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general assembly
THE UNITED REFORMED CHURCH
Minutes of the General Assembly of the United Reformed Church 2005
Tuesday, 5 July 2005
Opening worship
was conducted by the chaplain; Bible study was led by the Revd Dr Israel
Selvanayagam.
The Convener of
the Assembly Arrangements Committee moved adoption of the Resolution:
General
Assembly remits Resolutions 8, 9, 10 and 11 (Section O and Ministerial
Incapacity) to Mission Council for consideration and such action as it
deems necessary.
Following an
explanation by the Clerk the Resolution was carried.
The Moderator
greeted Mrs Rosemary Johnstone, Children’s Advocate, pending her
retirement in March 2006.
Wessex Synod
The Wessex Synod
made its presentation.
The Revd Alasdair
Pratt took the Chair.
Synod
Resolution
The Revd Andrew
Francis, on behalf of the South Western Synod, moved adoption of
Resolution 1:
Resolution 1
Detention without trial
General
Assembly notes with concern the actions of Her Majesty’s Government in
introducing ‘detention without trial’ for UK citizens and passport
holders and calls for the rapid repeal of the relevant legislation.
Seconded by Miss
Sara Crabb.
Resolution 1 was
carried.
Assembly
Arrangements
The report of the
Assembly Arrangements Committee was presented by the Convener, Mr
William McVey.
Mr McVey moved
adoption of Resolution 19:
Resolution 19
General Assembly 2007
Assembly
agrees that the General Assembly in 2007 will meet at the University of
Manchester (Fallowfield Campus) from 7th to 10th July.
Resolution 19 was
carried.
Catch the Vision
Mr McVey moved
adoption of Resolution 43:
Resolution 43
General Assembly
General
Assembly resolves that, as from 2007, General Assembly shall meet every
two years.
After discussion,
the Revd Wilf Bahadur proposed that the Resolution should be now put. Seconded by the Revd David
Bedford. The Assembly agreed.
Resolution 43 was
carried with more than the required two thirds majority.
The General
Secretary proposed that: ‘In accordance with Paragraph 3(1) of the
Structure, Resolution 43 be referred to Synods with the 31st March 2006
as the final date for responses to the General Secretary as to whether
or not this constitutional amendment be proceeded with.’ The Assembly
agreed.
Mr McVey moved
adoption of Resolution 44:
Resolution 44
General Assembly
General
Assembly instructs the Assembly Arrangements Committee to prepare a
detailed scheme for a representative Assembly of 250 people, and report
to the 2006 Assembly.
The Revd Peter
Southcombe proposed the following amendment:
General
Assembly instructs the Assembly Arrangements Committee to prepare
detailed schemes which offer options for a revised Assembly of about 250
people, and report to the 2006 Assembly.
Seconded by the
Revd Alastair Smeaton
Mr McVey
indicated that the amendment was acceptable to the proposer.
A number of
members proposed that the Resolution be now put. The Assembly agreed.
The amended
Resolution was carried.
Resolution 44
General Assembly
General
Assembly instructs the Assembly Arrangements Committee to prepare
detailed schemes which offer options for a revised Assembly of about 250
people, and report to the 2006 Assembly.
Catch the Vision
The General
Secretary moved adoption of Resolution 37:
Resolution 37
Electronic Media
General
Assembly instructs the Communications and Editorial Committee to
undertake a feasibility study on the use of electronic media as a method
of communication in the United Reformed Church and to report to the 2006
Assembly.
Revd Dr Walter
Houston proposed that the resolution be not put.
Seconded by the
Revd Peter Clark.
The proposal
fell.
Resolution 37 was
carried.
The General
Secretary moved adoption of Resolution 48:
Resolution 48
Catch the Vision
General
Assembly instructs Mission Council to oversee a cross-committee report
on Eldership which will bring together Doctrine, Prayer and Worship’s
own work on models within the Reformed tradition with the unresolved
questions from Conversations on the Way to Unity and the work of Life
and Witness about the structures of the local church.
Resolution 48 was
carried.
The General
Secretary moved adoption of Resolution 49:
Resolution 49
Catch the Vision
General
Assembly instructs the Ecumenical Committee, the Doctrine, Prayer and
Worship Committee and the Advisory Group on Faith and Order, to consult
with our Anglican partners in the three nations to consider how best to
revisit and build on the report ‘God’s reign and our unity', in
particular regarding the issue of episcope.
Resolution 49 was
carried.
The General
Secretary moved adoption of Resolution 50:
Resolution 50
Catch the Vision
General
Assembly instructs the Doctrine, Prayer and Worship Committee and the
Advisory Group on Faith and Order to offer a Reformed perspective on the
theme of Covenant.
Resolution 50 was
carried.
Ecumenical
Committee
The report of the
Ecumenical Committee was presented by the Convener, the Revd Elizabeth
Nash.
Catch the
Vision
The General
Secretary moved adoption of Resolution 45:
Resolution 45
Catch the Vision
General
Assembly asks all congregations to look again for more local ecumenical
possibilities and encourages an increase in the percentage of local
churches involved in formally recognised ecumenical situations.
Resolution 45 was
carried.
The General
Secretary moved adoption of Resolution 46:
Resolution 46
Catch the Vision
General
Assembly instructs whatever Councils now and in the future represent the
structure between local church and General Assembly to plan a coherent
strategy for local ecumenism appropriate for each place.
Resolution 46 was
carried.
The General
Secretary moved adoption of Resolution 47:
Resolution 47
Catch the Vision
General
Assembly affirms further explorations of the idea of ‘a Church of
churches’ and informal conversations between the Ecumenical Committee
and our ecumenical partners.
Resolution 47 was
carried.
The General
Secretary moved adoption of Resolution 51:
Resolution 51
Catch the Vision
General
Assembly endorses as key training principles for the United Reformed
Church:
-
Integrated education and training to equip the whole people of God
for mission – promoted with coherence and in tune with the policies
flowing from the Equipping the Saints and Catch the Vision reports
-
Ecumenical engagement at every stage
-
The
presentation of a distinctive Reformed Ethos and History in that
ecumenical Engagement
-
The
delivery of this policy in a manner appropriate to the circumstances
of the three nations in which the United Reformed Church is
situated.
Resolution 51 was
carried.
The General
Secretary moved adoption of Resolution 52:
Resolution 52
Catch the Vision
The United
Reformed Church declares itself to be a Multicultural Church welcoming
all cultures and ethnicities in worship witness and service, and
celebrating the diverse gifts of the whole people of God for the mission
and ministry to which God calls us.
Resolution 52 was
carried.
Mission
Council
The report of
Mission Council was presented by the Deputy General Secretary, the Revd
Ray Adams.
Racial
Justice and Multicultural Ministry
The report of the
Racial Justice and Multicultural Ministry Committee was presented by the
Convener, the Revd Andrew Prasad.
Mr Prasad moved
adoption of Resolution 34:
Resolution 34
Developing Multicultural Ministry
a) General
Assembly requires racial awareness training to be included in the
induction of future Assembly staff, employees and committee members, and
instructs that provision be made for training all existing staff and
committee members at least once every two years.
b) General
Assembly affirms its support for the Racial Justice Advocacy Network,
strongly urges each synod or region to appoint a Racial Justice Advocate
Co-ordinator and encourages congregations to support the advocacy by
encouraging members to join the network.
c) General
Assembly instructs the Secretaries for Training, Ministries and Racial
Justice and Multicultural Ministry to evaluate the accessibility to
minority ethnic people of the systems of candidacy and training for
Ministers of Word and Sacrament, Church Related Community Workers, lay
preachers and lay leaders, and to report with recommendations to Mission
Council no later than March 2006.
d) General
Assembly authorises the Committee for Racial Justice and Multicultural
Ministry to conduct an audit of church structures, policies, procedures
and practices for the presence of barriers to full participation of
minority ethnic people, and to report with recommendations to Mission
Council no later than October 2006.
e) General
Assembly endorses the ‘Guidelines for welcoming and Receiving Migrant
Churches’ (Assembly Reports 2005 Appendix 5) and commends them to the
United Reformed Church.
Resolution 34 was
carried.
Minutes
The Assembly
Clerk moved that:
Assembly receives
the minutes of the second and third sessions of Sunday 3rd July and the
first session of Monday 4th July, and approves the insertion of the
minutes of the second and third sessions of Monday 4th July and of the
closing session into the full minutes after review and any necessary
correction by officers of the Assembly. The Assembly agreed.
Dr Peel resumed
the Chair.
Assembly
Commissions
The General
Secretary reported on Assembly Commissions held during the past year. There had been
one hearing since Assembly 2004 and the minister concerned had been
retained on the Roll of Ministers. The cost was £908.65, exclusive of
legal cost which have yet to be charged.
Address to
the Throne
The Revd Alasdair
Pratt, former Moderator, presented the address to the Throne:
To the Queen’s
Most Excellent Majesty
The General
Assembly of the United Reformed Church now meeting in Warwick sends
loyal greetings to Your Majesty.
We are meeting
just a few weeks into the third term of office of Your Majesty’s
Government, and look to it for further measures to improve the safety
and quality of life of all our community, especially the most vulnerable
and needy. We welcome all that has been done to enhance the dignity and
well-being of disadvantaged people in our society – for example, in the
areas of welfare provision and opportunities for meaningful employment –
and look forward to further work being done in these fields. Many of
our churches exercise a special ministry to people seeking asylum, and
we have had occasion of late to express our dismay at the policy adopted
by Your Majesty’s Government of forcing to return to their homelands
people who have fled to the United Kingdom from countries where they
face extreme danger, most notably Zimbabwe.
We are meeting
over a weekend which is seeing unprecedented public demonstrations of
concern about poverty and injustice in the developing world. As a
church we find tremendous inspiration and hope in our Lord’s
announcement that He came to ‘bring good news to the poor’, and through
our ‘Commitment for Life’ programme our churches and members seek to
help make that a reality in different parts of what is known as the
‘third world’. We welcome all that Your Majesty’s Government has done
in recent years to alleviate poverty in parts of Africa and other
regions, particularly by removing the burden of debt which has impeded
their growth and development, and we are adding our voice to the many
millions raised in Hyde Park and Edinburgh this weekend in anticipation
of the forthcoming summit of the leaders of the G8 nations at
Gleneagles. It is our fervent prayer that real progress towards
eliminating poverty through the introduction of fairer international
trade rules, the cancellation of unpayable debts and the provision of
more and better aid will he made at this summit.
As a church we
also take seriously our calling to the stewards of God’s creation and we
also look for action on the part or the G8 leaders to prevent the
further deterioration of our planet. We believe climate change and
global poverty, which are of course inter-linked, to be the two big
issues demanding urgent action by world leaders. We are alarmed at the
irresponsible way that we in the developed world continue to mistreat
our planet, and call upon our leaders urgently to adopt measures to halt
further damage before it is too late.
Six months after
the tsunami in south east Asia we remember especially all who were
bereaved in that unspeakable tragedy. Our prayers go to Almighty God for
all who are suffering at this time, as well as for ourselves that we may
have the courage and perseverance to bring hope and healing into
situations of despair and pain.
We pray for the
continued health and strength of Your Majesty as you offer leadership
and service to the United Kingdom and to the Commonwealth.
Revd Dr David
Peel, Moderator of General Assembly
Revd Dr David
Cornick, General Secretary
The Assembly
approved the address.
Moderator-Elect
The
Moderator-elect, the Revd Elizabeth Caswell, addressed the Assembly.
Vote of
Thanks
The Revd Roz
Harrison thanked the West Midlands Synod for its welcome and
hospitality, and assured members of a warm welcome to the South Western
Synod in 2006.
The Moderator
thanked the staff of the University of Warwick, the Assembly
administrative staff, musicians and worship leaders.
The General
Secretary thanked the Moderator for his conduct of the Assembly’s
business.
Closing
Worship
Closing worship
was led by the Chaplain.
The General
Secretary formally announced that the Assembly had completed its
business and would adjourn to meet as agreed at the University of Exeter
on 7th July 2006 or at such other place or on such other date as may be
necessary.
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