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THE UNITED REFORMED CHURCH

Minutes of the General Assembly of the United Reformed Church 2004

Monday July 5 2004 First Session

Opening worship was conducted by the Chaplain; Bible study was led by the Revd Janet Tollington.

Synod Moderators’ Report

The Revd Elizabeth Caswell presented the Report of the Synod Moderators.

The Moderator, on behalf of the Assembly, thanked the Synod Moderators for their report and for their work throughout the year. She greeted the Revd John Arthur, who would be retiring in March 2005.

The Assembly Clerk moved adoption of Resolution 45:

Resolution 45

General Assembly directs that in addition to the names of former ministers and missionaries commemorated at the Assembly Communion, the General Secretary shall include the names of such former moderators and clerks of Assembly, whose deaths have been notified to the Assembly Office during the previous twelve months, not otherwise included in the list.

Seconded by the General Secretary.

Resolution 45 was carried.

The Moderator then called on the Assembly to stand in silence in memory of Mr Raymond Arthur Heritage, Moderator of the General Assembly 1986-87.

The Revd Alasdair Pratt took the Chair.

Nominations

The Revd Principal Stephen Orchard, on behalf of the Nominations Committee, moved adoption of Resolution 32:

Resolution 32

Appointment of Synod Moderators 1

General Assembly notes the following guidance, adopted by Mission Council, for the Appointment of Synod Moderators and the Review of their Appointments.

A. New appointments

1. Preparing for meeting

1.1 The Nominating Group for an initial appointment by General Assembly will consist of eight people. Four people, including the Convenor of the Group, will be appointed by the Nominations Committee from a panel elected by the General Assembly. Four people will be appointed by the Synod where the vacancy exists and will be responsible for ensuring that the views of church members throughout the area of the Synod are given proper consideration.

1.2 The General Secretary will normally act as secretary to the Group and will arrange the dates and places of meetings. The beginning of the process will most probably be in the September prior to the Assembly at which the appointment will be made.

1.3 All costs will be met by the synod to which the appointment is being made, except the out of pocket expenditure of those appointed by the Nominations Committee, which will be a charge on the General Assembly. The services provided by the General Secretary and his/her office shall not be a charge on the Group.

1.4 The Synod Clerk will ensure that a comprehensive process of consultation is carried out within the Districts and churches of the Synod and among ecumenical partners before the Group holds its first meeting. The Synod Clerk may serve as a voting member of the Nominating Group.

1.5 The Convenor of the Group and the Synod Clerk will circulate to members of the Group a draft job description and person profile, incorporating the appropriate national and local requirements. The Group will normally approve these by correspondence and will only meet to consider these documents when the Convenor judges there is a serious disagreement. The Synod Clerk will advertise the vacancy in Reform and within the synod. The advertisement should also be posted on appropriate web sites. The advertisement will make it clear that both applications and nominations will be welcomed. The Synod Clerk will oversee the process of issuing details to enquirers. Where the Synod Clerk is advised of a nomination the nominee will be contacted by letter and invited, if willing to be considered, to supply appropriate documentation. All nominees shall receive what is essentially the same letter and be advised who has made the nomination. The closing date for applications will allow details to be circulated to members of the Nominating Group before the short-listing meeting.

2. The meetings of the Nominating Group

2.1 The Nominating Group will agree a short list of applicants to be interviewed. If, in the judgment of the Group, there are no suitable applicants, the Group may re-advertise the post and invite applications from people, or nominations of people, who have not yet been considered.

2.2 The second meeting will carry out interviews with the short-listed candidates and arrive at a name for nomination to the General Assembly. In the event of failure to reach unanimous agreement the support of three Synod and three General Assembly members of the Group is an acceptable basis for a nomination but a simple majority decision is not.

2.3 The Nominating Group will normally bring its recommendation to the Nominations Committee for presentation to the Mission Council in March, there to be confirmed or not. This will enable the General Secretary to arrange preparation for the Moderator-elect and a formal reception at the July General Assembly. However, circumstances may require a different time-table.

B. The re-appointment of a serving Synod Moderator

3. Preparing for meeting

3.1 Before a Review Group is appointed the General Secretary will ascertain from the Moderator concerned whether she/he wishes to be considered for a further period of service. This consultation should take place in time for a Review Group to be formed, consider the matter and reach a conclusion no later than eight months before the end of the current appointment. The Review Group, appointed by the Nominations Committee, will consist of five people from outside the synod concerned. The General Secretary or, in his/her absence, the Deputy General Secretary, will provide services to the Group.

3.2 The synod will appoint its own internal Review Panel, consisting of one representative from each District or equivalent structure under the convenorship of the Synod Clerk. The members of this group would be charged to consult as widely as possible within their constituency. They should meet with the synod Moderator to discover the Moderator’s view of the way his/her work has developed and her/his vision for a possible further period of service. The records of any appraisal system should be made available for such a meeting. The panel will then arrive at the synod’s view of whether an invitation should be issued for a further time of service.

4. The meetings of the Review Group

4.1 The Review Group will receive written submissions from the Moderator and the Review Panel. They will then meet separately with the Moderator and the Review Panel, or its representatives, and interview them on the basis of their submissions. The Review Group will then reach a conclusion on the re-appointment and inform the Nominations Committee who will bring it to Mission Council no later than six months before the conclusion of the appointment.

4.2 If either the synod or those appointed to act on its behalf between meetings (e.g. an Executive Committee) or the Moderator concerned wishes to challenge the decision of the Mission Council they must enter an appeal within one month of the decision being made. The Mission Council shall then appoint a group of five people to hear the appeal and a member of its staff to provide services. The decision of that group will be final.

After discussion, Resolution 32 was carried.

Principal Orchard, on behalf of the Nominations Committee, moved adoption of Resolution 33:

Resolution 33

Appointment of Synod Moderators 2

General Assembly resolves that the Rules of Procedure governing the appointment of Moderators of Synod be amended to read:

7.4 All appointments by the General Assembly to the office of moderator of a synod shall be made on the nomination of a committee consisting of four members appointed by the synod concerned and four members appointed by the Nominations Committee from a panel elected by the General Assembly. The Nominations Committee shall also name the Convener.

7.5 In selecting this representation the synod and Nominations Committee shall have regard to the need to make their selection both widely representative and possessing the necessary skills.

Note: For the procedure to be followed in the appointment and reappointment of moderators of synod see Record of Assembly 2004 [page 31].

Resolution 33 was carried

The Moderator resumed the Chair.

Catch the Vision

The General Secretary, on behalf of the Catch the Vision Steering Group continued the presentation of the Catch the Vision Report, and moved adoption of Resolution 43:

Resolution 43

Catch the Vision

Assembly notes the actions taken by the Catch the Vision Steering Group and endorses its report.

After full discussion, the General Secretary responded, and the Resolution was put to the Asembly.

Resolution 43 was carried.

Resolution 41

Catch the Vision

General Assembly affirms its commitment to paragraph 8 of its Basis of Union, and instructs the Ecumenical Committee to form a small working party to assess what possibilities exist for the United Reformed Church to ‘…… take further steps towards the unity of all God’s people’ and to report back to Mission Council and the 2005 Assembly.’

Resolution 41 was carried

The Moderator welcomed the Revd Andrew Faley, representing the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales.

Life and Witness

The Revd Brian Jolly, on behalf of the Life & Witness Committee sought the Assembly’s permission to withdraw the Life and Witness Report and Resolution 26 because of unresolved legal questions. The Committee now intends to present this business to the 2005 Assembly. The Assembly agreed.

Equal Opportunities

The Revd Wilf Bahadur and Ms Ruth Norton presented the Report of the Equal Opportunities Committee.

The Moderator greeted and offered the Assembly’s good wishes to Ms Norton who is to retire as Secretary to the Equal Opportunities Committee.

East Midlands Synod

The East Midlands Synod made its presentation.

Communications and Editorial

The Report of the Communications and Editorial Committee was presented by the Revd Martin Hazell.

Mr Hazell, on behalf of the Committee, moved adoption of Resolution 21:

Resolution 21

Communication

General Assembly recognising that Communication is at the heart of the Gospel reaffirms the commitment of the United Reformed Church to openness and accessibility in all its discussions and decisions. Accordingly General Assembly instructs the Communications and Editorial Committee, in co-operation with the other committees of General Assembly to work towards:

a) providing open access to all documents and resources not considered to be confidential;

b) the facility for interest groups within the church to engage in discussions at a distance;

c) a framework of common email addresses throughout the church.

Resolution 21 was carried.

Mr Hazell, on behalf of the Committee, moved adoption of Resolution 22:

Resolution 22

Get Noticed

General Assembly recommends to the churches the leaflet “Get Noticed” as a basis of enhancing their visibility in the community.

Resolution 22 was carried.

Assembly adjourned.

Monday 5 July 2004 Second Session