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Following the opening session of the General Assembly on Monday evening with addresses by the outgoing and incoming Moderators, Tuesday begins with Assembly Communion Service held in May Street Church at 9.30am, business sessions begin of the Assembly begin today Tuesday 5 June at 11.00am in the Assembly Hall.
Today may have been the last time the Assembly Communion Service will be held in May Street since one of the first items in the report of the Business Board (11.00am) is to consider moving the service to the Assembly Hall next year. This report will also ask the Assembly to meet a week later in 2002 so that it does not clash with the public holiday declared for June 3 & 4. If the Assembly agrees this will be the first time since 1953, Coronation year, that it has not met during its traditional date of the first week in June.
Always a feature of the first session of business is the welcoming of visiting delegates to the Assembly which this year include Rt Rev John Miller, Moderator of the Church of Scotland, Rev Shawish Nyawelo Kir, General Secretary of the Presbyterian Church of the Sudan and Rev Dr Masqsood Kamil, Executive Secretary of the Presbyterian Church of Pakistan
Most interest on day one will however focus on the report of the Nomination Board at approx 2.15pm. With the present Clerk and General Secretary, Dr Sam Hutchinson due to retire in 2003 the Assembly will be asked to appoint a Clerk Designate who will 'shadow' the present Clerk until that time. Two names, Dr Donald Watts and Rev Wilfred Orr have been proposed and it is for the 1200 Assembly delegates to decide by vote who will be its next Clerk.
Another appointment to be ratified by the Assembly today will be the appoint of Rev Uel Marrs as successor to Rev Terry McMullan who retires as Overseas secretary next year.
The day finishes with the report of the Youth Board and the launch of the 'Preparing Youth for Peace Programme.' The main objective of this is to train Presbyterian youth leaders to deliver effective reconciliation programmes that envision, motivate and enable Presbyterian communities to actively engage in positive community relations.
After the report has been presented at the Assembly it will be officially launched at a reception in Church House at 6.00pm
For further information visit the General Assembly section
Issued by Stephen Lynas, Presbyterian Information Services. Info@PresbyterianIreland.org
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