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Book of Reports Southport Convention Centre 8 to 11 July 2016 © the United Reformed Church, 2016

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Book of Reports Southport Convention Centre 8 to 11 July 2016 © the United Reformed Church, 2016 Book of Reports Southport Convention Centre 8 to 11 July 2016 © The United Reformed Church, 2016 ISBN: 978-0-85346-313-9 Published by The United Reformed Church 86 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9RT All rights reserved. This material may be used freely within the churches. No part of this publication may be reproduced outside the Church in any form or by any means – graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or information storage and retrieval systems – without the prior permission in writing of the publishers. The publishers make no representation, express or implied, with regard to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and cannot accept any legal responsibility for any errors or omissions that may take place. Environmental credentials All paper used in the production of the Book of Reports are Essential Velvet: - Contains material sourced from responsibly managed and sustained forests, certified in accordance with the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council). - The material is ECF (Elemental Chlorine-Free). - Is manufactured under strict environmental management systems, the international ISO 14001 standard, EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) and the IPPC (integrated Pollution Prevention and Control) regulation. Bio inks used conform to the international ISO 14001 standard. - All the paper used in the production of the Book of Reports has been carbon captured by a payment to the Woodland Trust. These funds are used to purchase endangered forest. Printed by Healeys Printers Healeys Printers hold the following environmental accreditations: FSC (certificate SGS-COC-004497); ISO 9001; ISO 14001; Carbon Balanced Publications Printer Produced by the communications department, on behalf of the Assembly arrangements committee The United Reformed Church, Church House, 86 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9RT Produced with reference to See it Right: Making information accessible to people with sight problems (2006), Royal National Institute of the Blind, London. ISBN 1 85878 704 1 If you require this text in another format please contact the graphics office on 020 7916 8628 or email [email protected]. Please give two weeks notice. Contents Introduction 3 Mission Council Mission Council report 5 Walking the Way 11 Safeguarding Past Case Review 15 Nomination of Treasurer 18 Appeals proposals 20 Resolutions referred to Synods 24 Memorandum with Presbyterian Church in Korea 35 URCIC Terms of Reference 38 Synod moderators’ report 41 Church changes 47 Committee papers index 49 Assembly arrangements 50 Children’s and youth work 54 Communications and editorial 60 Education and learning 66 Equalities 83 Faith and order 86 Finance 135 Ministries 142 Mission 167 Nominations 199 Pastoral reference and welfare 215 Eastern, Thames North and Wessex Synod 218 Southern Synod 222 Information papers index 225 URC History Society 226 URC Music 228 Schools relating to the URC 229 Women’s world day of prayer 232 World day of prayer, Scotland 233 Resolutions index 235 Standing Orders 247 United Reformed Church • General Assembly 2016 • 1 Southport 2016 Introduction Dear friends, Welcome to General Assembly 2016. Welcome to Southport, where members of Mersey Synod will host us. Welcome to a special opportunity to take responsibility as Church, for the life of the Church. If you are coming to Assembly, you have a vital role. There we shall listen, reflect, speak and decide as trusted representatives of the URC’s congregations, synods and people. If you are observing Assembly from afar, those of us who will be at Southport will value your interest and ask for your prayers. Assembly is always important. There the Church gathers, does business, seeks insight from God and from one another, and scatters to our regular places of worship and service with fresh energy and commitment to faithfulness and discipleship. Yet within that pattern of gathering and scattering, extending across the decades, each meeting of Assembly has a formative and creative role of its own. So this year’s discussing, discerning and deciding has a distinctive agenda, responding to the issues of the moment, and taking church life forward to a new stage. At Southport we shall think about leadership and learning in our congregations, about our environmental responsibility, about Christians who suffer persecution in various parts of the world, about our Reformed story and values, and about the centenary of the First World War. One current issue cannot be covered in the Book of Reports: at the time when we meet the EU referendum result will be fresh. For some it will be disappointing. It may come as a surprise to many. It may test our public life in quite deep ways. The URC has no agreed position on the main issue, of leave or remain. Yet our people will seek to vote with conscience and wide concern, and when the voting is done, we shall aim to be a calm and supportive presence among our neighbours. Meanwhile, there is witness to offer for Jesus, in the regular work of our local churches. There is care to give, in a world of need. There is business to prepare for Assembly. And for those who will meet at Southport, there is preparation of ourselves, through prayer, reading and reflection. I look forward warmly to seeing many of you in July, and I rejoice to work with all of you, in the cause of the Gospel, in these days and years. Yours sincerely, John Proctor General Secretary United Reformed Church • General Assembly 2016 • 3 ten statements of our mission purpose mission our of statements ten Statement 1: Spirituality and prayer We will grow in our practice of prayer and spirituality, nurturing strength for our witness to Jesus Christ, and developing our discernment of where God is and what God is calling us to do by reading and studying the Bible and through the power of the Holy Spirit. for Mission Framework Statement 2: Identity The URC will be a Church where every local congregation will be able to say who they are, what they do and why they do it. Statement 3: Christian Ecumenical Partnerships We will be more confident in our identity, valuing the treasures of our tradition, discerning when to seek ecumenical partnerships, and when and how to seek the further unity of the Church. Statement 4: Community partnerships We will be a Church that is more active in the life of local neighbourhoods. Statement 5: Hospitality and diversity We will be a Church committed to becoming even more welcoming and hospitable, and embracing all people equally. Statement 6: Evangelism We will be more confident to engage in evangelism, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God with friends, families and strangers, through story and action. Statement 7: Church growth We will be a growing Church with an increasing membership. Statement 8: Global partnerships We will be a Church that is an active partner in God’s global mission with other Churches around the world. Statement 9: Justice and peace We will be a Church committed to peacemaking and reconciliation that keeps faith with the poor and challenges injustice. Statement 10: The integrity of creation We will be a Church that has taken significant steps to safeguard the integrity of creation, to sustain and renew the life of the earth. 4 • United Reformed Church • General Assembly 2016 Mission Council Mission Council Mission Council: General report 2014 to 2016 Basic Information Contact name and John Proctor: [email protected] email address Action required For information; papers with resolutions follow as appendices Draft resolution(s) None in the general report Summary of Content Subject and aim(s) To report on the work of Mission Council in the last two years Main points There are many. Those that require Assembly decision are listed in the various appendices Previous relevant Mission Council papers from November 2014, May and documents November 2015 and March 2016, available on the URC website Consultation has taken The committees and synods of the Church place with... Summary of Impact Financial These are various, and are most obvious in paras 10-12, re Church House External The Methodist Church regularly sends a representative to (e.g. ecumenical) Mission Council, who comments helpfully on our business; the Church of England has not recently taken up its seat on Mission Council. United Reformed Church • General Assembly 2016 • 5 Mission Council Mission Council Mission Council Report on the work of Mission Council, 2014 to 2016 Introduction 1. The brief for Mission Council directs it to oversee, prepare and sift business between meetings of Assembly. This often involves dealing with detail and practicalities, so that a host of specific matters may progress without undue delay. It also requires attention to overview and vision, so that the presentation of business at Assembly may enable Assembly ‘to take a more comprehensive view of the activity and policy of the Church’. Mission Council seeks to be alert to the needs, concerns, opportunities and hopes of the whole body of the URC, and this realism is helped by the fact that synod representatives make up most of its membership. It tries to keep a proper focus on the Church’s main concerns, so that all our work will further the mission of the gospel. 2. Mission Council meets in the autumn and the spring, for 48 hours on each occasion, and thus has met four times since the last main meeting of General Assembly. Major projects that Assembly will consider 3. A number of major projects and tasks have been considered at Mission Council, often more than once as work evolved from one stage to another. Several of these pieces of work are included as items on the Assembly agenda, so need just a mention here rather than lengthy exposition.
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