GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2004 2004 ANNUAL REPORTS Tuesday Business Board Education Board Residential Assembly 2004 PWA Nomination Board Board of Studies & Christian Training GENERAL ASSEMBLY Communications Board Ministry and Pensions Board Wednesday Doctrine 2004 2004 Church and Government General Board (Other C’ttes.) Youth Board ANNUAL REPORTS Union Commission Thursday Overseas Board Board of Mission in Ireland Shankill Road Mission ORDER OF BUSINESS Judicial Commission Notes: Business commences at 9.30 a.m. each morning. Reception of Ministers Luncheon adjournment at 1.00 p.m. each day. Inter-Church Relations Board United Appeal Board The figures printed in brackets are page references to the Annual Reports. Finance and Administration Board References to the Minutes of Assembly are given Friday in full. Trustees Trusts Social Witness Board Priorities Committee NOTES ii MONDAY, JUNE 7 Within Church House 7.00 p.m.— Service of Worship Constitution of Assembly Memorial Roll Election of Moderator TUESDAY, JUNE 8 9.30 a.m.— 1. BUSINESS BOARD: Report and Resolutions (90-100). Arrangements Committee. 2. Reports of Synods and Presbyteries (79-89). (10.00) 3. Reception of Corresponding Members and Delegates. Church of Scotland: Dr. Alison Elliot, Rev. Johnston McKay, Mr. Andrew F. Stewart. United Reformed Church: Rev. Alasdair Pratt. Presbyterian Church of Wales: Rev. Dafydd Owen. Church of Ireland: Rev. Canon W.A. Lewis, Mr. Roy Totten. The Methodist Church in Ireland: Rev. W. Graham, Mrs. Sandra Dickson. Irish Council of Churches: (10.30) 4. BOARD OF EDUCATION: Report and Resolutions (277-292). Church Education, State Education, University Education Committees. 5. 2004 Assembly Conference Committee: Report and Resolutions (353). (11.30) Intermission 12.00 noon Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper Times in brackets may be anticipated but should not be passed. iii NOTES iv 2.00 p.m.— 6. PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION: Report and Resolutions (201-205). 7. Overtures anent Pars. 308(7)(a) and 308(7)(b) of the Code (205) (2.30) 8. NOMINATION BOARD: Report and Resolutions (121-127). (3.30) 9. BOARD OF STUDIES AND CHRISTIAN TRAINING: Report and Resolutions (293-306). Ministerial Studies, College and Magee Management, Resourcing Christians for Ministry Committees. (4.30) 10. BOARD OF COMMUNICATIONS: Report and Resolutions (101-120). Communications Administration, Media, Public Worship, Church Architecture, Historical Society Committees. 11. Overture anent Par. 277(2)(c) and (d) of the Code (120). (5.15) 12. BOARD OF MINISTRY AND PENSIONS: Report and Resolutions (339-345). Central Ministry Fund, Committee on Retirements and Pensions, Retired Ministers’ House Fund Committees. 13. Overtures anent Pars. 223(3); 268(4)(d); 286; 288; 311(3); 311(6); 311(7); 312(2); 316(3); 314; 315(3); 318(A)2b; 319(3); 324(3); 321(1); 111(6) of the Code (345-348). Lapsed Business. (6.30) Close of Business. Times in brackets may be anticipated but should not be passed. v NOTES vi WEDNESDAY, JUNE 9 9.30 a.m.— 14. Doctrine Committee: Report and Resolutions (27-35). 15. Church and Government Committee: Report and Resolutions (36-58). 12.15 p.m.— Worship. 2.00 p.m.— (2.00) 16. GENERAL BOARD: Report and other Resolutions (9-25). Moderator’s Advisory, Forces, Chaplains, Recognised Ministries, Peace and Peacemaking Committees. 17. Overture on the Books anent Par. 93(2) of the Code (26). 18. Memorial of the Presbytery of Foyle (26). (3.30) 19. YOUTH BOARD: Report and Resolutions (260-276). Youth Events, Youth Training and Resources, Youth Home Mission, Youth Overseas, Youth Centres Committees. (4.30) 20. UNION COMMISSION: Report and Resolutions (60-76). Personnel/Planning Committee. 21. Overture anent Pars. 128(1); 193(2)(a) of the Code (77). 22. Memorial of the Kirk Session of Adelaide Road, Donore (77). 23. Memorial of the Kirk Session of Clontarf (78). Times in brackets may be anticipated but should not be passed. vii NOTES viii Lapsed Business. (5.30) Close of Business. 7.45 p.m.— Evening Rally. THURSDAY, JUNE 10 9.30 a.m.— 24. OVERSEAS BOARD: Report and Resolutions (147-176). Asia, Europe and Middle East, Africa, Caribbean and Latin America Committees. 25. Overture anent Par. 279(2) of the Code (176). (11.00) 26. BOARD OF MISSION IN IRELAND: Report and Resolutions (177-200). Home Mission, Church Extension, Evangelism, Irish Mission, Divine Healing Committees. 27. Overture anent Par 300(1) of the Code (200). 28. SHANKILL ROAD MISSION COMMISSION: Report and Resolutions (258-259). 12.15 p.m.— Worship 2.00 p.m.— In Private 29. JUDICIAL COMMISSION: Report and Resolutions (59). 30. Committee on Reception of Ministers and Licentiates: Report and Resolutions (306-308). 31. Memorial of Rev. D. J. M. Boyle (308). Times in brackets may be anticipated but should not be passed. ix NOTES x 32. Memorial of Rev. Jeffrey Godwin (309). 33. Memorial of Rev. Geoffrey Reilly (310). 34. Memorial of Rev. Maurice Sloan (311). 35. Memorial of Rev. Charles Tarter (312). In Public 36. INTER-CHURCH RELATIONS BOARD: Report and Resolutions (128-146). Irish Church Relations, World Church Relations, World Development, Race Relations Committees. 37. Overture anent Par. 278 of the Code (146). (3.45) 38. UNITED APPEAL BOARD: Report and Resolutions (332-338). (4.30) 39. BOARD OF FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION: Report and Resolutions (315-331). Finance and Staffing, Incidental Fund, Assembly Buildings Committees. Lapsed Business. (6.00) Adjournment. 7.00 p.m.— Lapsed Business, if any. FRIDAY, JUNE 11 9.30 a.m.— 40. TRUSTEES: Report and Resolutions (349-352). 41. COMMISSION ON TRUSTS: Report and Resolutions (314). (10.00) 42. BOARD OF SOCIAL WITNESS: Report and Resolutions (206-257). Times in brackets may be anticipated but should not be passed. xi NOTES xii Alcohol and Education Services, War Memorial Hostel, Kinghan Mission, Presbyterian Residential Trust, Marriage and the Family, Social Issues and Resources Committees. (11.15) 43. Committee on Priorities (354-360) 12.15 p.m.— Worship. Late Business, if any. Lapsed Business. BUSINESS BOARD, Final Report. CLOSE OF ASSEMBLY. 7.45 p.m.— YOUTH NIGHT Times in brackets may be anticipated but should not be passed. xiii NOTES xiv BUSINESS BOARD A Guide to Assembly Procedure 1. Members of Assembly consist of all ministers in active duty or retired and some elders, ex officio, together with a representative elder from each established congregation plus other elders commissioned by Presbyteries to correspond with the number of ministers serving in special appointments. Deaconesses, representatives of the Women’s and Youth Movements and some others have now been invited to “sit and deliberate” as associates — i.e., to take part with members freely in debate but without voting. The Assembly quorum is fifty members. 2. While members should bear in mind any opinions or concerns of their Congregations, Kirk Sessions or Presbyteries, neither ministers nor elders attend as “delegates”, obliged to vote as instructed by any of these. The Assembly should be a gathering of fully responsible, free Christian men and women, always open to spiritual guidance and information on a Church-wide basis, not a device for counting up decisions already made elsewhere. 3. The Moderator is chairman of the Assembly, in charge of proceedings, but he should not take sides in debates. Former Moderators may deputise from time to time at his request, should he wish to take part in debate or to withdraw from the House. When the Moderator rises to speak at any point all other members must yield to the Chair. Members should stand when the Moderator enters or leaves at the beginning or end of proceedings. Members may enter or leave at any time during proceedings, but should do so with as little disturbance as possible. It is a courtesy in so doing to give a slight bow to the Chair. 4. With the changing composition of the Assembly the recommended form of address to the House is simply “Moderator” (not “Mr.” Moderator, etc.). Speakers should face towards the House and the microphones, not towards the Moderator. xv 5. Work for which the Assembly is responsible is generally entrusted to various permanent or temporary (“ad hoc”) committees. These must each present a report to the Assembly. Working Committees concerned with related matters are grouped under a supervising Board. A Commission of Assembly is a committee entrusted with the executive powers of the Assembly, within the terms of its appointment. Members of committees, etc., are appointed by the Assembly on the nomination of various bodies and have a Convener (i.e., executive secretary, in Irish usage) in charge. 6. Reports. While the Assembly is obliged to “receive” the report of each committee, etc., it does not “adopt” or accept responsibility for the contents of any report. Reports carry only the authority of the committee concerned and not of the Assembly. If found too unsatisfactory, the report may be received and referred back. Any matter to which the Assembly is to be committed must be stated in a specific resolution. Resolutions should be kept to conclusions, rather than include arguments in support such as are appropriate to speeches. Similarly, speeches in the Assembly carry the authority only of the speaker. 7. Reports, together with any appended resolutions, are first of all “presented”, usually by a Board or Committee Convener. There is then an opportunity for questions to be asked. These should quite strictly be asked only for further information or explanation, whether of something in the report or not in the report but for which the Board, etc., carries responsibility; they should not be rhetorical or debating “questions”, to score a point. 8. Questions, which should be written out and placed in the box provided in good time, will normally be limited to two per person and ten minutes in all, unless the Moderator judge that a particular subject merits an extension of these limits.