Equal Opportunities

The Equal Opportunities Committee was formed in 1994:

• to develop detailed equal opportunities policies

• to have oversight of training programmes in equal opportunities

• to monitor the implementation of the equal opportunities policy

• to report annually to the General Assembly on the implementation of the policy.

Committee Members

Convener: Revd Wilf Bahadur Secretary: Miss Ruth Norton

Miss Gloria Bujan, Mr Derek Estill, Mr Hilary Gunn (staff link), Mr Alan Hart, Revd Derek Hopkins,

Revd Sue MacBeth, Miss Sarah Moore

1. Programme

1.1 The work of the Committee to monitor the implementation of the Church’s Equal Opportunities Policy continues by carrying out regular surveys on General Assembly attendance and Church membership together with others requested by Mission Council.

1.2 During the last two years the challenges to ensure equal opportunities within the Church and our communities have increased considerably. Some of these challenges have become more demanding by the increase in legislation, especially in the area of Human Rights.

1.3 To help Churches to understand the work of the committee briefings have been carried out at some Synods and District meetings. We endeavour to provide assistance to any Church or individual who seeks our help.

2. Monitoring at General Assembly

2.1 For the survey of the attendance at General Assembly 2003, 578 monitoring forms were sent to representatives. There were 395 responses – 185 from Ministers (47% of Ministers attending) and 210 from Lay Representatives (53 % of those attending)

2.2 The results of our survey, together with a comparison of the survey in 1999, are tabulated below:

3. Equal Opportunities Policy for Local Churches

This Policy document has been updated at the annual review and is now available on the United Reformed Church web site. Included with this document are some useful addresses for enquiries and for the provision of up to date information.

4. Recommendations from the report of the Task Group on Personal and Conciliar Leadership and Authority to Mission Council

Two of the recommendations from this Task Group were referred to the Equal Opportunities Committee.

4.1 The first was to ‘arrange for an audit to be taken of those exercising personal leadership throughout the United Reformed Church with a view to discovering if any imbalances exists in the type of people appointed to particular roles.’

To carry out this audit, the Committee is producing a proforma in consultation with Synod Clerks.

It is envisaged that the information on people in Synod and District leadership roles will provide details for this audit through their Synod Clerk. We are grateful for the help, constructive and useful comments, and agreement to assist in this survey from Synod Clerks. Details on Synod Moderators, Conveners of Assembly committees and staff holding Assembly appointments have been obtained from the relevant sections at Church House.

4.2 The second area for investigation was to ‘take account of imbalances that are found to exist in the membership of our councils or in the range of people appointed to leadership roles and consider how procedures, patterns of meetings, job descriptions and advertisements can be altered to help us achieve our declared ideas of inclusivity.’

A method to gather the information and to analyse the results is being discussed in Committee. Work is being undertaken to assess the areas for investigation and the most effective way of collecting and presenting information on membership of the different councils of the Church.

This survey needs to be carried out at every level within the Church and we are looking at these areas with a view to suggesting specific areas from which Mission Council may be able to guide us in prioritising the start.

5. Placement of Ordinands

Some investigations were carried out into this subject in 1998. However a letter from the Convener of the Westminster College Board of Governors, forwarded to the Committee by the General Secretary, raised some current concerns on this matter. A limited survey has been carried out, for the past two years, with the help of the Synod Moderators Meeting and the committee is investigating setting up a system to monitor the process for the Ordinands leaving College in 2005. We are aware that discussions are taking place on the movement of ministers and that any change in the process may affect Ordinands.

6. Representation at and working with other Committees

6.1 A member of the Committee continues to be present at the Annual National Assessment Conference Training at Windermere to give advice and guidance to ensure that all applicants are treated in the same manner and given the same opportunities to present to the Interviewing Panel their sense of ‘call’ to the Ministry of Word and Sacrament.

6.2 Two members of the committee facilitated a workshop at the 2003 Fury Assembly.

6.3 Two members gave a presentation on the work of the Equal Opportunities Committee at a Training Committee meeting at Westminster College.

6.4 The Convener of the Equal Opportunities Committee and the Secretary for Training are discussing some areas of interest and how both committees may improve communicating these in the future.

6.5 Discussions are ongoing with the Life and Witness Committee so that matters of joint interest may be addressed together.

6.6 Our work on issues of race is carried out in conjunction with the Racial Justice Committee.

7. Membership of the Committee

This year, Ruth Norton, our Secretary for the past five years and Sarah Moore, our Youth representative, complete their term as members of the Committee. Hilary Gunn our staff link and a founder member of the Committee is retiring. We are grateful for their contributions and their work to promote and monitor the implementation of The Equal Opportunities Policy within the Church. We wish them every blessing as they continue to make their contribution to the life of our Church in other ways.