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Frequently asked questions
When and where is the next Assembly?
Venue: St Kentigern’s College, Pakuranga Road , Pakuranga
Date: Thursday, 2 October to Monday, 6 October 2008
The duration of the Assembly gathering will be four days instead of the usual five and is being held over a weekend instead of during the week as has been the case historically.
These changes are among those proposed by the task group that was asked to review the General Assembly meeting to see how future Assembly gatherings could be more effective. Other changes are being considered as part of the review, and Assembly will consider any policy and regulation changes that may result.
What is General Assembly?
General Assembly is the top governing body of the Church and it meets every two years.
The Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand has a hierarchy of governing bodies - session or parish council (local congregations), presbytery (regional) and General Assembly (national). All parishes are entitled to send commissioners to each biennial Assembly meeting. The commissioners discuss and vote on the recommendations and proposals brought to Assembly. This participatory style of decision making is a feature of the Presbyterian Church and runs right from the local to national level.
The main functions of General Assembly are:
- Legislative - making the regulations that give order to the life of the Church
- Administrative - exercising general oversight of the Church. Assembly is the major policy-making body of the Church. In an ongoing way it establishes the basic beliefs, overall strategies and direction for the whole Church
- Judicial - deciding appeals and complaints. In recent years the Assembly has delegated its judicial function to Judicial Commissions. Reports from Commissions may be lodged with Assembly, but Assembly does not debate them.
There is also a Council of Assembly that meets in between General Assembly gatherings and implements Assembly decisions.
Who goes to the General Assembly meeting?
All parishes are entitled to send people (commissioners) to Assembly. Persons from all parts of church life including ministers, elders, lay leaders, youth leaders and children attend the gathering.
Commissioners discuss and vote on the recommendations and proposals brought to Assembly.
How do I register to attend General Assembly?
Invitations, including instructions about how to register to attend General Assembly 2008, will be sent to parishes in mid-2008.
Instructions for arranging travel to and from General Assembly will be advised when registration begins. It is important to arrive well prior to the meeting and plan to leave some time after the meeting finishes.
When will Assembly papers be issued?
Commissioners, associates and observers at General Assembly 2008 will be posted papers four to six weeks prior to the meeting.
The format and means of disseminating papers may be different to previous years, and we will let you know more about this in 2008.
Who is the current Moderator designate?
The Rev Pamela Tankersley is the current Moderator-designate, and was installed as General Assembly Moderator at the September 2006 meeting. Moderator appointments are for two-years, so Pamela will be in the role until September 2008.
Is there any other basic information about Assembly available?
There's a Beginners' Guide to Assembly from an issue of sPanz