Reports to the General Assembly of United Free Church of Scotland

United Free Church of Scotland

2002 Reports Index

COMMITTEE ON BUSINESS AND ADMINISTRATION
GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2002
INTRODUCTION

Although much of the business of the Committee continues to deal with the routine and the commonplace, the past year has been marked by a variety of innovative and creative activities which it is hoped will make a positive contribution to the future life and witness of the Church. A Committee whose membership includes the Moderator and Clerks of Assembly, the Clerks of Presbyteries, the General Treasurer, the Conveners of all standing Committees of the General Assembly, the General Secretary and the Secretary of the Women's Home and Overseas Committee has a particular responsibility to provide that measure of leadership which the Church has every reason to expect from such a body. What follows may give some indication of both the diversity and range of the Committee's concerns as it has sought to engage in the necessary business of the Church and to develop such areas of opportunity as fall within its remit.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2002
Details of the arrangements for the 2002 General Assembly are contained in the Outline Order of Business in Appendix 1 of this Report. The Committee wishes to acknowledge the generosity of the Minister and Kirk Session of St. Paul's Parish Church, Milngavie in making their commodious premises so readily available for all sessions of the General Assembly, and for the Annual Women's Meetings on Wednesday,5th June.
The Leaders' Forum will be held in Milngavie United Free Church on the morning of Wednesday, 5th June and will be addressed by David Millen, Evangelical Ministries, Northern Ireland, who will speak on the subject of Mission.
The Committee on Evangelism and Youth reports to the Assembly on Saturday, 8th June, and will be responsible for the Open Forum which takes place at the close of the morning session that day.
Adhering to the practice of recent years, the concluding session of the Assembly will take the form of a Praise Service, to be addressed on this occasion by the Rev. M. Douglas Campbell, Executive Director, The Scottish Bible Society.
Encouraged by the positive response received to the experimental format of the Youth Night at the 2001 Assembly, the Committee on Evangelism and Youth is planning to hold a similar event this year
In an effort to ensure that the repeated problems of recent years do not recur, the Committee has committed itself to the hire and installation of a sound system that is specifically geared to the particular needs of the Assembly and to the acoustics of the building in which its meetings are being held. The Committee is confident that the benefits gained will more than compensate for the additional costs involved.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2003
Having confirmed the availability of St. Leonard's-in-the-Fields and Trinity Parish Church, Perth for the period 4th - 7th June 2003, the Committee recommends that the General Assembly of 2003 return to that venue.
FOLLOWING UP ACT 2000
As previously acknowledged, the events of ACT 2000 were never intended to be an end in themselves but a platform from which to launch a series of initiatives which would touch the life of each and every Congregation. To further that process a Follow-Up Group was formed with a view to encouraging Presbyteries to develop opportunities for further study, fellowship and worship within and amongst the Congregations within their bounds. Study material, generously provided by the Rev. D. Cartledge, on the theme "Being a Disciple Today" was made available to all ministers, as were details of some useful resources for contemporary worship prepared by Mrs. Joyce Gallacher. While initial uptake would appear to have been disappointing, the material is still available and may continue to provide a valuable stimulus to further study of a topic of continuing relevance to the Church's work and witness.
2001 - A FAITH ODYSSEY
There was a most encouraging response to this one-day event at Lendrick Muir when close on 300 participated in a varied and imaginative programme. As at Stirling, a wide range of congregations was represented and there was a welcome mix of ages. Much credit is due to those whose enthusiasm and commitment ensured a worthy outcome to a well-planned and stimulating occasion.
EVENT 2002
Lendrick Muir will be the venue for another one-day event on 28th September, and the Committee is indebted to the Rev. A. M. Marshall for his willingness to assume responsibility for the necessary arrangements
EVENT 2003
A group under the leadership of the Rev. A. M. Ford is currently developing plans for another residential event in 2003. The venue and dates have still to be confirmed but it is anticipated that fuller information will be available in the near future.
TRAINING DEVELOPMENT OFFICER
Following the decision of last General Assembly, the Committee has given long and careful consideration to matters relating to the appointment of a TDO. A more detailed account of the Committee's thinking is contained in the Supplementary Notes accompanying this Report but it is the Committee's view that, while training and development have a vital contribution to make to the continued effectiveness of the Church's life and witness, that contribution will proceed from a variety of sources and initiatives and will require to be properly coordinated if it is to prove effective. It is for that reason that the Committee wishes to recommend that the person appointed should be identified as the National Development Coordinator and that he should be assisted in that role by a Development Coordinator from each of the Presbyteries. It is proposed that the post of National Development Coordinator should be a part-time appointment on the basis of one day per week and that, in the first instance, it should be for a period of two years. Presbytery Coordinators would similarly be expected to commit themselves to giving one day per week over the same period. The Committee believes the Rev. A. M. Ford has the necessary qualities and experience to undertake the duties envisaged and wishes to recommend his appointment as National Development Coordinator with effect from 1st August 2002. In that capacity he will be responsible to the Committee on Business and Administration and will be supported by a small Advisory Group appointed by that Committee. Presbytery Development Coordinators will be appointed in consultation with the Presbytery concerned and will work in close partnership with the National Development Coordinator.
RISK ASSESSMENT
Members of the Committee attended a Risk Assessment Workshop conducted by staff from Scott-Moncrieff, the Church's external auditors. The object of the exercise was to identify the key risks facing the United Free Church and to assess how, in practice, these are being addressed. Its immediate purpose was to enable the Church, as a designated religious body, to comply with the requirement to produce a Risk Statement in the presentation of its annual accounts confirming that the key risks affecting the denomination have been identified and that the necessary structures and strategies are in place to effectively address them. It was generally agreed that it had been a useful exercise, helping to highlight significant areas of actual and potential risk and the many and varied challenges that lie ahead. One such challenge is the need for greater and more effective coordination of our efforts, and it is the Committee's belief that the proposed appointment of a National Development Coordinator will go some way to addressing that need.
WAY FORWARD GROUP
The Way Forward Group has met regularly throughout the year. As authorised by last year's General Assembly, Questionnaires were issued to members of Presbyteries, and Presbyteries themselves were invited to respond to the Discussion Paper on Presbytery presented to the Assembly. The Group was greatly encouraged by both the volume and quality of the responses received and, in the light of these, undertook a thorough review of the original Paper. The revised version, together with a series of recommendations are now presented to the Assembly for information (Appendix 5). Although the revised statement and the accompanying recommendations will not be brought to the Assembly for its approval until the Group's review of the Courts of the Church has been completed, much of what is recommended can be developed within existing structures and procedures, and it is the Group's intention that members should meet with Presbyteries with a view to assisting them to review their current practices in the light of the revised statement and recommendations.
The Group has also devoted considerable time to a consideration of issues related to the General Assembly. A Discussion Paper has been prepared and is contained in Appendix 6 to this Report. It is the Committee's intention that commissioners should be given an opportunity to discuss the Paper and the questions it raises at some point during the proceedings of the Assembly so that account may be taken of their views when formulating the final report.
The Group has also been giving some thought to the future role of the United Free Church especially in those situations where resources (both human and material) are in short supply, vacancies protracted and ministerial resources stretched to the limit. The Group has not yet reached any firm conclusions but is continuing to explore how Churches are responding to similar situations in other places. A Way Forward Group must always have responsibility to look beyond the past and the present and to reflect on the possible shape of things to come.
ELDER TRAINING
The Committee is grateful to Mr. Gordon Steel who has been responsible for coordinating the work of Elder Training since the departure of the TDO. As previously indicated, the menu of courses on offer has been significantly expanded, and several programmes tailored to the needs of individual Kirk Sessions have been developed. Several congregations have taken advantage of the opportunities these present for developing certain aspects of their work but with only three Elder Trainers available it has not been possible to respond as promptly as they would have wished to every request. The Committee regrets that the response to its appeal for more elders to volunteer their services for this important activity has been disappointingly small and would encourage elders to consider making themselves available for this valuable form of Christian service.
YOUTH ASSEMBLY
The Committee was encouraged to learn that 26 young people had attended this year's Youth Assembly when it met at Carronvale from 1st - 3rd March, and agreed that two representatives should be appointed as corresponding members of the General Assembly. The Committee gratefully acknowledges the commitment of those responsible for the effective development of this important initiative and the generous financial support it continues to receive from the women of the Church.
PRAYER UNION
Mrs. Wemyss Billows and her colleagues are to be congratulated on the continuing high quality of this year's Prayer Union Booklet. Its content and presentation are a valuable stimulus to the prayer life of the denomination and eloquent testimony to its importance as a means of grace. Thanks are also due to those who so generously contribute towards the cost of the booklet's publication and to the congregational secretaries who so faithfully promote its use and undertake its distribution.
STEDFAST
Stedfast continues to make a valuable contribution to the life of the Church and the Committee is well aware of the onerous nature of the task undertaken by the editor, Rev. J. A. M. McFie. The circulation remains reasonably constant at just under 1,900 per issue, but it is a matter for concern that, over the year, there is a shortfall of some £4,700. The Committee is grateful to the General Trustees for their recent generous grant towards the cost of its publication but continue to seek ways of narrowing the gap between income and expenditure. Thanks are expressed to all who continue to contribute to its pages and, in the process, help to supply the information and the inspiration such a publication exists to provide.
CHILD PROTECTION
The Committee is pleased to report that Mr John Skinner, Balintore, has accepted its invitation to act as National Coordinator in respect of the Church's responsibility for the Care and Supervision of Children and Young People. Mr. Skinner has considerable professional experience in this sensitive field and will liaise with those persons appointed by each Presbytery for that purpose. In an effort to determine how far Congregations have progressed in the implementation of the Guidelines, a Questionnaire was sent to all Congregations but, despite a reminder, replies are still awaited from some.
Criminal Record Checks for those being newly appointed to work with children and young people are scheduled to become available in April 2002, and further guidance will be required on how these procedures are to be implemented within the denomination.
REVISION OF THE CHUCH HYMNARY
The 2002 Report of the Church Hymnary Committee is contained in Appendix 4. The Church's four representatives on the Committee continue to play a full and active part in what is proving to be a painstaking process of selection and amendment. There is still much work to be done but it is hoped that the new book will be ready for publication in 2003.
CHURCH HANDBOOK
Following recent practice, the Committee agreed to the publication of an updated Handbook in 2002. The necessary work was undertaken 'in-house', and thanks are due to the Rev. J. 0. Fulton and Mrs. Helena Jarvis for their part in the preparation and production of the finished article. The Committee would encourage all office-bearers in particular to take advantage of this valuable source of denominational and congregational information.

In the name of the Committee,
A. DOUGLAS SCRIMGEOUR, Convener
GRAEME B BRUCE, Vice-Convener
JOHN A. M. McFIE, Vice-Convener
JOHN O. FULTON, Secretary

Go back to Top