Council of Assembly

Our remit

The Council of Assembly has the authority to take administrative decisions between General Assemblies, co-ordinate the work of the Church’s central administration and take decisions about resources, finances and staffing.

This includes

  • Providing guidance on management, organisation and administration, and advising the General Assembly on the relative importance of work being undertaken by its various agencies.
  • Recommending to the General Assembly the total amount of the Church's co-ordinated budget for the following financial year and how it should be allocated, and preparing an an indicative rolling budget for the following five financial years.
  • Distributing legacies and donations amongst the agencies of the General Assembly, and considering proposals on purchasing and selling property and other assets.
  • Determining staffing and resourcing requirements of agencies of the General Assembly, in line with the General Assembly's priorities, other than those serving in particular parishes or overseas.
  • Dealing with urgent issues arising between meetings of the General Assembly, which do not fall within the jurisdiction of the Commission of Assembly, presbytery or kirk session, and are not of a legislative or judicial nature.

Our membership

  • Convener - Rev Dr Grant Barclay, Minister at Kilmarnock: St Kentigern’s
  • Vice-convener –Iain Johnstone, Elder at Glasgow: Colston Milton
  • Secretary to the Council of Assembly - Pauline Weibye

Members

  • Rev Richard Baxter, Minister at Kennoway, Windygates and Balgonie:St Kenneth's
  • Stephen Brown, Elder at West Kilbride: St Andrew's
  • Rev Donald Campbell, Convener, Panel on Review and Reform
  • Donald Carmichael, Elder at Giffnock: Orchardhill
  • Catherine Coull, Elder at Dundee: Chalmers-Ardler
  • Rev Neil Dougall, Convener, Ministries Council
  • Rev Sally Foster-Fulton, Convener, Church and Society Council
  • Elizabeth Fox, Elder at London:  St Columba’s linked with Newcastle St Andrew’s
  • Rev Sydney Graham, Convener, Social Care Council
  • Isobel Hunter, Elder at Skirling
  • Andrew Kimmitt, Elder at Edinburgh: Morningside United
  • Very Rev Dr Andrew McLellan, Convener, World Mission Council
  • Murdo Macmillan, Elder at Stornoway: Martin's Memorial
  • Rev Fiona Mathieson, Minister at Edinburgh: Carrick Knowe
  • Rev Alexander Millar, Minister at Stirling: St Columba’s
  • Rev Colin Sinclair, Convener, Mission and Discipleship Council
  • Rev Ewan Aitken, Council secretary, Church and Society Council
  • Rev Ian Alexander, Council secretary, World Mission Council
  • Peter Bailey, Council secretary, Social Care Council
  • The Rev Dr Martin Scott, Council secretary, Ministries Council
  • Rev John Chalmers, Principal Clerk of the General Assembly
  • Iain Grimmond, General Treasurer of the Church
  • Janette Wilson, Solicitor of the Church

Contact for more information

Email or contact us at the Church's offices in Edinburgh.

Meetings

The Council of Assembly usually meets on the third Monday of June, August, September, October, November, December, February, March and April. Unless otherwise stated, all meetings of the council will take place at the Church offices at 121 George Street, Edinburgh.

Minutes

Minutes from Council of Assembly meetings:

2013

2012

2011

Related pages

Related documents