Minutes
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Sunday 3rd July 2005
First Session
Opening worship was conducted by the chaplain; Bible
study was led by the Revd Dr Israel Selvanayagam, Principal of the United
College of the Ascension, Birmingham.
Northern Synod
The Northern Synod made its presentation.
Ministries Committee
Mr John Ellis, Convener of the Ministries Committee,
presented the Equipping the Saints report. He responded to a number of
questions, and moved adoption of Resolution 25:
Resolution 25
Elders and Ecumenism
General Assembly reaffirms the place of Elders in the
work of the United Reformed Church as described in paragraph 23 of the Basis
of Union. Assembly requests that District and Area Councils seek to ensure
that even when the precise processes and title set out in paragraph 23 are
not used, some leaders of each congregation cover the functions of Elders
and can properly be recognised as Elders for the purposes of the wider
councils of the Church.
After brief discussion, Resolution 25 was carried.
Mr Ellis moved adoption of Resolution 26:
Resolution 26
Election of Elders
Given the importance of Elders in the leadership of
United Reformed Church congregations and the need for ecumenical partners to
respect the office, Assembly urges every local church to use a selection
process for Elders which reflects the significance of their appointment.
Resolution 26 was carried.
Mr Ellis moved adoption of Resolution 27:
Resolution
27 Elders and Wider Church
Representation
General Assembly, recognising that an Elder is part of
the leadership of the whole Church as well as of the local congregation,
requests the explicit involvement of the wider Church in the induction of
Elders.
Resolution 27 was carried.
Mr Ellis moved adoption of Resolution 28:
Resolution 28
Personal Development of Elders
To promote the development of the gifts and skills of
Elders, Assembly requests
Synods to ensure the provision of locally based
opportunities for the development of Elders in local churches or groups of
churches; and each local church to set aside time and resources at least
once a year specifically for the development of the gifts and skills of
Elders.
Resolution 28 was carried.
Mr Ellis moved adoption of Resolution 29:
Resolution 29
Collaborative Leadership
General Assembly urges local churches and groups of
churches to develop collaborative leadership patterns, and wherever possible
to do so ecumenically.
After discussion, Resolution 29 was carried.
Election of Moderator of General Assembly 2006/7
The Assembly Clerk explained the voting procedure.
The Moderator led the Asssembly in prayer and the vote was taken.
The Revd Bill Mahood took the Chair.
Mr John Ellis moved adoption of Resolution 30:
Resolution 30
Deployment
General Assembly, recognising that the number of
Ministers of the Word and Sacraments continues to fall much more rapidly
than the number of congregations, requests Synods, District and Area
Councils to deploy Ministers in ways which show imagination and flexibility,
and in particular:
a) to focus on present and future opportunities not
historical patterns;
b) to look at leadership needs and resources in each
congregation, accepting that not every congregation has or will have a
Minister directly providing their day-to-day leadership;
c) to take account of the deployment plans of sister
denominations;
d) to take account of the service offered by
self-supporting Ministers;
e) to take account of the Church’s policy on Local
Church Leaders as agreed at the 1998 meeting of the Assembly;
f) to remember the possibilities provided by the
Special Category Ministry scheme.
The Revd Alistair Smeaton moved adoption of the
following Amendent to Resolution 30:
to replace the words ‘not every congregation has or
will have a Minister directly providing their day-to-day leadership’ with
‘there may be variation in the way that elders and ministers of Word and
Sacrament share in the pastoral oversight and leadership of local churches.’
The Amendment was seconded by the Revd Timothy Key
After response by the Convener, a vote was taken and
the amendment fell.
Resolution 30 was carried.
Ministries Committee
Mr Ellis moved adoption of Resolution 31:
Resolution 31
Ministry and Mission Fund Report
General Assembly resolves that a report showing how
the Ministry and Mission Fund contributions have been used should be sent
each year to every local church.
Resolution 31 was carried.
The Moderator, on behalf of the Assembly, thanked the
Converner and members of the Equipping the Saints working group for their
work.
Mr Ellis moved adoption of Resolution 32:
Resolution 32
Ill-health retirement
General Assembly
a) consents to the use of Rule 44 of the United
Reformed Church Ministers’ Pension Fund (the Scheme) such that any member of
the Scheme who in future retires on ill-health grounds shall be paid a
pension based on their full prospective years of pensionable service up to
their normal retirement date; and
b) requests that comparable grants are paid to those
who have retired on ill-health grounds since January 2004.
Resolution 32 was carried.
Catch the Vision
The General Secretary presented the report of the
Catch the Vision group.
After announcements by the Convener of the Assembly
Arrangements Committee, the Assembly adjourned.
Sunday, 3rd July 2005
Second Session
After meeting in groups to discuss the Catch the Vision report, the
Assembly resumed in plenary session and the Assembly Clerk presented the
minutes of Saturday 1st July. With minor alterations the Assembly approved
the minutes.
Mrs Val Morrison, Convener of Tellers for the election of the Moderator
of the General Assembly, reported that 343 votes had been cast, 3 papers had
been spoiled and that the Revd Elizabeth Caswell had been duly elected as
Moderator of General Assembly 2006-7.
National Synod of Scotland
The Synod of Scotland made its presentation.
Ecumenical and International Guests
On behalf of the Assembly, the Moderator welcomed:
The Rt Revd David Lacy Moderator,General
Assembly of the Church of Scotland
The Revd Ian Hamilton
Chaplain to the Moderator, Church of Scotland
The Ven. Richard Blackburn
Archdeacon of Sheffield, Church of England
The Rt Revd Onye Obika
Secretary General, International Ministerial
Council of Great Britain
The Revd Llunos Gordon
Union of Welsh Independents
Resolutions
The Revd Ray Adams, on behalf of Mission Council, briefly introduced
Resolution 6, which was formally moved by the Revd Peter Poulter and Mrs
Sheila Brain. With the consent of the Moderator a personal statement was
made by the Revd Moira Kerr.
Resolution 6
Declaration of a Safe Church – a Charter for Action
General Assembly
a) accepts the Declaration of a Safe Church
b) instructs all General Assembly committees to operate within it;
c) urges synods, district councils and local churches to affirm the
declaration, resolve to apply it in all aspects of their life and work; and
synods to report their response to Mission Council by March 2006.
Following discussion, the Revd Peter Poulter responded, and Resolution 6
was carried.
The Revd Claire Downing, on behalf of East Midlands Synod, moved adoption
of Resolution 2:
Resolution 2 Saying sorry
General Assembly, noting the actions of the Methodist Church with regard
to those who have been sexually abused, instructs Mission Council to prepare
recommendations for similar actions on the part of the United Reformed
Church and to bring them to the Assembly of 2006.
Seconded by Mrs Irene Wren.
Following discussion, Resolution 2 was carried.
Doctrine, Prayer and Worship Committee
The report of the Doctrine, Prayer and Worship Committee was presented by
the Convener, the Revd John Young. The Moderator, on behalf of the
Assembly, thanked the Mr Young for the report and for his Convenership of
the Doctrine, Prayer and Worship Committee.
Training Committee
The Convener of the Training Committee, the Revd John Humphreys, moved
adoption of Resolution 35:
Resolution 35
Partnership within the Hind Process
General Assembly, recognising that the Training Committee is working
within a climate of considerable change,
a) encourages the Committee to continue in constructive partnership with
the Church of England’s training review ‘Formation for Ministry within a
Learning Church’ (known as ‘the Hind process’) and its subsequent
implementation, and
b) emphasises the need for the Committee to safeguard
i. the aims and parameters of its own programmes in any arrangements to
subsume them in new ecumenical provision; and
ii. the financial resources and commitments needed to sustain them.
The Revd Roy Lowes, Secretary of the Training Committee, responded to a
number of questions, and Resolution 35 was carried.
Pastoral Reference Committee
The report of the Pastoral Reference Committee was presented by the
Convener, the Revd Keith Forecast.
The Assembly adjourned.
Sunday 3rd July2005
Third Session
The Honorary Treasurer, Mr Eric Chilton, moved adoption of Resolution 24:
Resolution 24
URC Ministers’ Pension Fund Investment Policy
General Assembly resolves that:
a) It supports the ethical dimension of the investment policy currently
operated by the Trustee of the United Reformed Church Ministers’ Pension
Fund.
b) If the Trustee continues to invest the pension fund assets having
regard to ethical issues (and having consulted the Church over any changes
to the policy) the Church will promptly reimburse the pension fund in
respect of any losses (including inferior investment performance)
attributable to the ethical dimension of the Trustee’s investment policy, as
identified in periodic reports commissioned by the Trustee from their
professional advisers. Such reimbursement shall be made within a period
satisfactory to the Trustee and, if it so requires, shall be made in
addition to any contributions which would otherwise be required on the
advice of the Actuary.
Following discussion, Resolution 7 was carried.
Mr John Ellis, on behalf of Mission Council, moved adoption of Resolution
7:
Resolution 7
Revised Ethical Investment Policy
General Assembly recommends that trustees and all those with investment
responsibilities connected with the United Reformed Church should avoid any
investment in:
a) companies directly engaged in the manufacture or supply of weapons of
destruction;
b) companies a significant part of whose business is in the supply of
alcoholic drinks or tobacco products or military equipment (other than
weapons of destruction); or the provision of gambling facilities; or the
publication or distribution of pornography.
General Assembly notes that the definition of these activities, or of
what constitutes a significant part of a company’s business, requires
judgement and the Ethical Investment Advisory Group (EIAG) of Mission
Council is available to offer advice. In general, EIAG will deem
“significant” to mean where the share of turnover derived from the activity
concerned is more than around 10-20% of the company’s total turnover.
General Assembly recognises that this policy can only be advisory as the
responsibility for specific investment decisions remains with each body of
trustees.
Resolution 7 was carried.
Church and Society Committee
The report of the Church and Society Committee was presented by the
Convener, the Revd Martin Camroux.
The Revd Elizabeth Nash moved adoption of Resolution 54:
Resolution 54
Emergency Resolution - Zimbabwe
The General Assembly of the United Reformed Church meeting in Warwick
University, mindful of the deteriorating situation in Zimbabwe and of its
church and ‘Commitment for Life’ partners in that country,
- expresses its outrage at the actions being taken against the people
of Zimbabwe by their own government
- reaffirms the support of the United Reformed Church for its partners
in Zimbabwe and instructs the Moderator to convey the news of this to
them.
- Calls upon its Ecumenical Committee and the Commitment for Life
Programme to explore with all the church’s partners fresh initiatives to
end the injustices being committed against the Zimbabwean people.
- Calls upon Her Majesty’s Government to recognise the claims of
refugees and asylum seekers from Zimbabwe and to offer them shelter in
the U.K.
Several members spoke in support of the Resolution.
Resolution 54 was carried on a standing vote. Members of Assembly
remained standing in silence, and were led in prayer by the Chaplain, as a
token of solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe.
The Moderator, on behalf of the Assembly, greeted Mrs Ann Martin and
offered her the Assembly’s best wishes as she completes her term of office
as Commitment for Life co-ordinator
Assembly Worship
The preacher was the Revd Dr Setri Nyomi, General Secretary of the World
Alliance of Reformed Churches. Worship included a presentation on
MakePovertyHistory.
MakePovertyHistory
Mrs Ann Martin moved adoption of Resolution 20:
Resolution 20
MakePovertyHistory
As part of the United Reformed Church’s renewed commitment to challenging
the world’s injustices under Catch the Vision, General Assembly warmly
welcomes the MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY campaign and calls on all relevant councils
of the church to engage fully and imaginatively with the campaign actions
for the remainder of the year.
Resolution 20 was carried.
The Chaplain led the Assembly in prayer, and Assembly adjourned.
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