Hotline
Welcome to the 2003 edition of
Assembly Hotline. You'll find here a record of the main events and
some of the background to the meeting of General Assembly in Portsmouth from July 5th - 8th,
2003.
Select the day's business you would like
to see from the menu below:
[ Saturday News ] [ Sunday News ] [ Monday News ]
Joel Edwards
A
more extensive report of Joel Edwards address to Assembly has been added.
Click here
Clare Short
Note: The full text of the speech by Clare Short on Monday evening has now
been added to Hotline. Click here.
 New
Secretary
Tuesday 8th July
The Revd Richard Mortimer was inducted as Secretary for Ecumenical
Relations and Faith & Order during Assembly's closing worship.
Moderator’s Acceptance Speech
Tuesday 8th July
In a typically gracious speech, the Revd Sheila Maxey, who was earlier
elected Moderator for the year 2004-5, thanked the Assembly for the trust it
had placed in her. She expressed her gratitude for the fact that, after 10
years as a member of staff - prevented from speaking except in exceptional
circumstances, she had been given back her voice in the councils of the
Church. More than a few will have regretted the consequence of that
liberation when Sheila informed Assembly that she will not be knitting on
the platform next year in the way that she has through countless meetings
over the last decade.
 Address to the
Throne
Tuesday 8th July
The Revd John Waller, the immediate past
Moderator, presented the Address to the Throne.
Read the Address
here.
International Situation
Tuesday 8th July
Assembly welcomed a motion from the Ecumenical Committee affirming the
Church’s support for partners around the world who face difficult
situations. The resolution calls particularly for Church to seek dialogue
with partner churches in the United States over how we can support each
other in witnessing to an alternative vision of peace and justice. It also
encourages local churches to witness to the need for understanding, the
overcoming of violence and the need for justice in the world. The motion was
ably moved by two guest speakers, Ms Sara Lisherman of the Presbyterian
Church in the USA and the Revd Maen Bitar, Moderator of the National
Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon.
A Fair Share
Tuesday 8th July
A fair share of heritage funds for non-conformist buildings and greater
flexibility in the disposal of buildings which are listed but not of
sufficient quality to attract funding was the call embodied in a resolution
from the Yorkshire Synod.
Budget 2004
Tuesday 8th July
We do not face a crisis, we face a situation which has to be dealt with,
Treasurer Eric Chilton told Assembly. At present we were spending more than
our income. Part of the reason was unexpected events such as the imposition
of the 1% increase in National Insurance and the increase in support
required for the ministers’ pension fund. In most years we budgeted for a
small deficit in the expectation that the difference will be made up by
legacies - a risky procedure but we should not be afraid to advocate
legacies for the work of the Church. One problem is that we too often make
decisions with little idea of the financial implications - there had been
several examples at this Assembly. Overall we need to learn to live within
our income.
Assembly adopted a budget representing expenditure of £21.3m, an increase
of 2.7% over the budget for 2003 and total contributions to the Ministry and
Mission Fund of of £20.1m, an increase of 3.2% over 2003.
Manse Guidelines
Tuesday 8th July
Assembly adopted a new set of guidelines, drawn up after wide
consultation with districts and synods, for the specification, purchase and
maintenance of manses. In order to ensure that the manse is suitable for a
wide range of families, avoiding the need for constant changes, the ideal
standard includes four bedrooms, a separate and lounge, dining room and
study and a separate downstairs toilet.
Communion Collection
Tuesday 8th July
The collection at Assembly’s communion service raised £2075 for the
Presbyterian Church of Mynamar (Burma) in support of a water pipes project.
A Just War?
Tuesday 8th July
The National Synod of Scotland brought a resolution calling for a major
study by the Church and Society Committee into the ethics of warfare in the
21st century, taking account of contemporary concerns such as the rise of
terrorism, the role of weapons of mass destruction and of weapons such as
mines and cluster bombs which can remain a deadly threat long after the
conflict is over. The study will also look into the argument that war can be
justified by a perceived threat or the desire for ‘regime change’. The
resolution calls for the necessary work to be undertaken ecumenically and
internationally.
 Inter-Faith Relations
Tuesday 8th July
Assembly welcomed Shadi Bashir of the Muslim Council of Britain who
brought gracious greetings and read briefly from the Qu’ran on the theme of
peace amongst the nations. A resolution calling on churches, districts and
synods to build up good relations with local Muslims and to seek to enhance
their understanding of the Islamic world and world-view was passed
overwhelmingly. |
