Elders

Cynthia has been attending the church for a few years, since hermove to Whitby from Bradford, and became a member in early 2023. She is assisting John Dickinson with his responsibilities for the infrastructure of the building.

Margaret moved to Whitby in 2008, joining the Church soon afterwards. She became an Elder in 2010 and took over the role of Treasurer in 2011. Previously Margaret had been a member of St. John’s URC in New Barnet for over 30 years and had served in the Junior Church and as an elder there. As a child she was brought up as a Congregationalist in Leamington Spa before the URC was formed. Margaret’s husband, Trevor, plays the church organ.

John joined the Merchant Navy as a young boy and spent many years travelling the world in difficult times. He has been a member at Flowergate since 1979 and has served the church, and community, faithfully for all of that time. John was responsible for dealing with the letting of the premises, and also for arranging repairs etc to the building's infrastructure.

Pamela is one of the recently elected elders, and the only one currently still active in the legal profession. She has been a member of the URC since the 1980’s and is now our Gift Aid Secretary. Pam also has the rare ‘claim to fame’ of having met her future husband in the ‘Upper Room’.!!

Keith is currently the Church Secretary. He is a retired teacher and in that profession he taught in the Far East and in Germany before coming to settle in North Yorkshire. Keith and his wife Electra came to Whitby in 1986 to establish Larpool Hall as a country house hotel. He was brought up in the Presbyterian tradition and feels very much at home at Flowergate, formerly a Presbyterian church prior to the Union in 1972, thereby establishing the United Reformed Church.

Brenda was elected to the Eldership in 2017 and was immediately 'volunteered' as the Pulpit Supply Secretary.  Not only does she keep us supplied with a varied group of Lay Preachers and Ministers but also arranges for members to read lessons etc.

She has also been a Trustee for the Trinity Centre for a number of years.

Brenda is a retired teacher and keeps herself fit out on the Golf Course at Northcliff in Scarborough

Stephanie and her twin brother were born in Birmingham but interestingly both were christened at the at the 11th. century Sarnesfield church in Herefordshire. They moved back to Birmingham and were both confirmed into the church of England at St. Johns Church in 1969. After school and college Steph embarked on a nursing career qualifying as an State Enrolled Nurse in 1977 and worked in a range of nursing posts in Birmingham & Sutton Coldfield. During this time she attended Christian Fellowship Meetings and Four Oaks Baptist Church with her nursing friends, where she was baptised 1990. After her parents passed away Steph came to live in Whitby to be near her twin brother and sister-in-law. She was received into membership of Flowergate URC in 2016 and now serves as an Elder.

 David and his wife Julie started to attend our church regularly during 2022, having lived in Northallerton until a few years ago, and they became members of the church early in 2023. David is a retired policeman and has many skills, most notably in the IT and electronics area - he has agreed to take charge of our zoom services.