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THE UNITED REFORMED CHURCH Minutes of the General Assembly of the United Reformed Church 2005
Saturday, 2 July 2005 Second SessionThe Moderator welcomed those who were attending the Assembly for the first time and introduced the people on the platform.
The Convener of the Assembly Arrangements Committee, Mr William McVey, presented the Order of Business, drawing attention to the list of errors and omissions in the Book of Reports. Mr McVey gave notice of procedures for addressing the Catch the Vision report.
Retiring Moderator
The retiring Moderator, the Revd Sheila Maxey, addressed the Assembly, reflecting on her year in office.
Nomination of Moderator 2006-7
The Assembly Clerk moved adoption of Resolution 53:
Enabling Resolution
General Assembly resolves: a) to suspend the Rules of Procedure for the conduct of the United Reformed Church paragraph 33 and to accept nominations for Moderator of the General Assembly 2006-7 submitted by Synods and their Executive Committees received after 31 March. b) To request Mission Council to bring forward proposals for changes to the Rules of Procedure which will address the problem of years when no Synod nominates by the stated date.
Resolution 53 was carried.
The Revd Peter McIntosh took the Chair.
The Honorary Treasurer, Mr Eric Chilton, presented the report of the Finance Committee and, on behalf of the committee, moved adoption of Resolution 21:
Accounts
General Assembly adopts the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2004.
Resolution 21 was carried. Mr Chilton moved adoption of Resolution 22:
Appointment of Auditors
General Assembly resolves that PriceWaterhouseCoopers LLP be appointed auditors of the United Reformed Church, to hold office until the conclusion of the next meeting at which accounts are laid before General Assembly and that their remuneration be fixed by the Finance Committee.
Resolution 22 was carried.
Mr Chilton moved adoption of Resolution 23:
Ministry and Mission Fund
General Assembly gratefully acknowledges the giving of the churches in 2004 to the Ministry and Mission Fund and the work of the local church, district and synod treasurers.
Resolution 23 was carried.
Mr Chilton moved adoption of Resolution 18:
2006 Budget
General Assembly accepts the budget for the year 2006 as set out in the Book of Accounts.
Resolution 18 was carried.
The Moderator, on behalf of the Assembly, thanked Ms Avis Reaney for her service to the Church on her departure after five years as Secretary for Finance.
The General Secretary, on behalf of Mission Council, moved adoption of Resolution 12:
Resolution 12 Ratification of changes to Section O, Part 1
General Assembly agrees to ratify its decision to make the following changes to Part 1 of the Section O Process for Ministerial Discipline:
General Assembly agrees to make the following changes to Part 1 of the Section O Process for Ministerial Discipline:
Paragraph 4.2
Add the following words at the end of this Paragraph: ‘… but any person who reaches the end of the term of his/her appointment on the Commission Panel whilst serving as a member of an Assembly Commission in a case in progress may continue so to serve until the conclusion of that case.’
Paragraph 9
The existing Paragraph 9 to become 9.1 and a new paragraph to be added as 9.2:
‘9.2 As part of such consideration, the Assembly Commission or Appeals Commission shall be entitled to have regard to any conduct on the part of a Minister occurring prior to his/her ordination to the ministry which, in the Commission’s view and when viewed in the light of schedule E to the Basis of Union, would have prevented, or was likely to have prevented, him/her from becoming ordained, where such conduct was not disclosed by the Minister to those responsible for assessing his/her candidacy for ordination.’
Resolution 12 was carried.
The General Secretary, of behalf of Mission Council, moved adoption of Resolution 13:
Ratification of changes to the Structure regarding the resignation of ministers
General Assembly agrees to the following changes to the Structure of the United Reformed Church:
Paragraph 2(3)A(viii)
Insert the words ‘not currently the subject of any case within the Section O Process for Ministerial Discipline referred to in Function (xviii) below’ after the word ‘ministers’.
Paragraphs 2(3)A(xviii), 2(4)A(xiv) and 2(5)A(xxiii)
In all these paragraphs, delete the words ‘following initial enquiry’ on the first line and add the words ‘at the appropriate time as specified in that Process’ at the end of the paragraph.
Paragraph 2(3)(B)
Delete the existing Paragraph 2(3)(B) and replace it with the following:
B.1 ‘As soon as any minister becomes the subject of a case under the Section O Process for Ministerial Discipline, the District Council shall not exercise any of its functions in respect of that minister in such a manner as to affect, compromise or interfere with the due process of that case, provided that the provision of such pastoral care as shall be deemed appropriate shall not be regarded as a breech of the Paragraph.’
B.2 ‘The responsibility for calling in the District Council’s Mandated Group to conduct an Initial Enquiry which marks the beginning of the Disciplinary Process rests with the Synod Moderator acting in consultation with such officers of the District Council as s/he considers appropriate’.
Paragraph 2(4)(B)
Deleting the existing Paragraph 2(4)(B) and replacing it with the following:
‘As soon as any minister becomes the subject of a case under the Section O Process for Ministerial Discipline, the Synod shall not exercise any of its functions in respect of that minister in such a manner as to affect, compromise or interfere with the due process of that case, provided that the provision of such pastoral care as shall be deemed appropriate shall not be regarded as a breech of this Paragraph’.
Final unlettered paragraph immediately after Paragraph 2(5)A(xxiv)
Delete this paragraph and replace it with the following:
2(5)(B) ‘As soon as any minister becomes the subject of a case against a minister under the Section O Process for Ministerial Discipline, neither General Assembly nor Mission Council on its behalf shall exercise any of General Assembly’s functions in respect of that minister in such a manner as to affect, compromise or interfere with the due process of that case, provided that the provision of such pastoral care as shall be deemed appropriate shall not be regarded as a breach of this Paragraph’.
Paragraph 2(4)A(viii)
Amend the reference in this paragraph from Function (xv) to (xiv).
Resolution 13 was carried.
The General Secretary, on behalf of Mission Council, moved adoption of Resolution 14:
Ratification of a Constitutional Change to the Basis of Union
General Assembly resolves to amend the Basis of Union and Structure of the United Reformed Church as follows:
Add to the end of paragraph 22 of the Basis of Union (as agreed by General Assembly in 2003): Their service may be stipendiary or non-stipendiary, and in the latter case their service is given within the area of a District or Area Council and in a context it has approved”.
Amend paragraph B2(3)(A)(iii) on page B6 (July 2000 edition of The Manual) to read: “to appoint, or to concur in the appointment of, non-stipendiary ministers and church-related community workers to their particular service and to review this service at stated intervals.”
Resolution 14 was carried.
The Convener of the Ministries Committee, Mr John Ellis, on behalf of Mission Council, moved adoption of Resolution 15:
Non-Stipendiary Church-Related Community Workers
General Assembly resolves to make the following changes to the Plan for Partnership in Ministerial Remuneration:
a) Amend section 5.4.3 to read: ‘Non-stipendiary ministers and non-stipendiary CRCW’s b) Amend section 9.2.1. to read: ‘An interest free loan is available to ordinands for the stipendiary ministry at the time of their ordination; to stipendiary CRCW’s upon commissioning; and to former non-stipendiary ministers and non-stipendiary CRCW’s at the time they transfer to stipendiary service (see Appendix A).’
Resolution 15 was carried.
The Assembly Clerk moved adoption of Resolution 17:
Authorisation to make changes to Equal Opportunities Policy consequent to changes in the law
General Assembly resolves that Mission Council, acting in the name of General Assembly, shall have the authority by a single resolution of that council to make as and when necessary and with immediate effect such changes to any part of the Equal Opportunities policy as are, on the advice of the legal advisors to the United Reformed Church, required to bring that policy into line with the general law of the land consequent upon any changes in legislation and/or case law.
Resolution 17 was carried.
The General Secretary moved adoption of Resolution 5:
Closure of Local Churches
General Assembly receives notice of the closure of the local churches listed below and give thanks to God for their worship, witness and service throughout their history.
Broadway, Hammersmith Thames North Ecclestone Mersey Foxhole, Paignton South Western Salem, Great Bridge West Midlands Silverdale, Newcastle-under-Lyme West Midlands South Ockendon Eastern St Thomas, Exeter South Western Swinton Yorkshire
Resolution 5 was carried.
The Moderator then led the Assembly in prayer. Mr McIntosh left the Chair and Dr Peel resumed the Chair.
The General Secretary moved adoption of Resolution 4:
New Churches
General Assembly receives the churches listed below as local churches of the United Reformed Church.
Trinity Church, Cottam Hall North Western Great Notley Eastern Gamston East Midlands
Resolution 4 was carried.
The Assembly welcomed the Revd Lena Talbot, representing Trinity Church, Cottam Hall; Mr Tom Chacko, Mrs Marian Summers and the Revd Michael Rigney, representing Great Notley; and Mr Tony Bray, representing Gamston.
The Revd Roberta Rominger presented the report of the Synod Moderators, which the Assembly received with applause.
After brief discussion the Moderator, on behalf of the Assembly, thanked the Synod Moderators for their report.
After worship led by the Chaplain, the Assembly adjourned.
Sunday
3 July 2005 First Session
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