Revd Dr. Tessa Henry-Robinson
Moderator of the free churches group
Since being elected as the 62nd Free Churches Moderator by the twenty-nine Free Church denominations of England and Wales in April 2025, Tessa Henry-Robinson has given the Free Churches Group a key public presence. She also serves as one of the Presidents of Churches Together in England, maintaining links with several other key organisations.
“I am profoundly committed to inclusivity, justice and love, and to fostering unity and collaboration among diverse Christian denominations.
The role of Moderator of the Free Churches Group I provides a welcome opportunity for me to work cooperatively and collaboratively in an ecumenical capacity.
I believe that my diverse Christian background, and ongoing engagements within my denomination, the United Reformed Church (URC), which is itself an ecumenical union of churches, have uniquely prepared me for this role.
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About Tessa Henry-Robinson
Revd Dr Tessa Henry-Robinson serves as Moderator of the Free Churches Group, bringing to the role a heartfelt commitment to justice, inclusion, and transformative leadership rooted in a deep faith and lived experience.
Originally from Trinidad and Tobago, Dr Henry-Robinson’s 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, Dr Henry-Robinson brings bold vision, theological depth, and a heartfelt commitment to ecumenism, reconciliation, and justice.
