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The Presbyterian General Assembly opens in Belfast next Monday night, June 7 at 7.00pm, when around 1200 delegates from all over Ireland will officially elect Dr John Lockington as Moderator in succession to Dr John Dixon. In his final address as Modertator Dr Dixon will reflect on his year of office while Dr Lockington will use the occassion to launch his theme for the year, 'Going on With God.'
Business sessions begin on Tuesday at 11.00am. with most of the day being devoted to internal church matters. Most debate will centre of the Board of Communications report when the Assembly will decide on how to proceed with the production of a new hymnbook. The Assembly will also appoint a new professor of Practical Theology and a director of Christian Training. Since last Assembly Presbyteries have been considering changes to the proceedure for electing the Moderator and the Assembly will decide whether any changes are to be made to the system.
Wednesday (June 9) is by far the busiest day and all morning is devoted to the General Board. This includes the Church And Government Report and the whole issue of Parades and the Orange Order. A resolution attached to the report encourages those invoved in contentious parades to discuss their differences with one another, to co-operate fully with the parades commission and obey its determinations. A paragraph in the report regrets that last year 'the clear advice of the General Assembly...has been so comprehensively ignored by an organisation which claims to be Christian and which enjoys the hospitality of many Presbyterian Churches.'
Presbyterian Investment in Defence companies will also be discussed on Wednesday morning when a report on the Arms Trade is brought to the attention of Assembly by the Peace and Peace making Committee.
Homosexualtiy is on the Assembly agenda on Wednesday afternoon when bible study material on the subject is presented along with a resolution urging the government to keep the age of consent to 18. 'This resource [bible study material] aims to address two worrying trends. Firstly, the gay lobby has become more vocal and persuasive... and a number of Christian leaders have spoken in favour of homosexual partnerships... Secondly, a spirit of judgementalism... exists which is not proper in a Christian church. We need to respond with compassion and understanding...'
A busy day on Wednesday concludes with the Assembly being asked to endorse the aims of Jubilee 2000 and the cancellation of Third World debt and the presentation of a petition to be forwarded to the G8 meeeting later in the month asking for this to happen. The Assembly will also consider the new constitution for the revised Irish Council of Churches which has to be ratified by all member churches.
Much of the focus on Thursday is on the Overseas work of the Church and the Assembly will hear reports form the Overseas Board which supports 72 personel working in 15 countries with 18 partner churches. Also reporting is the Presbyterian Women's Association which supports staff both in Ireland and overseas.
On Thursday afternoon the Assembly moves into private session to consider appeals against decisions made by Church Courts, the acceptance of ministers from other Churches into the Presbyterian Church and the requests from ministers to be recognised as ministers without charge.
Assembly business concludes on Friday with reports from the Home Board which will draw attention to a possible shortfall of student ministers for 2000 and 2001 and the Evangelism and Christian Training Board reporting on the success of the Life 2 outreach programme run throughout the Church during the last 12 months.
The Moderator will bring the Assembly to an end with his closing address and concluding worship at around 2.30pm
For more detailed information go to the Assembly web pages at www.presbyterianireland.org/assembly
Issued by Stephen Lynas, Presbyterian Information Services. Info@PresbyterianIreland.org
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