NOMINATION COMMITTEE May 2017 PROPOSED DELIVERANCE The General Assembly: 1. Receive the Report. 2. Instruct the Council of Assembly to facilitate conversations among the Nomination Committee, the Legal Questions Committee and senior officers of the Church to recommend whether a better alternative method may be put in place for the nomination of persons to serve on bodies dealing with specific legal matters and report to the General Assembly in 2018. (Section 2) 3. Make alterations to Standing Committees and Councils as set forth in the Report. (Section 6) REPORT 1. Background to the General Assembly; if they know of someone who 30 1.1 The remit of the Nomination Committee is to identify would be interested in the work and who could make a ministers, deacons, elders and members with particular contribution, then please consider nominating them in skills and experience for serving on the Church’s Councils future years. As ever, it would be a particular pleasure to and Committees. The Committee is grateful to all of those receive more nominations of younger people, but we who serve the Church in this way, giving of their time and would also like to hear from people in other under- talents and bringing to the table their understanding of represented groups (eg those from Priority Area the local Church, their professional skills and expertise, congregations; people of disability; members of ethnic and their passion for the Gospel. minority groups). There is a short video clip about Council and Committee membership on the Church website at: 1.2 There are over 400 places on national Councils and http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/about_us/ Committees, with at least 100 places to fill every year. councils_committees_and_departments/committees/ Names are invited from Kirk Sessions, Presbyteries, nomination_committees. Ministers, The Guild, Councils, Committees and individuals in the autumn of each year, and the Committee would 1.4 The names of those contained in Section 6 are wish to thank all of those who consider this matter and recommended to the General Assembly with a view to identify people for possible involvement. filling all of the current vacancies. The names include those appointed to fill vacancies which occurred in Councils and 1.3 Commissioners are invited to think about the work Committees during the course of the 2016-2017 session. of the Councils and Committees of the Church as reported The Church owes a debt of gratitude to all of those listed. 30/2 NOMINATION COMMITTEE 2. Nomination of Members to ‘Legal’ relevant experience from the business world to present a Committees paper to its next meeting. The Committee, at its meeting in January, discussed with 3.3 Whilst the Committee will continue to research the the Convener of the Legal Questions Committee the practical barriers to involvement, it remains of the view particular challenge of attracting nominations from the that the Church’s complex governance structure and its wider church to the Panels, Committees and Commissions reliance on meetings lie at the heart of this matter and that of the Church which deal with a variety of legal matters. these are issues requiring reflection by the whole Church. These bodies are often involved in highly sensitive, We acknowledge that the Council of Assembly’s current specialised work and very specific skills and experience work on bringing forward a strategic plan may have a are needed. The right people are not always known to bearing on the future structure and workings of the the Nomination Committee, in the absence of Church’s national committees and await that outcome recommendations from the wider Church, and the onus before making any further recommendations. has been on the Legal Questions Committee to come up with possible names for consideration. Whilst this practice 4. Statistical Information is permitted, and the Legal Questions Committee is well 4.1 The Committee provides some statistical details to placed to know what skills and experience are needed for the Assembly as a means of highlighting and encouraging each of the bodies in question, the Nomination Committee the engagement of the Church as a whole with the asks the Council of Assembly to facilitate a conversation Nomination Committee process. between the Committee, the Legal Questions Committee and senior officers to discuss whether a different process 4.2 Approximately 3,000 e-mails inviting nominations might be needed for bringing forward nominations to were sent out to Ministers, Session Clerks, Presbytery these bodies. Clerks, the National Office of the Guild, members of the Nomination Committee and Secretaries of Assembly 3. Barriers to Involvement Councils and Committees. 3.1 The General Assembly of 2015 instructed the Committee, in partnership with the Council of Assembly 4.3 These letters produced a total of 209 proposed and other relevant Councils or Committees, to explore the nominations, broken down as follows (with some barriers involved for people in employment and students individuals proposed for more than one committee, and in becoming members of a Council or Committee and how some forms supported by more than one category these can be minimised to allow greater participation and eg Minister and Kirk Session): diversity and report back to a future General Assembly. The Committee brought an interim report to the 2016 • 45 nominations from 27 Ministers (compared with 52 General Assembly. from 28 last year and 39 from 26 in 2015), with 20 being approached; 3.2 Consideration of these matters is continuing and, at • 32 nominations from 18 Kirk Sessions (compared with the time of writing, the Committee is planning to conduct 9 from 6 last year and 19 from 10 in 2015), with 8 a short questionnaire in a sample group of congregations being approached; from across the country, aided by the Rev Dr Fiona • 38 nominations from 13 Presbyteries (compared with Tweedie, Mission Statistics Co-ordinator. The Committee is 17 from 6 last year and 21 from 9 in 2015), with 15 also considering the use of technology and the potential being approached; for greater participation in meetings from remote locations, and has invited one of its members who has NOMINATION COMMITTEE 30/3 • 4 nominations from the Guild (compared with none Assembly agree to suspend Standing Order 122 and it is in 2015 and 2016), with 2 being approached; anticipated that the Business Convener will arrange for • 6 nominations from Nomination Committee that question to be put to the Assembly at an appropriate members (compared with 7 last year and 13 in 2015), point in the proceedings. with 5 being approached; 6.2 The Committee recommends the following • 82 nominations from Councils and Committees appointments: (compared with 102 last year and 97 in 2015), with 66 being approached. * denotes second term 4.4 A total of 116 vacancies required to be filled this year. Appeals Committee of the Commission of Assembly 5. Charity Governance Convener Retiring Carole Hope 5.1 The voting members of the Council of Assembly are Conveners Appointed Philip Brodie* (Edinburgh: High the General Assembly’s designated charity trustees for the (St Giles’)) (3 yrs) subject to the General Assembly Unincorporated Councils and Committees (The Church of suspending Standing Order 122, Alan Hamilton (Bearsden: Scotland, Scottish Charity Number SC011353). The Killermont) Nomination Committee is charged with implementing an Vice-Convener Appointed Grahame Lees (Dunblane: open recruitment process for new Trustees as set out in Cathedral) 2010 by the Special Committee on the Review of Charity Governance. Philip Brodie, Alan Hamilton, Conveners Helen Jamieson, Grahame Lees, Vice-Conveners 30 5.2 The Nomination Committee arranged for an advertisement to be placed in Life and Work and on the Church’s website, seeking applications for trustee Arbitration Panel vacancies. Interviews for shortlisted candidates were held Member Retiring Colin Armstrong in December, with the Nomination Committee providing the chairman and members of the interview panel and Assembly Arrangements Committee the Convener and Secretary of the Council of Assembly Convener Retired Derek Browning attending as observers. The nominations for two new Convener Appointed Judith Pearson (Aberdeen: Queen’s members are contained within Section 6 along with a Cross) (from March 2017) proposed reappointment. The Nomination Committee Vice Convener Appointed Fiona Smith (Inverness: Ness wishes to thank the applicants who so willingly submitted Bank) (from March 2017) themselves to a rigorous recruitment exercise. Minister Retiring Neil Gardner 6. Nominations for Appointment to Ministers Appointed Alexander Horsburgh (Dalkeith: Councils and Committees St Nicholas’ Buccleuch), Gillian Paterson (Methil: Wellesley) 6.1 The Committee wishes to nominate Philip Brodie for Judith Pearson, Convener a second term, for three years, as one of the Conveners of Fiona Smith, Vice-Convener the Appeals Committee of the Commission of Assembly. This reappointment can only be made if the General 30/4 NOMINATION COMMITTEE Audit Committee Church and Society Council Minister Appointed Gary Peacock (Irongray, Lochrutton Ministers Retiring Valerie Allen, Alan Hamilton-Messer, and Terregles) Peter Nimmo, John Povey Member Retiring Charles Scott Minister Appointed Peter Nimmo* (Inverness: Old High St Stephen’s) Grant Macrae, Convener Members Retiring John McConnachie, Iain Mitchell, Glenn Walker Members Appointed Sheila Brumby (Rothes), Gordon Chaplains to HM Forces Committee Mackay (Aberdalgie