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The Committee is responsible for the ministry of word and sacrament, church-related community workers and lay preachers. It is concerned with central care and conditions of service, chaplaincies in industry, higher and further education and in the armed forces and ‘special category’ ministry. It has concern for the pastoral support of ministers, church-related community workers and lay preachers, including supervision, appraisal, self evaluation and counselling. It is assisted by four sub-committees.

Committee Members

Convener: The Revd Graham Long

Secretary: The Revd Christopher Baker

1.1 The implementation of the scheme of ministerial accompanied self–appraisal is underway following the 1997 Assembly resolution. The scheme already operates in the West Midlands and has begun in Southern province. Other provinces plan to begin the scheme during 1998 or early in 1999. The training consultation for the provincial administrators and trainers takes place in March 1998.

2.1 At the time of writing this report no national Lay Preaching Commissioner has been appointed. Graham Long has taken on the role of temporary convener of the lay preaching support group in order that necessary plans for the lay preaching commissioners consultation for 1998 could be made by those who had been elected members of the support committee at the 1997 annual consultation. Plans are also underway for a residential lay preaching commissioner’s consultation in 1999.

2.2 Those elected to serve on the Lay Preaching Support Committee by the Lay Preaching Commissioners are;

Mr Hugh Barlow, Nottingham District, East Midlands Province; Dr Berta Doodson, Liverpool District, Mersey Province; Dr Robert Pettigrew, Wirral District Mersey Province and Mr Les Phillips, Devon East District, South Western Province

2.3 The United Reformed Church remains dependent on lay preachers for the leading of a large proportion of its Sunday worship. We continue to need to add to the number of our lay preachers and increase the number of younger lay preachers. Advocacy of the lay preaching vocation has its greatest impact within local churches and District Councils and the Ministries committee asks that in local churches and District Councils the ministry of lay preaching should be given every encouragement.

3.1 The Revd Graham Sweeney acts as Higher Education Chaplains adviser for the Ministries Committee. The Revd Kevin Swaine remains adviser on Further Education Chaplaincy

3.2 The Ministries Committee agreed that in future a sum of £500 would be earmarked from the committee’s budget to assist Chaplains who wished to attend the Chaplains Conferences and who are not funded for attendance at these conferences from another source. Our Methodist and Baptist colleagues are already supported in a similar way. Requests for in service training grants should continue to go to the training committee

3.3 In 1997 there was an increased response to the student link up notice and the names of 85 young people were sent to university and college chaplains. Other names may have been sent directly to the particular institution. Young people moving to university or college should be encouraged by their local church to become involved with the chaplaincy in the institution they will attend and the neighbouring United Reformed Church.

3.4 The United Reformed Church works alongside the Methodist Church and Baptist Union, through the Free Churches’ Council, to co-ordinate Free Church Higher Education Chaplaincy. Professor Howard Marratt acts as the Free Church Adviser on Higher Education and we record our gratitude for the work he has done in this respect and for his role as secretary of the of the Advisory group. During the last year that work resulted in agreed procedures on the deployment and appointment of Free Church Chaplains in Higher Education and the production of guidelines for the local management and support of Free Church Chaplains.

4.1 Through the United Board the Baptist Union, United Reformed Church and Congregational Federation recruit and support chaplains to the forces. In 1997 the United Reformed Church had five chaplains. Copies of their annual reports can be found alongside the Ministries Committee display.

5.1 Special Category Ministries (SCM’s) were established by General Assembly in 1977 to allow District and Provinces to place ministers at the sharp end of mission. The agreed number of ministers who could be so placed was 30. In recent years Mrs Mary Stacy has administered the scheme and the Committee is very grateful for the care she has given to this important task. It is grateful also to the many others who have acted as assessors and visitors when projects have been proposed or reviewed.

5.2 The SCM provision has enabled some splendid work to be undertaken in a wide variety of situations. Perhaps, inevitably, because the initiative for SCM’s lies with the District and Provinces, the spread of such ministries across the country has been patchy. The impression is that some Provinces have been quicker to see the possibilities the SCM scheme opens up and to take advantage of it. But it is a source of satisfaction that some Provinces have used SCM’s to open up new areas of mission and have found SCM’s an invaluable aid within their mission strategies.

5.3 SCM’s were never intended to be a way of supplementing deployment figures, or of dealing with difficult situations that sometimes arise. Their function was clearly set out in the original Assembly report. ‘Such ministries are those to which ministers are appointed by the District or Synod, as distinct from those to which ministers are called by the local church. Such special ministries include industrial and educational chaplains, ministers to new towns and special mission situations. Some ‘special’ ministries may be half scope and the other half being taken up by the oversight of a small church or by secular employment.’

5.4 From the outset SCM’s have been administered nationally. This has caused few problems so long as the take-up has been within the 30 posts agreed. With more Provinces now seeing the opportunity for SCM’s, the Committee has a problem identifying the relative importance of the various projects put forward.

5.5 At the present time the Committee considers the current basis of national administration to be right. It is aware, however, that, if this is to be maintained in the face of increasing demand, it must establish criteria for assessing the priorities to be applied. In addition, it is likely that annual or twice yearly application deadlines will have to be applied. The seeming option of increasing the number of SCM’s is not considered feasible given the number of ministers available for normal pastoral deployment.

5.6 An alternate approach would be to devolve the administration of the programme largely to the Provinces. This could be done in a variety of ways. For instance, each province could be allocated 2 SCM’s to assist mission development in its area. Or the Moderators meeting could be given the responsibility for distributing them among the Provinces. Or the Provinces could be granted the funding for 2 full time posts and be given discretion about precisely how the funding is used to promote new initiatives in mission.

5.7 We would suggest that six posts, for chaplains and particular projects should be left for the Ministries Committee to allocate.

5.8 Overall responsibility for SCM policy would remain with the Committee, as would the ongoing review and monitoring of projects.

5.9 The Committee will welcome the views of Provinces and Districts on the future administration of the SCM programme. These should be sent to the Executive Secretary for Ministries not later than 30th October 1998.

6.1 Part of the oversight required of the committee covers matters to do with the retirement of ministers. Aspects of this have been well covered by the work of the Retired Ministers Housing Sub-Committee, the Pensions executive and the provision of annual pre-retirement courses. But other aspects have been addressed as individual enquiries have been received.

6.2 In order to form a better overview the Ministries Committee has invited the Revd Nelson Bainbridge to lead a small working party. In the first instance the working party will report to the Committee. Its remit covers preparation for retirement, the situation and needs/problems of ministers in retirement; care for retired ministers and spouses and the place of retired ministers in the life of the church.

6.3 The working party will welcome submissions covering these or related matters as soon as possible. Contributions should be sent to the Secretary for Ministries not later than 30th October 1998.

7.1 The Ministries Committee intends in future to report to Assembly on the work that it has undertaken during each calendar year prior to that in which Assembly meets. Most of the business of the committee is long rather than short term. Working on this timetable for reports the Committee can plan an eighteen months programme. Urgent matters raised at Assembly can be considered during the period from August to December of the same year.

7.2 The lists of those added or deleted from the list of Ministers of Word and Sacraments and Church Related Community Workers and those nationally accredited as Lay preachers will continue to be updated until the Assembly Book of Reports production deadline as is the case at present.

Sub-Committee Members

Convener: Revd Robert Way Secretary: Revd Hazel Martell

The present report covers only the period from the last Assembly until 3lst December 1997. During this period the Committee met on 6th November.

1.1 Much of the Sub-Committee’s work concerns the assessment and accreditation processes within the United Reformed Church, enabling those who seek to serve us as Ministers or Lay Preachers to be aware of the preparation and qualities that are required of them. This not only serves the confidence of the people concerned, but also earns the confidence of the rest of the Church in them. Other aspects of the Sub-Committee’s work concern the enabling of change in the type of service which Ministers or Lay Preachers may propose.

2.1 Changes in the type of service given by our Ministers are under the guidance of the sub-Committee. The pack on ‘Training for Change’, though still on the stocks, is being designed to help those changing from one type of ministry to another.

2.2 The Welcome Pack for ministers transferring from other Churches to the United Reformed Church will have been updated by Assembly 1998 and it will complement the Induction conferences at Windermere which are designed for such recruits to our ministry.

3.1 The National Assessment Board has met once during the period covered by this report. It has pointed out to the sub-Committee that the number of those who are being accepted for training falls below the number of those retiring from service, and that this trend can only be reversed by a larger number of people, especially young people, offering themselves to the Church. We intend to consider this information in the context of wider discussion taking place within the church on deployment and the number of ministers.

4.1 Admissions to the Roll

(from 20th February 1997 to 30th March 1998)

4.1.1 By Ordination - Stipendiary:

Marilyn Allen, Delia Bond, Janet Calderley, Peter Clarkson, Diana Cullum, David Dones, John Du Bois, David Featonby, Simon Franklin, Richard Goldring, Geoffrey Haigh, Keith Hulse, Michael Meachin, Nadim Nassar, Philip Nicholas, Kathryn Price, Margaret Robb, Raymond Stanyon, Jeffrey Tunningley, Jane Wade, Michael Whitfield, Kathleen Wilson

4.1.2 By Ordination - Non-Stipendiary:

Raymond Anglesea, Barry Drake, Thomas Grant, Angela Hughes, Tjarda Murray, David Parkin, Susan Litchfield, Rosemary Smith, Marion Thomas

4.1.3 By Transfer from other Churches:

Janet Berry (Baptist Union), Linden de Bie (Reformed Church USA), James Coleman (Church of Scotland), Richard Edwards (Baptist Union), Helen Matthews (Baptist Union), Gerald Munro (Unitarian - including Ordination), Donald Pines - NSM (Baptist Union), John Ponnusamy (Church of South India - CWM), Alexander Roger (Church of Scotland), John Scott (Presbyterian Church of Ireland), John Waghorn (Baptist Union) Marjorie Lewis-Cooper (United Church of Jamaica and the Cayman Isles), Neil Riches (Baptist Union)

4.2 Deletions from the Roll

(from 20th February 1997 to 30th March 1998)

4.2.1 By Resignation:

4.2.2 By Resignation and/or Transfer to other Churches:

4.3 Changes within the Roll

5.1 Admissions to the Roll

(from 20th February 1997 to 30th March 1998)

5.1.1 By Commissioning:

Christopher Lawrence

6.1 Camilla Frid (Swedish Mission Covenant Church) transferred her membership to the United Reformed Church and is completing ministerial training at Northern College.

The following members have successfully completed their course of study and have been Nationally Accredited.

Northern Province:- Alexander Dobie, Wilbur Hanvey, Bernard Lee, Maurice Taylor

North Western Province:- Thomas Birch, Barrington Charters, Joan Ollerenshaw

Mersey Province:- Fiona Gow, Olive Tweed

East Midlands Province:- Malcolm Fife, Jonathan Heard, Ray Parker, Christine Watson

West Midlands Province:- Rosemary Allman, Christopher Kemp, Doreen Rammell, David Sheldon

Eastern Province:- Susan Foakes, Janine Havell, Cyril Mowles, David Pennicott

South Western Province:- Valerie Atkinson, Derek Barks, Josie Carpenter, Hazel Starritt, Judith Stewart

Wessex Province:- Jeanne Keene, Derek Finch, Brenda McGarrow, Keith Whyte

Thames North Province:- Dulcie Ashdown, Elizabeth MacLeod

Southern Province:- Joan Cocks, Peter Goodwin, Raymond Hagley

Wales Province:- Ian Ledgard

7.2 Accreditation of Lay Preachers

7.2.1 Following a request from the Studies Panel which received support from the Lay preaching Support Committee, the Accreditation Sub-Committee considered the possible confusion created by the use of the description ‘accredited’ lay preachers both for those accredited nationally and those accredited by their Districts.

7.2.2 The Committee suggests that the term ‘accredited’ should be applied to those who have been given national accreditation.

7.2.3 The names of those lay preachers who are nationally accredited will appear in the Year Book and District yearbooks.

7.2.4 The Committee suggests that those lay preachers who receive District (or Provincial) accreditation should be distinguished from the nationally accredited lay preachers by the use of the description ‘recognised’.

7.2.5 The names of ‘recognised’ lay preachers will be listed in District yearbooks.

Sub-Committee Members

Convener: Mr Brian Evans Secretary: The Revd Christine Craven

1 As anticipated in the Report to General Assembly last year, in the light of the new Criteria for Assessment, guidelines have now been issued for candidates, ministers, Church Meetings, District Councils and Provincial Ministries Committees. At the same time, assessment procedures at Conferences have been amended to take note of the new criteria.

2 During 1997, there were four Assessment Conferences and two meetings of Re-Assessment Panels. We had hoped, by bringing the Conference normally held in May forward into April, to give both candidates and Colleges more time during which to make preparations for the new academic year. However since some candidates were not ready for national assessment by April an additional Conference was held in June. This is a little late for some candidates to make preparations in time for the next academic year and so for 1998 the Board scheduled the spring conferences for February and April with a possible fourth conference in May.

3 In 1997 42 candidates attended the National Assessment Conferences; 23 were candidating for stipendiary service, 19 for non-stipendiary. Of these candidates 36 were finally accepted for training as a result of assessment conference recommendation and provincial decision. 21 of these will train for stipendiary service and 15 for non-stipendiary service.

4 In November, there was held at Windermere a training course for new assessors, and for representatives of Provincial Ministries Committees. This course had originally been planned for 1996. Its success was such that we hope to make it an annual event, which could help to make the whole assessment process the ‘seamless robe’ to which we aspire.

5 We continue to use the annual September meeting of Board members partly for training purposes, looking particularly in 1997 at the contribution made to the Assessment procedure by our personal development advisers.

6 1997 saw the completion of the term of service of our Convener, Raymond Clark, who had made a major contribution to the developments in our procedures over the previous four years. John Humphreys also completed his four-year term. We offer our thanks to both of them, and our greetings to Reginald Rooke and Derek Wales, who, in addition to those named last year, joined the team of assessors in 1997; and to Flo Humes-Dixon, Alison Davies, Margaret Compton, Janine Lawley, Denise Megson, Alan Small and Christopher Whitehead, who join us in 1998.

Sub-Committee Members

Convener: The Revd Vaughan Jones Secretary: Mr John Boddy

1 With many Districts and Provinces now encouraging their churches to focus on mission, it is no surprise to report that the number of enquiries about church-related community work has increased significantly in the past year. There have been more than twenty enquiries from Districts and churches keen to develop their work in and with the community and it is anticipated that some of these enquiries will lead to the accreditation of new Church-Related Community Worker posts.

2 Until recently the number of CRCW posts and CRCWs available to fill them has been kept in balance so that the majority of vacant posts have been filled rapidly. As the number of accredited posts increases, it is likely there will be more long-term vacancies unless more CRCWs can be recruited. This then is the most serious challenge currently facing the CRCW programme.

3 During the year Revds Graham Cook and Bob Day have been reviewing the Church-Related Community Work ministry in order to decide on its future direction and on the remit for a development worker should such a post still be needed. The reviewers met with all those involved in the programme and received submissions from other interested parties. In an interim report they recommended the extension of the development worker post for a final five-year term. During that period the development worker would be expected to advocate for church-related community work within the United Reformed Church and would work more closely with Provinces and Districts to enable them to take more responsibility for the development of the CRCW programme locally. Mission Council accepted these recommendations.

4 Since September the training of United Reformed Church Church-Related Community Workers has come under the auspices of the Manchester Christian Institute within its Faith in Living Programme. The new training package includes six extended study weekends in Manchester a year; so candidates unable to move to Manchester will no longer be excluded. Those who finish this course will receive a Diploma in Theology and a Diploma in Youth and Community Work by accreditation.

Sub-Committee Members

Convener: Revd David Hannen Secretary: Mr Clive C Willis

Mr Martin Ballard, Revd Janet Sowerbutts, Mr Graham Stacy, Mrs Margaret Waller and Mrs Sheila Woodcock

1 This committee continues to be responsible for policy in matters of the provision of retirement housing for ministers and their spouses. It uses the United Reformed Church Retired Ministers Housing Society Limited as its agent for the implementation of policy and the practical steps associated with the provision of housing.

2 There was an easing in the number of retirements in 1997 where housing assistance was sought. Help was given to 13 ministers and, in addition, 2 tenants were re-housed into properties more suited to their needs. With sales of property continuing at the same level as last year, our total stock of properties increased by only one.

3 Properties are purchased in the name of either URC Trust or the Society but in all cases are managed by the officers of the Society. Where tenants have a financial stake in the property this is recognised by means of a Declaration of Trust.

4 The maximum contributions made by the Society or the Trust are determined annually on a county-by-county basis by reference to average prices for semi-detached houses during the preceding year. More detailed information about these maximum amounts is available from the Secretary. It should be noted that:-

5.1 In 1997 the standard rent was £60 per calendar month. This sum is the rent payable by those who are provided with the maximum contribution when acquiring their property. If less than the maximum contribution is provided, the rent payable is reduced proportionately.

5.2 For 1998 the standard rent has been set at £65 per calendar month.

6 Rental income for 1997 was £198,000 (as compared with £184,000 for 1996). This sum was credited to Property Management Account, from which all costs relating to maintenance, repair, insurance and administration are taken. In 1997 these costs totalled £185,000, thus giving a surplus for the year of £13,000 on Property Management Account. However, General Revenue Account, which includes grants, donations, legacies and profits on sale of properties, showed a surplus of £674,000, thus enabling our Reserves to increase by £687,000 from these sources.

7 The Committee is particularly grateful for the donations and legacies received during the year. These amounted to £409,000. In addition, the Officers of the Yorkshire Province secured for the General Funds a number of properties shown in the books at cost or valuation at £320,000 and the sum of £250,000, formerly held to their order, and administered on their behalf.

8 During the year we

9 It is anticipated that during 1998 assistance will be required for 20 retiring ministers. After allowing for possible need for widows or for rehousing it would be prudent to expect up to 25 applicants in all. This could involve an outlay of up to £1,500,000 and thus the importance of a continued high level of receipts from donations and legacies cannot be over-emphasised.

10 During 1997 visits were made by the officers of the Society to approximately 30 applicants, tenants or other properties.

11 We continue to rely heavily upon, and are grateful for, the commitment of those members of local congregations who generously give oversight to our retirement properties and who assist those who live in them. We would like to hear from anyone who would be prepared to volunteer their assistance in this respect.

12 Retirement Housing continues to figure prominently in the Pre-Retirement Courses run at the Windermere Centre under the auspices of Ministries. One course was held in May 1997 and one more in November. These sessions are designed to be of benefit to all, regardless of whether or not financial assistance with housing will be needed. In addition private discussions on individual needs are provided.

Sub-Committee Members

Convener: Mr Michael A B Harrison Secretary: Revd Peter Grimshaw

Miss Margaret Atkinson, Mr Victor Hughff (Convener, Pensions Executive), Mrs Barbara Martin, Mr Graham Stacy, Revd Tony J Wilkinson

1.1 The Review Group, convened by Mr Howard Bridge, has been gathering information and opinions from a wide range of people. It is hoped that the findings of the Group will be ready for presentation to General Assembly in 1999.

2.1 It is anticipated that any decisions arising from the review of ministerial remuneration will not be implemented before the year 2000. Therefore, in order to keep approximately in line with national earnings, it is recommended that for budgetary purposes the 1999 stipend level should be taken as the relevant RPI figure (3.706%) + 1.5% above the 1998 level, this would make the 1999 stipend figure £15,600.

3.1 During 1997 we had the results of a Triennial Valuation of the Pension Fund. The deficit of three years earlier had been more than halved to £4.5 million by the injection of £2.5 million from the United Reformed Church reserves, by a very prosperous three years in our investments and by smaller increases in stipends than had been assumed in the previous valuation. Reduced annual subventions from the Ministry & Mission Fund of £750,000, (instead of approximately £1.2 million) will continue to be paid.

3.2 The normal contribution to the Pension Fund from the United Reformed Church as ‘employer’ has been stepped up from 10.65% to 11.75% of stipends. This rise has been caused partly by the increased longevity of members and partly by the expectation of a lower long-term real rate of return on investments. In the event this was quickly absorbed by the removal of Tax Credits on dividends in the May 1997 Budget.

3.3 Some six years ago we noticed the escalating effect on pension costs of the increasing number of people entering the ministry in middle age. As at that time there was no upper age limit for entry to the ministry, a maximum entry age of 50 for new members of the Pension Fund was introduced; ministers excluded by this decision from membership of the Fund were given a payment equivalent to the ‘employer’s’ contribution to supplement their own contribution to a private personal pension plan of their own choosing.

3.4 In 1997 General Assembly brought in a maximum age of 55 for entry to the ministry. It seems wrong in principle to maintain a difference between these two maxima. Therefore, the 1998 General Assembly is asked to amend the Pension Fund rules and the Plan for Partnership in Ministerial Remuneration to permit entry up to age 55. The cost of this has had to be estimated on scant data, but the annual extra cost to the United Reformed Church is expected to build up to £25,000 to £30,000 per year. In the interest of equity and against the background of the improved situation in the actuarial position noted in 3.1 above such expenditure seems justified.

3.5 In order to effect the above changes the Sub-Committee commends Resolutions 40 & 41 to Assembly.

4.1 This Fund is used mainly to supplement the pensions of ex-Congregational and Churches of Christ ministers in respect of their years of service prior to Union, but the current level of supplement still results in a pension significantly below the pension paid to former Presbyterian ministers. The Sub-Committee has accepted a recommendation from the Pensions Executive that, with effect from a date no later than 1 January 1999, these grants should be increased to bring the pensions of all ministers to at least 95% of the ex-Presbyterian level. The increase in the Retired Ministers Fund required for this proposed improvement is estimated at £1 million and a transfer of this amount has been made in the 1997 accounts.

5.1 As usual the Officers have spent much time in applying the Plan for Partnership in Ministerial Remuneration and other decisions of General Assembly to the circumstances of individual ministers, CRCWs and local churches. In 1997 the special cases of some 20 ministers were considered, 9 being concerned with the operation of the Pension Fund, 4 with long-term sickness and the consequent possibility of early retirement, 7 with entitlement to various grants, allowances and other benefits; often it is necessary to review and reconsider a case several times as it develops; in addition District Councils, Provinces and Moderators raised matters of principle and practice in all these areas. The Officers also dealt with three applications for short-term ecumenical grants. Cases of peculiar difficulty or involving a change in operating principles are brought to the full Sub-Committee for decision.

Copyright © 1998, United Reformed Church

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