These are exciting times for our Church! It may not always seem like that, yet there are so many opportunities, so many fields waiting to be harvested and so many people with gifts to be used in the Service of Christ. Of course if we spend our time worrying about the problems, we may never see the opportunities. If we spend so much time trying to measure our success and failure, we will never get the real task done, but the fields are white and the workers are available, we need to get on with the harvesting.

Like other Committees of the Church, the Committee on Ministry and Home Affairs has been spending time looking at new challenges and a new vision for the future. Our Committee has not been short of comments and suggestions from various places and that is good because it indicates that people are thinking about ways in which the Church can move forward. Even if we do not accept all the proposals and ideas put forward we are delighted to receive them for when people have no suggestions or schemes, it shows either defeatism or apathy.

Again this year the Committee's focus has been on Ministry and our thoughts have been stimulated by discussions going on elsewhere in the church and not least by the Training Development Officer's work on Ministry for the new Millennium. Some time has been spent on considering the situation of ministers in their first charge as well as on in service training and working out some of the practicalities of the new Assistant Pastor/ Assistant Minister position.

The Committee is aware that the questions our church is discussing are similar to issues being faced by other denominations and that consultation and co-operation with others will be essential as we seek to find the way ahead.

STUDENTS

There are at present only two students recognised by the Committee and both are in the final year of study required by the Committee. Mrs. Margery Collin is in the final year of a B.D. at Edinburgh University and Mr. Derry Meredith is studying for a B. D. at St. Andrews University. The Committee is delighted Mr. Meredith will be continuing at St. Andrews for another year in order to sit an Honours Degree.

Since last General Assembly no further students have been recognised by the Committee and it is a matter for regret that there have been few applications of late. It is difficult to know if the situation with student finance has had an effect on the number of applications, but it is encouraging to note there have been a few enquiries in recent weeks.

PROBATIONERS

It is always a special moment for members of the Committee when Probationers are Called to their first charge. It was therefore good to know Rev. Ralph Dunn was Ordained and Inducted to Glasgow: Millerston in December 1999. Rev. lan Boa has undertaken a year's study at Princeton Theological Seminary in the United States and will be eligible for a call when he returns later in the year. Although Rev. Craig Wilson has not yet received a call, he has been working with the congregation at Westray for a few months. Mr. Wilson's ministry there has been greatly appreciated by the congregation.

STUDENT FINANCE

The Committee submitted evidence to the Cubie inquiry into student finance, expressing the view that student debt and the ending of maintenance grants were as big a problem to students as Tuition Fees. The point was also made that many students for the ministry were mature, often supporting families and that some people might feel unable to take up full time studying on financial grounds. The prospect of paying back student loans and furnishing a large Manse on a fairly low income would be very daunting to prospective students. The Committee believes the Scottish Executive's response to the Cubie Report is to be welcomed but regret the original threshold for the payment of the graduate endowment was not kept at the level proposed by Cubie.

CONFERENCES AND ATTACHMENTS

The Committee is grateful to those who have assisted with the denomination's input into the preparation of our students for ministry. Appreciation needs to be recorded to the Ministers and Kirk Sessions of the congregations where students have been attached. Mr. Derry Meredith has been attached to our Dundee Congregation and Mrs. Margery Collin to Bo'ness: Craigmailen. The Committee also thanks those who have spoken at the Autumn Course and Rev. Ronnie Miller who was the speaker at the spring retreat.

ASSISTANT MINISTERS AND PASTORS

This has been a busy year in putting the proposals agreed at last year's General Assembly into practice. Several applications have been received by people wishing to serve the Church as Assistant Pastors and the Committee appointed a small group to conduct interviews and to hear applicants preach before making a recommendation to the Committee. There has also been a response from a number of Congregations for whom the prospect of part time ministry has helped them to see the way forward. To date four appointments have been made:

Mr. George Banks Edinburgh: Corstorphine

Mrs. Gladys Robertson Gorebridge

Rev. Colin McAulay West Calder: Limefield

Rev Jim Gregory Auchterarder

The Committee is grateful to the Principal Clerks for preparing an outline Service of Appointment to be used by Presbyteries when Assistant Pastors and Ministers begin their ministry. Thanks are also due the Church Solicitor for his assistance in preparing a contract for all Assistant Pastors and Assistant Ministers. A number of issues are still to be resolved including some matters relating to the Manse allowance and the question of In Service training for those in Assistant Pastorates, however the Committee is pleased this new form of ministry is already bringing benefits to some smaller congregations.

PROBATIONERS AND NEW MINISTERS

For some time the Committee has been concerned about the lack of any Probationary or Introductory period for new Ministers. The term 'Probationer' is still used in the United Free Church but it generally only applies to the period between Licensing and Ordination, which in some cases is very short and which is not, in any meaningful sense, a Probationary Period. After Ordination and Induction there is no real help or support for the new Minister and they simply have to 'sink or swim'. The Committee propose to remedy this situation with proposals for an Introductory Period which could be introduced with immediate effect.

It is proposed that when a Minister is Ordained and Inducted to his/her first charge, the Committee will appoint an experienced colleague to provide guidance and support. This person would not act as an Interim Moderator or do any of the Minister's duties but would be an advisor to help the new minister deal with some of the problems and issues that no programme of study or training can easily deal with. It is clear that many ministers find it difficult to settle into their new role and some find themselves having to cope with situations, they feel unprepared for. It is to be hoped that this suggestion will help to ease that burden for all future Ministers.

The second proposal is to provide a programme of In Service training to deal with aspects of Ministry not covered by the University Degree. Some of these are looked at in a very small way at the Students' Autumn Course but which can be considered in more detail during this Introductory Period. Some of this programme would be available to Assistant Pastors and might from time to time be available to all full time Ministers and Pastors. A small group is already working on topics that could be covered in the programme.

In most cases the Introductory Period would last for one year but if either the Minister or the Committee felt it would be useful to continue the arrangement it could be extended.

There will of course be implications for the student's Autumn Course. In recent years it has become increasingly difficult to arrange this due to the variety of dates on which the Universities commence their classes. This year in any case there is no requirement for such a Course.

PASTORS

Each year all the Pastors and their Interim Moderators submit a report on their work and it is clear that all three have been working very hard and have a deep pastoral concern and love for their people.

Mr. Ron Campbell has been in a particularly difficult situation. It has been clear for sometime that the financial situation at Canonbie meant the present appointment could not continue to be funded. The Committee has worked very hard to find another position for Mr. Campbell without success. The Committee has agreed to a part time appointment on a five-day basis until a full time appointment can be made. The Committee is very grateful to Mr. Campbell for his willingness to assist the Committee and it is a tribute to his commitment that despite having this matter unresolved for some time, he has continued to work very hard in serving the community in Canonbie.

CHURCH RE-EXTENSION

The Committee is very pleased to receive applications for Church Re-extension status following last year's amendments to the criteria on which such a status may be granted. It is good to be able to recommend to the General Assembly that the congregation of Auchterarder be granted such status. The Committee is at present considering the possibility of some new Church Extension work and is grateful to the T.D.O. for his help in exploring possibilities.

IN-SERVICE TRAINING

The annual two days In Service at Crieff each September has much to commend it. This year was particularly challenging as Rob Warner encouraged us in a very engaging manner to think towards a 21st Century Church. Some of the issues raised over the two days provided a stimulus to the Committee in discussions about ministry and future extension work.

The programme for 2000 will link in with ACT 2000.

SABBATICALS

It is clear that those ministers who have taken advantage of the Sabbatical scheme have found it to be of enormous benefit to their own spiritual life and in consequence to their congregations. The time of six weeks, however is too short a period to achieve as much as could be achieved and the Committee would like to increase the time spent on Sabbaticals and to reduce the length of Service required. The proposal is that the length of Sabbaticals be increased to eight weeks with the congregation responsible for payment of Pulpit Supply Fees for four weeks and that the length of service be reduced to ten years.

CONCLUSION

The Committee is grateful to the General Secretary for his help and guidance in many matters, to the TDO for insights and ideas and to all who contribute to the ongoing work of the Committee. The Church today faces new challenges and new opportunities abound and it is not just for Committees but for the whole Church, looking ever to Jesus, to rise up to meet them.

In the name of the Committee,

COLIN C BROWN, Convener

GRAEME G MCKAY Vice-Convener

DONALD MACKENZIE, Vice-Convener

JOHN O. FULTON, Secretary