The United Reformed Church is celebrating its 40th birthday this year.  As a child of nine, I recall the sign changing on the village chapel from D***** Congregational Church to D***** United Reformed Church.  It was another three years before I began to worship regularly there, and that particular URC retains a special place in my heart.  It was there I learned about congregational governance, the importance of membership and communal discernment... attributes that resonated deep with my inner being.  Although I would in time come to specifically Baptist convictions rather than Congregational/URC ones, we have much common heritage... indeed that little URC/Congregational church in D began life as a Baptist 'plant'.

Roberta Rominger, for whom I have deep repsect, has listed "fifteen things to love" about the URC.  They are interesting to look at, and some made my chuckle a little - especially that in their forty year history they have been ordaining women for ninety five!!!  (Baptists and Congregationalists can legitimately make the claim; the URC can more legitmately claim that from its foundation it has ordained women...).  A longer list of forty items can be found here. 

It's perhaps as well that as Baptists we have not set out to identify 400 things we love about our tradition!!