The name ‘Wessex’ has interesting connotations, both historically and in literature. The area of the Wessex Synod includes the whole of Dorset, Hampshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire, the Isle of Wight and the Channel Islands, together with about half of Surrey and small parts of Buckinghamshire and Wiltshire.   Not surprisingly, this geographical spread provides a wide variety of communities: University cities and seaside resorts, industry and commerce, tourism and agriculture. This diversity is certainly reflected in the local churches.

The Synod consists of 129 churches. Some of those churches have been established for 350 years, others have been born within the last ten years. There are those with long years of tradition behind them and others still exploring life and worship together as Local Ecumenical Partnerships. There are a considerable number of United Churches and ecumenical relationships generally are strong, with active ‘Churches Together’ bodies in all the counties and good co-operation among all the ‘Church Leaders’.

On behalf of the whole United Reformed Church, the Synod has developed exciting and valued links with the Nord-Normandie Region of the Église Protestante Unie de France and with the United Church of Zambia.