MINUTES OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND CONVENED AT EDINBURGH, 17 MAY 2008 At Edinburgh and within the Assembly Hall, the 17th day of May 2008 years, at 9.30 am, Session IV. The General Assembly did again convene and was constituted with prayer. The minutes of Sessions I-II being printed and in the hands of members, were submitted and approved. It was moved and seconded:- Resolve to make available to the Councils and Agencies of the Church the Report by the outgoing Moderator, the Very Rev Sheilagh Kesting. At the suggestion of the Business Convener it was agreed that the Report would be bound with the papers of the General Assembly, and the General Assembly so resolved. MISSION AND DISCIPLESHIP COUNCIL The General Assembly called for the Report of the Mission and Discipleship Council which was given in by the Rev Dr Angus Morrison, Convener. It was moved and seconded- The General Assembly: 1. Receive the Report and thank the Council, Task Groups and Committees, especially members retiring at the General Assembly. 2. Thank all Council staff, especially those who have left the service of the Council in 2007, and welcome all new members of staff. Future Focus: a way forward for congregations 3. Welcome the publication of Future Focus: a way forward for congregations and commend it to congregations seeking to use a facilitated resource. Development Team 4. Welcome the significant contribution being made by the Development Team in congregational resourcing, and encourage Presbyteries and congregations to take full advantage of the contribution that Regional Development Officers can make. 5. Encourage all congregations to offer to their community a celebration of Christmas Day which includes worship. 6. Express appreciation to Royal Mail for the production of Christmas stamps in 2007 with a Christmas theme. Strategic Development of Use of Gaelic 7. Welcome the Report on the Strategic Development of the Use of Gaelic and encourage the Council to develop its future plans. Publishing Committee 8. Commend the management, editorial and support teams responsible for Saint Andrew Press, Life and Work and Ministers’ Forum for a very successful year. 9. Support and encourage both Saint Andrew Press and Life and Work to continue to develop their mission, and their on-going efforts to find new and cost-effective ways of taking the Word to the church and the wider world. 10. Encourage the continued promotion of the website shop as a convenient means of purchasing Church of Scotland books while keeping the maximum financial benefit within the Church. 11. Commend Saint Andrew Press for publishing Worship Anthology: By Women Ordained to Word & Sacrament, which is for the whole church, as a celebration of the fortieth anniversary in 2008 of the ordination of women in the Church of Scotland. 12. Encourage all Agencies of the central Church to consult the Publishing Committee about their book publishing requirements in the first instance. 13. Instruct the Mission and Discipleship Council and the Publishing Committee to support the Church of Scotland Communication Strategy by preparing a report for the Council of Assembly on the feasibility of finding a better and more efficient way of addressing the wider Church’s book publishing needs. 14. Commend Life and Work as a continuing resource to congregations and Christians in their daily life. Committee on Church Art and Architecture 15. Commend the advantages to congregations of early consultation with the Committee when considering proposed changes to buildings, in terms of the saving of both time and money. 16. Encourage all congregations to seek the highest standards of design and procurement for any proposed alterations and the commissioning of new works of art. 17. Remind Presbyteries of the importance of informing the Committee at an early stage of any prospective closure of a church building so that an accurate record of its design may be prepared and the furniture and fittings disposed of appropriately. Mission and Evangelism Task Group 18. Welcome the appointment of Rev David E P Currie as Development Officer (New and Emerging Ministries) and encourage congregations to approach him for help in supporting and resourcing local initiatives in new models and fresh expressions of church. 19. Affirm the significance of the work done at “The Well” Asian Information and Advice Centre, both as a local resource and as an indicator of the Church’s commitment to building good relations with people of other faiths and cultures, acting honestly and with integrity, and offering reliable and respected advice and support (Section 7.8). 20. Note that discussions regarding “The Well” Asian Information and Advice Centre have begun, with a view to developing an appropriate sustainable model of administrative responsibility and local partnership, and instruct the Council, in collaboration with the Council of Assembly and the Presbytery of Glasgow, to resolve these governance issues as speedily as possible. 21. Commend for renewed discussion the report of the former Board of World Mission and Unity to the General Assembly of 1993 – Mission and Evangelism in a Multi-faith Society and in a Multi-faith World – and affirm the importance of dialogue and witness in sharing faith in a multi-cultural society. 22. Welcome the appointment of Mr Iain Stewart as the Inter-faith Support Worker and invite congregations to make use of his specialist services. Church Visitor and Tourism Strategy 23. Commend the “Connect Initiative” for 2009 and 2010 to all congregations and congregational groupings. “Why Believe?” 24. Commend the work of the “Why Believe?” Group in providing resources to congregations to assist in engaging in Christian apologetics in the present culture. Netherbow: Scottish Storytelling Centre 25. Congratulate the Centre on its innovative contribution to the Scottish Government’s Winter Festival and commend the potential of storytelling approaches for outreach in local communities. Rural Scotland 26. Welcome the production of the resource pack God’s Own Country and commend it to all agencies of the Church, to congregations within, and to congregations with a desire to study, rural Scotland. 27. Commend the Rural Strategy Team for the inter-Council and ecumenical approach to the Church Stand at the Royal Highland Show in Edinburgh, and invite ministers and Kirk Sessions to encourage those from parishes around Scotland attending the Royal Highland Show to visit the Church Stand. 28. Encourage all Presbyteries and rural congregations to send delegates to the Rural Church Conference in the Scottish Police College, Tulliallan, from 31 October to 1 November 2008. 29. Encourage congregations creatively to consider, in consultation with the General Trustees, the best use of glebe land in order to bring greater benefit to the environment, the congregation and parish. 30. Instruct the Rural Strategy Team and the General Trustees to identify areas of need within rural Scotland for special assistance from the Central Fabric Fund and report to the General Assembly of 2009. Education and Nurture 31. Welcome the various developments in the area of Education and Nurture and commend them to congregations and Presbyteries. 32. Delight in the success of the first National Children’s Assembly and encourage congregations to make full use of the opportunities afforded by the National Children’s Assembly by encouraging children from their areas to attend. 33. Urge every Presbytery to consider the appointment of one or more Presbytery Youth and Children’s Trainers (PYCTS) to assist in the ongoing development of children’s and youth ministry in local churches. 34. Note with satisfaction the start of new networks for children’s ministry, in the area of learning disabilities and for the post-25 age group. 35. Welcome the continuing development of resources in relation to the Godly Play, Strategy for Young People and Threads. 36. Encourage congregations to make use of the Cosycoffeehouse resource as a way of reaching out to teenagers in their communities. 37. Instruct Kirk Sessions to participate in the Education and Nurture Strategy for Young People and the questionnaire relating to Eldership. 38. Celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Youth Representatives at the General Assembly and instruct the Council to explore with the General Assembly Arrangements Committee the possibility of Youth Delegates being given an indicative vote at future General Assemblies. 39. Commend the ongoing programme of Elder Training to congregations. 40. Welcome the introduction of the Certificate in Higher Education in Christian Education with Applied Theology (CertHE CEAT) programme and encourage those involved in service in the local church to take advantage of this opportunity. Worship and Doctrine 41. Thank the editorial group for the latest production of Pray Now. 42. Commend the initiative of the Holy Communion Working Group in offering roadshows to the Church on this important area of its life and mission. 43. Note the concerns of the Council concerning the Church Hymnary fourth edition, and to instruct the Council to seek conversations with the Church Hymnary Trustees. Scottish Churches Community Trust 44. Approve the merger of Scottish Churches Community Trust and Faith in Community Scotland, on the clear understanding that grants would continue to be made to both urban and rural projects. It was moved and seconded as an addendum to the Deliverance:- Add a new Section 8 and renumber: Congratulate the Council on its work to promote Gaelic in the Church and instruct the Council, in collaboration with the Ministries Council, to develop a strategy for encouraging the use of the Scots language in the Kirk. On a vote being taken For or Against the addendum it carried Against. The Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Gordon Brown MP was invited to address the General Assembly, and was thanked by the Moderator. The General Assembly resumed consideration of the Report of the Mission and Discipleship Council. It was moved and seconded as an addendum to the Deliverance:- Add a new Section 34 and renumber: Instruct the Council to produce materials to support systematic and continuing Christian Education within church children’s groups, including Sunday Schools, and to take the necessary steps to reorder current priorities within children’s work to achieve this. It was moved and seconded as an amendment of the proposed addendum:- Delete “produce” and substitute “consider the need for”. It was moved, seconded and agreed as an amendment of the proposed addendum:- Delete “Sunday Schools” and substitute “Junior Church”. It was moved, seconded and agreed as an amendment of the proposed addendum:- Delete “to take the necessary steps” and substitute “the steps needed”. The original amendment of the proposed addendum was agreed. On a vote being taken For or Against, the addendum as amended was agreed. It was moved, seconded and agreed as an addendum to the Deliverance:- Add a new Section 38: Instruct the Council (1) to initiate a consultation with the Ministries Council and those employed by the Church to work with young people to start a process of the Church of Scotland discussing the fundamental theological and practical issues of Youth Ministry; (2) to investigate possible ways of the Church supporting or providing relevant professional training for those employed by the Church to work with young people; and (3) to develop a code of good practice for churches employing someone in this area of ministry. Professor Hume on his retiral as Convener of the Church Art and Architecture Committee was thanked by the Moderator for his noteworthy service to the Committee and the General Assembly. CHURCH HYMNARY TRUSTEES The General Assembly called for the Report of the Church Hymnary Trustees which was given in by Hon. Lord Penrose, Chairman. It was moved, seconded and agreed- The General Assembly: Receive the Report. The General Assembly resumed consideration of the Report of the Mission and Discipleship Council. The Deliverance as amended was then agreed to. The General Assembly adjourned at 12.22 pm to meet again in this Hall on Monday at 9.30 am for Holy Communion, and thereafter for business, whereof public intimation having been made, the Sederunt was closed with prayer. ASSEMBLY HALL EDINBURGH, 17 May 2008, 12.22 pm