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Resolution 7- Inter-Faith Relations Committee
General Assembly:
a) agrees to an extension of the life of the Inter-Faith Relations Committee for a further five years until 2006 with a review at the beginning of the fifth year and
b) agrees to add Hinduism to the list of other faiths in the committee’s remit and also to add religious discrimination to its brief.
1.1 The Inter-Faith Relations Committee was established for an initial period of five years, the work having been previously the responsibility of a task group. Mission Council asked Rosalind Goodfellow, Graham Rolfe and Brenda WiIlis to look into the work of the committee and make a recommendation as to the future. Their report made clear their opinion that the need for the committee was even more important now than it was five years ago, as more and more Britain develops as a plural society. They identified two omissions from the brief of the committee and these are reflected in the resolution above. Mission Council accepted the recommendations of the review. It has also acted on the suggestion that staff support for the Inter-Faith Relations Committee should no longer be the responsibility of the Secretary for International Relations. It has been added to the job description of the Secretary for Racial Justice.
Resolution 8 - Charity Trusts
General Assembly agrees that the members of the Mission Council Advisory Group for the time being are considered to be the Charity Trustees of the United Reformed Church.
1.1 The Charities Act 1993 defines charity trustees as ‘the persons having general control and management of the administration of a charity’. In a booklet produced by the Charity Commission this definition is amplified as follows: ‘The charity trustees are the people responsible under the charity’s governing document for controlling the management and administration of the charity regardless of what they are called. Some charities have custodian or holding trustees, whose function is simply to hold the legal title to the charity’s property or investments. Custodian or holding trustees have no role as such in the charity’s management.’
1.2 In the United Reformed Church it is clear that the Assembly itself has general control and management of the administration of the Church. However the law requires the identification of a relatively small group of people, in regular touch with the life of the Church, to be identified as charity trustees. Mission Council believes that the group which can most easily take on this responsibility is the Mission Council Advisory Group. Its members are the Moderator, immediate past Moderator, Moderator-elect, General Secretary, Deputy General Secretary, Treasurer; and two committee conveners and four Mission Council members appointed by Mission Council.
1.3 It should be noted that local churches also need to have people in the role of charity trustees: the Charity Commissioners have indicated that they would normally regard the elders’ meeting as having this responsibility.
Resolution 9 - Changes to the Structure: Grouping
General Assembly agrees to make the following changes to the Structure:
Paragraph 1(1)
Number the present paragraph from the second sentence to the end as paragraph 1(1)(a) and add the following two paragraphs:
1(1)(b) Where two or more local churches together, and in consultation with the district council, decide that their mission will be more effective if they share resources and ordained ministry, they may, on the recommendation of the district council and the decision of the synod, form an association known as a group of churches with a structured relationship and a constitution governing the way in which they relate to one another as to the sharing of both resources and the ordained ministry. Each church within the group shall retain its own identity, and its church meeting and elders’ meeting shall continue to exercise all their functions in relation to that church, save that, so long as the constitution shall so declare, decisions relating to the calling of a minister (see paragraph 2(1)(vii)) may be taken by a single group church meeting at which all the members of each of the constituent churches in the group shall be eligible to attend and vote.
1(1)(c) Where two or more local churches together, and in consultation with the district council, decide that their mission will be more effective if they share ordained ministry (but not other resources), they may, on the recommendation of the district council and the decision of the synod, form an association known as a joint pastorate, with a structured relationship with respect to the provision of ordained ministry only and a statement of intent governing the way in which they relate to one another in relation to the sharing of ordained ministry. Each church within the joint pastorate shall retain its own identity, and its church meeting and elders’ meeting shall continue to exercise all their functions in relation to that church, save that, so long as the statement of intent shall so declare, decisions relating to the calling of a minister (see paragraph 2(1)(vii)) may be taken by a single joint pastorate church meeting at which all the members of each of the constituent churches in the joint pastorate shall be eligible to attend and vote.
Paragraph 2(1)(vii)
Add the following:
(Where two or more churches have formed a group or joint pastorate in accordance with paragraph 1(1)(b) or (c) above on the decision of synod under its function 2(4)(A)(iv), the church meetings of each church may, with the agreement of the synod on the advice of the district council and so long as the group constitution or the statement of intent as appropriate shall so provide, join together as a group or joint pastorate church meeting for the purpose of calling a minister, in which case this function shall be exercised by the group or joint pastorate church meeting.)
Paragraph 2(3)(c)
Change the words in brackets by amending “the second sentence of para.1(1)” so that it reads “para. 1(1)(a)”.
Paragraph 2(3)(A)(ii)
Change the second word “church” to “church(es)”.
Paragraph 2(3)(A)(iv)
Change the word “church” to “church(es)”.
Paragraph 2(4)(c)
Change the words in brackets by amending “the second sentence of para.1(1)” so that it reads “para. 1(1)(a)”.
1.1 This resolution derives from the report on the grouping of churches which was sent to all district and area councils in May 2000 and on which comments were invited by 31 December 2000. In the responses there was a general sense that it would be seen as helpful if groups and joint pastorates were recognised in the Structure of the church, since they had long been recognised in practice, and that it should be made possible (but not mandatory) for groups and joint pastorates to call a minister at a single meeting rather than requiring each church meeting to register a separate decision. This is an enabling resolution, intended to increase the amount of flexibility with which groups and joint pastorates can operate.
Resolution 10 - Changes to the Structure: Appeals
General Assembly agrees to replace the current paragraph 5(2) of the Structure with the following:
5(2) References and appeals falling outside paragraph 5(1) shall be dealt with as follows:-
(A) A local church (either through its church meeting or its elders’ meeting)
(i) A local church may appeal to the district council upon which it is entitled to be represented for the resolution of any dispute or difference.
(ii) A local church may appeal to the synod against any decision of the district council by which it is affected.
(iii) A local church may appeal to the General Assembly against any decision of the synod (whether or not as the result of an appeal) by which it is affected.
(B) An individual member of a local church (expressed below as a church member)
(i) Subject to (iv) below, a church member may appeal to the district council upon which the local church of which s/he is a member is entitled to be represented for the resolution of any dispute or difference between the church member and that local church.
(ii) Subject to (iv) below, a church member may appeal to the synod against any decision of the district council (whether or not as the result of an appeal) by which s/he is affected.
(iii) Subject to (iv) below, a church member may appeal to the General Assembly against any decision of the synod (whether or not as the result of an appeal) by which s/he is affected.
(iv) In the case of a church member, no right of appeal exists under B(i), (ii) or (iii) above unless the subject matter of the appeal is such that it directly touches and concerns the church member in his/her individual relationship with the local church of which s/he is member as distinct from some other aspect of the life of the church with which the church member may disagree.
(C) District council
A district council may refer any dispute or difference, whether or not the same shall have come before it on appeal, to the synod on which it is entitled to be represented and may appeal from any decision of the synod by which it is affected, whether or not made on such a reference, to the General Assembly.
(D) Synod
A synod may refer any dispute or difference, whether or not the same shall have come before it on a reference or appeal, to the General Assembly.
(E) General Assembly
The decision of the General Assembly on any matter which has come before it on reference or appeal shall be final and binding.
Note The procedure for appeals appears in paragraph 8 of the Rules of Procedure for the conduct of the United Reformed Church.
1.1 These changes have the effect of making the right of appeal clearer and of avoiding the possibility of an appeal being lodged by an appellant who is not directly affected by a particular decision.
1.2 If this resolution is ratified, a resolution will be proposed at next year’s Assembly making consequential changes to the Rules of Procedure.
Resolution 11 - Section O Part 1
General Assembly agrees to make the following changes to Part I of the Section O Process for Ministerial Discipline:
Paragraph 1
Delete the existing Paragraph 1 and substitute the following :-
“1.1 Under the provisions of this Section O an Assembly Commission (as defined in Paragraph 3) shall operate under the authority of the General Assembly for the purpose of deciding (in cases properly referred to it) the questions as to whether a Minister has committed a breach of discipline and, if the Assembly Commission should so decide, whether on that account his/her name should be deleted from the Roll of Ministers or alternatively whether a written warning should be issued to him/her. Under the Section O Process the Assembly Commission is also able to make recommendations and offer guidance but only within the scope of Paragraphs 10 and 16 of this Part I.
1.2 Once the case of any Minister is being dealt with under the Section O Process, it shall be conducted and concluded entirely in accordance with that Process and not through any other procedure of the Church”
Paragraph 2
Delete the words “the Process set out in this Section O” and substitute the words “the Section O Process”.
Delete the words “of the United Reformed Church” after the word “Structure”.
Delete the words “this Section O” and substitute “the Section O Process”.
Paragraph 3
Delete Paragraph 3 and its sub-paragraphs and substitute the following :-
“3 For the purpose of this Section O, the following words and expressions carry the following meanings :-
3.1 “Appeals Commission” shall mean the Commission constituted for the hearing of each Appeal in accordance with Paragraph 12.
3.2 “Appointers” shall mean the persons responsible under Paragraph 6 for the appointment of the Assembly Commission.
3.3 “Assembly Commission” shall mean a Commission consisting of five (5) persons selected from the Commission Panel for the purpose of hearing and deciding each case dealt with under the Section O Process.
3.4 “Basis of Union” shall mean the Basis of Union of the United Reformed Church.
3.5 “Commission Panel” shall mean a Panel consisting of a maximum of fifty (50) members of the United Reformed Church from whom shall be chosen the persons to form the Assembly Commission to hear each case being dealt with under the Section O Process.
3.6 “Commission Stage” shall mean that part of the Section O Process initiated in accordance with Paragraph 5.
3.7 “Council” shall mean the council of the Church whose Mandated Group issues the Referral Notice.
3.8 “Deletion” and “to delete” shall mean the removal of/to remove the name of a Minister from the Roll of Ministers other than at the request of the Minister concerned or by the acceptance of his/her resignation or by his/her death.
3.9 “District Council” shall mean that District Council which in relation to any Minister exercises oversight of that Minister in accordance with its function under Paragraph 2 (3)(i) of the Structure and references to District Council shall be understood to include area councils in Scotland such area councils being in every respect identical with district councils and wherever the words “district council” or “district” appear they shall as regards Scotland be read as meaning “area council” or “area”.
3.10 “Hearing” shall mean the Hearing conducted by the Assembly Commission or the Appeals Commission under Section E or Section G of the Rules of Procedure. 3.11 “Investigation” shall mean the process of investigation carried out by the Mandated Group as set out in Section D of the Rules of Procedure.
3.12 “Mandated Group” shall mean the group mandated to act in the name of a District Council under Section B of the Rules of Procedure and in any case where the Referral Notice has been issued in the name of a council other than the District Council the expression “Mandated Group” shall where the context so permits be construed as a reference to the member or members (not exceeding three) of any corresponding group of such other council.
3.13 “Minister” shall mean a person whose name is on the Roll of Ministers and who is under consideration within the Section O Process.
3.14 “Notice of Appeal” shall mean a Notice specified in the Rules of Procedure whereby either of the parties in any case indicates his/her/its intention to appeal against the decision of the Assembly Commission.
3.15 “Notice of Reference back” shall mean a Notice from the Appeals Commission of any reference back for re-hearing by the Assembly Commission under Paragraph 14.7.
3.16 “Parties” shall mean (i) the Council, which for the purpose of the Section O Process shall act solely and exclusively through its Mandated Group, and (ii) the Minister.
3.17 “Referral Notice” shall mean a Notice specified in the Rules of Procedure whereby a case concerning Ministerial Discipline is referred into the Commission Stage and shall include any statement of reasons for such referral which may be appended to it.
3.18 “Roll of Ministers” shall have the meaning given to it in Paragraph 1 of Schedule E to the Basis of Union.
3.19 “Rules of Procedure” shall mean the Rules of Procedure governing the system of ministerial discipline commencing with the exercise by the District Council, Synod or General Assembly of its function as set out in Paragraph 2(3)(xviii), Paragraph 2(4)(xv) or Paragraph 2(5)(xxiii) of the Structure as the case may be and continuing throughout the Section O Process such Rules being contained in Part II of Section O.
3.20 “Secretary of the Assembly Commission” shall mean the person appointed by the General Assembly on the advice of the Nominations Committee to be responsible for all secretarial and procedural matters laid upon him/her by virtue of the Section O Process, and the period and terms of office of that person shall be such as the General Assembly shall decide.
3.21 “Section O Process” shall mean the whole Process set out in this Section O (subject to such variations as shall from time to time be made)
3.22 “Structure” shall mean the Structure of the United Reformed Church.
3.23 “Suspension” and “to suspend” shall have the meanings assigned to them in Paragraphs 3 and 4 of Schedule E to the Basis of Union.
3.24 “Synod Panel” shall mean the Panel to be set up by each Synod from which the Mandated Group shall be appointed as set out in Section B of the Rules of Procedure. ”
Paragraph 4
After the words “Nominations Committee” insert the words “(or such other committee as may in the future perform the functions of the existing Nominations Committee)”.
Paragraph 5
Delete Paragraphs 5.1 and 5.2 and substitute the following :- “5 The Commission Stage shall be initiated in every case by the service upon the Secretary of the Assembly Commission of a Referral Notice in the name of the District Council, the Synod or the General Assembly (or Mission Council acting on its behalf) in pursuance of their respective functions as contained in the Structure and in accordance with the Rules of Procedure.”
Paragraph 7
In Paragraph 7.2 delete the words “a Minister, or the council lodging the Referral Notice” and substitute the words “either of the parties”.
Paragraph 10
In Paragraph 10.2.2 add the followingwordsat the end: “or guidance in accordance with paragraph 16.1.4”.
Paragraph 11
In Paragraph 11.2 delete the opening words “The council of the Church which lodged the Referral Notice in any case may” and substitute the words: “ The Mandated Group of the Council which lodged the Referral Notice in any case may in the name of that Council”.
Delete the word “concerned” after the word “Minister”.
Also add the following sentence at the end of Paragraph 11.2 :- “In any case where no written warning is attached to the decision not to delete, the Notice may state, if the Mandated Group so desires, that the appeal is limited to the question of the issue of a written warning to the Minister.”
Paragraph 12
In Paragraph 12 delete the first sentence and substitute the following :-
“The Appeals Commission for the Hearing of each Appeal shall consist of five (5) persons and shall include the Moderator of the General Assembly (subject to the provisions of Paragraphs 7.1.1 and 7.1.2).”
Paragraph 14
In Paragraph 14.7, after the words “of the information before it” insert the words “or of any aspect of the Section O Process itself”.
Paragraph 16
In Paragraph 16.1.3, after the word “Roll” insert the words “of Ministers”.
Paragraph 17
In Paragraph 17.2 add the following words at the end :-
“ , provided that, where the Mandated Group has formally signified to the Assembly Commission that it does not intend to press the case for any disciplinary action to be taken against the Minister and provided that the Assembly Commission decides not to issue a written warning, the Assembly Commission may as an appendage to its decision not to delete state that the Minister’s suspension shall terminate with immediate effect.”
Paragraphs 19 and 20
In both paragraphs, delete the word “concerned”.
Paragraph 21
In Paragraph 21 after the words “applying for training” in the final sentence insert the words “for the ministry” and delete the bracketed words “(local church, district, national assessment, synod)”. Paragraph 22
In Paragraph 22 delete the words “of the United Reformed Church”.
1.1 In the early years of the operation of the Section O process Mission Council has a small group keeping the process under continual review. These changes are a consequence. If this resolution is ratified, a resolution will be proposed at next year’s Assembly making consequential changes to the Rules of Procedure.
Resolution 12 - Health and Healing Development Group
General Assembly agrees to continue the life of the present Health and Healing Development Group for a further year, or until the group set up by Churches Together in England is ready to take over the work.
1.1 The joint Methodist/United Reformed Church Health and Healing Development Group was set up in 1996 for an initial period of five years. More recently there has been a Churches Together in England initiative to form a wider ecumenical group based on the Methodist/United Reformed Church one. It is likely that this initiative will be in operation very shortly, and certainly within a year. Consideration will be given to how health and healing issues will be handled in Scotland and Wales.
Resolution 13 - Changes to the Structure
General Assembly agrees to ratify its decision of July 2000 to make the following changes to the Structure of the United Reformed Church:
Amend paragraph 2(5)(b) by inserting “and” before “the Deputy General Secretary” and deleting the words “and the Convener of the Assembly Arrangements Committee”.
Add a new paragraph 3(1)(h): For the purposes of this paragraph 3(1), only synods, district councils and churches in existence on the date set for responses to be made shall be counted in the calculations.
1.1 No objections have been raised to this decision (resolution 6 of 2000). The first change rectified the situation whereby the Convener of the Assembly Arrangements Committee was made a member of Assembly in two successive clauses. The second change makes clear that when a decision is referred to the councils of the church, and an agreed percentage has to support (or is allowed to frustrate) that decision, the total number of councils shall be of those that are in existence at the date set for responses.
Resolution 14 - Basis Schedule A(1)
General Assembly agrees to ratify its decision of July 2000 to add to Schedule A of the Basis of Union outlined in Version III, as follows:
Or: (c) Addition to Schedule A: Version III
(At Baptism at an age of responsibility or at profession of faith for those baptised as infants)
Q: Do you believe and trust in one God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
maker of heaven and earth,
giver of life, redeemer of the world?
A: I do.
Q: Do you repent of your sins, turn away from evil, and turn to Christ?
A: By God’s grace, I do.
Q: Do you confess Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Lord?
A: I do.
(At reception into the full privileges and responsibilities of membership)
Q: From the beginning,
believers have continued in the worship
and fellowship of the church:
N, do you commit yourself to this life?
A: I do, with God’s help.
Q: With the whole Church, will you proclaim by word and action the good news of God in Christ?
A: I will, with God’s help.
1.1 No objections have been raised to this decision (resolution 23 of 2000). It offered an alternative form of words to be used at baptism or reception into the full privileges and responsibilities of membership.
Resolution 15 - Basis Schedule A(2)
General Assembly agrees to ratify its decision of July 2000 to delete from Schedule A of the Basis of Union.
“Or: (c) in the forms customarily used in the uniting churches before unification.”
and to add
“Or: (d) in a form which includes the following elements:
- a Trinitarian confession of faith
- repentance of sin
- a confession of faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord - a promise to share in the worship, fellowship and mission of the Church.”
1.1 No objections have been raised to this decision (resolution 24 of 2000). The present clause (c) allows those admitted to the full privileges and responsibility of church membership to do so ‘in the forms customarily used in the uniting churches before unification’. This was felt to be unduly backward-looking and restrictive. The new clause allows any locally-devised profession of faith providing it includes a trinitarian confession, repentance of sin, a confession of faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord, and a promise to share in the worship, fellowship and mission of the church.
Resolution 16 - Secession
General Assembly does not agree to the secession of the local church at Edmonton (Thames North Synod) and requests the congregation, district council and synod patiently to seek ways of restoring fellowship.
1.1 The petition to secede has been dealt with according to the procedures agreed by the Assembly in 1987. Both the Lea Valley District Council and the Thames North Synod have, in turn, attempted to resolve the grievances of the church at Edmonton. Those attempts having failed, Mission Council set up a commission to investigate the petition and meet with all parties. The commission reported to Mission Council in March and the above resolution was framed in the light of that report. All the papers relevant to the consideration of the petition are contained in Appendix 3 in the Book of Reports.
Resolution 17 - Budget for the year 2002
General Assembly accepts the budget for the year 2002 set out in Appendix 1 to the Book of Reports.
1.1 The proposed budget for 2002 is set out in Appendix 1 to the Book of Reports which also shows, for comparison, the budgets for 2001 and 2000 and the actual accounts figures for 2000 and 1999. This year we have also prepared a commentary which aims to help those interested in the budget to gain a better understanding of how the main figures are built up and/or the reasons for changes from the 2001 budget. This commentary has been printed as Appendix 2 in the Book of Reports.
2 Ministry & Mission contributions (M&M)
2.1 The M&M target included in the budget for 2002 is 3% higher than the target for 2001. However, the actual amounts promised for 2001 are about 11/2% below target which means that the 2002 target is nearly 41/2% up on the actual 2001 contributions.
2.2 The draft budget for 2002 was discussed at a District and Synod Treasurers consultation held at Swanwick in February. There was general agreement that the 2002 targets for individual synods should be set at 3% up on their individual targets for 2001. In this way, synods that achieved their target for 2001 would only have to increase their current contributions by 3% but those with a shortfall in 2001 would have to increase by a higher percentage (in some cases by as much as 6%).
2.3 The treasurers were concerned at the impact of these increases, a concern increased by the recognition that, if membership continues to decline at around 3% (similar to the rate experienced over recent years), the impact of the above increases in terms of the amount per member is, of course, 3% higher.
2.4 To put this in context, each 1% increase in the M&M target represents about £2 per member per year.
3 Policy on number of stipendiary ministers
3.1 In 1999 Mission Council adopted a policy of aiming for minister numbers to track membership numbers at half the rate of membership changes. Not surprisingly, this policy gave rise to contrasting views at the Treasurers’ Consultation and the Deployment Consultation which had taken place, also at Swanwick, a week earlier.
3.2 The Deployment Consultation was concerned with the problems of coping with a possible reduction in the number of stipendiary ministers over the next five years of 71/2%, or nearly fifty ministers. The Treasurers’ Consultation was concerned with the financial impact of this policy which results in the cost of ministry expressed as an amount per member rising by 11/2% per annum faster than the actual increase in stipends.
3.3 The Treasurers recognised that, over the first 25 years of the life of the United Reformed Church, minister numbers had changed in relation to membership broadly in line with the policy now adopted and the cost had been successfully met by M&M contributions. However, the current situation may not be the same for two reasons. First, the proportion of the United Reformed Church membership in retirement and relying on relatively fixed incomes has increased; and second, the financial burden of maintaining buildings (the number of which has not declined as fast as membership) falls on fewer members making the task of increasing M&M contributions harder.
3.4 The current policy presents challenges both to those concerned with deployment and to the United Reformed Church membership who have to increase M&M contributions at a rate per member significantly higher than the increase in the Retail Price Index.
3.5 In adopting the proposed budget for 2002 the church has to face up to both of these challenges.
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