The URC Herts and Essex Border Mission Partnership is in partnership with the Herts and Essex Border Circuit of the Methodist Church forming the Herts and Essex Border Ecumenical Partnership.
The Partnership shares a joint preaching plan, resources, mission, events and fellowship together.
Ecumenism has a long history in the area. Epping URC had a partnership with Epping and North Weald Methodist Churches beginning in the 1970s and Leaside Church formed in the 1970s when the United Reformed Church and Methodist churches formally joined as a local ecumenical partnership.
In 1989, the West Essex United Area was established made up of four Methodist Churches, four United Reformed Churches, plus the joint Anglican/Methodist work that had begun at churches in Great Parndon. The Area included churches in Harlow, Roydon, Epping and North Weald.
In September 2006, a new and larger Ecumenical Area was formed from the merger of the West Essex United Area with the Lee Valley North Methodist Circuit to form the Herts And Essex Border Ecumenical Area (HAEBEA), adding churches in Waltham Cross, Hoddesdon, Hertford, Ware and Watton-on-Stone. United Reformed Churches in Ongar and Hatfield Heath also joined the new Area, bringing the total number of member churches to 16.
Over the years, partnerships have been dissolved seeing the loss of three LEP’s (Local Ecumenical Partnerships) in Great Parndon, Staple Tye and Waltham Cross.
Some churches have since closed including David Livingstone URC, Trinity Harlow URC, Epping Methodist Church and North Weald Methodist Church and Watton at Stone Methodist church.
Against this backdrop of church closures, new growth emerged as in September 2023 the Bishop’s Stortford Circuit joined HAEBEA and we welcomed Bishop’s Stortford Methodist Church and Stansted Free Church to our family of churches.
In 2024, HAEBEA formally ended but was replaced by the Herts and Essex border ecumenical partnership.
Ecumenical Partnership Preaching Plan:
December 2025 to February 2026:
Herts and Essex Border Mission Partnership 