Faith Matters: The URC Minister Revd Heather Whyte bids farewell to Luton

Revd Heather Whyte (R), United Reformed Church (URC) Minister in Luton & Dunstable leading a service in Luton jointly with Revd George Watt (L), URC Thames North Synod Moderator

Faith Matters by David Jonathan, Grassroots & Luton Council of Faiths

The United Reformed Church (URC) is a Protestant Christian Church, with 44,000 members in around 1,250 congregations with 334 stipendiary ministers, in the United Kingdom.

In Luton & Dunstable, following the amalgamation of 5 United Reformed Churches (URCs), a new Church by the name Newland Church has been operational for over a year as ‘one church on two sites’ – in Crawley Green Road (Wigmore) Luton, and in Katherine Drive Dunstable.

All this has been possible with the support and able leadership of the local URC Minister Revd Heather Whyte, who is sadly retiring after serving in Luton for over 7 years. Last weekend, she led the last Sunday Service in Luton.

Revd Heather Whyte has been a great source of inspiration and motivation in enabling the Church members to build relationships, to learn how to be the Church, and offer the communities in which we live, an expression of love and belonging.

Heather is an experienced Church Minister. After completing her Ministerial Training from Westminster College, Cambridge, and before becoming the Pastorate Minister for the URC in Luton & Dunstable, she had served in the West Midlands, and also in the URC South Western Synod as its community outreach and communications officer.

Heather is interested in photography, and editing. She is also a writer, musician, poet and artist in spirituality with a particular interest and passion in Quantum Theology. She has led spiritual retreats and ‘away days’ enabling people to reflect on the oneness and interconnectedness of God and humanity. She has often talked of God as not a distant architect but an active participant, continually influencing the unfolding of the universe.

Earlier in the year, as part of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, she was invited by the Churches Together in Luton to share her reflections on the theme – The nature of unity and the oneness of God.

People in Luton will remember her for asking questions of faith, and what it means to follow the teachings of Jesus in today’s world. She encouraged everyone to seek answers that are relevant and which propagate a message of peace, justice and compassion for all.

We thank Heather for her services in Luton and wish the very best for all her future endeavours.