Published in 2021 by THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND ASSEMBLY BUSINESS COMMITTEE 121 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 4YN © The Church of Scotland Assembly Business Committee 2021 ISBN 978-1-80083-017-2 Scottish Charity Number: SC011353 British Library Catalogue in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library All copy keyed by the Church of Scotland Produced by APS Group Scotland 21 Tennant Street, Edinburgh EH6 5NA Reports The Church of Scotland General Assembly 2021 Contents GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2021 Reports 1/1 Assembly Business Committee 2/1 Delegation of General Assembly 3/1 Assembly Trustees 4/1 Special Commission on the Effectiveness of the Presbyterian Form of Church Government 5/1 Legal Questions Committee 6/1 Ecumenical Relations Committee 7/1 Faith Nurture Forum 8/1 Housing and Loan Fund 9/1 Church of Scotland Guild 10/1 Theological Forum 11/1 Registration of Ministries Committee 12/1 Faith Impact Forum 01 13/1 Board of the Iona Community 14/1 Social Care Council 15/1 Safeguarding Committee 16/1 Committee on Chaplains to Her Majesty’s Forces 17/1 General Trustees 18/1 Church of Scotland Pension Trustees 19/1 Nomination Committee 20/1 Church Hymnary Trustees 21/1 Church of Scotland Trust 22/1 Church of Scotland Investors Trust Reports The Church of Scotland General Assembly 2021 Report of the Assembly Business Committee.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................01 ..................................................... ASSEMBLY BUSINESS COMMITTEE MAY 2021 Proposed Deliverance Report The General Assembly: 1. THE VERY REV DR W MARTIN FAIR 1. Receive the Report. Very Rev Dr Martin Fair’s year as Moderator has been distinct. He was just the right person to be the first to 2. Approve the order of business for the first two days. moderate an online General Assembly and to lead us all in 3. Appoint Rev Colin Renwick to be Precentor until May the time of the Covid-19 pandemic. Throughout his year he 2022. has adapted, thrived and encouraged, and enabled others to do so. Prayer and reflection resources have been greatly 4. Appoint Mr Roy Pinkerton to index the verbatim appreciated by the whole church family and beyond, record. particularly by those leading worship who have been able to 5. Invite Commissioners to submit to the Procedure have occasional time off. While actual travel has been Committee via email: minimal, Martin has zoomed around cyberspace; engaging [email protected] by Monday 24 with ministers, congregations, Presbyteries, military May at 12pm, nomination(s) of Commissioner(s) to personnel, ecumenical partners at home and abroad and serve on the Selection Committee. many more. 6. Approve the Overture amending the Church Courts His series: ‘It’s a Fair Question’ has been able to open up Act (Act III 2000) as set out in Appendix C and conversations on significant issues facing the church, nation transmit the same to Presbyteries for their and the world. consideration under the Barrier Act, directing that The Church is indebted to Martin for his dedicated service at returns be sent to the Principal Clerk not later than 31 this time, and we wish him and Elaine well as they adapt to December 2021. their new normal. 7. Pass as an Interim Act the text of the Overture amending the Church Courts Act (Act III 2000) as set 2. THE PRECENTOR out in sections 1 and 2 only (but not section 3) of The Committee is grateful to Rev Colin Renwick for his Appendix C. willingness to be Precentor at the General Assembly. During 8. Instruct the Committee to develop the fast tracking of Covid-19 constraints his work has been limited, and we hope deliverance approval necessitated by online that General Assembly 2022 will be one where we are able to Assemblies and continue in future Assemblies. gather and be led in praise. 9. Instruct the Committee to continue its work on General Assembly reform, including engagement with 3. PRESBYTERY REPRESENTATION the Legal Questions Committee’s work on the Church The Presbytery returns show that there are in all the Courts Act, reflection on the report of the Special Presbyteries 1,010 charges, whether vacant or not and that Commission on the Effectiveness of the Presbyterian there are 173 other ministers (excluding retired ministers) Form of Church Governance, and to share proposals who are members of Presbyteries. Representation is with Presbyteries for early consultation, prior to calculated for each Presbytery in accordance with Act III reporting to the General Assembly of 2022. 2000 and the total number of Commissioners is currently 10. Invite the Legal Questions Committee to explore the made up as follows: 327 Ministers, 327 Elders and 21 Deacons. feasibility of legislation enabling all or part of future General Assembly business to be conducted online, 4. AMENDMENTS TO STANDING ORDERS and report to a subsequent General Assembly with In light of this Assembly being held online, changes are draft legislation if appropriate. required to the Standing Orders and these are set out in 11. Urge the Scottish Bible Society to pursue its ongoing Appendix B. The relevant section of deliverance is contained efforts to address the challenge of global Bible in the Report of the Legal Questions Committee. translation and distribution. 12. Support the Society in its desire to work in partnership 5. PROPERTY with congregations to improve people's experience of 5.1. Moderator’s Residence the Bible and its impact on their life. Following the annual inspection of the Moderator’s flat in 13. Endorse the Society in its efforts to encourage January 2020, several minor repairs and improvements were confidence in the Gospel and in providing Scripture carried out. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the property was resources for mission purposes. little used during the year. Repairs to the roof area have been completed, the costs being shared by the other proprietors in 14. Commend the Society’s global outreach to the the block. The motor of the external hoist is being replaced generosity of congregations and members. and a cover installed to deal with the problem of water ingress. Last year’s inspection highlighted a number of more serious defects in this property, which has a dual purpose: that of providing a high-quality venue for official entertaining on the ground floor and as living accommodation for the Moderator and family members on the upper floor. The latter aspect of the flat is far from ideal, since there is no kitchen, no study, only one living room and two bedrooms on the upper floor, which is inaccessible for anyone with a mobility issue. It has therefore been agreed to review the long-term future of the Moderator’s residence, in terms of expenditure, accessibility and necessity. Reports The Church of Scotland General Assembly 2021 01 Report of the Assembly Business Committee...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 5.2. Assembly Hall 8 Glasgow Cumbernauld charges Since both meetings of the General Assembly were held have now been online and there were no external lets (apart from the Hall transferred being used for the New College Student Induction Week), there was little use of the Hall in 2020, but no reduction in 9 Hamilton and Lanark GA 2021 net expenditure. Problems highlighted in earlier reports 1 January 2022 continue to cause concern: increasing repair and 10 Ardrossan, Irvine & GA2021 maintenance costs, a limit on the revenue that may be Kilmarnock, Ayr, Wigtown & 30 September 2022 generated through short-term lets, and restricted disability Stranraer, Annandale & access. To these must be added the cost of replacing critical Eskdale, Dumfries & items of equipment installed many years ago. As changes to Kirkcudbright health and safety regulations mean that lift breakdowns due to water accumulating in the sump are costly to repair, a 11 Argyll and Falkirk considering permanent solution is being sought, so that the Hall is ready direction of travel for use when the current restrictions are lifted. It should be noted that the University of Edinburgh is undertaking a 12 The Presbyteries of England, major renovation of New College, designed to stop the the Presbytery of the spread of fire and protect the fabric of their building. International Charges and the Presbytery of Jerusalem are Given the role of the General Assembly as the supreme discussing what Presbytery decision-making Court of the Church of Scotland, the place Reform means for them in where its decisions are currently debated and determined their unique position. may no longer be wholly fit for purpose. Since “a well- equipped space in the right place” is clearly as important for The second strand of Presbytery Development is concerned the Church as a whole as it is for individual congregations, it with exploring, encouraging and supporting ways in which has been agreed to explore options for the future of the Presbytery life will develop within the newly shaped building. Presbyteries. This is presently an open space where fresh and inspired thought can take place as Presbyteries seek to find 6. PRESBYTERY DEVELOPMENT new ways of working which will best shape the Church of the The work of Presbytery Development has two strands. The future. The Committee will be consulting with Presbyteries first strand is the restructuring of the existing Presbyteries to in the coming months to identify matters of common form a smaller number of larger Presbyteries, with the aim interest or concern which, building on the Conference held of establishing around ten new Presbyteries. This major piece by the Committee in March 2020, could usefully be shared of work is being led by the Principal Clerk, who has been and discussed in conference for the benefit of all Presbyteries facilitating discussions and supporting dialogue between and the national base.