Hotline

Welcome to the 2006 online edition of Assembly Hotline. Below you will find a record of the main events and decisions from the United Reformed Church General Assembly, which met at the University of Exeter on July 7th - 10th.

Every year a 2-sided A4 print version of Hotline is sent to Local churches. Click here if you would like to download a copy of this leaflet.

A summary of business from the Monday of Assembly appears below. For a summary of Sunday's business, please click here, for Saturday's business, click here and for Friday's business, click here.

Monday, July 10th

Michael Crutchley

The Revd Michael Crutchley is greeted by the Moderator

The Moderator greeted the Revd Michael Crutchley, the Rural Officer of the URC and the Methodist Church, who is retiring. A warm tribute was paid for his work by Synod of Wales Moderator the Revd Peter Noble, especially for his ministry during the foot and mouth crisis, which the Revd Noble said, had saved lives.

Westminster College Principal

Revd Prof Stephen Orchard

Assembly was asked to proceed with the appointment of a new Principal for Westminster, as the current Principal, the Revd Professor Stephen Orchard (pictured) retires in the summer of 2007. The resolution was carried.

Resolutions concerning the Structure of the URC

A group of resolutions making further adjustments to the Basis of Union and Structure of the URC were passed.

Section O Processes

The Section O disciplinary process halts when a minister appeals against a criminal conviction. Because of past abuse of this rule, a resolution to set a maximum length of time on the stoppage period was passed.

A resolution about the continuity of mandated groups, was also passed.

Two resolutions moving large sections of material in Part One of Section O to Part 2, to make it easier for Assembly to change them, was passed. Beforehand, any changes had to go to two Assemblies for ratification.

Section P

The Revd James Breslin

Resolution 10 dealt with a new procedure to deal with ministers who do not recognise they are no longer fit to minister, Section P. "It is our hope and prayer that we will rarely have to use it," said the Clerk to the Assembly, the Revd James Breslin.

Concerns were raised about the specifics of the Process, and that Assembly should deal with at a later time with more time for its discussion. The motion was deferred until the 2007 Assembly.

URC Trust

There needs to be a better arrangement for trusteeship, said Eric Chilton, the URC’s Honorary Treasurer. This resolution was carried.

Future work of the Assembly

An enabling resolution proposing a provisional model of governance was carried.

Finance

Resolutions 57, 59 and 60 dealt with proposals made after the Ministry and Mission Fund review. They called for a review of the methods used by Synods when raising its funds, an introduction of a system to monitor deployment allocations and contributions, and an instructed the Finance Committee to take the other recommendations of the review to other committees and back to the Assembly when appropriate. They were carried.

When introducing Resolutions, 53, 54 and 55, Eric Chilton said that there was no desire to lower the number of ministers in relation to the membership of the church. He went to to say that local churches have the responsibility collectively to support the full cost of ministry, and that the Assembly accepted the Catch the Vision group’s suggestions and take whatever steps were necessary to reduce the budget deficit.

This was the difficult decision, Mr Chilton continued. We cannot let the deficit get too big. A reduction in expenditure in some areas was possible, however. The FURY Chair, Isobel Simmons, asked for an amendment which included the consultation of the relevant committees. This amendment and the resolution were carried.

National Celebration event

Mission Council was asked to investigate a biennial celebration event, on alternate years to Assembly, for the purposes of celebration, teaching, worship and fellowship. The motion was carried.

Heritage Lottery Fund

In view of the many changes in funding regimes for the upkeep and repair of historic church buildings, the Yorkshire Synod asked Assembly to reconsider its position in respect to applications for Lottery funding.

Opposing the motion, former Moderator John Johansen-Berg said that credit card debt was at record levels and that the 1995 Assembly took the position against the Lottery because of its links with gambling.

There were clarifications about the funding available to Grade I and II listed buildings. David Thompson, former Moderator, wondered how many people had conscientiously objected to entering the British Museum as it was built on Lottery Funds.

Paul Breeze supported the motion as his church in Bradford was asking for Lottery Money for a £2m redevelopment project it was undertaking.

After an amendment to clarify who would do the work, the resolution was carried.

Synods and CRCW management

This is pioneering work, said Mrs Wilma Frew, but it is the only ministry normally subject to a maximum term of two five year terms. The resolution called for Synods to be responsible for setting the length of term and the review of CRCW posts. Various representatives, including CRCWs, thought the resolution needed more work and assembly voted for it not to be put.

Ministerial development

A resolution regarding changes to the ministerial accompanied self-appraisal scheme was brought before the Assembly. It asked that all ministers undertook a review every two years, be based around an agreed role description, included open discussions, and became a standard part of the Terms of Settlement when a Minister starts in a new pastorate or post. The resolution was carried.

Address to the Throne

Former Moderator Sheila Maxey presented the annual address to the throne. This year, the URC also sent greetings on the Queen's 80th birthday.

Three years ago the URC expressed reservations about the conflict in Iraq, and today it is continuingly worried by the continuing conflict.

It hopes and prayed that the new Iraqi government would be able to bring about peace and stability, with support from the UK government.

Regarding global warming, the address spoke about the URC encouraging its members to be good stewards of God’s creation. The address accepted by the Assembly.

Click here to read the address.

Moderator-elect

The Revd Prof Stephen Orchard, the Moderator of Assembly 2007 – 2008, thanked the Assembly for electing him Moderator. How does a historian lead the Assembly into the future, he said he was asked? Historians know that you have to let things go, he replied. ‘That’s what happened in life. Time is an ever rolling stream. Historians help to discern with scripture those parts which are eternal and those that are today’s flotsam and jetsam on the stream.’

Synod thanks

George Morton

George Morton, Synod Clerk, North Western Synod, thanked the Synod for hosting the Assembly, and looked forward to welcoming Assembly to Manchester in 2007.

Moderator’s thanks

The Moderator, the Revd Elizabeth Caswell, thanked her husband, Graham, who has given up his job to accompany her in her year in office. She also thanked those in Eastern Synod who were taking on more work during the forthcoming year, those who had helped to prepare and arrange the Assembly, those working at it, the University’s hospitality staff, the top table, those involved with the worship, Lawrence Moore for the Bible Studies, the Revd Neil Thorogood for being Chaplain and the General Secretary, the Revd Dr David Cornick.

Thanks to the Moderator

The General Secretary thanked the Moderator for her work in leading the Assembly.

Worship

The Assembly closed with worship.

2007 General Assembly

The 2007 Assembly takes place at the University of Manchester on July 7-10.

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