Reports to the General Assembly 2006
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Tuesday Business Social Witness PWA Mission Overseas Finance and Personnel Communications GENERAL ASSEMBLY Wednesday Mission in Ireland Youth & Children’s Hymnal 2006 2006 General Thursday General ANNUAL REPORTS Education Union Commission Judicial Commission Friday Trustees ORDER OF BUSINESS Trusts Notes: Business commences at 9.30 a.m. each morning. Studies & Christian Training Adjourn for lunch at 1.00 p.m. each day. United Appeal The figures printed in brackets are page references to the Annual Reports. References to the Minutes of Assembly are given in full. NOTES ii MONDAY, JUNE 5 Within Church House 7.00 p.m.— Service of Worship Constitution of Assembly Memorial Roll Election of Moderator TUESDAY, JUNE 6 9.30 a.m.— 1. BUSINESS BOARD: Report and Resolutions (100-107). Arrangements Committee. 2. Reports of Synods and Presbyteries (91-99). (10.00) 3. Reception of Corresponding Members and Delegates. Church of Scotland: Rt Rev Alan McDonald, Rev Dr Russell Barr, Mrs Alison Twaddle. United Reformed Church: Rev Dr David Peel, Rev Dr David Cornick. Presbyterian Church of Wales: Rev Robert Bebb. Church of Ireland: Rev Canon PF Patterson, Mr JD Johnston. The Methodist Church in Ireland: Rev Dr W Brian Fletcher, Mrs Joan Parkinson. Irish Council of Churches: Mrs Gillian Kingston. Presbyterian Church USA: Rev Doug Baker. Presbyterian Church of Australia: Rev Bob Thomas. GMIH, Indonesia: Pdt Leonard Duan, Pdt Mrs. Sartje Papoeling-Puasa, Pdt Marthen Boediman. CCAP Nkhoma Synod, Malawi: Rt Rev CEJ Msangaambe. Presbyterian Church of East Africa, Kenya: Rev Eric Njuru. Times in brackets may be anticipated but should not be passed. iii NOTES iv (10.30) 4. BOARD OF SOCIAL WITNESS: Report and Resolutions (180-196) Adult Services; Family Services; Older People Services; Specialist Ministries. (11.40) Intermission 12.00 noon Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper 2.00 p.m.— 5. PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION: Report and Resolution (176-179). (2.30) 6. BOARD OF MISSION OVERSEAS: Report and Resolutions (118-145) Asia; Europe and Middle East; Africa; Caribbean and Latin America; World Development. 7. Overtures on the Books anent Pars 61(c); 97(c), 115(1), (2) of the Code (145). 8. Overture anent Par 279(1) of the Code (145). (4.00) 9. BOARD OF FINANCE AND PERSONNEL: Report and Resolutions (236-270). Finance, Legal and IT; Personnel; Assembly Buildings; Pensions and Assessments. (5.15) 10. BOARD OF COMMUNICATIONS: Report and Resolutions (108-117). Communications Administration; Communications Development; Church Architecture. Lapsed Business. (6.15) Close of Business. Times in brackets may be anticipated but should not be passed. v NOTES vi WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7 9.30 a.m.— 11. BOARD OF MISSION IN IRELAND: Report and Resolutions (146-175). Education and Promotion; Home and Irish Mission; Congregational Life; Shankill Road Mission. 12. Overtures anent Pars 300(4); 300(5) of the Code (173-174). 13. Memorial of the Interim Kirk Session of Ballysally Church Extension Charge (174-175). (11.00) 14. BOARD OF YOUTH AND CHILDREN’S MINISTRY: Report and Resolutions (197-207). Training; Research and Education; Resources; Ministry Opportunities; Ministry Events. 15. Hymnal Committee: Report and Resolutions (283-284). 12.15 p.m.— Worship. 2.00 p.m.— 16. GENERAL BOARD: Report and Resolutions (1-59). Priorities; Doctrine; Moderator’s Advisory; Recognised Ministries. (3.30) 17. GENERAL BOARD: Report and further Resolutions (1-59). Church House, Presbytery Bounds; Manses; Centres’ Review; Mission Communication. Lapsed Business. (5.30) Close of Business. 7.45 p.m.— Evening Rally. Times in brackets may be anticipated but should not be passed. vii NOTES viii THURSDAY, JUNE 8 9.30 a.m.— 18. GENERAL BOARD: Report and further Resolutions (1-59). Church and Society; Global Concerns; Church Relations. Lapsed General Board Business. 19. Overtures on the Books anent Pars 25(1); 30(3); 50(2) of the Code (58-59). 20. Overture anent Par 85(1) of the Code (59). 12.15 p.m.— Worship 2.00 p.m.— 21. BOARD OF EDUCATION: Report and Resolutions (208-221). State Education; University Education. 22. UNION COMMISSION: Report and Resolutions (66-90). 23. Overture on the Books anent Par 82(4) of the Code (86). 24. Overtures anent Pars 193(4); 194(8); 195(3); 237; 274(2) of the Code (87-88). 25. Memorial of the Kirk Session of Wellington Street, Ballymena (88). 26. Memorial of the East Belfast Presbytery (88-89). 27. Memorial of the Kirk Session of Fortwilliam Park and Macrory Memorial (90). Times in brackets may be anticipated but should not be passed. ix NOTES x (3.40) Intermission 4.00 p.m. In Private 28. JUDICIAL COMMISSION: Report and Resolutions (60-65). 29. Overture on the Books anent Par 163(2)(b) of the Code (65). In Public Lapsed Business. (6.00) Adjournment. 7.00 p.m.— Lapsed Business, if any. FRIDAY, JUNE 9 9.30 a.m.— 30. TRUSTEES: Report and Resolutions (278-282). 31. Appointment of New Trustee (282). 32. COMMISSION ON TRUSTS: Report and Resolutions (235). (10.00) 33. BOARD OF STUDIES AND CHRISTIAN TRAINING: Report and Resolutions (222-234). Ministerial Studies; College and Magee Management; Resourcing Christians for Ministry; Reception of Ministers and Licentiates. 34. Overtures anent Pars 193(1); 193(2)(b); 200(4); 219(5); 285(4) of the Code (232-233). 35. Memorial of the Presbytery of Armagh (233-234). Times in brackets may be anticipated but should not be passed. xi NOTES xii 36. UNITED APPEAL BOARD: Report and Resolutions (271-277). 12.15 p.m.— Worship. Late Business, if any. Lapsed Business. 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”.