Annual Reports
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2019 2019 ANNUAL REPORTS Tuesday H GA Business Committee – 1 Initial Report Presbyteries 2 General Council (Section 1) 3 Global Mission 4 PresbyterCHURCH IN IRELAND an Beyond Ourselves 5 Linkage Commission 6 GENERAL ASSEMBLY Wednesday H Public Affairs 1 Mission in Ireland 2 Listening to the Global Church 3 2019 2019 General Council (Section 2) 4 Memorials Transmitted 5 Congregational Life and Witness 6 ANNUAL REPORTS Thursday H Life Always Matters 1 Training in Ministry 2 Social Witness 3 ORDER OF BUSINESS General Council (Section 3) 4 Notes: (i) Business commences at different times each day. There are business sessions on the Overtures 5 Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Friday H (ii) An “Introduction to Assembly Business” will be given in the Assembly Hall on Tuesday at Judicial Commission 1 10am. Special Judicial Commission 2 (iii) Communion will be held on Tuesday at 11.45am Commission on Applications 3 and Worship on Wednesday and Thursday at 12.15pm and 2.45pm respectively. General Council (Section 4) 4 GA Business Committee – 65 (iv) Figures in brackets refer to page numbers in the Final Report Annual Reports. i NOTES ii MONDAY, JUNE 3 Assembly Buildings 7pm – Service of Worship Constitution of Assembly Election of Moderator TUESDAY, JUNE 4 10.30am – 1. GENERAL ASSEMBLY BUSINESS COMMITTEE: Initial Report and Resolutions 1-7 (pages 4-10 and 111-112). 2. Reports of Presbyteries (pages 117-124). 3. Reception of Corresponding Members and Delegates. Church of Ireland: Ven David Huss; Mr Michael Johnston The Methodist Church in Ireland: Rev Dr Laurence Graham Religious Society for Friends: Pleasaunce M Perry; Fionnuala Carson Williams Irish Council of Churches: Rev Brian Anderson; Major Paul Kingscott The Presbyterian Church of Wales: Rev Brian Matthews; Mrs Beryl Matthews Transylvanian Reformed Church: Bishop Béla Kató and Rev Tibor Kiss Greek Evangelical Church: Rev Dimitris Boukis Presbyterian Church of East Africa: Rev Peter Kaniah and Rev Elizabeth Githinji Church of Central Africa Presbyterian, Synod of Blantyre: Rev Alex Maulana Evangelical Christian Church in Halmahera: Pdt Deminaus Ice, Pdt Sirayandris Jitro Botara and Mr Herson Keradjaan (Please note: some of the above are waiting on the granting of a Visa. Any changes or additions to the above will be reported in the Supplementary Reports.) (11.30am) Short Intermission. Times in brackets may be anticipated but should not be passed. iii NOTES iv 11.45am Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper including the Memorial Roll. 1pm LUNCH. 2pm – 4. GENERAL COUNCIL: Section 1 of Report and Resolutions 8-10 (pages 1-4, 10-34 and 112). Executive Summary; Memorial Record; Overview and Coordination Task Group; Implementation Task Group; Decision Making and Dissent Task group; Dialogue and Resources Task Group; Human Identity Task Group. (3.45pm) Tea/Coffee Break. 4.15pm 5. COUNCIL FOR GLOBAL MISSION: Report and Resolutions (pages 125-147). Lapsed Business (if any). 5.30pm DINNER. 7pm – 6. CCLW ALTERNATIVE PRESENTATION – Beyond Ourselves 8pm 7. LINKAGE COMMISSION: Report and Resolutions (pages 148-165). (9pm) Close of Business WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5 9.30am – 8. COUNCIL FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS: Report and Resolutions (pages 166-192). (10.30am) Tea/Coffee Break. Times in brackets may be anticipated but should not be passed. v NOTES vi 11am 9. COUNCIL FOR MISSION IN IRELAND: Report and Resolutions (pages 193-216). 12.15pm – Worship. 1pm LUNCH 2pm – 10. LISTENING TO THE GLOBAL CHURCH – People on the Move (3pm) Tea/Coffee Break. 3.30pm 11. GENERAL COUNCIL: Section 2 of Report and Resolutions 11-19 (pages 35-62 and 112-113). Guysmere Centre Task Group; Church Relations Committee; Priorities Committee; Moderator’s Advisory Committee; Doctrine Committee; Theological Engagement Task Group. (4.15pm) 12. MEMORIAL OF SOUTH BELFAST PRESBYTERY (pages 217-218). 4.45pm 13. COUNCIL FOR CONGREGATIONAL LIFE AND WITNESS: Report and Resolutions (pages 219- 246). Lapsed Business (if any). (6pm) Close of Business 6pm – The Youth Assembly Working Group is hosting a fringe event during the General Assembly on developing and building unity, within congregations and beyond. The fringe event will take place in the ground floor conference area. A light tea will be served. Admission to the event is by ticket only so booking is essential and can be completed online at the PCI website or through the CLW office. 7.45pm – Evening Celebration: Enjoying God Times in brackets may be anticipated but should not be passed. vii NOTES viii THURSDAY, JUNE 6 1.45pm – 14. CPA ALTERNATIVE PRESENTATION – Life Always Matters 2.45pm – Worship. (3.30pm) Tea/Coffee Break. 4pm 15. COUNCIL FOR TRAINING IN MINISTRY: Report and Resolutions (pages 247-279). Lapsed Business (if any). 5.30pm DINNER. 7pm – 16. COUNCIL FOR SOCIAL WITNESS: Report and Resolutions (pages 280-307). 8pm 17. GENERAL COUNCIL: Section 3 of Report and Resolutions 20-27 (pages 63-86 and 113-114). Support Services Committee; United Appeal Committee; Holding Trustees Task Group; Charity Registration Task Group; General Data Protection Regulation Task Group; Engagement and Consultations Task Group. 18. OVERTURES: On the Books (pages 308-309) 19. OVERTURES: New (pages 310-313). Lapsed Business (if any). (9pm) Close of Business. Times in brackets may be anticipated but should not be passed. ix NOTES x FRIDAY, JUNE 7 In Private 9.30am – 20. JUDICIAL COMMISSION: Report and Resolution (pages 314-318). 21. SPECIAL JUDICIAL COMMISSION: Report and Resolution (page 319). 22. COMMISSION ON APPLICATIONS: Report and Resolution (page 320). In Public (10am) 23. GENERAL COUNCIL: Section 4 of Report and Resolutions 28-39 (pages 87-111 and 114-116). General Assembly Business Committee (Second Report); Nominations Committee; Deputy Clerk Task Group; Voting Membership Task Group; Historical Archiving Task Group; Central Prayer Coordination Task Group; Ad-Hoc Business; Reports of bodies not under the General Assembly. 24. TRUSTEES: Report and Resolutions (pages 321- 325). 25. MEMORIAL RE PRESBYTERIAN RELIEF FUND (page 326-327) (11am) Tea/Coffee Break. 11.30am Lapsed Business (if any). (1pm) 26. GENERAL ASSEMBLY BUSINESS COMMITTEE: Final Report and Resolutions (to be tabled). Closing Worship CLOSE OF ASSEMBLY. Times in brackets may be anticipated but should not be passed. xi GENERAL ASSEMBLY BUSINESS COMMITTEE 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. The Assembly quorum is fifty members. (a) Deaconesses, licentiates, presbytery representatives of Presbyterian Women and youth, representatives of the Youth Assembly and some others are invited to ‘sit and deliberate’ as associates – i.e., to take part with members freely in debate but without voting. In addition to a representative elder, kirk sessions have been given permission to name a further person aged up to 30 years of age who may sit and deliberate. This person may be an elder or simply a communicant member. (b) 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. 2. The Moderator chairs the Assembly and is in charge of proceedings, but should not take sides in debates. Former Moderators may deputise from time to time, should the Moderator wish to take part in debate or to withdraw from the House. (a) When the Moderator rises to speak at any point all other members must yield to the Chair. (b) 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. (c) 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. xii 3. Councils and Commissions: Work for which the Assembly is responsible is generally entrusted to various General Assembly councils and commissions. These must each present a report to the Assembly. Councils normally have a number of General Assembly committees working under them, along with permanent panels and ad-hoc task groups. A Commission of Assembly is entrusted with the executive powers of the Assembly, within the terms of its appointment. Members of commissions, councils and General Assembly committees are appointed by the Assembly itself, on the nomination of the General Assembly’s Nominations Committee. Councils and commissions are led by a convener, supported by a secretary, with the latter often being a senior member of staff. In what follows the word ‘councils’ covers councils, commissions and the General Assembly Business Committee. 4. Reports of Councils: While the Assembly is obliged to ‘receive’ the report of each council, it does not ‘adopt’ or accept responsibility for the contents of any report. Reports carry only the authority of the council concerned and not of the Assembly. (a) If found too unsatisfactory the report, or a section of it, may be received and referred back. This is done by an amendment to the resolution “That the report of the [name of council] be received”. 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 reports and speeches.