MINUTES OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND CONVENED AT EDINBURGH, 16 MAY 2008 At Edinburgh, and within the Assembly Hall, the 16th day of May 2008 years, at 9.30 am, Session III. The General Assembly did again convene and was constituted with prayer. BUSINESS COMMITTEE The General Assembly called for the Report of the Business Committee which was given in by the Rev William Hewitt, Convener. It was moved, seconded and agreed- The General Assembly: 1. Note that visitors to the General Assembly will include Francis Moto, High Commissioner of Malawi; Air Marshal Iain W McNicoll CB CBE BSc FRAeS RAF, Deputy Commander in Chief Operations, Air Command; and the Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Gordon Brown MP. 2. Agree to take up consideration of Section 12 of the proposed Deliverance of the Panel on Review and Reform after Section 11 of the proposed Deliverance of the Special Commission on Structure and Change. 3. Agree to take up consideration of the Supplementary Report of the Mission and Discipleship Council along with the Report of the Ministries Council. 4. Appoint the following Selection Committee: Rev Eleanor McMahon (234) Rev Elinor Gordon (439) Rev Rosemary Frew (498) Rev Catherine E E Collins (563) Rev Graeme Beebee (748) Rev William Wallace (713) Rev Neil Campbell (136) Rev Ian W F Hamilton (678) Mr John D McCulloch DL (99) Mr John M Stirling (127) Mr Colin P Cameron (169) Miss Rona Lannigan (325) Mr David S Alexander (371) Mrs Doreen Henderson (428) Mrs Margaret Michie (558) Mr Sandy Weir (646) Mrs Barbara Urquhart DCS (198) Miss Patricia Munro DCS (493) Rev Robert F Brown, Convener (598) Rev W Peter Graham, Vice-Convener (13) The General Assembly called for the Report of the Committee appointed to prepare a reply to the Most Gracious Letter from Her Majesty the Queen which was given in by the Very Rev Sheilagh Kesting. The Reply to Her Majesty’s Most Gracious Letter was submitted and approved for signature and transmission to Her Majesty. The Reply was in the following terms: TO THE QUEEN’S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY: May it please Your Majesty: We, Your Majesty’s loyal subjects convened in General Assembly, have received with pleasure Your Majesty’s gracious letter to us. We greatly value your Majesty’s repeated pledge to maintain the historic rights and privileges of the Church of Scotland. The General Assembly warmly welcome as Lord High Commissioner the Right Honourable George Reid, and are delighted to know of his busy and varied programme of visits and hospitality, bringing together figures in the Church and in the public and political life of Scotland. The General Assembly always deeply appreciate Your Majesty’s lifelong interest in the work and witness of the Church throughout Scotland and beyond, and its engagement with people of all ages. From the recent innovation of our Children’s Assembly to the long-established tradition of providing care for older people, and in countless ways in between, the Church of Scotland takes pride in enhancing the social and spiritual capital of Your Majesty’s realm. We acknowledge that both Prince William and Prince Harry were involved on military service during this past year and share with your Majesty in giving thanks for Prince Harry’s safe return from Afghanistan at a time when so many young men and women are serving in Your Majesty’s Armed Forces in areas of conflict. The General Assembly continues to pray for peace and for a just resolution in all areas where men, women and children are suffering. As we begin our deliberations we pray that God will continue to bestow favour upon Your Majesty, that You may long reign over us. Your Majesty’s most faithful and loyal servants. THE MINISTERS, ELDERS AND DEACONS OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND CONVENED IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY Signed in our name, in our presence and at our appointment by David W Lunan Moderator SOCIAL CARE COUNCIL The General Assembly called for the Report and Supplementary Report of the Social Care Council which were given in by the Rev David Court, Convener. It was moved, seconded and agreed- The General Assembly: 1. Receive the Report and Supplementary Report of the Council and note with appreciation the work of the Convener; Vice -Conveners, Members of the Council and all staff. 2. Commend the Council for its continued ecumenical activity both at home and overseas and congratulate the Secretary of the Council on his election as President of Eurodiaconia. 3. Encourage the Council in its progress in achieving external accreditation of its service delivery areas and note its achievements in exceeding the targets for trained staff. 4. Approve the organisational repositioning process. 5. Note the progress made on sale of assets and the reinvestment of this within the capital programme and encourage the Council in its continued development of services. 6. Revoke the Constitution of the Social Care Council as approved by the General Assembly of 2006 and resolve that with effect from 1st June 2008 the remit and membership of the Council shall be as set out in the Appendix to the Report. SAFEGUARDING COMMITTEE The General Assembly called for the Report of the Safeguarding Committee which was given in by the Rev John Christie, Convener. It was moved, seconded and agreed- The General Assembly: 1. Receive the Report. 2. Express gratitude to all those volunteer congregational Safeguarding Co-ordinators, Trainers and Presbytery Contacts for their commitment to the task. 3. Instruct Presbyteries to ensure Kirk Sessions are enabled to make best use of the new Safeguarding Kirk Session Training Package made available by the Safeguarding Office. 4. Commend the work of the volunteer Safeguarding Trainers and ask that they continue to be afforded as much support as possible by their home Presbyteries. 5. Note and approve the Safeguarding Office’s continued involvement, on behalf of the Safeguarding Committee, with the Scottish Government in relation to the new and future legislation of a Safeguarding nature. 6. Note and approve the Safeguarding Office’s continued involvement, on behalf of the Safeguarding Committee, with the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP). 7. Affirm the Church’s commitment in partnership with social service organisations to ongoing pastoral care of survivors of sexual abuse and their families and re -assert the commitment of the Church to create a safe environment for children and vulnerable adults in congregations. 8. Re-affirm that primary responsibility of the Church to children and young adults and vulnerable groups is their safety, which will mean the imposition of appropriate restrictions in congregations upon those who have committed sexual offences. 9. Commend the process of listening attentively to various perspectives on the complex issues facing the Forgiveness and Proportionality working group. 10. Instruct the Group to bring a report, including guidelines and outlines of processes, to the General Assembly of 2009. ECUMENICAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE The General Assembly called for the Report of the Ecumenical Relations Committee which was given in by the Rev William Brown, Convener. It was moved and seconded- The General Assembly: 1. Receive the Report. 2. Encourage the Committee to develop appropriate links with the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe. 3. Thank the many members of the Church who have contributed to dialogues, conversations, consultations, networks, and projects in the interest of the greater unity of the Church. 4. Draw the attention of ministers to the study booklet Baptism: Catholic and Reformed and encourage them to seek opportunities for discussion of its contents with Roman Catholic and other colleagues. 5. Encourage Presbyteries and Kirk Sessions to reflect on the significance of Article VII of the Declaratory Articles for their own relations with other Churches. 6. Encourage the Church to celebrate the legacy of John Calvin in his quincentenary year of 2009 and to seek to share his gifts ecumenically. 7. Approve the delegates to Assemblies, Synods and Conferences of other Churches as detailed in Appendix I. 8. Approve the appointments to ecumenical bodies as detailed in Appendix II. 9. Approve the contributions to ecumenical bodies as detailed in Appendix III. It was moved, seconded and agreed as an addendum to the Deliverance:- Add a new Section 6: Instruct the Committee to explore with the Covenant Monitoring Group the development of an appropriate protocol to cover the movement of congregations and ministers between denominations, and report to the General Assembly of 2009. The Deliverance as amended was then agreed to. IONA COMMUNITY BOARD The General Assembly called for the Report of the Board of the Iona Community which was given in by the Rev Maxwell Craig, Convener. It was moved, seconded and agreed- The General Assembly: 1. Receive the Report and thank the Board. 2. Commend the JustChurch Programme of Church Action on Poverty, of which the Iona Community is a sponsor, and invite presbyteries and churches to consider use of the programme. 3. Commend the Iona Community’s commitment to the Christian Aid Climate Change Campaign, and encourage churches to associate with its aim of reducing energy consumption by 5% each year. 4. Affirm the Board’s concern for solidarity in prayer with churches in East Africa, especially in Kenya. 5. Acknowledge the continuing growth of the Iona Community, both ecumenically and internationally. CHURCH OF SCOTLAND GUILD The General Assembly called for the Report of the Church of Scotland Guild which was given in by Mrs Ann Bowie, Convener. It was moved, seconded and agreed- The General Assembly: 1. Receive the Report. 2. Encourage the Guild in its project partnership scheme and urge Councils of the Church to consider submitting suitable projects for consideration. 3. Welcome the Guild’s continuing concern for those affected by domestic abuse and affirm the Church’s commitment to include this issue in its training programmes for its ministries. 4. Commend the Guild’s efforts to address the issue of human trafficking through initiatives like the Extra mile and encourage it to continue to press for meaningful debate on the connection between prostitution and the trafficking of people for the sex industry. 5. Urge ministers and kirk sessions to support local guilds under their care and jurisdiction and encourage their involvement in the national organisation. Mrs Bowie on her retiral as Convener was thanked by the Moderator for her noteworthy service to the Guild and the General Assembly. CHURCH WITHOUT WALLS PLANNING GROUP The General Assembly called for the Report of the Church Without Walls Planning Group which was given in by the Rev Albert Bogle, Convener. It was moved and seconded- The General Assembly: 1. Receive the Report. 2. Welcome the enthusiastic response by congregations to the Re -Energise events in 2006-2008. 3. Commend and thank the Planning Group for organising The National Gathering 2008 at Ingliston. 4. Commend the Councils of the Church who have supported and collaborated in this process of encouragement. 5. Instruct the Church without Walls Group to consult with the appropriate bodies to ensure that finance is in place in order that they may plan a Re-Energise 4 Conference as a follow up to the National Gathering and a preparation for engaging with the Year of the Homecoming in 2009. 6. Urge congregations to explore the opportunities for mission presented in the Year of the Homecoming 2009 and remind them of the opportunities that can be gained from having an overseas partner church become part of the Homecoming in a local and global outreach programme. 7. Instruct the Church without Walls Planning Group to network across the Councils and bring to the General Assembly of 2009 proposals for encouraging the Church on this journey of transition. 8. Invite the Panel on Review and Reform in collaboration with the World Mission Council to commission a study into the effect of overseas mission on the life of local church communities where they have an interactive partnership with an overseas project and consult with the appropriate bodies to ensure that financial resources can be made available to fund the study. The General Assembly suspended their sitting at 12.30 pm until 2 pm. It was moved, seconded and agreed as an addendum to Section 5 of the Deliverance:- Add “to try” after “appropriate bodies”. It was moved and seconded as an addendum to the Deliverance:- Add a new Section 6 and renumber: Urge the Planning Group to seek additional funding from the national Church to facilitate future national events. On a vote being taken For or Against the addendum it carried For. The Deliverance as amended was then agreed to. PARISH DEVELOPMENT FUND COMMITTEE The General Assembly called for the Report of the Parish Development Fund Committee which was given in by the Rev Martin Fair, Convener. It was moved, seconded and agreed- The General Assembly: 1. Receive the Report. 2. Rejoice in the commitment and creativity evident throughout the Church, which come to light through the work of the PDF Committee. 3. Affirm the relational basis of the PDF and its desire to support congregations at every stage of project development from inception through to delivery. 4. Instruct the Council of Assembly, in consultation with the Committee, to review the Parish Development Fund in the light of the expiry of the current funding arrangements in 2010, and bring proposals for its future to the General Assembly of 2009. CHURCH OF SCOTLAND TRUST The General Assembly called for the Report of the Church of Scotland Trust which was given in by Mr Christopher Mackay, Chairman. It was moved and seconded- The General Assembly: 1. Receive the Report and thank the members of the Trust for their diligence. 2. Note the term of office of the Chairman, Mr Christopher N Mackay, falls to be completed on 31 May 2008 and thank him for his distinguished service. 3. Appoint the present Vice-Chairman, Mr Robert Brodie as Chairman of the Trust from 1 June 2008. 4. Appoint Mr Christopher N Mackay as Vice-Chairman of the Trust from 1 June 2008. 5. Re-appoint Mr W F Stuart Lynch and Rev Alan L Dunnett as members of the Trust from 1 June 2008. It was moved, seconded and agreed as an amendment of Section 5:- Amend to read: Reappoint Mr W F Stewart Lynch and Rev Alan L Dunnett and appoint Mr Angus W Bethune as members of the Trust from 1st June 2008. The Deliverance as amended was then agreed to. Mr Mackay on his retiral as Chairman was thanked by the Moderator for his noteworthy service to the Trust and the General Assembly. His Excellency Dr Francis Moto, High Commissioner of Malawi, was invited to address the General Assembly, and was thanked by the Moderator. WORLD MISSION COUNCIL The General Assembly called for the Report and Supplementary Report of the World Mission Council which were given in by the Rev Colin Renwick, Convener. It was moved and seconded- The General Assembly: 1. Receive the Report and Supplementary Report. 2. Give thanks for the life and witness of overseas staff who have died, salute those who have completed their period of service overseas, and uphold in prayer all overseas staff who continue to serve. 3. Reaffirm the biblical and evangelical conviction that poverty which threatens human dignity is an offence in the eyes of God; and instruct the Council to continue campaigning for the eradication of extreme poverty in close collaboration with Christian Aid and through active participation in coalitions formed to address the issues of debt, trade justice, defence, HIV/AIDS and climate change. 4. Assure partner churches, in countries afflicted by extreme poverty, of the determination of the Church of Scotland, so far as it is able, to share with them the human and material resources needed to strengthen their impressive commitment to ensure that the church represents good news to the poor. 5. Instruct the Council, in consultation with relevant partner churches, to ascertain how best the Church of Scotland can be an effective partner to churches in situations where Christians suffer because of their minority status; and to report to the General Assembly of 2009. 6. Assure partners in the Middle East of the commitment of the Church of Scotland to respond positively to the Amman Call; and instruct the Council to shape its work in Israel and Palestine in such a way that it forms an effective response to the Call. 7. Welcome the Covenant recently established between the charge of Greyfriars St Ann’s linked with Arouca and Sangre Grande and the Presbyterian Church of Trinidad and Tobago; and instruct the Council to give all possible support to the outworking of the terms of the Covenant. 8. Recognise that twinning provides a missionary opportunity whose time has come; and encourage congregations and Presbyteries to enter into twinning arrangements with overseas partner churches. 9. Encourage Presbyteries and congregations to promote the Church’s need for mission partners to serve overseas; and recognise that the outward-looking service of mission partners is vital to the future health of the Church and a source of growth and fulfilment for those who serve. 10. Welcome the preparations being made internationally and in Scotland for marking the centenary of the Edinburgh 1910 World Missionary Conference; and encourage Presbyteries and congregations to be aware of the opportunities presented by the centenary as the year 2010 approaches. 11. Thank all who have contributed to the success of the Bursary (later Faithshare Student) programme over its many years of fruitful life in Scotland; and welcome the programme’s new direction which will enable students to undertake courses in their home regions and then to spend time in Scotland as Faithshare visitors. 12. Pass an Act anent Christ Church, Warwick, Bermuda and St Andrew’s, Colombo, Sri Lanka in terms of Appendix I of the Supplementary Report. It was moved, seconded and agreed as an addendum to Section 3:- Add “and good governance” after “(and) climate change”. It was moved, seconded and agreed as an addendum to the Deliverance:- Add a new Section 4 and renumber: Urge Her Majesty’s Government to ensure that much of the burden of debt cancellation does not fall upon the international development agencies but is funded through significant increases in replenishments of all of these institutions. It was moved, seconded and agreed as an amendment of Section 4:- Delete “, so far as it is able,”. It was moved, seconded and agreed as an amendment of Section 5:- Amend Section 5 to read: Express solidarity with churches that are in a minority situation and are faced with discrimination and violence; resolve to share common commitment and take decisive action collectively to assist such minority churches that are caught in situations of violence and conflict; instruct the Council (1) to find creative ways of including inter-religious dialogue as a vehicle to promote and protect the rights of minorities; (2) to seek to bring awareness about such situations in the global Christian community; (3) to help and advise partner churches in developing self-understanding and identification through capacity building and theological education; (4) to strengthen ecumenical groups and movements in minority churches for the building of a tolerant society; (5) to raise the issues facing minority churches in international forums for redress and remedy; and report to the General Assembly in 2009. It was moved, seconded and agreed as an addendum to Section 8:- Add “and instruct the World Mission Council to provide the necessary level of twinning support staff within its department, working with the Budget Group of the Council of Assembly to seek any necessary additional finance”. It was moved and seconded as an addendum to the Deliverance:- Add a new Section 11 and renumber: Instruct the Council to arrange, on the occasion of the centenary of the 1910 World Mission Conference in 2010, for the General Assembly to “wait on the Lord” in corporate prayer to ensure the Holy Spirit comes on all future missionary activities. On a vote being taken For or Against the addendum it carried Against. It was moved, seconded and agreed as an addendum to the Deliverance:- Add a new section 12 and renumber: a) express outrage and urgent concern in regard to the extreme privation and suffering being inflicted on the people of Zimbabwe; and encourage all who work for justice, peace and reconciliation in that beautiful country. b) salute the courage of the Zimbabwe Council of Churches, the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference in together standing up for the dignity of the people and condemning the abuse of political authority. c) call on HMG, as a matter of urgency, to use its influence in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to work for a political solution to Zimbabwe’s crisis which will swiftly bring an end to the violence and intimidation being endured in many parts of the country and which will enable the will of the electorate to be freely expressed and fully respected. d) assure the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa, and particularly the Presbytery of Zimbabwe, of the love and prayerful support of the Church of Scotland at this uniquely trying time in their history; and encourage them in all their efforts to “overcome fear by faith” and contribute to the resolution of Zimbabwe’s crisis. The Moderator led the General Assembly in prayer. It was moved, seconded and agreed as an addendum to the Deliverance:- Add a new Section 12 and renumber: Urge the Council to communicate information gathered abroad to local congregations and government, and to encourage action at a local and national level. The Deliverance as amended was then agreed to. The General Assembly adjourned at 5.32 pm to meet again in this Hall tomorrow at 9.30 am, whereof public intimation having been made, the Sederunt was closed with prayer. ASSEMBLY HALL EDINBURGH, 16 May 2008, 5.32 pm