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Assembly Executive Secretary
<typohead type="2">Recommendations
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1.
(a) That there be provision for two forms of membership in the Presbyterian Church, members and associate members.
(b) That regulation 19 be amended to read:
Each congregation shall have a list of members, a list of associate members, and a register of all persons under pastoral care.
(c) That regulation 20 be amended to read:
The list of members consists of persons recognised by the Session/ Parish Council as:
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having been baptised; and
professing publicly their faith in Jesus Christ; and
expressing their intention to live their discipleship as part of the congregation.
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(d) That regulation 22 be amended to read:
The list of associate members consists of persons recognised by the Session or Parish Council as expressing their intention to be associated with the congregation.
(e) That regulation 30 be repealed.
(f) That all members and associate members of the congregation be entitled to a vote in congregational meetings.
(g) That members (not associate members of the congregation) be eligible to be elders or Parish Councillors [see regulation 53].
(h) That the Book of Order and Judicial Reference Group be authorised to make consequential drafting amendments to the Book of Order. [This will include, where ever it occurs in the Book of Order, the replacement of "adherents" with "associate members".]
2. That the constitution of the Pacific Islanders’ Synod set out in Appendix 1 to this report be adopted and incorporated in the Book of Order.
3. That pursuant to the Presbyterian Church Property Act 1930 the following be the Commission with Assembly powers to deal with such matters as may be submitted to it by the Church Property Trustees under Section 5 of the Amendment Act 1914 and to be the Commission under section 7 of the Presbyterian Church Property Amendment Act 1996 to consider applications under Part 1 of the Act:
The Rt Rev. Garry Marquand (Moderator of the General Assembly) the Very Rev Tom Corkill, Revs Robin Lane, Alan Shaw, Shirley Simmers, Harry Swadling, Messrs Bruce Corkill, Russell Feist, Robert Hopkirk, Ian Fraser, Colin McLeod, Peter Martyn, Mrs Margaret Inch, Assembly Executive Secretary, Associate: Secretary of the Church Property Trustees.
4. That the Reverend Roger Gillies be appointed a Trustee of the Iona College Council.
<typohead type="2">Synopsis
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Barrier Act matters
Records, visitations, study leave, authorised elders for Holy Communion and lay marriage celebrants
Report of Presbytery and Union District Council voting under Barrier Act
Moderator-Designate nominations
Commission of Assembly, Iona College Council.
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<typohead type="2">Report
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<typohead type="3">1. Overseas Commissions</typohead>
1.1 Commissions have been issued as requested by Presbyteries under regulation 386.
<typohead type="3">2. Records</typohead>
2.1 The records of Presbyteries and Assembly groups have been audited as required by regulation 381.
<typohead type="3">3. Some Statistics</typohead>
3.1 Returns from presbyteries show (figures will be reported at the Assembly):
(a) …congregations and non parish ministers have been visited by their respective presbyteries/UDCs since last Assembly.
(b) …ministers have taken study leave.
(c) …elders are currently authorised by presbyteries/UDCs to administer the Sacrament of Holy Communion.
(d) …presbyteries have authorised elders as in (c).
(e) …lay workers in specific appointments are marriage celebrants under the authority of presbyteries/UDCs.
<typohead type="3">4. The Barrier Act 1697</typohead>
4.1 The Barrier Act (1697) is an important part of the church’s constitution requiring significant legislative innovations to be referred to Presbyteries before they are adopted.
4.2 Regulation 377 states: "If a majority of Presbyteries have approved simpliciter of the overture transmitted, the General Assembly may pass the overture into a standing law of the Church."
4.3 In light of the approvals recommendations are brought to the Assembly.
<typohead type="3">5. Membership</typohead>
5.1 The 2002 General Assembly made decisions regarding membership and asked that they be referred under the Barrier Act. They are set out as Recommendation 1 in this report.
The voting was as follows:
Approve: Northland, North Shore, South Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Te Aka Puaho, Gisborne, Hawkes Bay, Wanganui, Manawatu, Wairarapa Union District Council, Wellington, Nelson/Marlborough, Westland Buller Union District Council, Christchurch, Ashburton, South Canterbury, Dunedin, Clutha, Southland (20)
Not Approve: Auckland, Taranaki, North Otago, Mataura, Central Otago (5)
5.2 These decisions came after work by a special committee appointed as a result of decisions made at the Extra Assembly in 1999, consultation with Sessions/Parish Councils, Presbyteries/Union District Councils and after further work by the Resourcing for Mission Policy Group.
5.3 The changes aimed to address two needs:
(a) The need for flexibility at the level of the local congregation.
(b) The need for connectedness beyond the local congregation.
5.4 The change in respect of associate membership aims to give people opportunities to mark points in the journey of belonging in the Church. The change in respect of membership recognises that people want to mark God’s claim on their life by being baptised or publicly professing their faith, and at this point they become a member. The change to transfer of membership removes the automatic right to member status. The proposed regulation is that only members should be eligible to be elders or parish councillors.
<typohead type="3">6. Pacific Islanders’ Synod</typohead>
6.1 The constitution of the Synod was sent to Presbyteries and Union District Councils.
The voting was:
Approve: Northland Uniting Church Council, North Shore, Auckland, South Auckland, Waikato, Te Aka Puaho, Gisborne, Hawkes Bay, Taranaki, Wanganui, Manawatu, Wairarapa Union District Council, Wellington, Nelson/Marlborough, Westland Buller Union District Council, Christchurch, Ashburton, South Canterbury, North Otago, Dunedin, Clutha, Mataura, Southland, Central Otago (24)
Bay of Plenty indicated they did not wish to vote.
6.2 The constitution to be incorporated in the Book of Order is Appendix 1.
<typohead type="3">7. Nominations for Moderator-Designate</typohead>
7.1 The nominations received for Moderator-Designate of the General Assembly are set out below. These will be considered by the Nominating Committee which will report to the Assembly with a recommendation.
The Rev Pamela Tankersley
Nominated by five Presbyteries/UDCs and 60 Sessions/Parish Councils.The Rev Peter Cheyne
Nominated by one Presbytery and 43 Sessions/Parish CouncilsThe Rev Mark Chapman
Nominated by four Presbyteries/UDCs and 33 Sessions/Parish CouncilsThe Rev Viv Coleman
Nominated by three Presbyteries/UDCs and 23 Sessions/Parish CouncilsThe Rev Reg Weeks
Nominated by two Presbyteries and 21 Sessions/Parish CouncilsMrs Mary Petersen
Nominated by one Presbytery and 16 Sessions/Parish CouncilsMrs Jane Prichard
Nominated by one Presbytery and 15 Sessions/Parish CouncilsThe Rev Geoffrey Skilton
Nominated by one UDC and 12 Sessions/Parish CouncilsThe Rev Graeme Munro
Nominated by one Presbytery and four Sessions/Parish Councils
One nominee withdrew. Of the 440 parishes and 25 Presbyteries/UDCs, 236 Sessions/Parish Councils and 19 Presbyteries/UDCs made nominations.
<typohead type="3">8. Commission of Assembly</typohead>
8.1 The Commission of Assembly acts in place of the Assembly to approve property and financial transactions involving Presbyteries or church-related institutions which if they involved parishes would require the approval of a Presbytery.
8.2 It also acts under Part 1 of the Presbyterian Church Property Amendment Act 1996 whereby trustees may apply for the conditions of Church trusts to be varied where their original conditions have become obsolete or unworkable.
<typohead type="3">9. Iona College – Appointment of Trustees</typohead>
9.1 The Iona College Constitution provides:
"2. Its property shall be vested in three trustees on behalf of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand
1. It shall be governed by a Council consisting of:
(a) the three trustees of the property, and as they cease, individually or collectively, to act by successors appointed by the Assembly …"
9.2 The Council constitution provides that there will also be three clergy representatives appointed by the Assembly. There are nine other Council members appointed by other means. The only clergy representative is the Rev. R.A Foster. The Trustees recommend the addition of the Rev. Roger Gillies, minister of St Columba, Havelock North.
<typohead type="3">10. Service</typohead>
10.1 I’ve been Assembly Executive Secretary for eight years. The role has changed. Compliance requirements, the Employment Relations Act, the instituting of professional indemnity insurance in October 1996, Human Rights legislation and more general legal developments (we await the outcome of submissions on the Charities Bill) have generated the need for more systems, reporting and specialist advice. Extra work has been absorbed into my role, and at a cost. Council decided to provide extra resources.
10.2 The Church has a robust, established process for dealing with complaints. From the time of the last Assembly to mid-July 2004 we received notice of 36 complaints or potential complaints. Complaints dealt with by presbyteries included sexual assault on a child under 12, inappropriate touching of children, breach of confidentiality, want of process, breach of privacy and inappropriate pastoral methods.
10.3 The 2002 Assembly gave more national responsibility for managing Sexual Misconduct processes. One formal complaint of sexual misconduct has been processed. The legal expenses alone for that complaint are around $50,000.
10.4 As employees of the General Assembly we experience the wider Church’s appreciation of our help in particular situations, and frequently voiced resentment at having to pay for it in the general. The connection is not always made between the service received, the infrastructure which supports it and the funding that is needed.
10.5 Grace is ever present and discernible. The Church is resilient. There are congregations which are thriving and ministry which is profoundly loving. It is a privilege to serve here.
Kerry Enright
Assembly Executive Secretary