General Assembly
2006:
Return to work after
ill-health retirement
1. A number of
Ministers and CRCWs retire from stipendiary service early on the grounds
of ill-health. Some may request a return to work because they have
recovered from the illness and believe themselves fit for work.
General Assembly
adopts the following procedure for return to work after ill-health
retirement of Ministers and Church Related Community Workers.
When a Minister or CRCW who
has previously retired on grounds of ill-health wishes to return to
work:
i) The Minister/CRCW will inform the Moderator of
the Synod in which they are living.
ii) The Moderator will:
a) Inform the Secretary for Ministries
b) Arrange for a Synod interview with the Minister/CRCW
to assess personal and spiritual readiness to return to work and assess
any further training needs. The council of the Church that gave
concurrence for retirement of that Minister/CRCW should be consulted, as
well as the Moderator of the Synod.
iii) The Secretary for Ministries will arrange for medical
references to be gathered. These will include a report from the
Minister’s/CRCW’s own doctor and if applicable his/her consultant and an
independent medical/psychiatric assessment paid for by the United
Reformed Church. The United Reformed Church’s medical referee, or
whomsoever the referee names as a specialist in each individual case,
will conduct this assessment.
iv) A recommendation will be sent by the Synod to the
Secretary for Ministries following the Synod interview.
v) The Secretary for Ministries will take the medical
and Synod reports to the Accreditation Sub-Committee who will then take
the decision as to whether the Moderators may introduce the Minister’s/CRCW’s
name to a local church or post, subject to the completion of any agreed
training programme.
vi) The local church or post will be made aware by the
Moderator that the individual is returning to work after retirement on
the grounds of ill health.
vii) The Minister will remain in receipt of the pension
and, where applicable, in Church housing until he/she receives a call.
viii) If there has been no call by a local church after a
year the situation will be reviewed. This review will involve a meeting
between the Minister and the Moderator in the first instance. Following
that meeting the Moderator will advise the Accreditation Sub-Committee
as to whether the Minister’s name should remain available for
introduction to a pastorate.
ix) Should the original health problem recur to the point
where early retirement on the grounds of ill health becomes necessary,
there should be a streamlined procedure for approving retirement on the
grounds of ill-health. There will normally be no further opportunity to
return to ministerial service.
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