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Assembly
Pastoral Reference Committee
1 Terms
of Reference 1a The Assembly Pastoral
Reference Committee will consider the cases of URC ministers which are
referred to it on account of some perceived pastoral need by Mission
Council, district councils or synods or their committees or moderators of
synods, and when the continuation of a minister's service: (I) within an
existing pastoral charge or (ii) within the URC is in question. 1b
The Committee will seek
to enable the minister's service within the URC to be continued if that
is seen to be appropriate, and to this end may consider financial support for a course of retraining or therapy or
counselling. 1d The Committee may
authorise the MoM Sub-Committee to provide stipend or part stipend and may
authorise the Secretary for Finance to pay other necessary expenses
(including accommodation costs) to a minister not in pastoral charge, for
a specific period. Such
period will not exceed six months in the first instance but may be renewed
by the Pastoral Reference Committee.
The MoM Sub-Committee (or such other body as shall in future carry
out the functions of the MoM sub-committee) or the Secretary for Finance
will accept this authority for payment. 2 Limitation
on powers 2a
The Committee does not
have authority to delete the name of a minister from the Roll of Ministers
nor to take any other disciplinary steps against him/her. The Committee does not have to be consulted about and does not have
the authority over the process of ending the appointment of a minister in
pastoral charge, which process is a matter for minister, church meeting
and district council.
2b
The Committee may not be
involved with, and must withdraw from, any ongoing discussions,
counselling or other direct pastoral involvement with any case in which
the disciplinary procedures of the Church are being applied against a
minister. Nevertheless the
Committee may authorise any financial payments allowed under its terms of
reference (see 1d). 3 Confidentiality It is evident that the work of the Pastoral Reference Committee
will be confidential and pastoral. Nevertheless
it will need to keep a record of its meetings. The Committee's conclusions should be recorded, given to the person
concerned and shared with others directly involved in the matter who need
to know the outcome. It would
be inappropriate for the Committee as a body, or individual members of it,
to divulge any additional information about ministers or churches
concerned. 4 Composition A former Moderator of General Assembly who shall be Convener
The General Secretary
Two lay people
One minister in pastoral charge
One Moderator of Synod
The Honorary Treasure
The Convener of the Welfare Sub-Committee
The Deputy General Secretary who will act as Secretary 5
Attendance 5a. The minister whose case is being considered by the Committee may
request a meeting with the Committee in person if he or she so wishes. Alternatively the Committee may invite the minister to meet some or
all of its members. In either
case the minister may be accompanied by a friend if he or she so wishes.
5b.
The Committee shall have discretion to invite other persons
involved in a case to meet it.
6 Relationship to
Structure
The Committee will report to the Assembly each year. However the report will only deal with general matters and the Committee will not report on, nor may it be questioned on, individual cases.
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