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Council of Assembly Briefing

From the meeting 28-30 March 2003, Wellington

The work of Council and its five policy groups is shaped by vision of healthy congregations. Each policy group that reports to Council contributes to relationships found in a healthy congregation.

Council is developing healthy relationships in its own activities and in this spirit met and worked through the work the Church has entrusted us. The following are the key reports from the meeting. If you'd like more information or to follow up on a report please contact Shirley Fergusson, convenor ferg@wave.co.nz, or Helen Bichan, deputy convenor hbichan@attglobal.net

Policy Group Reports

Equipping the Leadership - How can we best assist leaders for healthy congregations?

  • Guidelines for parishes and congregations considering forms of locally ordained ministry have been developed. These are available from the Mission Resource Co-directors.
  • The School of Ministry will run a pilot programme with Dunedin Presbytery and the East Taieri parish about locally ordained ministers. The programme will include: guidelines for assessment of candidates, papers through EIDTS, supervision, a reading programme, attending a 4 day ministry formation programme, a bicultural component and regular meetings with a mentor. The aim of the pilot is to help develop a national programme to train locally ordained ministers.
  • Safety and protection issues in children's and families ministry are a priority for every Presbytery and UDC. Equipping the Leadership is keen to see safety and protection issues part of Presbytery visits to parishes. A workshop on safety and protection developed by Mary Petersen, national co-ordinator for Ministry with Children and Families, will also be offered throughout New Zealand this year. More information on this is available from Mary Petersen.
  • Suggested minimum requirements for children and families ministry appointees to paid parish or presbytery positions have been developed. Information on the minimum requirements is available from Mary Petersen. (mjpetersen@xtra.co.nz, ph 07 864 8817)
  • Te Aka Puaho is working with the principal of the School of Ministry on alternatives for training Amorangi This includes assessing the Anglican Maori Theological College in Rotorua as a provider of foundation theological studies for Te Aka Puaho candidates for national ministry.
  • The General Assembly decision to train nationally ordained ministers locally has implications for the School of Ministry in Dunedin. A task group has been set up to look at how this might be accomplished and the impact on the ordination studies programme. The Wellington based task group, convened by Peter Winder, will examine the options and report back to the June meeting of Ethel.
  • In the longer term Equipping the Leadership will look at an appraisal system for ministers, lay leaders and congregations. Specialist resources are needed to develop this proposal further. Linked to this is the development of a competency (skills) framework to help the Church at all levels in the processes of appointment, assessment, training and appraisal. More information will be available when these two proposals are underway.
  • The Churches Christian Education Trust has supported training in Christian education through Massey University diploma courses. The future of these courses is in question and the Trust is reviewing its function to ensure that Christian Education papers can be available in future, possibly through the Ecumenical Institute for Distance Theological Studies (EIDTS).
  • Rev Susan Jones has been appointed co-convenor of Equipping the Leadership.

Administration and Finance - how can resources facilitate the development of healthy mission focussed congregations?

  • The single assessment to fund the work of General Assembly will be introduced in July 2004. The longer timeframe for introducing the levy will allow A&F to explore the options for how income is defined and the role of Presbyteries, with the wider church. A proposal for income definition will be brought to the Tutahi Tatou regional meetings in September 2003.
  • The budget to fund the work of General Assembly is a major focus for A&F at this time of the year. The Service Team and the Policy Group members have done an enormous amount of work to prepare the budget proposal. A deficit budget was proposed. After much discussion the Council asked for more information about funding options available, where cost under-runs might occur and for some further short term reductions in spending.

Overseas Mission and Partnerships - how do we rebuild our global mission relationships?

  • As part of a major initiative to develop mission awareness among congregations, the Global Mission Secretary, Andrew Bell, is running global mission events in Christchurch and Auckland in May. More information on 'Global Trek' and opportunities for exchanges for young people is available from Andrew: ph: 09 306-6445; fax: 09 306 6440 globalmission@presbyterian.org.nz
  • Priority relationships in the area of global mission are the Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu, the Council for World Mission and the Uniting Church of Australia which whom we share concerns in the Pacific.
  • The key challenge for the Andrew Bell and Ecumenical Relations Secretary, Chris Nichol, is to re-establish the global mission enterprise in congregations and Presbyteries and to rebuild many overseas connections. Significant progress is being made.

Resourcing for Mission - what will a healthy congregation look like in 10 years? In 50 years?

  • The group reported on their own process of reflection and the need to envision the church God is calling us to be in the third millennium - a church in diversity, in mission, a place of healing, with passionate leaders equipped to serve according to their gifts. They asked the Council to share a process of prayer and discernment and this is being programmed into the July meeting of Council.

Connecting with Society PG - how do healthy congregations relate to the society in which we live?

  • This Policy Group started work this year, having recently been appointed. They have identified the importance of developing in depth relationships to increase understanding of the society in which the church is living. Areas identified included government (mainly through the Churches Agency on Social Issues ); business and agriculture; music, arts and culture; the migrant community (in conjunction with Overseas Mission and Partnerships).

Regional Consultations

  • Three consultations about Strengthening Presbyteries have been held and the other two will happen before the end of April. .The emphasis in this work is on the best way of providing regional functions, particularly regional planning for mission and better management and sharing of resources.

Feed back so far shows that Presbyteries/UDCs and parishes are clearly aware of the situation facing all of us. Some creative initiatives have been reported including some regional functions being managed in a way that enables better sharing of resources, particularly of skilled people. Each group has received report back from its own meeting and findings will be collated for the July Council meeting. A paper will then be sent to all presbyteries/ UDCs for further discussion and response before Tutahi Tatou in September 2003

Tutahi Tatou - Invitation

  • Anyone with an interest in the Church's national direction is warmly invited to the Tutahi Tatou regional meetings that will take place throughout the country in September 03.

Tutahi Tatou - let us stand together - is a way for the Council of Assembly to share key thinking about direction for the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand. Most importantly it's a way for the Council and its policy groups to listen to what people in congregations and presbyteries are saying - face to face dialogue is a great opportunity for the Church to go forward together. The information that comes out of the sessions will feed directly into the policy directions that go to next year's General Assembly.

Like the 2001 event, the Tutahi Tatou one-day meetings will be held in centrally located regions throughout the country. Watch the August issue of sPanz and the Bush Telegraph newsletter for more information about the content, location and times of the Tutahi Tatou meetings.

Grace Presbyterian Church

  • Council approved continuing in dialogue with this new church about the use of the name Presbyterian. The Moderator and Assembly Executive Secretary will represent Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand. A letter about this issue has gone to all Session Clerks.
  • APW (Association of Presbyterian Women) had an order of the day. APW is unique in being the only NZ non governmental organisation (NGO) which is an accredited member of the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Other NZ NGOs which are involved are there as part of international organisations. Council heard of APW plans to restructure to make better use of their networks in contributing to the life of the whole Church and looks forward to hearing what develops at their conference in April.

Appointments

The Council approved the appointment of Paul Westbury to serve on the Book of Order and Judical Reference Group.