Bury St Edmunds URC

 The building's architecture tells the life of a church that has seen much change but has risen to every new challenge. The congregation of this church was founded in 1646 by five men, three women and six children covenanting to form a church of God.

The building itself was built between 1697 and 1708 making it the first non-conformist building in Bury St Edmunds. The facade added in 1866 makes the church look Victorian. However, if you look at the side of the building the original meeting house architecture is still visible. It can also be seen within the interior once you look past the modifications of the Victorians.

With church records dating back to its foundation, this church is referred to by historians of the Congregational tradition and now the United Reformed Church. It was a leading congregation in the independency movement during the middle of 17th century and weathered the storm of persecution following the Great Ejection in 1662.

The history of this one congregation charts the history of two denominations that have made a stand for what they believe across the centuries. The witness that the bricks and mortar of the building have given to numerous and varied acts of worship over centuries has meant that the church is truly a place of peace and sanctuary. It is not a church that has always been at peace with itself but what can be found within its walls is a sense that in all things God's will has been sought through the Holy Spirit.