Annual Reports
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GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2020 2020 ANNUAL REPORTS GENERAL ASSEMBLY STANDING COMMISSION 2020 2020 REPORTS i ii CONTENTS SECTION A Reports and Resolutions submitted in advance of the June 2020 meeting GENERAL COUNCIL Section 1 .........................................................................................3 Section 2 .......................................................................................43 Section 3 .......................................................................................56 Section 4 .......................................................................................79 Section 5 .....................................................................................101 Resolutions .................................................................................107 PRESBYTERIES ................................................................................112 Resolution ..................................................................................118 TRUSTEES ........................................................................................119 Resolutions .................................................................................127 COUNCIL FOR GLOBAL MISSION ................................................128 Resolutions .................................................................................164 COUNCIL FOR SOCIAL WITNESS .................................................166 Resolution ..................................................................................181 LINKAGE COMMISSION ................................................................182 Resolutions .................................................................................210 JUDICIAL COMMISSION ................................................................211 Resolution ...................................................................................213 SPECIAL COMMISSION ..................................................................214 Resolution ..................................................................................214 COMMISSION ON APPLICATIONS ...............................................214 Resolution ...................................................................................214 COUNCIL FOR MISSION IN IRELAND .........................................215 Resolutions .................................................................................235 COUNCIL FOR CONGREGATIONAL LIFE AND WITNESS .........236 Resolutions .................................................................................263 FINANCE AND STAFFING COMMISSION (2019) .........................264 Resolutions .................................................................................281 iii COUNCIL FOR TRAINING IN MINISTRY .....................................282 Resolutions .................................................................................299 COUNCIL FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS ...................................................301 Resolutions .................................................................................317 OVERTURES On the books ..............................................................................319 New ............................................................................................321 Resolutions ..................................................................................328 SECTION B Additional Reports and Resolutions submitted in advance of the September 2020 meeting ANTICIPATED SPECIAL MEETING OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY .......................................................333 Resolutions .................................................................................335 LINKAGE COMMISSION STANDING COMMISSION ..................336 Resolutions .................................................................................337 COUNCIL FOR GLOBAL MISSION STANDING COMMITTEE ...338 Resolutions .................................................................................340 COUNCIL FOR TRAINING IN MINISTRY STANDING COMMITTEE ...................................................................................341 Resolutions .................................................................................363 SECTION C Additional Reports and Resolutions Submitted in advance of the February 2021 meeting REPORT FROM THE FEBRUARY 2021 MEETING OF THE 2020 STANDING COMMISSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. DECISIONS TAKEN OF BEHALF OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY 367 Reception of reports to Councils and Commissions to the General Assembly ..............................................................367 Consideration of Remitted Resolutions .......................................367 United Appeal .............................................................................369 Membership and Convenerships of Councils, Commissions and Committees ..........................................................................369 Way forward if a future general Assembly cannot be held ...........370 Schedule A – Amended Report of the United Appeal ...................370 Schedule B – Way Forward if a future General Assembly cannot be held .............................................................................378 iv INDEX ...............................................................................................381 NOTE: Resolutions submitted but not taken by the Special Commission but remitted to the anticipated Special Assembly are written in italics and marked thus: * v vi 1 GENERAL ASSEMBLY STANDING COMMISSION REPORTS SECTION A Reports and Resolutions submitted in advance of the June 2020 meeting NOTE: Resolutions submitted but not taken by the Standing Commission but remitted to the anticipated Special Assembly are written in italics and marked thus: * 2 ANNUAL REPORTS, BELFAST, 2020 GENERAL COUNCIL – SECTION 1 3 GENERAL COUNCIL SECTION 1 Convener: Very Rev Dr J.N.I. McNEELY Secretary: THE CLERK EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. The General Council on behalf of the General Assembly conducted its business through seven committees and nine task groups. As in former years the Council was scheduled to convene for three meetings but, due to the unprecedented circumstances related to the coronavirus pandemic, it was decided to cancel the April meeting. 2. At the meeting on 19 March 2020, while observing the Public Health Agency (NI) advice, the Council agreed contingency plans to, (a) enable the General Assembly business to be conducted (see Appendix 1 for the Minute of the subsequent Special Meeting of the General Assembly) and, (b) to enable General Assembly Councils to function (see Appendix 2 for a list of the standing Committees appointed). Committee Reports 2019-2020 3. The Church Relations Committee commends to the General Assembly the resource produced by the Irish Council of Churches, on the issue of homelessness, entitled ‘In Six Months a Lot Can Change.’ 4. The Nominations Committee reports on the problem of how to replace a Direct Presbytery Nominee when a vacancy occurs on a committee, and asks the General Assembly to agree its revised procedure to address the issue (see General Council Section 5, pages 1-2). 5. The Moderator’s Advisory Committee includes in its report changes regarding the retirement age for PCI ministers (see General Council Section 2, page 4). 6. The General Assembly Business Committee was informed of the Memorial of the Dublin and Munster Presbytery requesting that the General Assembly be held in Dublin every four years beginning 2024. The Committee recommended to the General Council that a Task Group be appointed to consult on this and produce a report (see General Council Section 1, pages 23-24) Task Groups 2019-2020 7. Following the 2018 General Assembly the Implementation Task Group was appointed to compile a resource to address the issue of training kirk sessions on the theology and practice of the Church’s 4 ANNUAL REPORTS, BELFAST, 2020 understanding of a ‘credible profession of faith’, and to provide pastoral guidelines on homosexuality. The Council commends the Task Group for its assiduous work over the past year in producing these two closely related resources, to be presented at the General Assembly. It is proposed that they be sent in one document to presbyteries for discussion and comment. 8. In the report to the 2019 General Assembly the Implementation Task Group referred to the issue of inconsistency in regard to vows taken at baptism and admission to full membership. The General Council appointed the Vows for Full Membership and Baptism Task Group to consider how best to clarify the vows taken at admission to full membership and at baptism. In this report the Task Group presents in three appendices, vows taken at admission to communicant membership and at the baptism of believers and of infants (see General Council Section 4, pages 10-14). 9. The Human Identity Task Group completes three years of intricate work on the remit to provide a biblical and pastoral response to the issues related to gender identity. The Task Group, like the Implementation Task Group, has completed draft guidelines for pastoral care of those who struggle with gender identity and produced a booklet for distribution. The intention is that presbyteries will be able to discuss and comment on the guidelines. 10. The 2019 General Assembly agreed to continue with the experimental evening sessions in 2020. The General Council was instructed by the Assembly to form a task group to explore ways to make the General Assembly more accessible for those