The Elders minutes cover the period from the building of the new church. There are blueprints, correspondence, newspaper cuttings and photos related to the funding and building of a new church in 1969. The collection also includes various orders of service for marriages, funerals and ordinations plus correspondence and orders of services for festivals and parish conferences. There is a small number of published church newsletters.

Open

In 1963 a Hereford Presbyterian church was founded by a joint committee of the Birmingham and Bristol Presbyterian churches. This was initiated by Scottish residents who moved to Hereford in the 1960s to work in a local factory. Initially, services were held at various locations in Hereford until money and permissions were acquired to build their own church building which was completed and dedicated in 1969 at Hampton Park, Tupsley, Hereford. It was then known as 'Hampton Park Presbyterian Church.' The name was changed to Hampton Park United Reformed Church in 1972 when the Presbyterian and Congregational churches of England and Wales merged. The organisation ran various groups like the boys brigade,youth club and playgroup as well as church services. In the late 1970s church members and leaders collaborated with St Pauls, also in the Tupsley area, to hold services and events called 'Celebrating in Christ.' They continued to work together and entered a formal covenant with them in 1986. United reformed churches are governed by the Church Meeting consisting of all church members and is the ultimate decision making body for the congregation. This is advised by the Elders Meeting who are a smaller number of the congregation that also share pastoral and spiritual oversight in the church alongside the minister. Elders normally serve for a specified amount of time.

1.0 linear metres (5 boxes and 6 outsize volumes)

Records collected and kept by church secretary until deposit.

None.

All paper records. No technical requirements.

None.

Further records of miscellaneous materials from this organisation, deposited in the 1990s, are located at BE 25 at the Hereford Archives and Records Centre.