The United Reformed Church IN THE UNITED KINGDOM GENEUL ASSEMBLY 1994 July 7th ~11th Lancaster Annual Reports, Resolutions & Papers From the General Secretary The layout of the book of Annual Reports, Resolutions and Papers follows the pattern set last year: 1 the main report of the Mission Council including resolutions with supporting papers: 2 reports of the work of the past year. One difference is that there are short reports from each synod in addition to those from standing committees. These will be dealt with as last year. In other words, they will not be spoken to by presenters. However they are open to questions and comments from the floor, to which representatives of the synods and conveners of committees will respond; 3 resolutions from synods and committees with supporting and background papers; 4 appendices including accounts and committee lists. Anthony G Burnham CONTENTS Page No Page No UN International Year of the Family 4 Charter for the Church 108 Racism 110 MISSION COUNCIL REPORTS & RESOLUTIONS 5 Churches - Changes 111 Student Grants 114 ANNUAL REPORTS Ministry 116 Synods 16 Finance 117 Advocacy and Stewardship 29 Assembly Costs 119 Assembly Pastoral Reference Committee 31 Good Practice 120 Church and Society 32 Arms and the Arms Trade 121 Communications and Supplies 39 Amnesty 123 Children's Work Committee 41 Missionary and Ecumenical Work Abroad 124 Pilots panel 43 Youth and Children's Work Training 44 National Youth Committee 47 APPENDICES I Methodist/URC Relations 126 Christian Education & Stewardship 53 II Procedures 128 Windermere 55 Ill Committees of the General Assembly 134 Health and Healing Committee 57 IV Accounts 147 Doctrine and Worship Committee 59 v Ministers Holding Assembly 61 Faith and Life Appointment Stipends 177 Financial Management Committee 62 VI Approved rates under the Financial Resources Committee 63 Plan for Partnership 177 Maintenance of the Ministry Committee 6.1:1. VII Colleges 178 Retired Ministers' Housing Committee 65 VIII Board of studies for Welfare and Emergencies Committee 67 Non-Stipendiary Ministry 184 United Reformed Church Trust 68 IX CRCW Training Reports 184 URC Ministers' Pension Fund Trust Ltd 68 x Students in Training 1993/94 185 Integrated Training Working Party 69 XI Non-Stipendiary Training Courses 188 Vocations Committee 70 XII Training Statistics 188 Training Committee 72 XIII Special Category Ministries 189 Support committee 75 XIV St Andrew's Hall Missionary College 190 Patterns of Ministry 77 xv Rural Consultancy Objectives 191 Nominations Committee 80 XVI Council for World Mission 193 Missionary and Ecumenical Work at Home 81 Missionary and Ecumenical Work Abroad 83 Mission and other Faiths Committee 85 INFORMATION Personnel Committee 86 a) Schools linked with the URC 196 Provincial Moderators' Report 89 b) History Society 200 c) Musicians Guild 201 d) Silence and Retreat Group 202 203 RESOLUTIONS & BACKGROUND PAPERS e) Spin f) Women's World Day of Prayer 203 Nominations 94 Equal Opportunity Policy 105 Equal Opportunities - Monitoring 107 STANDING ORDERS - Resolution 1 206 1994: United Nations International Year of the Family 1 The Year 1.1 The declaration of this Year, in recognition of concern felt in every corner of the world, has drawn a range of response from churches in this country. The emblem, reproduced here, reflects the family at the heart of society. 1.2 An ecumenical group including representatives of 25 Christian churches and bodies, in consultation with the official IYF Committee, has produced a leaflet (sent to every local URC) and arranged an inaugural service (reported in REFORM). Churches and church bodies are producing special materials on aspects of marriage and parenting, abuse and counselling, stress and celebration. The secretary to the URC Children's Work committee has been active in this group and can advise on the ideas and the materials. 1.3 Church and Society's work on 'values' runs close to this agenda. The committee has been kept aware of the progress of the working party on the family within the Board for :;>ocial Responsibility of the Church of England General Synod, which is expecting to produce a report in early 1995. 2 The Assembly 2.1 It has been agreed to focus on the family during Assembly in three sessions on successive days. On the first day there would be appropriate presentation in plenary, probably including a public figure and a church leader to speak about their perceptions of the family, along with some less formal input On the second day there would be small group discussion of issues raised by the presentation and of the experience of Assembly members; some preparation for this is suggested below. On the third occasion there would be opportunity for Assembly in plenary, to discern and determine what tasks are to be given, or issues referred, to the various constituent parts of the church; this will mean some work for Assembly committees, some for local churches, some for regional working groups, some for non-URC bodies, etc. 2.2 This will allow Assembly in 1994 to listen and learn; it will be an agenda-setting rather than a policy-making approach. Certain policy issues might well come back in 1995. 3 The Family 3.1 The term 'family' can trigger many different, even contrasting, memories and feelings, thoughts and ideas. It certainly exposes a number of moral and theological dilemmas. For example: 3.2.1 Is it possible or desirable to seek to define 'the family' when history and the social sciences highlight the great variety of ways of being family? 3.2.2 How can we speak of Christian ideals of family life and marriage in a manner which does respect the often painful realities of family and home life? 3.2.3 We can speak of Christian values (such as love, neighbourliness, friendship, fidelity. forgiveness) which ought to find expression in all domestic and sexual relationships. Can we also speak about standard Christian teaching on structures and traditions such as marriage, monogamy, family? 3.3 Members of Assembly are invited to come with minds and hearts prepared. The small groups will probably be asked to produce a note of, say, three hopes and three fears which they have concerning 'the family' arising from their discussion and sharing of experience. 4 MISSION COUNCIL REPORTS& RESOLUTIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1994 5 MISSION COUNCIL MISSION COUNCIL 1 OUR SECOND YEAR 1.1 We have begun to understand our task and to learn how sixty nine members, with staff in attendance, can reflect, discuss, debate and decide on matters of varying importance. We have discovered the value of doing our work in small groups of about eight people. There has only been a small turnover in membership and so we have got to know each other and are better at listening and speaking. The Council has met residentially over a weekend on two occasions and, in addition, for one day. 1.2 This is all set in the context of worship and bible study, in which we have been led by the Moderator and Duncan Wilson, the chaplain. Jenny Carpenter, a field officer with Churches Together in England and Elizabeth Caswell have helped the members to reflect on how we have responded to our remit: ''The purpose of the Mission Council is to enable the Church, in its General Assembly, to take a more comprehensive view of the activity and policy of the Church, to decide more carefully about priorities and to encourage the outreach of the Church to the community. Its service is directly towards the Assembly, but its concern is with the whole Church and all its members, so it will seek to be aware of the pains and joys, the adveniures and hopes of the whole body." The volume and range of the business, shown by this report and our resolutions, reveal some of our response though we have some way to go. In an attempt to help the Assembly discover some of the pains and joys, adventures and hopes of the whole church, we have commissioned a series of reports from the twelve synods. 1. 3 A vision for the URC has been on our agenda. The Mission Council is not without vision but we recognise that the source of a vision for the URC lies with all of us - local churches, district councils, provincial synods - and not with the Mission Council alone. Within the Mission Council some have argued for a single Mission Statement: others claim that paragraph 11 of the Basis of Union and the statement of our nature, faith and order are all we need. All members recognise that we need to identify our role in God's mission within the ecumenical family in the United Kingdom at the present time. They argue that the URC needs to express more sharply what we stand for and the direction in which we believe God is calling us to go. However, we are agreed that Mission Council cannot provide a vision for every local church, disbict and synod. Most would claim that in the work which has begun as a result of our two years existence, we are engaged in choosing those priorities which will equip the church better for mission. The Mission Council is searching for a common mind, building its work on the basic conviction that we are a reformed, trinitarian and conciliar church. 2 RESPONDING TO THE ASSEMBLY 2.1 Children's Advocate. In 1992 Assembly 'seeking to create the post of National Children's Advocate, instructs the Mission Council, as it reviews it budget priorities, to consider how this might be achieved as a matter of urgency'. As reported last year, an exploration had failed to discover a way forward either by a reduction in other work or by ecumenical cooperation.