(updated July 19)
General Assembly met in Edinburgh, at Heriot-Watt University, July 11-14. A full account can be found on the main URC website
Here are impressions of some of our representtives who were at Edinburgh, and a bit of information on matters of particular concern to Northern Synod.
There may be more material yet to be put upon this page, so keep coming back!
Matthew Appleyard, Jennifer Barclay, Chris Eddowes,
Peter Etwell, Rowena Francis, Margaret Humberston,
Julie Martin, Colin Offor, Pat Poinen, Maurice Taylor
Colin Offor, minister in Stockton and Billingham, writes
This was my third assembly. It may be that I am slow on the uptake, but at this Assembly, for the first time, I grasped the significance of Assembly as more than a business meeting. Here we expressed and celebrated our common life, here too we explored together the nature, not just of our individual Christian journeys or those of our local churches, but our journey together and with the world church.
Where else but at General Assembly could we by the symbols of welcome and acclamation, show our one-ness with other denominations in the UK and representatives of the world church? It was a reality check to hear from Revd. Karaiti of the church in Kiribati, that this Pacific Island is likely to disappear in decades as sea levels rise. That attempts to limit the effects of climate change are probably already too late for them. We start then to think of how refugees from climate change will challenge the affluent and poor alike.
And where else could we have celebrated the richness of our gifts? There were two highlights for me. One was the presence at assembly of Fred Kaan, Alan Gaunt and Brian Wren … they were interviewed on the platform, and we sang some of the hymns that have been such a blessing not just to the URC, but to the world Church. The other was the Children’s Assembly. 50 young people who discussed the business we discussed … and presented to us confidently and articulately their take on the issues facing the church. They also led us in an act of worship that was inspiring, spiritual and fun! More of that please.
And then there was Jane Leach, using her experience as a pilgrim to Santiago de Compostella to explore with us the significance the “way” for us as Christians and especially as Church. Our new Moderator John Marsh, talked of the URC as people on and of “the way” and I was taken with his description of a pilgrim people as being “destination focused as well as origin rooted.” My experience of church is so often of the origin and roots bit being far more dominant in our thinking than the destination bit.
And we did do business … using the consensus decision making process that was occasionally frustrating, but which as we got used to it, did seem to help us move it forward in a positive spirit. It also meant that we heard debate, not just a series of repetitive speeches, which is probably what I remember most from previous Assemblies.
Swaledale & Barnard Castle minister Julie Martin reflects on a printing mistake:
A line in a prayer during the Communion Service had a misprint in it. It read “We pray for our scared and polluted planet”.
I was just musing on the imagery of this, when the chaplain read it as “our sacred and polluted planet”. Later a speaker suggested that it was meant to read “our scarred and polluted planet”.
A presentation by “Operation Noah” told us about the planet and the harm which we are doing to it, but I have been thinking more about us – the members of the United Reformed Church and about our General Assembly.
Some people were SCARED.
It might have been their first Assembly – what was it going to be like?
The lay-out of the campus was complicated – were we ever going to find our way round?
We were using consensus voting to make our decisions – how was that going to work?There were SACRED moments.
We inducted a new General Secretary.
The Spiritual Directions led us on a pilgrimage of discovery.
Singing “The Spirit lives to set us free” with the Children’s Assembly moved some to tears of joy.We recognised that we are a SCARRED church.
Processes for grievances and discipline were agreed.
We heard an apology to ministers who had wrongly been advised to sell their houses when starting training for the ministry.
And hurt was expressed by people who had felt excluded.
Is our planet “scared” or “sacred” or “scarred”? Or all three? I’m not sure, but I do think that at General Assembly 2008 there were people who were scared, there were moments which were sacred, and there were times when we recognised that we are a scarred Church.
First-time Assembly-goer and FURY represenative Jennifer Barclay, from High Heaton, is enthusiastic about our future
Since this weekend was the first time I ever attended a URC General Assembly, I was unsure what to expect, and had heard mixed reports of what it would be like.
However, I’ve come back feeling enthusiastic about the future of the URC, and was inspired by being able to talk to representatives from all over the country – for example, a minister for whom this was his 49th Assembly!
I particularly enjoyed the “spiritual directions” about pilgrimage and the opportunity to worship with hundreds of others, as well as the events run for and by FURY. It was really good to be involved in making decisions which will shape the future of the Church - and I’ve made some great friends!
Our other FURY rep, Matthew Appleyard from Northallerton, was also able to attend the "What do you think" FURY event that preceded Assembly.
I found that this year's assembly was very light hearted and approachable. The consensus decision making allows everyone to be heard, and for them to discuss the issues in small groups to see if it could be adjusted. The inclusion of Children's Assembly was good too: FURY members went to the praise party on the last night and really enjoyed it. During the final day I was speaking to a member of FURY who said "This is the best Assembly ever!" and I concur. I can also say that some of the hymns were awe inspiring, including the new version of 'Lord of the Dance'.
Now on to the WDYT? report.... There we learned about different aspects of ministry and went over different parts of the Book of Reports to prepare ourselves for Assembly. We learned that there are different types of ministry and that each one of us has different gifts which can allow us to support each other. We also recognised the point that we did not choose God but he chose us. On one of the days we went on a 'tour of Edinburgh'. Actually we just went on a Ghost tour which I think was just to keep us in line (it didn't work). We had drama sessions and an expression session where we could chose to interpret the story from Corinthians which was shared with everyone during the Vision4Life report.
Synod Moderator Rowena Francis promises that we will not be afraid to follow....
I felt this Assembly was more enthused than previous ones and moved us on from structures to engaging in mission. A URC mission strategy that is being formulated over the next two years from the Mission Committee and Team was presented well. While it may be for some a sense of 'Oh no here we go again, yet another strategy to discuss', it was for me something that we can get our teeth into at every level of church life - local churches, synods, assembly and share together what really matters.
This may be welcoming everyone, working for justice, being God centred, building on Vision 4 life or seeking unity with others and decising on milestones to help us move forward with God over the next decade. The small groups worked as far as I was concerned because the task and focus was clear.
Another highlight for me - remember I am a Moderator and probably need to get a life - was the consensus decision making. This meant that instead of sometimes confrontational motions of 'be not put' and 'point of order' - blue and orange cards to take a picture of the mind of assembly were used as well as gatherings of people, holding different positions, outside the meeting. These worked on better phrasing that paid attention to different views and then brought these back to the Assemnly.
I was part of a couple of those meetings and felt that concerns were really heard and taken on board by those bringing the proposals, evne though learning to use consensus decision making rather than standing orders took some effort and was not fully achieved in one assembly. It also meant that even longer was spent in meetings but I think to good effect. Watch this space as we attempt it in synod meetings.
Northgate Darlington elder Pat Poinen (picture left at Assembly) was another "first-timer" who reports on that experience, and on a particularly significant debate
I have been a member of Northgate United Reformed Church for 28 years and attended General Assembly for the first time this year. It was a privilege to have been asked and I was particularly interested in experiencing what takes place in the decision making body of the church. I had no idea what to expect, but I was not disappointed with my experience. I was particularly pleased to meet friends from the past but also to form new friendships with people from all over the UK.
I enjoyed the prayer reflections by Revd Jane Leach, and was moved by her account of her pilgrimage and the journey of faith and self discovery. She is such an eloquent speaker and her stories together with her spoken and unspoken words with fellow walkers were particularly humbling. I am grateful to her for sharing her experiences with us and feel blessed by the lessons I learned.
The Moderator, Revd John Marsh, was also so humble, funny at times, but most of all full of energy and stamina. His conduct of the entire Assembly was professional and dignified. I liked him very much, and feel pleased that he is the Moderator of the URC. We can all learn lessons from him, a grand master.
The appointment of Rev Roberta Rominger as General Secretary is so exciting and refreshing; we are so blessed to have such a humble, dedicated, confident and much loved woman in a leading role of the URC. We must thank God for her appointment.
Last years assembly was personally disappointing and hurtful when the resolution to have representation from the black minority ethnic members (BME) of the church was postponed. The BME members of the URC felt that the church was the last place that they should experience discrimination and institutional racism. I know that these sentiments may cause shock and offence to some of you reading this, but we live in the real world and racism and discrimination exists. I am extremely pleased that Resolution 32 was finally passed and accepted as a rightful part of the multicultural church. I thank God that it was so generously accepted by Assembly and my heart was overjoyed when I saw all the orange cards. We know that our God is one of Justice and Love, and that finally we can begin to work towards being a multicultural church enriched with the vibrancy and joy to face the challenges of the twenty first century.
I would like to personally thank Sandra Ackroyd, Acting Secretary for the Racial Justice & Multicultural Ministries, for the hard work she has put into ensuring that the resolution was worded correctly and to the task group, including myself, for the time and energy we dedicated to the task.
The Revd Ed Cox, Mission Council, was brilliant in his presentation and reinforced the concept of ‘Positive Action’ which is legal under the Race Relations Act in comparison to ‘Positive Discrimination’ which is illegal and a term used by many speakers during the discussion period. I welcome the appointment of the Rev Dr Michael Jaggesar as Secretary for the Racial Justice & Multicultural Ministries and rejoice in the appointment of Revd Dr Andrew Prasad, the first BME Moderator in the URC. I am filled with joy and happiness to have been a part of the decision making of the URC at General Assembly 2008.
I look forward to working and serving the church and community, and to share the Blessings and Grace of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Hartlepool elders Chris Eddowes and Margaret Humberston both felt the pain....
We both were impressed by the Moderator. He showed great humanity and humility in dealing with Assembly and a great sense of humour. Probably the best person to deal with the new consensus procedures.
We both found Assembly very tiring and sometimes bottom-numbingly uncomfortable, and the chance to go into discussion groups was a welcome change. There was a good balance between "business" and the "information" parts, and overall, it seemed to be a very good natured assembly, probably because there was nothing very controversial. We were both puzzled by the suggestion that there is an imbalance between men and women in the URC- but that may be just the sort of women we are!
And Chris, who is our synod rep on the new Mission Committee, continues
As part of Mission Committee, I was very interested in looking through the forms following the discussion groups, and helping to compose the response to assembly- even if it did take until about 11 pm! I also enjoyed Mark Dowd's presentation and the communication department's offering, probably because both these are my particular interests.
And I learned that if you want a resolution passed, you should make sure it is presented very late when people are more receptive to waving orange cards, just to get things over with!
Berwick elder Maurice Taylor is challenged by the younger generations
It is a number of years since I last attended Assembly, but as before I found it hugely stimulating. For someone from a remote community the challenge is to convey something of the cumulative impact of meeting so many people ablaze with faith in a way that will mean something to them.
The worship and the singing, especially with the children(!), were a thrill. The theme of Pilgrimage, and especially Jane Leach's spiritual directions will engage my thoughts and devotional life for some time. I look forward to reading her book.
Much of my life has been involved with children and young people so the disturbing challenge to engage with these younger generations went home with me. I shall have that on my mind until we can find a way in our church here. I am very grateful for this opportunity to attend this year.
Nunthorpe elder Peter Etwell cheers with the children
I know some will say "how sad" but I loved every minute of General Assembly 2008. I can't put my finger on why, but suspect it’s a "people interaction" thing. Meeting old friends, making new friends and observing the interactions of others. Its quite hard work keeping up with what's going on at Assembly but if you manage to follow what's going on, it’s very rewarding in the end.
If you were given the task of keeping 700 people informed, in order and happy, you would find it more than a little daunting. The organisation was superb & well done to them. The queues for breakfast & dinner were often tiresome but tolerable. The packed lunch idea was good as it meant you didn’t have to queue and could eat and talk out in the sun.
The new Moderator, John Marsh was fantastic. His humour & humility made it all worth while, and if you can get him to come and visit your church, you won’t be unhappy. The consensus voting system worked fairly well even if at times it seemed a little inconsistent, but it did reduce the interminable number of speeches in favour of an idea which was always going to be agreed anyway.
The highlight for me was the report back from Children's Assembly - where they told us what they had been doing at their Assembly. They spoke with thoughtfulness, intelligence & humour and it proved fantastic entertainment. They even sang one of my favourite hymns, Lord of the Dance, but not to the normal tune, it was done to a fast up-tempo, reggae beat which everyone seemed to like as we clapped and sang. This is the music kids like to sing along to, and so do I.
North Tyne minister Janet Flawn, who also serves as one of our synod rural officers, brought a resolution to our Synod meeting in February calling on church members to look for fair trade not only with the developing world, but also with those involved in the production of food at home. Synod members were moved by her accounts of conversations with farmers in the North Tyne Valley, and supported a resolution asking that supermarkets be challenged in their abuse of power in determining food prices.
On the last day of Assembly Janet moved the same resolution, though now calling on the Ethical Investments Group and the Join Public Issues Team to play their part in helping us express concern in the right quarters. But there is also need for a change in our own attitudes, so the resolution also asked members of the United Reformed Church to look more carefully at what they buy and eat, to help save British farmers, and to use goods that are fairly traded and locally produced as much as possible, to reduce injustice and unfairness.
The Revd Graham Jones, who serves both our Church and the Methodist Church as national rural officer said after the debate: “I am delighted by this stand. Churches have been at the forefront of the campaign for fair-trade in developing countries and are now recognising that there needs to be justice in our domestic markets. The two go together; both reflect the necessary move towards valuing our food more highly.
“That doesn’t mean simply being prepared to pay more, but taking a greater interest in where food comes from, and how it is produced. Local, seasonal produce will be healthier for us, for our rural communities and for the environment”.
The text of the resolution is on the Rural Network page
Sunday morning, after the Communion Service, saw the presentation of new ministers. Northern Synod, as Synod 01, always comes first on these occasions, and moderator Rowena Francis had the pleasure of introducing two candidates: Mary Bellshaw, who was commissioned in April as Community Worker at Trinity Gosforth, and Stan May, who had been ordained in Newcastle less than three days before (thereby taking the wind out of another moderator's sails, who was ready to introduce a candidate ordained the previous Saturday as surely having to be the newest kid on the block!).
Among the platform party was St James's (Newcastle) minister James Breslin, serving as Clerk to the Assembly, and being ready to give advice whenever we were about to lose our way. Standing Orders of Assembly now run to ten pages, and the Clerk is always at the Moderator's side to save him from any procedural pitfalls, as well as to advise Assembly on any and every constitutional matter.
Northern Synod representatives at the microphone included Darlington elder Pat Poinen and minister Tjarda Murray, who both took part on the debate on black and minority ethnic representation at Assembly reported above by Pat. Also mentioned in her report, one of the most moving moments of As
sembly was certainly the induction of new General Secretary Roberta Rominger who, although she has just moved from being moderator of Thames North Synod, has a special place in our own hearts as one of "our" ministers who served at Wideopen and Kingston Park during the 1990s, and showed her gifts of administrative ability tempered with pastoral sensitivity as Secretary to Newcastle District Council.
Speaking of her reasons for loving the URC, starting with "I find God here", Roberta went on to say "I want to show a URC face to the world. Not an apologetic URC face, but one that radiates the confidence of the second largest Christian family in the world. We may be small here, but then we’re so self-effacing. Insofar as I have a particular sense of calling as I begin this ministry, it is to encourage the United Reformed Church to come out of hiding and stop apologising and stand tall. Then if people don’t want to join us, fine. But there is no virtue in being a well-kept secret. There is no virtue in going into our ecumenical relationships like a bunch of doormats, reticent about our own insights because our only priority is for everybody to get along. There’s not time tonight for me to tell you the other 49 things that are at the top of my list of why I love the United Reformed Church. But there will be time. Let’s make time. I need to hear yours too."
Synod was represented by its Officers, and the following who were nominated through Mission Partnerships:
Revds David Bedford, Edward Butlin, Janet Flawn, Philip Gray, Julie Martin, Catey Morrison, Tjarda Murray, Colin Offor, Peter Rand,
Mrs Chris Eddowes, Mr Peter Etwell, Mrs Jan Harper, Mrs Margaret Humberston, Mrs Pat Poinen, Mr Justice Semuli, Mr Maurice Taylor
FURY reps - Mr Matthew Appleyard, Miss Jennifer Barclay
In addition Children's Officer Hannah Middleton, and Revd Meg Robb from our Children's Committee, were among the leaders responsible for this year's Children's Assembly. Six children from Northern Synod participated in Children's Assembly.
And Revd James Breslin as Assembly Clerk completes the list.