Around 1,000 ministers and elders from the Church’s 500-plus congregations across Ireland will come together for a week of fellowship, worship, prayer, Bible study, celebration, debate and decision-making. Across the 26 sessions scheduled throughout the week – the vast majority of which are open to the public - members of Assembly will have the opportunity to discuss around 110 reports from PCI’s Councils, Commissions, Task Groups and Committees and be asked to consider over 100 resolutions on a diverse range of public issues and church-related matters.
For Rev Trevor Gribben, Clerk of the General Assembly and General Secretary of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI), this will be his fifth Assembly as Clerk, having first attended the 1987 General Assembly as an Assistant Minister. Setting the scene for the 2019 meeting he said, “Presbyterians from across Ireland, ministers who have been called by their congregations, elders who have been elected by their brothers and sisters in Christ, meeting in General Assembly together, will join with other representatives, to listen, question, debate, often robustly and take decisions jointly.
“The discussions that we have, and the decisions that we take, will set the direction for the life and ministry of the Church for the coming year and beyond. It is not only a collective and prayerful process, but a democratic one in the best sense of Presbyterianism,” he said.
“At the heart of the Church is our central calling to proclaim and live out the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ in a constantly changing world, and that witness and service is happening day in and day out in our congregations up and down the land. Along with this primary focus, the General Assembly is also a time where the pressing social, moral, denominational and public issues of the day are also discussed throughout the week.”
Monday evening’s Opening Night will see civic dignitaries and corresponding church representatives from Greece, Romania, Malawi and Indonesia – as well as those closer to home – witness the formal nomination, election and installation of Dr Henry as Moderator for the coming year. His predecessor, Dr Charles McMullen will also address the Assembly and report on his year in office.
Speaking into the public square
In a packed week of business, this year’s General Assembly will receive a report on Human Rights, which seeks to establish a framework, based on biblical principles that will assist the denomination as it seeks to respond to rights-based issues in the public square.
During the week the General Assembly will have an opportunity to discuss PCI’s submission to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland’s legacy public consultation, they will also receive an update on a major 3-year project.
The Dealing with the Past Task Group was asked by the 2016 General Assembly to explore how Presbyterians responded to the Troubles. The aim of this significant undertaking is to tell a wider story than has been available to date. The stories of ordinary Presbyterians that have emerged from the 100-plus interviews will be published in a book towards the end of the year, and the Church will be seeking to learn from this significant project.
“Much of what the General Assembly does is quite often routine, reporting on amalgamations of congregations, the number of congregations that have been given leave to call a new minister, for example, straightforward church business. Other areas, such as the report on guidelines for church planting and the launch of congregational resources have an internal focus that will support PCI’s growth in different ways. There are, however, occasions when substantial pieces of work, like that of the Dealing with the Past Task Group, can have positive impact beyond the doors of the denomination itself,” Trevor Gribben said.
Special presentation: Life Always Matters
Mr Gribben also felt that Thursday’s Alternative Presentation by the Council for Public Affairs, entitled Life Always Matters, could have a similar effect, as it seeks to speak into the professional world and public square on the dignity of human life. Through specially commissioned video, a presentation and an informal panel discussion involving three Presbyterian elected representatives, the General Assembly will be looking at dementia care, end of life care and child and adolescent mental health services.
In the Council’s report, it makes the point that as an all-Ireland church ‘Presbyterians may be a small minority in the Republic of Ireland but our distinctive witness and influence continues to be recognised in the public square, not least through the participation of former Moderator Very Rev Dr Ivan Patterson in the inauguration of Michael D Higgins as President of Ireland in November 2018…’ and other significant national events and discussions.
In a resolution before the General Assembly, it will be asked to welcome opportunities for the Church to participate and seek to influence policy for the good of all in society, while acknowledging the increasing secularisation of the public square in the Republic of Ireland.
Decision making and dissent
“Like most years, much of the work reported stems from decisions taken at previous Assemblies. Last year was no exception and Task Groups have been looking at a number of areas, which also generated intense reporting and considerable public discussion. These included decision making and dissent within the Church and guidance for congregations around membership,” Mr Gribben said.
“At the time we made the point of stressing that people were free to debate in public, but it was the nature of the discourse that was important. It was also indicated that discussions would take place within the structures of the church on these matters, and this has happened with reports coming to the Assembly this year.
“For instance, the Church’s General Council accepted that clarification was necessary regarding the issues of decision making and dissent within the Church and established a Task Group to draw up a report. The General Assembly will be asked to consider the report and send it down to the Church’s 19 presbyteries for discussion at regional level, with focused questions on decision making and dissent.”
The Clerk also said that a Task Group had been appointed and directed to put together a resource with a clear pastoral tone to be used by kirk sessions on the issue of a credible profession of faith. It will report on its work to date and is proposing to present a resource and draft pastoral guidelines for consideration at the 2020 General Assembly to be sent subsequently to presbyteries for comment.
Last year’ decision to end exchange of Moderators with the Church of Scotland will also be discussed. The General Assembly will be asked on Tuesday to receive a Notice of Motion from the Presbytery of South Belfast to reconsider the decision. If the Notice of Motion is received this year, a full debate will take place in 2020.
Another internal Church matter concerns PCI’s site at Guysmere, Castlerock in County Londonderry. For many years it was used as the denomination’s youth centre but, largely due to Health and Safety concerns, the Centre has been mothballed. At the request of last year’s General Assembly the local Presbytery of Coleraine and Limavady was asked to draw up a feasibility study and bring it – along with definitive recommendations – to this year’s General Assembly for a decision.
Speaking of Union Theological College, Mr Gribben said that the past year had brought significant change for the College in relation to its relationship with Queen’s University, Belfast, with Queen’s deciding to break the link with the College after some 90 years. “The Assembly will be taking time to reflect on that change, but will also be looking forward to hearing of the emerging plans for a new and potentially exciting future for the College,” he said.
Concern over healthcare
On pressing public matters, for the second year in succession, the General Assembly will be asked to ‘express its deep concern and frustration about the prolonged absence of an Executive in Northern Ireland, the resulting stagnation in public policy and the negative effects on the most vulnerable in society…’ The General Assembly will be asked to repeat its call for all involved in the political process ‘to find a resolution that establishes good and stable government based on good working relationships.’
In a similar vein, the Council for Social Witness, which as a service provider manages PCI’s nursing and residential care homes, along with supported housing schemes for people with a learning disability/intellectual disability and those with addictions and former offenders, will be asking the General Assembly ‘to express real concern that in the absence of the Northern Ireland Assembly vital legislation and appropriate funding is being denied to essential Health and Social Care Services.’
Acknowledging that it will be a busy week, Mr Gribben said that he was looking forward to it, especially meeting delegates from overseas who will take part in Wednesday’s Listening to the Global Church presentation, People on the move, and that evening’s celebration, which is entitled ‘Enjoying God’ and is open to the public and features praise, worship and teaching.
“As one of the largest churches in Ireland and the largest Protestant, or ‘Reformed’ denominations in Northern Ireland, we have much to discuss and take forward, including new initiatives, such as the Rural Chaplaincy pilot in Northern Ireland. While much of our discussions are internally focused, the Church continues to be outward facing and has a unique contribution to make in communities across Ireland and in the public square.
“As I have said before, democracy is one of the strengths and hallmarks of our Presbyterianism and along with my colleagues from across the denomination and overseas, as we discuss and debate together with grace and respect, I hope that it will be a thoroughly productive week,” Mr Gribben said.
Photos (1) Rev Trevor Gribben Clerk of the General Assembly and General Secretary of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (2) the Opening Night from last year's General Assembly.
The Opening Night will be streamed live on this website and will also be broadcast live on BBC Radio Ulster 1341 Medium Wave at 7pm. The live stream will continue throughout the General Assembly, which closes on Friday 7 June. You can also follow the debates on Twitter @pciassembly using the hashtag #PCIGA19. You can see each day's business before the General Assembly here.