At the beginning of 2018 the members and friends of City URC began to reflect on their shared history and thoughts for the future.  Their stories were collected and presented as a ‘timeline’ on the wall in the main Church, excerpts from which will be serialised here.

My church. History. I was taken to Charles St Congregational Church as a small child my parents and grandparents were all members of the church, my Grandmother having been received into membership in 1895.I attended Sunday School on Sunday mornings and afternoons and became a Junior Church teacher/leader in my teens. The ministers of the church in my childhood and teens were Rev Brython Davies and Rev. Dr. William Hodgkins.(founder of The Cardiff Adult Christian Education Centre, CACEC) Dr Hodgkins was the minister when as members of the Congregational Church in England and Wales we voted on joining with The Presbyterian Church of England to form The United Reformed Church, the vote was carried with a number against the motion. Around this time The Wood Street Congregational Church had its building compulsory purchased by the council and needed another building. Charles St and Wood St were the same denomination so it seemed natural to most members to join together and worship at the Charles Street Church.
One of the results of this getting together was the settling of the proceeds of the money received for the purchase of the Wood St building into a Trust named The Wood Street Trust (now City Charity) this Trust was for the sole purpose of the mission and upkeep of the newly joined Church. With the founding of the United Reformed Church there were then two URC congregations worshiping in the centre of Cardiff, Charles St and the former Windsor Place English Presbyterian Church. Both congregations were in interregnum and without a minister. The interim moderator at Charles St was Rev Hector MacDonald (retired minister from Wood St.) at this point Rev Peter Scotland was called for Charles St and Rev E Wyn Parry for Windsor Place. The memberships of both churches decided to worship together in alternate buildings. This was costly first by loosing dissenting members from all three churches and having the upkeep of two very large 19th century buildings. God moves in mysterious ways! Ebeneser Welsh Congregational Church needed a building. Their building was compulsory purchased to make way for the new St David’s Shopping Centre and although both Windsor Place and Charles St were offered for sale, the Charles St building better suited the Ebeneser congregation. The transition to City United Reformed Church Windsor Place was completed.
There have been a number of major building projects enabled by the proceeds of sales of the former churches, to the Windsor Place site.  In the meantime, the vision of the church, as the only English speaking nonconformist church in the centre of Cardiff, had as its mission, the reaching out to the commercial and political centre of the capital. The post of Urban Chaplain was created and the Rev Douglas Bale called to ministry based at Windsor Place.
The original Presbytery was demolished and the Cafe and suites of meeting rooms and car park were facilitated. The interior and exterior of the Sanctuary made safe, decorated and the heating updated. While this work was carried out our morning services were held in the YMCA which was in The Parade. When this had been completed Mr Paul Starling was employed to administer and take the project of ‘The Churches Centre’ forward. A broadcast service marking opening of the centre was held in the Sanctuary. Church members and invited dignitaries were presided over by Dr Rowan Williams the then Archbishop of Monmouth.
The chapel became the bookshop and the gallery became our beautiful Upper Room. The lift, upstairs kitchen and disabled toilet with two attic rooms were also added. In addition to these building projects, the church was building links with the Cardiff Council, local Shops and Offices and the steel Industry through our Urban Chaplain, Rev Douglas Bale. Douglas was also instrumental; with the churches backing, in setting up The Huggard Centre for single homeless people and bringing the Lightship to Cardiff. Meanwhile Rev Peter Scotland was instrumental, again with the churches backing, in setting up City Centre Churches Together(now Cardiff Cytun City and Bay). During Peter’s ministry services on Sunday were held both in the morning and evening. Another interregnum and Rev Tom Arthur was called to City. During his ministry apart, from the normal weekly services, Asylum Justice was set up. It received an award for its work in assisting Asylum Seekers with their legal claims. Our last Minister was Rev Adrian Bulley who served this church for 4 years.

During the whole of this time I have been involved with the Junior Church in various capacities. There has always been a group of children of varying ages. We have had a Pilots group and a FURY(Fellowship of United Reformed Youth) group. It has been my privilege to serve the Junior Church and for the last 4 years, also serve on the Children and Youth Work
Committee of the National United Reformed Church.

CACEC (Cardiff Adult Christian Education Centre) continues with lectures a few times a year. In its heyday it ran Extramural courses for the University alongside other courses and conferences. The most memorable recent occasions a dialogue between Lord Leslie Griffiths and Huw Edwards.

This story continues through this period of ‘Transition’ we as a congregation need to look to the future, still fulfilling the mission of a city centre ministry and reaching out to all the URC’s in the area. Examining and redefining our joint ministries and leadership.