Reports to the General Assembly 2005
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Tuesday Business Communications PWA Social Witness Board of Studies & Christian Training Finance and Personnel GENERAL ASSEMBLY Wednesday General (Committees) General (Panels) 2005 2005 Thursday Mission in Ireland Overseas Judicial Commission ANNUAL REPORTS Reception of Ministers Union Commission Youth and Children’s Ministry Friday Trustees ORDER OF BUSINESS Trusts Notes: Business commences at 9.30 a.m. each morning. United Appeal Luncheon adjournment at 1.00 p.m. each day. Education The figures printed in brackets are page Nomination references to the Annual Reports. Assembly Conference References to the Minutes of Assembly are given Hymnal in full. NOTES ii MONDAY, JUNE 6 Within Church House 7.00 p.m.— Service of Worship Constitution of Assembly Memorial Roll Election of Moderator TUESDAY, JUNE 7 9.30 a.m.— 1. BUSINESS BOARD: Report and Resolutions (105-112). Arrangements Committee. 2. Reports of Synods and Presbyteries (95-104). (10.00) 3. Reception of Corresponding Members and Delegates. Church of Scotland: Rt. Rev. David Lacy, Rev. Janet S. Mathieson, Mr. Michael Lacy. United Reformed Church: Rev. Sheila Maxey. Presbyterian Church of Wales: Rev. Gareth Edwards. Church of Ireland: Rt. Rev. A.E.T. Harper, Mr. H.T. Morrison. The Methodist Church in Ireland: Rev. J. Rea, Rev. Ruth Craig. Irish Council of Churches: Mr. Michael Earle. (10.30) 4. Church House Centenary 5. BOARD OF COMMUNICATIONS: Report and Resolutions (113-117) Communications Administration; Communications Develop-ment; Church Architecture. (11.40) Intermission Times in brackets may be anticipated but should not be passed. iii NOTES iv 12.00 noon Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper 2.00 p.m.— 6. PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION: Report and Resolutions (171-174). (2.30) 7. BOARD OF SOCIAL WITNESS: Report and Resolutions (175-202) Social Issues and Resources; Addiction and Education Services; War Memorial Hostel; Kinghan Mission; Presbyterian Residential Trust; Marriage and the Family; Forces; Chaplains. (3.30) 8. Overture anent Par. 281(2) of the Code (202). (4.00) 9. BOARD OF STUDIES AND CHRISTIAN TRAINING: Report and Resolutions (225-232). Ministerial Studies; College and Magee Management; Resourcing Christians for Ministry. (5.00) 10. BOARD OF FINANCE AND PERSONNEL: Report and Resolutions (240-262). Finance, Legal and IT; Personnel; Assembly Buildings; Pensions and Assessments. 11. Overture on the Books anent Par. 111(6) of the Code (262). Lapsed Business. (6.30) Close of Business. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8 9.30 a.m.— 12. GENERAL BOARD: Report and Resolutions (9-68). Priorities; Doctrine; Church and Society; Moderator’s Advisory; Recognised Ministries; Global Concerns; Church Relations. Times in brackets may be anticipated but should not be passed. v NOTES vi 12.15 p.m.— Worship. 2.00 p.m.— (2.00) 13. GENERAL BOARD: Report and further Resolutions (9-68). Church House; Manses; Centres Review; Presbytery Bounds; Foyle Memorial; Education/Promotion. 14. Overtures anent Pars. 25(1); 30(3); 50(2); 272(4)(d); 272(5)(a); 272(5)(b); 272(5)(c); 272(6); 281(3) of the Code (67-68). Lapsed Business. (5.30) Close of Business. 7.45 p.m.— Evening Rally. THURSDAY, JUNE 9 9.30 a.m.— 15. BOARD OF MISSION IN IRELAND: Report and Resolutions (151-170). Education and Promotion; Home and Irish Mission; Congregational Life; Shankill Road Mission. 16. Memorial of the Interim Kirk Session of New Mossley (169-170). (11.00) 17. OVERSEAS BOARD: Report and Resolutions (119-150). Asia; Europe and Middle East; Africa, Caribbean and Latin America; World Development. 18. Overtures anent Pars. 61(c); 97(c); 115(1), (2) of the Code (150). Times in brackets may be anticipated but should not be passed. vii NOTES viii 19. Overtures anent Pars. 202(5), (6); 205(6), (7)(b); 212(7), (8)(b), (9); 268(4)(b); 279; 290(1), (2), (3), (4); 291(1), (2), (3); 292; 293; 308(8); 331(2)(b) of the Code (150). 12.15 p.m.— Worship 2.00 p.m.— In Private 20. JUDICIAL COMMISSION: Report and Resolutions (69-78). 21. Committee on Reception of Ministers and Licentiates: Report and Resolutions (233-238). 22. Memorial of Rev. H. Higgins (235-236). 23. Memorial of Mr. J. Lehman (236-237). 24. Memorial of Rev. G.W.D. Stewart (237-238). In Public (3.15) 25. UNION COMMISSION: Report and Resolutions (79-94). 26. Overture on the Books anent Par. 128(1) of the Code (94). 27. Overture anent Par. 82(4) of the Code (94). (4.00) 28. BOARD OF YOUTH AND CHILDREN’S MINISTRY: Report and Resolutions (203-213). Training; Research and Education; Resources; Ministry Opportunities; Ministry Events. Lapsed Business. Times in brackets may be anticipated but should not be passed. ix NOTES x (6.00) Adjournment. 7.00 p.m.— Lapsed Business, if any. FRIDAY, JUNE 10 9.30 a.m.— 29. TRUSTEES: Report and Resolutions (271-274). 30. COMMISSION ON TRUSTS: Report and Resolutions (239). (10.00) 31. UNITED APPEAL BOARD: Report and Resolutions (263-270). 32. Overtures anent Pars. 287(1); 287(3)(a), (b), (c); 287(4)(d), (e), (f) of the Code (269-270). 33. BOARD OF EDUCATION: Report and Resolutions (214-224). State Education; University Education. 34. BOARD OF NOMINATION: Report and Resolution (118). 35. Assembly Conference Committee: Report and Resolutions (275). 36. Hymnal Committee: Report and Resolutions (276). 12.15 p.m.— Worship. Late Business, if any. Lapsed Business. Times in brackets may be anticipated but should not be passed. xi NOTES xii BUSINESS BOARD, Final Report. CLOSE OF ASSEMBLY. 7.45 p.m.— YOUTH NIGHT Times in brackets may be anticipated but should not be passed. xiii NOTES xiv BUSINESS BOARD A Guide to Assembly Procedure 1. Members of Assembly consist of all ministers in active duty or retired and some elders, ex officio, together with a representative elder from each established congregation plus other elders commissioned by Presbyteries to correspond with the number of ministers serving in special appointments. Deaconesses, representatives of the Women’s and Youth Movements and some others have now been invited to “sit and deliberate” as associates — i.e., to take part with members freely in debate but without voting. The Assembly quorum is fifty members. 2. While members should bear in mind any opinions or concerns of their Congregations, Kirk Sessions or Presbyteries, neither ministers nor elders attend as “delegates”, obliged to vote as instructed by any of these. The Assembly should be a gathering of fully responsible, free Christian men and women, always open to spiritual guidance and information on a Church-wide basis, not a device for counting up decisions already made elsewhere. 3. The Moderator is chairman of the Assembly, in charge of proceedings, but he should not take sides in debates. Former Moderators may deputise from time to time at his request, should he wish to take part in debate or to withdraw from the House. When the Moderator rises to speak at any point all other members must yield to the Chair. Members should stand when the Moderator enters or leaves at the beginning or end of proceedings. Members may enter or leave at any time during proceedings, but should do so with as little disturbance as possible. It is a courtesy in so doing to give a slight bow to the Chair. 4. With the changing composition of the Assembly the recommended form of address to the House is simply “Moderator” (not “Mr.” Moderator, etc.). Speakers should face towards the House and the microphones, not towards the Moderator. xv 5. Work for which the Assembly is responsible is generally entrusted to various permanent or temporary (“ad hoc”) committees. These must each present a report to the Assembly. Working Committees concerned with related matters are grouped under a supervising Board. A Commission of Assembly is a committee entrusted with the executive powers of the Assembly, within the terms of its appointment. Members of committees, etc., are appointed by the Assembly on the nomination of various bodies and have a Convener (i.e., executive secretary, in Irish usage) in charge. 6. Reports. While the Assembly is obliged to “receive” the report of each committee, etc., it does not “adopt” or accept responsibility for the contents of any report. Reports carry only the authority of the committee concerned and not of the Assembly. If found too unsatisfactory, the report may be received and referred back. Any matter to which the Assembly is to be committed must be stated in a specific resolution. Resolutions should be kept to conclusions, rather than include arguments in support such as are appropriate to speeches. Similarly, speeches in the Assembly carry the authority only of the speaker. 7. Reports, together with any appended resolutions, are first of all “presented”, usually by a Board or Committee Convener. There is then an opportunity for questions to be asked. These should quite strictly be asked only for further information or explanation, whether of something in the report or not in the report but for which the Board, etc., carries responsibility; they should not be rhetorical or debating “questions”, to score a point. 8. Questions, which should be written out and placed in the box provided in good time, will normally be limited to two per person and ten minutes in all, unless the Moderator judge that a particular subject merits an extension of these limits. 9. After Questions, the presenter of the report formally proposes the appended resolutions in block and another person seconds, with a speech taking up any other aspects requiring treatment. xvi 10. The Resolutions are then taken in succession. The first of these is always “that the report be received”. This is the point where members may discuss (not ask questions about) any matters in the report or for which the Board, etc., should bear responsibility, but which do not arise under any subsequent resolution.