When Members of the Senedd debate Motion NDM9249 put forward by Reform UK, this Wednesday, 17 June, they will be asked to vote on whether Wales should end all of its international spending. Cytûn: Churches Together in Wales has urged them, from every party, to say no.

For a small nation, Cytûn argues, looking outward has never been an indulgence. It is part of who Wales is. Our engagement with the world sustains jobs through trade and inward investment; it opens horizons for young people through the Taith programme, which has already taken learners from every corner of Wales to more than ninety countries; and it honours our commitments to neighbours living in extreme poverty through the Wales and Africa programme. Wales is the world’s first Fair Trade Nation and a Nation of Sanctuary — and a globally responsible Wales is a duty already written into our law through the Well-being of Future Generations Act.

The sums at stake are modest: a fraction of one per cent of the Welsh budget. The return — in prosperity, reputation and good conscience — is considerable.

This outward gaze is not new. A century ago, in 1924, some 390,296 women of Wales — almost a third of the nation’s women — signed a peace petition appealing to the women of America to help build a world ruled by law rather than war. They organised house to house, through chapels and congregations the length and breadth of the country, the memorial of more than seven miles of signatures was returned home to Wales in 2023 and now rests in the National Library. It is a reminder that friendship and responsibility beyond our borders run deep in the life of our churches and communities.

Deeper Concern

Cytûn’s concern, however, runs deeper than this single motion. The body has expressed real disquiet at a style of politics that reduces complex questions to false either/or choices, and at motions framed less to govern than to divide.

Dr Cynan Llwyd, General Secretary of Cytûn, who issued the briefing, said:

“At a moment of genuine global challenge, the people of Wales are entitled to legislators who take their office seriously — representing all their constituents, weighing all competing views in good faith, and choosing the patient work of building up over the theatre of dividing. Now that the binary politics of the election is behind us, we hope Members will model the kind of public life that seeks common ground rather than fresh division.”

Cytûn will continue, without fear or favour, to stand for a Wales that is confident, generous and unafraid of the world beyond its shores — and, at the start of this seventh Senedd, we call for a politics conducted with grace, compassion and a genuine regard for all.

Cytûn has shared the full briefing on Motion NDM9249 with Members of the Senedd.

The United Reformed Church’s daily devotion for 8 June 2026, written by a familiar friend of Cytûn offers a timely and theologically rich reflection on Romans 13 and the limits of civil obedience.

Each morning, the United Reformed Church sends out a reading, reflection, and short prayer to help Christians focus on their journey of discipleship. The devotions are written by over 100 contributors from across the denomination and beyond, and are available by email, on URC social media, and on the URC Daily Devotions website where you can also sign up to receive them directly to your inbox.

Today’s edition, the first in a two-week series on Church and State, is written by the Revd Gethin Rhys — a retired URC minister, long-standing ecumenical voice, and former Policy Officer at Cytûn : Churches Together in Wales. Gethin remains an active friend and supporter of Cytun’s work, and his contribution to the daily devotion programme is warmly welcomed.

Drawing on Romans 13, Gethin opens up the apparent tension between Paul’s call to submit to governing authorities and the URC’s own Basis of Union, which asserts that the Church “is not subordinate to the state” in matters of obedience to God. It is a distinction, as Gethin notes, that often surprises those who come from an established church tradition.

With characteristic wit and pastoral wisdom, Gethin challenges a too-easy invocation of Christian vocation as a licence to break the law — using the example of clergy who treat speeding fines as a badge of spiritual dedication. The reflection asks a harder question: does God truly call us to risk others’ safety in the name of ministry?

The devotion closes with a prayer for the discernment needed to distinguish genuine obedience to God from what is merely convenient to ourselves — a challenge as pressing for churches in Wales today as it was in first-century Rome.

This is the first in a series Gethin will contribute over the coming fortnight, and we commend it warmly to all who engage with questions of public theology, civil authority, and the witness of the Church in society.

Read the full devotion and sign up to receive the URC Daily Devotions.

Cytûn is pleased to confirm that the 2026 Welcome to Wales course will take place from 23–25 September 2026 at Sport Wales’s Centre, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff.

The course is designed for ministers and Christian workers who are coming to work in Wales for the first time, or returning after a period away. It offers an opportunity to become more familiar with the Welsh context, meet others beginning ministry or service in Wales, and prepare well for working within Welsh communities.

Both residential and non-residential applications are welcome. The closing date for applications is 30 August 2026.

For more information, or to apply, visit the Welcome to Wales 2026 course page. For queries, please contact Sasha Perriam at post@cytun.cymru.

Cytûn was pleased to be present at Eisteddfod yr Urdd in Ynys Môn last week, as part of our wider summer programme of engagement across Wales.

The Urdd Eisteddfod, which took place from 23–29 May 2026, provided a valuable opportunity to meet visitors, speak with partners, and share more about the work of Churches Together in Wales. During the week, Cytûn recorded a series of interviews, including conversations with first-time visitors to the Maes and with leaders from member denominations in Wales and across the UK.

These videos are now live on the Cytûn website under the Events section and are also available on the Cytûn Facebook page.

Cytûn’s summer programme continues with support for local members at the Llangollen International Eisteddfod from 7–12 July 2026, followed by our presence at the Royal Welsh Show in Llanelwedd from 20–23 July 2026, and the National Eisteddfod at Y Garreg Las, near Cardigan, from 1–8 August 2026.

Through these national gatherings, Cytûn continues to encourage conversation, cooperation and shared witness in communities across Wales. Additional volunteers and visitors are always welcome.

Churches across the UK are being invited to take part in Disability Awareness Sunday 2026, with the release of a free, creative new resource available to download from Christian charity Through the Roof (www.throughtheroof.org).

The 2026 theme, ‘One Body, Many Parts’, draws on 1 Corinthians 12 and celebrates the truth that the Church is not complete without disabled people. The official date is 27 September 2026, though churches are encouraged to take part on any Sunday that works for them.

Seeing things differently
At the heart of the new resource is the vision of Triona Brading, a young autistic Christian, Roofbreaker disability champion with Through the Roof, and ministry trainee. Triona brings insight, joy and imagination to the biblical image of the Body of Christ. She shares her perspective as an autistic Christian in the main video she made for churches to show for Disability Awareness Sunday:

Her gentle humour opens up a powerful challenge: what does it really mean for the Church to live as one body, where every person — disabled or not — is welcomed, needed and able to play their part?

FREE resource for churches!
The free Disability Awareness Sunday 2026 Resource includes:

• Two short videos
• A ready‑to‑use service outline
• Practical ideas for all-age worship and youth activities.

The resources are designed to help churches move beyond awareness towards Access, Belonging and Commission: the ABC of Disability Inclusion, and to spark conversations that can lead to lasting change.

Churches can request the free resource now at:  
throughtheroof.org/forchurches/disability-awareness-sunday

Show the video. Pray together. Celebrate every member of Christ’s Body.

As churches across the UK – and beyond – join in, Through the Roof hopes Disability Awareness Sunday 2026 will inspire many to say with confidence: we are one body, with many parts – and everyone matters.

The 2026 Senedd election has led to the biggest change in the composition of the Welsh Parliament since the start of devolution. The expansion of the Senedd to 96 Members, together with the introduction of a more proportional electoral system, has created a more politically diverse Chamber, with no party holding an overall majority.

The chart below provides a detailed breakdown of the new composition of the Senedd.

As Plaid Cymru becomes the largest party in the Senedd for the first time since devolution, its leader Rhun ap Iorwerth has declared his intention to secure the role of First Minister.

Reform UK has also gained significant representation in the Senedd for the first time, enough to form the opposition, while Labour has seen a dramatic reduction in its number of seats. Meanwhile, the Conservatives have also lost ground, and the Liberal Democrats remain with one elected member with the Greens also winning two seats for the first time.

The Senedd is expected to operate in a more collaborative and negotiated political environment. However, with major policy differences between the centre-left parties and Reform, this will not be easy to achieve.

Building coalitions and working together on specific issues will play a more important role in forming and sustaining the next Welsh Government. Smaller parties and individual groups may have greater influence over legislation and policy priorities than in previous Senedds.

The intention behind the new electoral arrangements was to make the Senedd more representative of votes cast across Wales. The results suggest that the balance of seats reflects the national share of the vote more closely than under the previous system.

Dr Cynan Llwyd, General Secretary of Cytûn said: “Churches Together in Wales offers its congratulations to Plaid Cymru on its victory in the 2026 Senedd election, and to Rhun ap Iorwerth as he prepares to serve as First Minister of Wales.

At this moment of change in our national life, we pray for him, for all elected Members of the Senedd, and for all who carry the responsibilities of public service. We ask God to grant wisdom, humility and courage, and to strengthen every effort made for the common good.

The churches of Wales stand ready to work constructively with the new Welsh Government and with partners across society to foster unity, cooperation and hope. We particularly welcome the call to “uncompromising compassion”, and pray that this spirit will shape public life in Wales in the years ahead.”