GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2020 REPORTS FRIDAY 2 – SATURDAY 3 OCTOBER The Church of Scotland Unincorporated Councils and Committees Annual Report and Accounts 2017 GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2020 REPORTS FRIDAY 2 – SATURDAY 3 OCTOBER Index of Reports 1. Report of the Assembly Business Committee ..................... 3 2. Report of the Legal Questions Committee .......................... 7 3. Report of the Faith Nurture Forum ...................................... 16 4. Report of the Principal Clerk ................................................ 47 5. Report of the Safeguarding Committee .............................. 48 6. Report of the Nomination Committee ................................. 52 7. Report of the Assembly Trustees .......................................... 55 8. Report of the Faith Impact Forum ....................................... 78 9. Report of the National Youth Assembly 2019 ..................... 97 10. Report of the General Trustees ........................................... 103 ASSEMBLY BUSINESS COMMITTEE October 2020 PROPOSED DELIVERANCE The General Assembly: 1. Receive the Report. 2. Approve the Order of Business (Order of Proceedings). 3. Appoint the Rev Colin Renwick to act as Precentor until the end of May 2021. 4. Appoint Mr Roy Pinkerton to index the verbatim record. 5. Suspend certain Standing Orders for the duration of this Assembly and endorse the alternative arrangements proposed by the Committee, as detailed in section 6.7 of the Report. REPORT 1. INTRODUCTION The preventative measures to limit the spread of the Covid-19 Coronavirus necessitated that the General Assembly scheduled to meet in May 2020 was cancelled. In order to effect essential decisions two Commissions of Assembly were called respectively in May and July, and this remote access General Assembly has been called to process a limited Order of Proceedings. The Committee is grateful to Sanctus Media and Oscus Media who have enabled our ability to connect remotely as we journey into new ways of meeting, debating and decision making. The Assembly Business Committee was formed at GA 2019 within the context of wider restructuring and radical action and has already been considering how a leaner but effective General Assembly might operate. Covid-19 restrictions have accelerated that process, and in May 2021 the committee will bring far-reaching plans for the size, shape and duration of the General Assembly drawing on the lessons of recent months. While we are still navigating new technologies, and with limited time, it is necessary to restrict the business before us to the essential. 2. THE VERY REV COLIN SINCLAIR It was always going to be ‘a year with a difference’, but Colin could not have anticipated that his year in office would end as it did in in lockdown. After preparatory months, his time started in earnest as he moderated GA2019 through its business of radical change and structural reform. As an ambassador of the Church, Colin, often accompanied by his wife Ruth, made many Church, Guild, Presbytery and Community visits where he was able to open doors, and open hearts. Beyond Scotland, visits took him to London, Zambia and Ghana. In the closing months of the year amid Covid-19 restrictions, Colin and Ruth rose to the emerging situation as scheduled events, including the visits to the Presbyteries of Inverness and Dundee, gave way to online meetings, prayers and reflections. The Church is deeply indebted to Colin for the service he gave to the Church during a memorable and challenging year. 3. THE RIGHT REVEREND DR MARTIN FAIR Four months into his year, Martin Fair has been the Moderator for a time such as this; building on Colin’s online leadership, he has helped us all to realise the potential of the Webinar, YouTube, Facebook and other online facilities. In ‘It’s a Fair Question’ he has considered difficult issues helpfully and sensitively, and in the Week of Prayer led us with thoughtful words, music, images and suggested actions. Martin’s pastoral phone calls to ministers have been greatly appreciated, as have been the ‘pulpit supply’ videos of Sunday Worship led by him and others. Online meetings with sister churches, faith groups and community groups have filled a diary that for a time looked as though it might be rather quiet. We wish Martin well as he continues in this role. 4. THE PRECENTOR The Committee is grateful to Rev Colin Renwick who had been appointed to be Precentor at the General Assembly scheduled for May 2020. In consultation with the then Moderator Designate he had begun planning for that occasion, and we are delighted that he is willing to serve in this capacity, if circumstances permit, in May 2021. 5. PRESBYTERY REPRESENTATION The Presbytery returns show that there are in all the Presbyteries 1,035 charges, whether vacant or not and that there are 197 other ministers (excluding retired ministers) who are members of Presbyteries. Representation is calculated for each Presbytery in accordance with Act III 2000 and the total number of Commissioners is made up as follows: 343 ministers, 343 elders and 15 deacons. 6. PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO STANDING ORDERS 6.1 The Committee has various proposals to amend Standing Orders and these are explained below. According to Standing Order 128, proposals to alter the Standing Orders (other than SO113) should be contained in the Report of the Legal Questions Committee. Therefore, the explanation for the proposed changes follows, with the proposed amended text being set out in Appendix A, but the proposed sections of deliverance actually effecting the changes to the Standing Orders are set out in the Report of the Legal Questions Committee. Where the text in Appendix A is in bold, it indicates new (or substantially new) wording. 6.2 SO 33.1. It is proposed that the Legal Questions Committee be added to the list of bodies which have the right to appoint a corresponding member in terms of SO 33.1.(a). Work has also been done to redraft this SO to make it easier to understand. 6.3 SO 33.3. The Committee was instructed by the Assembly of 2019 to bring forward amendments to Standing Orders to ensure that each Assembly Trustee is included as a corresponding member of the General Assembly when not otherwise a commissioner. A proposal for change was submitted to the Commission of Assembly held in November 2019. The Committee now thinks this wording can be slightly improved and proposes the wording set out in Appendix A. 6.4 SO 39 The Committee wishes to ensure that the Assembly is given accurate answers to questions from those who understand the matter best, and believes that it should become easier for staff associated with Committees and Fora to be able (at the initiative of the Convener) to answer a question. Presently this requires consent from the Convener of the Procedure Committee before the debate opens, hence it is proposed to change this so that only the Moderator’s permission at the time is needed. 6.5 SO 56 The operation of SO 56 as currently drafted has been problematic, and substantially redrafted text is put forward which it is hoped will bring clarity to the situation where a proposed motion has budgetary implications. The suggested text also includes the right for the Assembly Trustees to comment on such proposals. 6.6 References to “in print” and “bound” documents The Standing Orders contain various references which presume the use of hard copy documents being produced “in print” and also to “bound” documents. With increased use of electronic options and the move towards a paperless Assembly, the Committee believes that these references are anachronistic and therefore seeks approval for a generic section of deliverance (to be proposed in the Report of the Legal Questions Committee) which would instruct the Clerks to update this terminology throughout the Standing Orders for the Assembly of 2021, for example by removing “in print” and just leaving “in proper form”, or by referring to “production”, “inclusion” or “circulation” of “documents”, rather than of “papers”. 6.7 Suspension of Standing Orders for a video-conferenced General Assembly The holding of a General Assembly by video-conference has not been planned but rather has become necessary in the current circumstances. Some aspects of the Standing Orders are not appropriate in the situation in which we find ourselves. A section of deliverance has therefore been included to suspend aspects of certain Standing Orders for this General Assembly only. These are as follows: SECTION STANDING ORDERS TO BE SUSPENDED COMMENTS II CONDUCT OF BUSINESS SOs 10 – 11: Election of a Moderator and reading The Moderator has the Commission to the Lord High Commissioner been elected by the SO 18: Appointment of a Selection Committee Commission of Assembly SO 21: Celebration of Holy Communion minuted 5 May 2020. SO 25: Appointment of a Panel of Tellers The Assembly Business SO 30: Lord High Commissioner’s address to Committee agreed that close other matters normally part of an Assembly will not be included in this shortened, video- conferenced Assembly. SO 26: Printing of Acts of Assembly The Assembly Business Committee agreed that the list of Acts (proposed) will be prepared and sent out with Assembly papers. IV COMMITTEE REPORTS SO 41: Timing is that Committee Reports “shall” The Assembly Business AND OVERTURES be transmitted to Clerks of Assembly no later Committee agreed than a date in February. that reports should be submitted by 24 August. VI ORDER OF DEBATE SO 105: Taking the Vote: “standing in their places” Alternative voting can’t be applied. System for electronic voting is to arrangements have be approved by Assembly Business Committee. been approved by the Assembly Business Committee for use at this Assembly. SO 106 - 110: Dissents Alternative arrangements for dissents have been approved by the Assembly Business Committee for use at this Assembly. In the name of the Committee DONALD MCCORKINDALE, Convener SUSAN PYM, Vice-Convener GEORGE J WHYTE, Secretary APPENDIX A SO 33.1.