Overture 1

<typohead type="2">Assembly Assessment</typohead>

At Mairangi and Castor Bays Parish, on 25 May 2004 the Presbytery of North Shore met and was constituted.

<typohead type="4">Among other things:</typohead>

The Presbytery agreed to adopt and transmit the following overture to the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand appointed to meet in on 19 – 24 September 2004.

Whereas a recent Judicial Commission reminded the church that General Assemblies be very deliberate in making sure that the whole Church has previous knowledge of and opportunity to express its opinion on the passing of any major changes to binding rules and constitutions of the church and

And Whereas the same Judicial Commission reminded the church that details of such changes should be remitted to several presbyteries for opinion and consent, and that such opinion and consent be reported to a subsequent Assembly by the presbytery´s commissioners for a decision on enactment and

And Whereas the "single assessment" proposed for implementation from 1 July 2004 is a significant alteration or innovation and a major change to the government of the Presbyterian Church and

And Whereas the proposed implementation of the single assessment contradicts the requirements of Book of Order Regulation 118 (a) and until this time no change to this regulation has been before the church for opinion and consent and

And Whereas the 2002 General assembly resolved that the single assessment levy be effective from 1 July 2003, subject to the responses received from presbyteries/UDCs and sessions/parish councils and

And Whereas such limited consultation as has taken place has been inadequate and largely restricted to definitions of income and whereas many responses on other important and fundamental related issues appear to remain unheard and

And Whereas the scheme finally implemented reveals provisions hitherto not notified, either immediately before or after the 2002 Assembly, which provisions themselves are a major innovative change to the governance of parishes by presbyteries and

And Whereas such changes have not been put to the same presbyteries for their consideration and agreement nor are they enshrined in any of the Church´s existing regulations.

<typohead type="4">It is hereby overtured that:</typohead>

The Single Assessment, renamed Assembly Assessment, as implemented from 1 July 2004, be amended by removing any provision requiring Presbyteries to redistribute parish short payments to other parishes.

That the Assembly Assessment be restricted to a two year trial basis and that the matter of its continuance after June 2006 be sent down to all Presbyteries/UDC´s, Sessions/Parish Councils under regulations 157 and 380 for discussion and reporting back to the 2006 General Assembly for decision.

That in considering any continuance of this Assembly Assessment as implemented, the 2006 General Assembly should take careful note of the responses from the above mentioned inferior courts of the Church.

That this Assembly direct the Council of Assembly to adopt a balanced budget for the 2005/6 financial year and to ensure that the assembly assessment for that year reflects the budgeted expenditure.

That Regulation 387 be altered by deleting the words "and are mandatory" and in their place substituting the words "and shall be paid according to the congregation´s ability."

</typolist>

Or that the General Assembly determine otherwise as in its wisdom it shall consider best.

The Presbytery appointed Rev Wilson Orange and one other to support the overture before the Assembly.

Extracted from the records of the Presbytery by

Rev Wilson Orange
Acting Presbytery Clerk