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Nomination
Convener:
Revd Peter McIntosh
Resolution 36
Appointment of General Secretary
General Assembly appoints the Revd Dr
David Cornick to serve as General Secretary for a period of seven years
from 1 August 2001 to 31 July 2008.
1 The present General Secretary, the
Revd Anthony Burnham, will retire at the end of his present period of
service on 31 July 2001. At its last meeting the Assembly appointed a
special committee to nominate his successor. The appointment was made in
accordance with the rules of procedure: two representatives of each synod,
nine people nominated by Mission Council (five of whom were conveners of
Assembly committees), the Moderator of the General Assembly and the
convener of the Nominations Committee.
2 The names of those appointed can be
found on pages 48-49 of the 1999 Book of Reports. The Deputy General
Secretary acted as secretary to the committee but was not present when
interviews were carried out or when the interview group discussed and made
its decision.
3 The committee met on four occasions.
Using the process followed in 1991 as a basis for its work, the first two
meetings were concerned with agreeing procedures and considering the job
description and person specification. Changes in these were reported to
Mission Council. By means of an advertisement in ‘Reform’ and letters
to synod clerks, nominations of suitable ministers were sought from
individuals, district councils and synods. Forty six names were submitted
and these were considered by the committee at its third meeting. A short
list was agreed and an interview group appointed to meet those on the
list. This group had three meetings, at the last of which it interviewed
those on the short list and then decided which was its preferred
candidate. This name was presented to the full committee, which itself met
with the candidate, the Revd Dr David Cornick, presently Principal of
Westminster College, Cambridge.
4 Each of the meetings was held in the
context of worship and prayer, and at the end the committee was unanimous
and confident in nominating the Revd Dr David George Cornick to the
General Assembly to serve as General Secretary for a period of seven years
from 1 August 2001.
5 The committee suggested that the
preferred candidate should have a medical examination. Dr Cornick has done
this satisfactorily. Similarly it suggested that a careful programme of
induction should be prepared. This is in hand.
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