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Appendix E-20: Responsibilities and Accountabilities

(As amended 2002)

Introduction

The structure of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand comprises a hierarchy of courts:

  • Session or Parish Council at the local level
  • Presbytery or Union District Council at the regional level
    (Te Aka Puaho is a national synod; the Synod of Otago and Southland has a specified regional role)
  • General Assembly at the national level

The General Assembly has legislative, administrative, and judicial functions. This statement is about the responsibilities and accountabilities relating to the administrative functions of the General Assembly. (see also Regulation 381)

The General Assembly

1) The General Assembly is the highest court of the Church in all matters including policy and operations.
2) The General Assembly establishes and reviews the overall policies of the Church.
3) The General Assembly may establish bodies and groups to which it may delegate functions, or it may delegate functions to individuals.
4) Each body and group must order its life to carry out the functions stated by the Assembly.
5) The Assembly delegates functions to the following bodies and groups as stated below.

Council of Assembly

The responsibility of the Council in partnership with Te Aka Puaho is:

1) Within the direction set by the General Assembly to develop policy and strategy for the Church, to make recommendations regarding policy to the General Assembly, and to report to the Assembly on policy development and operations.

2) To review, form, reform, and discharge groups to carry out Assembly functions and to delegate functions to appropriate groups, persons, or bodies.

3) To act as a Commission of Assembly in appointing the Assembly Executive Secretary where appointment by General Assembly is not possible without the calling of an emergency meeting.

4) To oversee and direct the Assembly Executive Secretary in managing the Service Team comprising all employees of the General Assembly, and in relation to the Assembly Executive Secretary, to act as a Commission of Assembly to concur in the acceptance of a call or resignation, or to terminate the appointment.

5) To receive nominations from the Nominating Committee and make appointments to the Council, Policy Groups, Reference Groups, Work Groups and other bodies

6) To allocate funds raised for the work of the Assembly.

7) To adopt the accounts of the General Assembly, report these to the General Assembly, and appoint an auditor.

8) To nominate Co-conveners of the Nominating Committee to the General Assembly.

9) To initiate Pre-Assembly Commissions under Regulation 368.

10) To act as a Commission of Assembly to extend tenure under regulation 194 (3).

11) To summon a Special Assembly to determine petitions, memorials, references, appeals and complaints, after consultation with the Book of Order and Judicial Reference Group as provided for in Regulation 375 (b).

12) To refer any appeal, complaint, reference, petition or memorial to the Assembly Judicial Commission, after taking advice from the Book of Order and Judicial Reference Group, and to appoint the Commission, for the purposes of any such proceeding:

a) Not less than three and not more than five members from the panel of Assembly Judicial Commission members.
b Up to two other members of the church, those persons being particularly suited for appointment having regard to the subject matter of the proceeding.
c) An advisor as to procedure, being a member of the Book of Order and Judicial Reference Group or its nominee.

13) To do anything else which the Assembly may direct.

Membership

The Council of Assembly consists of:

  • A convener nominated by the Nominating Committee
  • A deputy convener nominated by the Nominating Committee to complement the skills of the convener and, if the convener is not proximate to Wellington, to provide close liaison with the Assembly Executive Secretary
  • 12 members appointed from Presbyteries/Union District Councils nominated by the Nominating Committee
  • A convener of each Policy Group
  • Two nominees of Te Aka Puaho
  • Pacific Islands representative
  • The Moderator of the General Assembly
  • The Immediate Past Moderator for the year following their term
  • The Moderator-Designate for the year preceding their term.
  • The Moderator of Te Aka Puaho

The Council may associate other persons. The Assembly Executive Secretary, and the Convener of the Church Property Trustees or nominee, shall be associates of the Council.

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Policy

Policy Groups

The Council of Assembly has policy functions within the framework set by the General Assembly including responsibility for coordination of policy development and implementation in association with Policy Groups.

The Policy Groups work:

  • In partnership with Te Aka Puaho;
  • In consultation with ethnic communities of the Church, Presbyteries/Union District Councils, Sessions/Parish Councils, the Forum of Cooperative Ventures, cooperative ventures, congregations and other bodies or persons;
  • In consultation with the Service Team and operational groups.
    to:

a) Develop policy for the whole church in areas stated by the Council of Assembly;
b) Evaluate the implementation of policy and policy outcomes;
c) Assess the state of the Church including trend analysis and data collection;
d) Assist in establishing goals for the Service Team, budget priorities, and positions;
e) Report to the Council of Assembly and General Assembly.

The present Policy Groups are Resourcing for Mission, Equipping the Leadership, Administration and Finance, Connecting with Society, and Overseas Mission and Partnerships.

Resourcing for Mission
Review and Develop policy on:

  • Outreach and Growth strategies;
  • Church Unity including relationships with other churches and negotiating partners;
  • Integration of Pacific Islanders and Presbyterian Church mission strategies;
  • Nature and resourcing of specialist ministries;
  • Asian ministries in New Zealand;
  • Relationships with ‘Presbyterian’ church schools;
  • Facilitating congregational capabilities in doctrine and theology.

Groups relating to Resourcing for Mission: Asian Ministries Work Group, Doctrine Reference Group, Pacific Islanders Task Group.

Equipping the Leadership
Within the mission priorities of the Presbyterian Church, and as required by the General Assembly and the Council of Assembly, the functions of the Equipping the Leadership Policy Group are to review and develop policy on:

  • Training and theological education of ordained and lay leadership in Presbyterian Church including recruitment standards;
  • Continuing ministry formation;
  • Relationships with other teaching institutions;
  • Ministry of word and sacrament.

Groups relating to Equipping the Leadership: National Assessment Work Group, Beneficiary Fund Work Group.

Administration and Finance
Review and develop policy on:

  • Administration including Laughton House, Human Resources, risk management and compliance;
  • Financial management and resourcing of work of Presbyterian Church, including raising finance for church’s work and requests for appealing to members for money;
  • Overview of Investment and Church property policies in relation to Assembly Funds;
  • Strategic communication issues and strategies;
  • Archives and historical records including future policy regarding collection, collation and storage.

Groups relating to Administration and Finance: Assembly Business Work Group, Book of Order and Judicial Reference Group, Church Architecture Reference Group,  Moderator’s Arrangements Task Group.

Overseas Mission and Partnerships
Review and develop policy on:

  • Strengthening world wide mission of the Presbyterian Church;
  • Overseas partners, mission as joining of evangelism, ministry to human needs, social justice;
  • Assessing the state of the partner churches including trend analysis and data collection;
  • Facilitating congregational capabilities in partnerships;
  • Ascertaining the mind of partner churches on the above matters and develop policy in collaboration with those partners.

Churches Agency on Social Issues
On social, economic, ecological and political matters within Aotearoa New Zealand, and recognising the centrality of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in its work, the Churches Agency on Social Issues seeks to:

1) Resource and encourage our member churches at national, regional, local and individual levels to discuss, act, and speak on public issues of interest and concern;

2) Advocate on such issues from our Christian perspective as promptly, clearly, publicly, and effectively as possible; and

3) Be agents in all that we do for peace, justice and the integrity of creation, in accordance with the transforming love of God.

Membership

Policy Groups consist of members nominated by the Nominating Committee and appointed by the General Assembly or Council of Assembly. The Moderator shall be a member of each Policy Group, and the Assembly Executive Secretary an associate. Policy Groups may associate other persons including members of the Service Team who shall provide policy advice to the Groups.

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Other Groups

Reference Groups

Reference Groups provide assistance and advice to the whole church, and identify and refer matters of policy to the Policy Group to which they relate. The present Reference Groups are Book of Order and Judicial, Church Architecture, Historical Records, and Doctrine.

Book of Order and Judicial

1) To undertake at intervals revisions of the Book of Order and the printing and publishing of new editions.

2) To prepare such legislation as the Assembly may request.

3) To examine and report to the Assembly, if so directed, on replies to overtures which contain legislative proposals.

4) To assist committees, groups, and individuals in the preparation of legislation to be submitted to the Assembly.

5) To submit ‘tidy-up’ proposals when new legislation is found to affect other regulations in the Book of Order.

6) To advise courts in the exercise of their judicial functions and to answer matters of practice and procedure.

7) To appoint, whether from within its members or otherwise, from time to time in its discretion, such persons to be Regional Advisors, on matters concerning the Book of Order, as it sees fit.

NOTE: This Reference Group endeavours to avoid dealing with matters of policy. Its function is to draft, upon request, the regulations needed if a change in policy is being considered or, in the event of a change being agreed to, to draft the enabling regulations.

Church Architecture

To consist of four regional committees (Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin), to which plans of churches, halls and manses may be sent for helpful comment.

Doctrine

1) To give guidance on theological and doctrinal matters, particularly when required to do so by the church.

2) The General Assembly may remit to the Group various documents and questions of a doctrinal nature for scrutiny and consideration as to their theological content.

Likewise, the Group may be approached by other committees, bodies, or groups of the church, by presbyteries and by individuals who seek clarification, comment, and report on some theological issue.

Work Groups

Work Groups have ongoing operational tasks. The present Work Groups are Assembly Business, Beneficiary Fund, National Assessment and Pacific Islanders Synod Liaison Group.

Business Work Group

1) To see that the documents of Assembly are presented to Assembly in a proper and appropriate form.

2) To arrange the order of business so that all working documents are adequately considered, reports of Assembly Groups having priority.

3) To receive and consider all reports, requests for special presentations of people and/or information.

4) To approve any leaflets, circulars, pamphlets or other papers, except those published by an Assembly Group, before the same are made available or distributed to Commissioners of the Assembly; to refer any request for such approval to the General Assembly if the Work Group considers such a course to be appropriate.

5) To inform commissioners and groups of procedures and processes of the Assembly, and make the necessary arrangements.

6) To prepare, prior to the Assembly, in consultation with the Book of Order and Judicial Reference Group, the Standing Orders of the Assembly.

7) To determine associate membership of the Assembly.

Beneficiary Fund

To administer the Beneficiary Fund Regulations. (see also Appendix E-23)

National Assessment Work Group

1) To assess candidates presented to the School of Ministry by Presbyteries and Te Aka Puaho as to their suitability and readiness for education for ministry at the School of Ministry or at any other similar institution as approved and directed by the Equipping the Leadership Policy Group.

2) To carry out the regulations of the Church regarding the assessment and acceptance of candidates for the ordained ministry as outlined in the Student Regulations.

3) To have regard for the form of ministry for which the training is offered. This is a generalist ordained ministry of Word and Sacrament which works together with the whole people of God. The major sphere of this ordained ministry is parish ministry but the training contains the potential for developing a range of specialist functions and skills as required by the Church to carry out God's mission in Aotearoa and the world.

4) To maintain an adequate liaison between itself and presbyteries, Te Aka Puaho, the School of Ministry, and the Equipping the Leadership Policy Group.

5) To monitor generally the progress of candidates through their course and to act as arbiter between the parties concerned in the event that there is a disagreement between the presbytery and the School of Ministry concerning the termination of a candidate’s course at any stage of training.

Pacific Islanders' Synod Liaison Group

1) To facilitate good communication between the Pacific Islanders’ Synod and other groups or courts within the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand in accordance with the partnership established under the constitution of the Pacific Islanders’ Synod.

2) To act in a mediating role and, where appropriate, to arbitrate when differences of understanding or interpretation arise in the relationship between the Pacific Islanders’ Synod and other groups or courts within the Presbyterian Church.

3) To take any actions that might enhance, promote and increase understanding of the role and functions of the Pacific Islanders Synod within the Presbyterian Church.

Membership

Reference and Work Groups consist of members nominated by the Nominating Committee and appointed by the General Assembly or Council of Assembly. The Moderator shall be a member and the Assembly Executive Secretary an associate of each Reference and Work Group.

Task Groups

Task Groups have short-term tasks. Members are appointed by the body to which they report. The Nominating Committee may be involved in their selection.

Other Bodies

Judicial Commission

To consider any appeal, complaint, reference, petition or memorial which might be referred to it by the Council of Assembly, with the following terms of reference:

1) To identify and cite all relevant parties;

2) To invite all such parties to appear and be heard;

3) To otherwise determine its procedure as it thinks fit;

4) To determine the outcome of the proceeding and to instruct the parties accordingly;

5) To lodge a copy of its report and findings and all documents in the case with the Council of Assembly, pending the lodging of those documents with the next General Assembly.

Nominating Committee

(see also Regulation 367)

1) To nominate for appointment by the General Assembly, or Council of Assembly acting on behalf of the General Assembly when necessary, members of the Council of Assembly, Policy Groups, Reference Groups, Work Groups and such other bodies as are requested by the General Assembly or Council of Assembly. In doing so the Committee shall have due regard for the required skills and competencies, cultural gifts, and gender, age, geographical, and lay/clergy balance.

2) To facilitate the nomination of a Moderator-Designate for the General Assembly.

3) To receive and determine applications for leave of absence from Commissioners during Assembly and determine any adjustment of travel expenses.

4) To nominate Records Auditors for appointment by the Assembly to examine those records listed in Regulation 381.

Church Property Trustees

The Church Property Trustees are constituted under the Presbyterian Church Property Act 1885 and amendments.

Under the Act, the Trustees are the legal entity in which the property of congregations is vested and which holds and invests church trust funds, including the Beneficiary Fund. In the provinces of Otago and Southland parish property is vested in the Otago Foundation Trust Board.

The Council of Knox College and Salmond Hall

1) To have full power to appoint and remove all officers of Knox College and of Salmond Hall other than those appointed by the Assembly, and to determine from time to time the fees to be charged in both residence and tuition – it always being understood that the charges made are to be kept as moderate as possible, any profit accruing to be used for the further development of the College and Salmond Hall.

2) To have full power to make rules for conducting its own business and the discipline and management of Knox College and Salmond Hall. (see also Constitution of Knox College and Salmond Hall – Book of Order)

3) To accept control of Hewitson Wing (formerly the Theological Hall Building) and Hewitson Library and to be responsible for their maintenance.

Te Komiti Takawaenga o te Haahi (Treaty Partnership Committee)

1) To be the meeting place of the Treaty of Waitangi partners.

2) To facilitate good communication between the Treaty partners within the church.

3) To develop policy for and promote education within the church to further the Treaty Partnership commitments expressed by General Assemblies.

4) To observe the life and processes of the courts of the church and Assembly Groups in the light of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and advise those courts and Groups.

5) To recommend to the Council of Assembly and the General Assembly the appropriate use of the resources of the church in the light of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

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Assembly Employees

The Service Team

The Council of Assembly and Assembly Executive Secretary

1) The Council of Assembly is accountable to the General Assembly for the performance of the Assembly Executive Secretary.

2) The Council of Assembly has power to delegate to the Assembly Executive Secretary the functions set out in the AES position description including the power to sub-delegate. In relation to the Service Team, the functions for which the AES is accountable include performance of the Service Team leaders, leadership of the Service Team, matters of employment, ensuring there is good communication between the Policy Groups of the Council and the Service Team and policy advice is provided by the Service Team.

3) The Service Team comprises all employees of or on behalf of the General Assembly, as distinct from those employed by Presbyteries, Sessions and Parish Councils, or other church bodies.

Service Team Positions

1) Certain appointments will be made by the Council acting on behalf of the General Assembly according to the appointment process set out below. These are:

  • The Directors of the Mission Resource Team;
  • The Principal and Teachers at the School of Ministry
  • The Manager of Communication;
  • The Global Mission Secretary.

2) Other positions will be identified and established by the Assembly Executive Secretary or Service Team Leader with advice from the relevant Policy Group. Appointments to these positions shall be made by the Assembly Executive Secretary or by such person as the AES designates in consultation as appropriate with the relevant Policy Group Convener according to the appointment process set out below.

3) Joint appointments with other churches are made as agreed on each occasion between the Council of Assembly and the partner church, applying as far as possible, the principles and processes set out in this appendix.

Employment Policies

The Council of Assembly shall develop employment policies which take account of good employment practice and legislation. These policies will be published and be made available to all employees and applicants, and any other person or group which seeks them.

Appointments

In making appointments the following principles shall apply:

1) Within the framework outlined above, the Council, Assembly Executive Secretary, or Service Team Leader will establish and disestablish such positions as enable them to implement the decisions of the General Assembly.

2) A timetable and process for making an appointment will specify among other things, which body or person (Council of Assembly, Service Team Leader, or Assembly Executive Secretary) is making the appointment and who will comprise the selection panel. The Council will approve the timetable and process for those to be appointed by the Council and for Service Team Leaders, and the Assembly Executive Secretary will approve these for other employees.

3) Every position shall be described specifying among other things the results to be achieved and the competencies needed to achieve the results.

4) The employment agreement shall be approved:

  • In relation to the Assembly Executive Secretary and those to be appointed by the Council of Assembly by the Council of Assembly; and
  • In relation to other employees within the policy set by the Administration and Finance Policy Group by the Assembly Executive Secretary in consultation with the relevant Policy Group conveners.

5) In respect of appointments by the General Assembly, Commission of Assembly, or Council of Assembly, Presbyteries and Union District Councils shall be consulted as soon as possible regarding the proposed position description, length of appointment, and appointment process, and invited to approach and/or suggest potential applicants and/or nominate persons.

6) Positions may be advertised and potential applicants may be approached directly.

7) Selection panels may be used comprising those persons able to assess applications in relation to the skills, attributes, and competencies set out in the position description. In respect of appointments by the Council of Assembly, the panel shall include a convener and/or member of the relevant Policy Group.

8) All applications and nominations shall be considered. The selection panel shall interview short-listed applicants and nominees, and undertake such other assessment as it sees fit. If no suitable candidate presents, no recommendation need be made.

9) Each employee shall be party to a written employment agreement.

10) To meet an immediate short-term employment need the above process may be shortened or varied with the agreement of the Assembly Executive Secretary.

Length of Appointment

Positions shall have open terms unless the appointing body identifies an operational need which requires a fixed term.

Performance Reviews

1) The performance of employees shall be regularly reviewed by the person or persons to whom they report.

2) For Service Team Leaders, the performance review will be conducted by the Assembly Executive Secretary and the Convener and/or a member of a relevant Policy Group or Reference Group.

3) Appropriate training will be provided to all parties involved in performance reviews.

Position Review

The need for and shape of positions shall be regularly reviewed by the Council of Assembly or Assembly Executive Secretary as appropriate to enable the Council to implement the decisions of the General Assembly. Positions may be disestablished as a result of such reviews, any terms of redundancy being stipulated in the employment agreement for the position.

Resignations

Resignations will be submitted to the person to whom the employee reports who may accept on behalf of the General Assembly.

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