Minutes

Saturday
First Session

5th July 2003

Constitution of Assembly

At 4.00 pm. members of Assembly met in the Guildhall, Portsmouth. The Moderator, the Revd John Waller constituted the Assembly with prayer, the place and the time having been duly appointed.

Induction of Moderator

The Revd Alasdair Pratt, Moderator-elect, was inducted as Moderator of the General Assembly of the United Reformed Church. He signed the Assembly Bible and was presented with an inscribed copy of the Bible by the retiring Moderator of Assembly.

Thanks to the Retiring Moderator

The thanks of the Church were expressed by the Moderator to the Revd John and Mrs Margaret Waller. The Chaplain, the Revd Carolyn Smyth led the worship of the Assembly and the Moderator then addressed the Assembly.

Roll of Assembly

The Roll of Assembly was placed on the table.

Moderator	Revd D Alasdair Pratt
Clerk	Revd James Breslin
General Secretary	Revd Dr David Cornick
Deputy General Secretary	Revd Ray Adams

Moderators of Synods

I	Revd Peter Poulter
II	Revd Peter Brain
III	Revd Graham Cook
IV	Revd Arnold Harrison
V	Revd Malcolm Hanson
VI	Revd Elizabeth Welch
VII	Revd Elizabeth Caswell
VIII	Revd David Miller
IX	Revd Adrian Bulley
X	Revd Roberta Rominger
XI	Revd Nigel Uden
XII	Revd Peter Noble
XIII	Revd John Arthur

Conveners of General Assembly Standing Committees

Assembly Arrangements	Mr William McVey
Church & Society	Revd Martin Camroux
Communications & Editorial	Revd Graham Cook
Doctrine, Prayer & Worship	Revd John Young
Ecumenical	Revd John Rees
Equal Opportunities	Revd Wilf Bahadur
Finance	Mr Eric Chilton
Inter-Faith Relations	Mrs Daphne Beale
Life & Witness	Revd Brian Jolly
Ministries	Mr John Ellis
Nominations	Revd Principal Stephen Orchard
Pastoral Reference	Revd David Jenkins
Racial Justice	Revd Andrew Prasad
Training	Revd John Proctor
Youth & Children’s Work	Revd Kathryn Price

Synod Clerks

I	Dr Peter Clarke
II	Mr George Morton
III	Mr Donald Swift
IV	Mr John Seager
V	Mrs Irene Wren
VI	Mr Simon Rowntree
VII	Mr Kenneth Woods
VIII	Revd Rosalind Harrison
IX	Mr Graham Rolfe
X	Revd Martin Hazell
XI	Mrs Christine Meekison
XII	Revd Colin Richards
XIII	Revd Kenneth Forbes

Additional Synod Representatives

I	Miss Sara Goodfellow
II	Mrs Janet Eccles
III	Revd John Oldershaw, Ms Sandra Wellington, Mrs Jean Cook
IV	Revd Simon Swailes, Mrs Val Jenkins
V	Revd David Miller, Mrs Ann Ball, Mrs Barbara Turner
VI	Revd Simon Helme, Miss Sarah Hopkins, Mrs Ann Sheldon
VII	Revd Victor Ridgewell, Mrs Penelope Davies-Brown, Mr Philip Wade
VIII	Revd Peter Henderson, Mr Peter Scott, Mr John Saunders
IX	Revd David Bedford, Revd Stephen Thornton, Mrs Veronica Taylor
X
XI	Revd Peter Southcombe, Mr Gilbert Anderson, Mr Desmond Colechin
XII	Revd Dr Robert Pope, Mrs Elizabeth Richards, Ms Helen Stenson
XII	Revd Mary Buchanan, Revd Dr John Clark, Revd John Humphreys, Revd Paul Jupp, Miss Ismay Mackenzie, Ms Helen Mee, Dr James Merrilees, Mrs Christine Paterson, Dr Philip Theaker

Synod Treasurers

I	Mr David Hayward
II	Dr Brian Woodhall
III	Mr Andrew Martlew
IV	Miss Margaret Atkinson
V	Mr Donald Buxton
VI	Revd Roger Woodall
VII	Mr Clifford Patten
VIII	Mr Gordon Latham
IX	Mr Graham Gage
X	Miss Valerie Ham
XI	Mr Brian West
XII	Mr Patrick Hickey
XIII	Mr James Maguire

Theological College Representatives

Mansfield College	Revd Dr Walter Houston, Mr David Morgan
Northern College	Revd Janet Berry, Mrs Ruth Browning
Queens Foundation	Revd Dr Michael Jagessar, Mr Andrew Birch
Scottish United Reformed & Congregational College	Revd John Dyce
Westminster College	Revd Dr Janet Tollington, Mrs Lucy Brierley

Youth Representatives

Miss Amanda Wade, Miss Rosemary Simmons

Assembly Members from Other Churches in the United Kingdom

Baptist Union of Great Britain	Revd Kathryn Morgan
Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales	Mgr William Steele
Churches Together in Britain and Ireland	Dr David Goodbourn
Churches Together in England	Revd John Bradley
Ecumenical Forum of European Christian Women	Mrs Ruth Clarke
International Ministerial Council of Great Britain	Mrs Agatha Baptiste
Moravian Church	Revd Jan Mullin
Presbyterian Church in Ireland	Revd Colin McClure
Presbyterian Church of Wales	Revd Neil Kirkham
The Church of England	The Right Revd David Hawtin
The Church of Scotland	Mrs Christine Tait
United Free Church of Scotland	Revd John McFie
Union of Welsh Independents	Revd Kevin Davies

Assembly Members from Churches outside Britain and Ireland

Evangelical Church of the Pfalz	Revd Martin Henninger
Kiribati Protestant Church	Revd Bureieta Karait
Mission Convent Church of Sweden	Revd Krister Andersson
National Evangelical Synod of Syria & Lebanon	Revd Ma’n Bitar
Presbyterian Church in Myanmar	Revd Dr Lai Thuama
World Convention of the Churches of Christ	Mr Lyndsay Jacobs

Chaplain (URC) to HM Forces in Britain

Revd Michael Meachin

Council for World Mission

Revd Dr Desmond van der Water

Past Presidents, Chairmen and Moderators

Ms Gwen Hall, Revd Norman Birnie, Revd Arthur Macarthur, Revd John Johansen-Berg, Revd Martin Cressey, Mrs Rosalind Goodfellow, Revd John Francis, Revd Richard Murray, Revd Bernard Waterton, Revd Bentley Webster, Revd Dr Peter Arthur, Revd George Sharpe, Revd Dr David Thompson, Revd Victor Smith, Revd Alasdair Walker, Revd Dr Philip Morgan, Revd David Dale, Mr Ray Heritage, Revd Cyril Franks, Revd Edmund Banyard, Revd Keith Forecast, Revd Graham Cook, Revd Malcolm Hanson, Mrs Ruth Clarke, Revd Donald Hilton, Revd Dr Jack McKelvey, Revd John Reardon, Revd Dr David Thompson, Revd David Jenkins, Mrs Wilma Frew, Revd Peter McIntosh, Revd William Mahood, Revd Elizabeth Welch, Revd John Waller

District Representatives

Synod I

A Revd Jason Askew, Revd Janet Calderley, Revd Ronald Forster, Miss Alison Beecroft, Mrs Joyce Calcraft, Mr Steven Forster

B Revd Kay Alberg, Revd Peter Heckels, Revd Peter Main, Revd Terry Oakley, Revd David Walton, Mr Ronald Golightly, Mrs Eileen Heckels, Mrs Eileen Livingstone

C Revd Andrew Coyne, Revd Ruth Crofton, Revd Daniel Meister, Revd Colin Offor, Mrs Daphne Clarke, Mr Alan Dixon, Mrs Margaret Dixon, Mr Matthew Prevett

E Revd John MacKenzie, Revd Alistair Smeaton, Mrs Rosalind Fearon, Mrs Jean Howarth

Synod II

A Revd Helga Cornell, Revd Brenda Willis, Revd Ronald Wilson, Mrs Pamela Baines, Mr Steven Cook, Mr Gordon Eccles

B Revd David Spence, Mrs Elizabeth Fletcher, Mrs Irene Kendall, Mrs Jennifer Liddell

C Revd Robert Pickering, Revd Marta Sugar Damo, Revd Sally Thomas, Mr Alan Barnes, Mr George Grime, Mr E Ledger

D Revd David Fraser, Revd Brenda Moore, Revd Michael Thomason, Mrs Sheila Brain, Mr John Rea, Mrs Sue Wilkinson

E Revd Alan Morris, Revd Ruth Wollaston, Mr Allan Dawes, Mrs Elizabeth Firth, Mr G Ollerenshaw, Mrs Arline Ollerenshaw

F Revd Dr Donald Firth, Revd Gary Gotham, Revd Brian O’Neill, Revd Peter Sharp, Mrs Barbara Lancaster, Mr Ben Morrell, Mr Michael Williams

G Revd Martin Truscott, Revd Rosemary Tusting, Mrs Margaret Beasley, Mrs Kathleen Lacy

Synod III

A Revd Albert Holroyd, Revd Timothy Jackson, Revd Kirsty Thorpe, Mr Robin Hodgkins, Mr Richard Lathaen, Mr Peter Linsey, Mr Robert Pritchard

B Revd Vernon Broomfield-Payne, Revd Kenneth Summers, Mrs Pamela Pigott, Miss Emma Pugh, Mr C Woodside

C Revd Jonathan Morgan, Miss Emma Taylor, Mr Ian Taylor

D Revd Brian Clarke, Revd Susan Flynn, Revd Glenys Wilkinson, Mrs Hilary Bell, Mr Christopher Cookson, Mr John Wilkinson

Synod IV

A Revd David Coote, Revd George Holborn, Revd David Purse, Mr Mark Buxton, Mrs Eileen Holborn, Mr James Sharp

B Revd Stephen Collinson, Revd David Hudston, Revd Richard West, Mr Philip Baiden, Miss Jean Russell, Mrs Angela West

C Revd Angela Hughes, Revd Brian Hunt, Revd Dr David Whiting, Mr Paul Robinson, Mr Ronald Sweeney, Mrs Lesley Whiting

D Revd Alan Evans, Revd Stella Hayton, Revd John Hayton, Mrs Helen Eteson, Mrs Audrey Evans, Mrs Muriel Wood

E Revd Gillian Brown, Revd John Jenkinson, Miss Ina Barker, Mrs Margaret Morgan

F Revd George Courtney, Revd Timothy Key, Mr Hugh Moran

Synod V

A Revd David Legge, Revd Peter Meek, Revd Paula Parish West, Mr Norman Greville, Mr Christopher Hackett, Mrs Anthea Jackson

B Revd David Morris, Revd Maxwell Shepherd, Mrs Susan Lincoln, Mr Geoffrey Milnes, Ms Gemma Timson, Mrs Eileen Williams

C Revd Ann Campbell, Revd Henry Gardiner, Revd Reginald Rooke, Miss Hazel Bond, Mrs Joan Cook, Mr Philip Laws

D Revd Elizabeth Byrne, Revd Jacqueline Gavin, Revd John Maitland, Mr Christopher Gavin, Mrs Sally Maitland, Mrs Jennifer Morgan

E Revd Maureen Buxton, Revd John Filsak, Revd Christopher Ford, Mrs Louise Gee, Miss Margaret Hodson

F Revd Prof Alan Sell, Mrs Margaret Gateley, Mr Paul Gateley

Synod VI

A Revd Peter Christie, Revd Timothy Clarke, Revd Patrick Taylor, Revd Marion Thomas, Mrs Dorothy Hewitson, Mr Geoff Harrison, Mrs Christine Christie, Mr James Hewitson

B Revd David Cassidy, Revd Shirley Mountcastle, Mrs Isobel Jacob, Mrs Brenda Cassidy

C Revd Robert Brown, Revd Mary Howe, Revd Noel Sharp, Mrs Grace Alcorn, Mr Terence Blake, Mr W Robson

D Revd Pauline Rate, Revd Heather Whyte, Mrs Melanie Frew, Mr John Potter

E Revd Richard Becher, Revd Irene Bound, Revd Martha McInnes, Revd Kevin Jones, Miss Rachel Greening, Miss Isobel Simmons, Mrs Christine Marlow, Mrs Elizabeth Whitehorn

F Revd Rowena Francis, Revd Marion Hartwell, Revd Graham Spicer, Mr John Desmond, Mrs Dorothy MacDonald, Mrs Margaret Marshall

Synod VII

A Revd Richard Mortimer, Revd Robert Waldron, Mrs Rhona Burns, Mr Philip Burns, Mrs Lisa Wilkinson

B Revd David Bunney, Revd Nicholas Mark, Revd Christopher Wood, Mr Michael Barnes, Mrs Margaret Evans, Mr Andrew Royal, Mr John Woodman

C Revd Lorna Bantock, Revd Harold Bignell, Revd Kenneth Ellis, Mrs Heather Brown, Mrs Mary Stanhope, Mr John Tyler

D Revd Birgit Ewald, Revd Lynn Fowkes, Revd Geoffrey Wright, Mrs Enid Gear, Mrs Monica Penny, Mr Stephen Thompson

E Revd Alan Ashton, Revd Peter Ball, Revd Carole Pearl, Revd Alexander Smith, Dr Pamela Cressey, Dr Alan Rickard, Mrs Joan Turner, Mrs Jean West

F Revd Thomas MacMeekin, Mr G Lee

Synod VIII

A Revd Roger Cornish, Revd Paricia Whittaker, Mrs Pearl Pearson, Mr Frank Whittaker

B Revd Robert Jennings, Revd Richard Pope, Mrs Jean Baker, Mrs Jean Potter

C Revd Nicholas Adlem, Revd Jacqueline Knight, Revd Philip Wagstaff, Miss Susanna Adlem, Miss Peggy Cooke, Mr Gareth Curl

D Revd Michael Hodgson, Revd Norman Whitaker, Mrs Sheila Elliss, Ms Sarah Lane

E Revd Hazel Martell, Revd Janos Nagy, Revd Dr Hazel Starritt, Revd Angela Steele, Miss Josie Carpenter, Mrs Anne Fletcher, Mr John Haddrell, Mr Rob Thackray

F Revd Jennifer Davies, Mrs Margaret Skyrme

Synod IX

A Revd David Langford, Revd Dr Donald Norwood, Revd J Clive Sutcliffe, Miss Nikki Andrews, Mr Peter Mann, Mrs Sheila Mann, Dr John Mellor, Mrs Joyce Sutcliffe

B Revd George Bembridge, Revd Simon Thomas, Miss Jill Cole, Mrs Christine Hardwick, Mr David Taylor, Mr Graham Thatcher

C Revd Judy Henning, Revd Peter Norris, Revd David Williams, Mrs Jean Antcliffe, Miss Iona Hine, Mrs Pat Moore

D Revd Tom Bayliss, Revd Pat Hall, Revd Robert Macaulay, Revd David Netherwood, Miss Megan Bedford, Mr Gordon McCallum, Mr Philip Stanley, Mrs Lynne Upsdell

E Revd Peter Flint, Revd Michael Hill, Revd Michael Hopkins, Revd Julian Macro, Mr Colin Ferguson, Miss Jo Howard, Mr Peter Pay, Mr David Rooke

Synod X

A Revd Ronald Garner, Revd Naison Hove, Revd Maurene O’Hagan, Revd Rodney Woods, Mr Allan Down. Mrs Pauline Eyles

B Revd Peter Colwell, Revd Elizabeth Davies, Mrs C Jacobs

C Revd Bridget Powell, Revd Michael Shrubsole, Revd Erna Stevenson, Miss Elizabeth Boyes, Mr David Eldridge, Mrs Janet Reid

D Revd Meryl Court, Revd Allan Smith, Revd Neil Thorogood, Revd Jane Wade, Mr John Hornby, Mr Donald Vallance, Ms Suzie Wade

E Revd Hugh Graham, Revd John Macaulay, Revd Christine Willis, Dr Paul Ashitey, Miss Andin Fonyonga, Miss Fleur James, Mr R Willis

F Revd Samuel Cyuma, Revd John Danso, Revd John Edwards, Mrs Helen Clapp, Mr Noel Espuet, Mr Emmanuel Kpikpi

Synod XI

A Revd Dr Richard Goldring, Revd David Lewis, Revd Alexander Mabbs, Mrs Jeannette Chamberlain, Miss Avril Hiscock, Mr David Howell, Mr Romilly Micklem

B Revd John Bremner, Revd David Joseph, Revd Ranald Macdonald, Reven Susan White, Mr James Barbour, Miss Jill Campbell, Mr John Keddie, Mr Matthew Moreton

C Revd Robert Bushby, Revd Martyn Coe, Revd Andrew Prasad, Revd David Thomas, Mrs Marion Bayley, Miss Elizabeth Moss, Mr Peter Richardson, Mr Peter Sheehan

D Revd Edmund Boon, Revd Brenda Russell, Revd Richard Wells, Mr Richard Blackwell, Miss Helen Honess, Miss Pamela Tolhurst

E Revd Harold Lanham, Mr Jim Catherall, Mrs Anne Catherall, Mr Terry Cooke-Davies, Mr Kenneth Meekison, Miss Kristina Monkhouse

F Revd Michael Davies, Revd Howard John, Revd Charles Mather, Miss Rosalie Bungard, Mrs Sheila Charlesworth, Mr Chris Fosten

G Revd Kenneth Lynch, Revd Jean West, Mr Desmond Curry, Miss Clare Franklin, Mr John Gunning

Synod XII

A Revd Brian Acty, Revd Peter Nunn, Mrs Irene Clarkson, Mrs Maureen Jones, Mr Trevor Suddick

B Revd Nigel Douglas, Revd David Marshall-Jones, Revd Michael Smith, Mrs Margery Davies, Mrs Glenna Paynter

C Revd Dilys Brace, Revd Alison Davis, Mr Allen Powell, Mrs Janice Proctor, Mrs Jean Silvan Evans, Mrs Coral Smith

D Revd William Stanyon, Mr William Jones, Mr Jonathan Price

E Revd Dr Julie Hopkins, Revd Nannette Lewis-Head, Mr Willianm Copp, Mrs Cynthia Jones

F Revd Michael Cruchley, Revd Dilys Davies, Revd Charles Gaskell, Mr Alwyn Batley, Mrs Elizabeth Tadd

Synod XIII

A Revd Janet Adamson, Revd George Sykes, Mrs Doris Caldwell, Mr Terence Dobson

B Revd Ian Baillie, Mr Patrick Smyth

C Revd Alan Paterson, Mr D Hay, Miss Elizabeth King, Mr Ronald McKillop

D Revd Stephen Brown, Mr Brian Walker

E Revd Daniel Cheyne, Revd John Clark, Mr David Barr

F Revd Connie Bonner, Mr Clive Bonner

Reception of Visitors and Assembly Members from other Churches

Local Visitors were introduced by Revd Adrian Bulley, Moderator, Wessex Synod:

Southern Division of the Salvation Army Major	Ian Barr
Southampton District of The Methodist Church	Revd Thomas Stuckey
Representing the Bishop of Winchester	The Ven. Adrian Harbidge
Representing the Roman Catholic Bishop of Portsmouth	Canon Brian Scantlebury

Visitors and Assembly members from Churches in the United Kingdom and overseas were introduced by the Revd John Rees, Convener, Ecumenical Committee. Those present were received by the Moderator:

Church of England	The Right Revd David Hawtin
Church of Scotland	Mrs Christine Tait, Rt Revd Prof Ian Torrance, Revd Dr Iain Barclay
United Free Church of Scotland	Revd John McFie
Presbyterian Church in Ireland	Rt Revd Dr Russell Birney, Mrs Arline Birney, Revd Colin McClure
Presbyterian Church of Wales	Revd Neil Kirkham
Union of Welsh Independants	Revd Kevin Davies
The Methodist Church	Revd Martyn Skinner, Revd Peter Sulston
Congregational Federation	Mr Graham Adams
Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales	Mgr William Steele
International Ministerial Council of Great Britain	Mrs Agatha Baptiste
Churches Together in England	Revd John Bradley
Churches Together in Britain and Ireland	Dr David Goodbourn
Baptist Union of Great Britain	Revd Kathryn Morgan
Ecumenical Forum of European Christian Women	Mrs Ruth Clarke
Moravian Church	Revd Jan Mullin

The Rt Revd Prof Ian Torrence responded to the welcome on behalf of those from the Churches in the United Kingdom.

Congregational Christian Church in Samoa	Revd Henry Iputau, Mrs Maressa Iputau
Church of South India	Mrs Jasmine Jebakani
Council for World Mission	Revd Dr Des van der Water
Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Church/PCG	Revd Francis Amenu
Evangelical Church of the Pfalz	Revd Martin Henninger
Kiribati Protestant Church	Revd Bureieta Karaita
Mission Convent Church of Sweden	Revd Krister Andersson
National Evangelical Synod of Syria & Lebanon	Revd Ma’n Bitar, Mrs Bitar
Presbyterian Church in Taiwan	Revd Jen-Ho Chang, Mrs Chang
Presbyterian Church USA	Ms Sara Lisherness
Presbyterian Church in Myanmar	Revd Dr Lai Thuama
World Convention of the Churches of Christ	Mr Lindsay Jacobs
World Exchange Programme students	Mr Hylton Dunkley, Mr Hewitt Holmes, Mrs Lorna Letts, Mr Obren Thomas, Ms Khereen Wilson, Mrs Maria Cristina Borges

The Revd Lai Thiama responded to the welcome on behalf of the Overseas Visitors.

The Assembly adjourned.

Menu

Links

Minutes

Saturday First Session

5th July 2003

Constitution of Assembly

Induction of Moderator

Thanks to the Retiring Moderator

Roll of Assembly

Moderator

Clerk

General Secretary

Deputy General Secretary

Moderators of Synods

I

II

III

IV

V

VI

VII

VIII

IX

X

XI

XII

XIII

Conveners of General Assembly Standing Committees

Assembly Arrangements

Church & Society

Communications & Editorial

Doctrine, Prayer & Worship

Ecumenical

Equal Opportunities

Finance

Inter-Faith Relations

Life & Witness

Ministries

Nominations

Pastoral Reference

Racial Justice

Training

Youth & Children’s Work

Synod Clerks

I

II

III

IV

V

VI

VII

VIII

IX

X

XI

XII

XIII

Additional Synod Representatives

I

II

III

IV

V

VI

VII

VIII

IX

X

XI

XII

XII

Synod Treasurers

I

II

III

IV

V

VI

VII

VIII

Saturday
First Session