General Assembly 2003 July 5th - 8th Portsmouth Annual Reports, Resolutions & Papers Produced by Communications and Editorial, Graphics Office, The United Reformed Church, 86 Tavistock Place, London WC1H 9RT Contents page page STANDING ORDERs 1 APPENDICEs SYNOD REPORTs 7 1 Scottish Church Initiative for North Western 8 Union Proposal 96 Wales 9 2 National Youth Resource Centre at Mersey 10 Yardley Hastings 110 West Midlands 11 3 Students sent by Synods 123 4 Statistics of Students 124 SYNOD REsoLUTIONs 13 5 Reports from Colleges 125 Eastern 13 6 Accounts 130 Scotland 14 Yorkshire 16 Budget 154 CHURCHES - CHANGEs 17 INFORMATION SYNOD MODERATORS’ REPORT 25 History Society 158 Musicians Guild 159 MIssION COUNCIL* 31 Schools 160 REPORTS and REsoLUTIONs Silence and Retreats 163 Women’s World Day of Prayer 164 CommITTEE REPORTS and REsoLUTIONs 43 Assembly Arrangements * 44 Assembly Pastoral Reference 46 Church and Society 48 Doctrine, Prayer and Worship 55 Ecumenical 58 Finance * 71 Inter-Faith Relations 72 Life and Witness 74 Ministries Sub-Committee * 78 Nominations * 83 Racial Justice 92 NOTE The General Assembly in 2000 decided that from 2001, committees will report in alternate years, except where for legal or administrative reasons annual reports are required. The latter are listed above with an asterisk. Resolutions Index NO Title Page number 1 Eastern Synod 13 2 The National Synod of Scotland 1 14 3 The National Synod of Scotland 2 14 4 The National Synod of Scotland 3 14 5 Yorkshire Synod 15 6 Closure of Local Churches 18 7 Ministries 36 8 Westminster College Bursar 36 9 Section O Advisory Group 36 10 Task Group on Authority in the United Reformed Church 39 11 Yardley Hastings 1 41 12a Yardley Hastings 2 41 12b Yardley Hastings 3 41 13 Yardley Hastings 4 41 14 Budget for the year 2004 42 15 General Assembly 2005 45 16 Faith Schools 52 17 Millennium Development Goals 53 18 Anglican Methodist Covenant 63 19 Belonging to the World Church 65 20 International Situation 67 21 Accounts 71 22 Ministry and Mission Fund 71 23 Inter-Faith Relations 73 24 Plan for Partnership in Ministerial Remuneration 79 25 Ministers’ Pension Fund 82 26 Nominations 91 27 Refugees and Asylum Seekers 94 Standing Orders 1 Standing Orders Standing Orders of the Assembly 1. The Agenda of the Assembly decides,transmission to the Assembly, at such time as will enable the synod to comply with Standing 1a. At its meetings the Assembly shall consider Order 2b above. In the case of a local church the reports and draft motions prepared by its Committees motion must be submitted to the synod through the which include the Mission Council or by synods, and district council. motions and amendments of which due notice has been given submitted by individual members of the 2d. A member of the Assembly may deliver to the Assembly. General Secretary not less than 21 days before the date of the meeting of the Assembly a notice in writing 1b. The Assembly Arrangements Committee of a motion (which notice must include the name of a shall prepare before each meeting of the Assembly seconder) to be included in the Assembly agenda. If a draft order of business, and submit it to the the subject matter of such a notice of motion appears Assembly as early as convenient in the programme. to the General Secretary to be an infringement of the rights of a synod or a district council through which the 1c. Motions arising from a report which have matter could properly have been raised, the General been duly seconded and submitted by individual Secretary shall inform the member accordingly and members of Assembly under rule 3b shall be taken bring the matter before the Assembly Arrangements at a point in the business determined by the Committee which shall advise the Assembly as to the Moderator on the advice of the Convener of the procedure to be followed. Assembly Arrangements Committee. 2e. Proposals for amendments to the Basis 1d. If notice has been given of two or more and Structure of the URC, which may be made by motions on the same subject, or two or more the Mission Council or a Committee of the General amendments to the same motion, these shall be Assembly or a synod, shall be in the hands of the taken in the order decided by the Moderator on the General Secretary not later than 12 weeks before the advice of the Clerk. opening of the Assembly. The General Secretary, in addition to the normal advice to members of the 1e. The Convener of the Assembly Arrangements Assembly, shall, as quickly as possible, inform all Committee may, during the meeting of the Assembly, synod clerks of the proposed amendment. propose that the order of business be changed. 3. Motions and Amendments 2. Presentation of Business 3a. A report presented to the Assembly by a 2a. All reports of Committees, together with the Committee or synod, under rule 1, shall be received draft motions arising therefrom, shall be delivered for debate, unless notice has been duly given under to the General Secretary by a date to be annually rule 2d of a motion to refer back to that Committee or determined, so that they may be printed and synod the whole or part of the report and its attached circulated to members in time for consideration motion(s). Such a motion for reference back shall be before the date of the Assembly meeting. debated and voted upon before the relevant report is itself debated. To carry such a motion two-thirds 2b. A synod may deliver to the General Secretary of the votes cast must be given in its favour. When not less than twelve weeks before the commencement a report has been received for debate, and before of the annual meeting of the Assembly notice any motions consequent upon it are proposed, any in writing of a motion for consideration at the member may speak to a matter arising from the report Assembly. This notice shall include the names of which is not the subject of a motion. those appointed to propose and second the motion at the Assembly. 3b. During the meeting of the Assembly and on the report of a Committee, notice (including the 2c. A local church or district council wishing names of proposer and seconder) shall be given to to put forward a motion for consideration by the the Clerk of any new motions which arise from the General Assembly shall submit the motion to material of the report, and of any amendments which its synod for consideration and, if the synod so affect the substance of motions already presented. Standing Orders 2 The Moderator shall decide whether such motion 3i. The mover may, with the concurrence of the or amendment requires to be circulated in writing seconder and the consent of the Assembly, alter the to members before it is discussed by the Assembly. motion or amendment proposed. During the course of the debate a new motion or amendment may be stated orally without supporting 3j. A motion or amendment may be withdrawn speech in order to ascertain whether a member is by the proposer with the concurrence of the seconder willing to second it. and the consent of the Assembly. Any such consent shall be signified without discussion. It shall not be 3c. No motion or amendment shall be spoken in order for any member to speak upon it after the to by its proposer, debated, or put to the Assembly proposer has asked permission to withdraw unless unless it is known that there is a seconder, except such permission shall have been refused. that motions presented on behalf of a Committee, of which printed notice has been given, do not need to 3k. Alternative (but not directly negative) motions be seconded. may be moved and seconded in competition with a motion before the Assembly. After any amendments 3d. A seconder may second without speaking duly moved under Standing Orders 3f, 3g and 3h have and, by declaring the intention of doing so, reserve the been dealt with and debate on the alternative motions right of speaking until a later period in the debate. has ended, the movers shall reply to the debate in reverse order to that in which they spoke initially. 3e. It shall not be in order to move a motion or The first vote shall be a vote in favour of each of the amendment which: motions, put in the order in which they were proposed, the result not being announced for one until it is (i) contravenes any part of the Basis of Union, or announced for all. If any of them obtains a majority (ii) involves the church in expenditure without of those voting, it becomes the sole motion before the prior consideration by the appropriate Assembly. If none of them does so, the motion having committee, or the fewest votes is discarded. Should the lowest two (iii) pre-empts discussion of a matter to be considered later in the agenda, or be equal, the Moderator gives a casting vote. The (iv) amends or reverses a decision reached by voting process is repeated until one motion achieves a the Assembly at its preceding two annual majority of those voting. Once a sole motion remains, meetings unless the Moderator, Clerk and votes for and against that motion shall be taken in the General Secretary together decide that normal way and in accordance with Standing Order 6. changed circumstances or new evidence (3.9.2b) justify earlier reconsideration of the matter, or (v) is not related to the report of a Committee 4.