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THE UNITED REFORMED CHURCH

Minutes of the General Assembly of the United Reformed Church 2003

Monday, 7 July 2003 First Session

The Chaplain led opening worship; Bible study was led by the Revd Lance Stone.

Fellowship of United Reformed Youth

A presentation on behalf of FURY was given.

Racial Justice Committee

The committee report was presented by the Convener, the Revd Andrew Prasad, who then moved adoption of Resolution 27:

Resolution 27 Refugees & Asylum Seekers

General Assembly, noting the strength of feeling on the issue of refugees and asylum seekers in our society today, urges all members and local churches of the United Reformed Church to:

a) acknowledge the unequivocal call of the Bible to care for the stranger in our

midst and to respond to the needs of strangers in our own neighbourhoods

with compassion and practical friendship;

b) seek to address our own attitudes towards refugees and asylum seekers with honesty and in ways that reflect the quality of our faith and commitment to our caring God;

c) seek to live out the Gospel of Jesus Christ in relation to refugees and asylum seekers through challenging the selfishness and racism that their presence has exposed, and by resisting any attempts to make this racism socially acceptable, whilst being aware that honest attempts to do so may lead to

ridicule by many in British society.

Dr Pamela Cressey moved the following amendment:

Add: ‘d) join with other non-Governmental Organisations in active local and national campaigning to further the above aims.’

Seconded by the Revd William Mahood.

The amendment was carried.

After discussion, the Convener responded and the amended Resolution 27 was put to the vote.

Resolution 27 was carried.

Ecumenical Committee

At the invitation of the Convener of the Ecumenical Committee, the Revd John Rees, the Moderator greeted:

The Revd Kevin Davies, Union of Welsh Independents;

the Revd Graham Adams, Congregational Federation;

the Revd Francis Amenu, Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Ghana – completing four years’ service in London;

Mrs Jasmine Jebakani, Church of South India – completing four years’ work with the Southern Theological Education and Training Scheme;

and welcomed:

Revd Chang Jen-Ho, Presbyterian Church of Taiwan – working with Taiwanese students in Manchester;

Revd Henry Iputau, Congregational Christian Church of Samoa – Mission Enabler at Princes Street, Norwich.

Mr Rees then presented the report of the Ecumenical Committee.

The Revd Elizabeth Welch took the Chair.

For debate on the report of the Ecumenical Committee, the Moderator restricted speeches to three minutes.

Mr Rees responded to questions. The Assembly Clerk moved adoption of Resolution 28:

Resolution 28 Ecumenical Bishop in Wales

General Assembly resolves to proceed no farther with the constitutional proposals regarding an Ecumenical Bishop in Wales.

Resolution 28 was carried.

The Revd Alasdair Pratt resumed the Chair.

Mr Rees moved adoption of Resolution 18:

Resolution 18 Anglican Methodist Covenant

General Assembly

a) gives thanks to God for the proposal of an Anglican Methodist Covenant as a significant move towards the Christian unity for which we pray and to which we, as a united and uniting church are committed in our Basis of Union – and as a strengthening of God’s mission to the world through the co-operation it encourages.

b) Rejoicing in the stated commitment of the Church of England, the Methodist Church and the United Reformed Church to the unity of the Church of Christ, instructs the Ecumenical Committee to explore with these two churches (but with an openness to other partners) what further steps would be necessary to form a covenantal relationship or relationships between or among these churches.

c) Gives thanks to God for Conversations on the Way to Unity, the report of the tri-lateral informal conversations between the three churches, for the common ground it uncovers, for its honest exploration of difference within the one body of Christ and for the dedicated service of those who represented the United Reformed Church – Revd Robert Andrews, Revd John Waller, Revd Elizabeth Welch and Revd Sheila Maxey.

d) affirms the agenda for further work on this ecumenical journey with these partners as set out in paragraph 73 of Conversations on the Way to Unity:

• the relationship between how we understand the nature of the Church and our

understanding of the nature of and path to Christian unity

• the relationship between personal and conciliar oversight and authority in the life of the church, locally and more widely

• our understandings of ordination and authorisation of the whole range of ministries

• the relationship between and understanding of baptism and membership

• and adds, as a matter of priority, from the riches of our traditions and for the sake of the mission of the Church, the question of how ministry is (and may be) exercised through persons and councils, locally and more widely, by the whole people of God; and how such ministry is to be recognised within a covenantal relationship.

e) mindful that all ministries in the United Reformed Church are open to both men and women (Basis of Union para 25) and that “the United Reformed Church declares that the Lord Jesus Christ, the only ruler and head of the Church, has therein appointed a government distinct from civil government and in things spiritual not subordinate thereto’ (Basis of Union Schedule D.8), requires the Ecumenical Committee in any future conversations to keep before the Church of England our concerns about its present limits to women’s ministry and our difficulties with its present established position.

Following debate, Resolution 18 was put to the vote.

Resolution 18 was carried.

The General Secretary of the Council for World Mission, the Revd Dr Desmond van der Water, addressed the Assembly.

The Revd John Rees moved adoption of Resolution 19:

Resolution 19 Belonging to the World Church

The General Assembly receiving the report of the Ecumenical Committee on the Belonging to the World Church programme

a) welcomes what has been achieved and encourages the committee to continue to develop the programme, and

b) encourages more people to make use of the opportunities it offers to experience and learn from the world church and so enrich the life and witness of the United Reformed Church.

Resolution 19 was carried.

The Moderator greeted the Revd Sheila Maxey, retiring Secretary of the Ecumenical Committee, the Revd Terry Oakley and the Revd Howard Sharp, newly appointed Moderators of East Midlands and Mersey Synods, and Dr Philip Theaker, National Lay Preaching Commissioner.

The Assembly Clerk moved adoption of Resolution 30:

Resolution 30 Amendment to the Minutes of Assembly 2002

General Assembly notes the corrected version of Resolution 56 of Assembly 2002.

The corrected text of Resolution 56 of Assembly 2002 therefore reads:

Resolution 30 Amendment to the Minutes of Assembly 2002

General Assembly agrees with Mission Council that the present URC guidelines on ethical investment cannot be a ‘final position’ and welcomes the commitment of the Ethical Investment Advisory Group to take the lead in further work.

Assembly requests the Ethical Investment Advisory Group:

i) to give particular attention to:

a) the more detailed research and policies of some sister churches;

b) the scope for greater URC participation in relevant ecumenical bodies;

c) the option of the day-to-day investment decisions being given to managers explicitly committed to a Christian ethos.

and

i) to bring recommendations to the 2003 meeting of the General Assembly through Mission Council.

Resolution 30 was carried.

Assembly adjourned.

Monday 7 July 2002 Second Session