On the evening of 13 April, the American International Church on Tottenham Court Road, London, hosted a special service to mark the induction of the latest Moderator of the Free Churches Group (FCG). On stepping into this role, Dr Tessa Henry-Robinson also became the CTE President representing those national Member Churches.
Rev Canon Helen Cameron, who has faithfully served as Moderator and CTE President for the last three years, welcomed Tessa into her new role. After formally asking her “Will you endeavour to fulfil the duties of the office to the glory of God?” Tessa responded, “I will, God being my helper.”
Helen presented Tessa with the medal of office and a specially commissioned preaching stole, which she had worn to the King’s Coronation while representing the Free Churches.
Rev Dr Tessa’s inaugural message as Moderator focused on diversity and generosity. She said: “To follow Jesus is to embrace a responsibility to one another and to the world—a responsibility rooted in love and justice, and a faith that refuses to accommodate itself to the powers of oppression and willful ignorance. It means recognising that the beauty of our diversity is not incidental; it is an expression of God’s creative intent.”
And continued: “…our unity is not just an idea — it is a call to action. It is a recognition that in our differences, we hold strength. That our traditions, our ways of worship, our histories — are not barriers, but gifts. That God’s presence is revealed not in one way of being and doing, but in the beauty of a people who, despite their many ways of being and doing, are committed to the same generously revolutionary love.”
Read Rev Dr Tessa’s full inaugural message.
Watch the Induction service
More about Rev Dr Tessa
Rev Dr Tessa Henry-Robinson is originally from Trinidad and Tobago. Her early formation was shaped by diverse Christian traditions including Methodist and Roman Catholic, with exposure to Pentecostal worship. Her career began in education, with teaching roles spanning Trinidad and Tobago, Brazil, and the UK across primary, secondary, and further education. She is an ordained minister of the United Reformed Church (URC) and currently serves multiple congregations in East London.
A womanist practical theologian and advocate for racial and gender equity, Tessa holds a Professional Doctorate in Practical Theology obtained through the Cambridge Theological Federation. Her academic work and ministerial calling focus on intercultural inclusion and the empowerment of minoritised/marginalised communities. She is an Associate Tutor in Womanist Practical Theology at Westminster College and serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Practical Theology and the International Journal of Black Theology.
She has held several leadership positions within the URC, including Moderator of the General Assembly – the first Black woman to hold the role – as well as membership of Committees including the Mission Committee, Faith and Order Committee, and Business Committee. She is also co-founder of Cascades of Grace, a network supporting Black/ethnically-minoritised women in the denomination.
In June 2024, she gave the URC’s formal apology to the Caribbean, in Jamaica, for its historical involvement in the dehumanisation and enslavement of African people.
As Moderator of the Free Churches Group and CTE President, Dr Henry-Robinson brings bold vision, theological depth, and a heartfelt commitment to ecumenism, reconciliation, and justice.
Read more about the Free Churches Group.
Photo credits: Andy Jackson / URC