The 2018 General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland meets in Assembly Buildings in Belfast from Monday evening, 4th June and closes on Friday, 8th June.
Attended by approximately 1,000 ministers and elders from the Church’s 500-plus congregations across Ireland, members will discuss and debate nearly 100 resolutions over three and a half days.
In this section you will find details of each day’s business before the General Assembly. You can find the reports and resolutions mentioned below in The Blue Book here. Supplementary reports can be found here.
You can also download a pdf version of proceedings here.
Monday, 4th June
| 7.00pm |
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Service of Worship
Constitution of Assembly
Election of Moderator
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Tuesday, 5th June
| 10.30am |
1. |
General Assembly Business Committee:
Initial Report and Resolutions 1-6 (pages 5-15 and 143)
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2. |
Reports of Presbyteries (pages 161-170)
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3. |
Reception of Corresponding Members and Delegates
Church of Scotland: Rt. Rev. Susan Brown; Rev. Dr. John McPake; Rev. Dr. George Whyte
United Reformed Church: Rev. Kevin Watson
Church of Ireland: Rt. Rev. John McDowell; Mrs Margaret Fullerton
The Methodist Church in Ireland: Rev. Alan Ferguson; Mrs Lynda Neilands
Religious Society for Friends: Sheena Bell
Irish Council of Churches: Rev. Brian Anderson
Presbyterian Church of Wales: Rev. Brian H Jones
CCAP, Synod of Livingstonia: Rev. John Gondwe
CCAP, Synod of Zambia: Rev. Sevatt Kabaghe
Presbyterian Church of East Africa: Rev. Alfred Mugendi Kanga
Presbyterian Church of South Sudan: Rev. Peter Gai Lual Marrow
Presbyterian Church of Pakistan: Rev. Maqsood Kamil
Church of North India, Gujarat Diocese: Rev. Manojkumar Victorbhai Gohil
National Evangelical Synod of Syria & Lebanon: Rev. Joseph Kasaab
Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary: Imad Shehadeh
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| (11.30) |
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Short Intermission
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| 11.45am |
|
Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper
including Memorial Roll
|
| 1.00pm |
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Lunch
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| 2.00pm |
4. |
Trustees:
Report and Resolutions (pages 171-176)
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| (2.30) |
5. |
General Council:
Section 1 of Report and Resolutions 7-15 (pages 1-4, 15-67 and 143-144)
Support Services Committee; United Appeal Committee; Guysmere Redevelopment Task Group; Priorities Committee; Memorial Record.
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| (3.30) |
|
Tea/Coffee Break
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| 4.00 |
6. |
Council for Public Affairs:
Report and Resolutions (pages 177-195)
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Lapsed Business (if any)
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| 5.30pm |
|
Dinner
|
| 7.00pm |
7. |
Council for Social Witness Alternative Presentation
- People Matter to God
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| 8.00 |
8. |
Linkage Commission:
Report and Resolutions (pages 196-227)
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| (9.00) |
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Close of Business
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Wednesday, 6th June
| 9.30am |
9. |
Council for Congregational Life and Witness:
Report and Resolution (pages 228-254)
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| (10.45) |
|
Tea/Coffee Break
|
| 11.15 |
10. |
Council for Training in Ministry:
Report and Resolutions (pages 255-279)
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| 12.15pm |
|
Worship
|
| 1.00pm |
|
Lunch
|
| 2.00pm |
11. |
Listening to the Global Church
- Streams in the Desert
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| (3.00) |
|
Tea/Coffee Break
|
| 3.30 |
12. |
General Council:
Section 2 of Report and Resolutions 16-19 (pages 68-78 and 144)
Moderator’s Advisory Committee; Dialogue and Resources Task Group; Human Identity Task Group.
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13. |
Memorials Transmitted (pages 158-160)
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| 4.30 |
14. |
General Council:
Section 3 of Report and Resolutions 20-28 (pages 79-101 and 144-145)
Doctrine Committee; Relationships with Other Denominations Task Group; Church Relations Committee.
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Lapsed Business (if any)
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| (6.00) |
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Close of Business
|
| 6.00pm |
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The Youth Assembly team will host an Assembly Fringe event in the new ground floor conference area. The theme will be 'Together: Connecting the Generations' and will include the launch of a brand new video aimed at inspiring inter-generastional mindsets within congregations, as well as sharing stories and ideas. A light tea will be served on arrival.
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| 7.45pm |
|
Evening Celebration: Building Relationships
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Thursday, 7th June
| 1.45pm |
15. |
Council for Training in Mission Alternative Presentation
- Equipping the Church for Effective Ministry in the 21st Century
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| 2.45pm |
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Worship
|
| (3.30) |
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Tea/Coffee Break
|
| 4.00 |
16. |
Council for Global Mission:
Report and Resolutions (pages 280-313)
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Lapsed Business (if any)
|
| 5.30pm |
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Dinner
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| (3.00) |
|
Tea/Coffee Break
|
| 7.00pm |
17. |
Council for Mission in Ireland:
Report and Resolutions (pages 314-354)
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| 8.00 |
18. |
General Council:
Section 4 of Report and Resolutions 29-32 (pages 102-113 and 146)
General Data Protection Regulation Task Group; Engagement and Consultations Task Group; Central Prayer Coordination Task Group; Use of Congregational Property by Outside Bodies Task Group; Charity Registration Task Group; Holding Trustees Task Group.
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19. |
Overtures: On the Books (pages 375-379)
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20. |
Overtures: Ad-Hoc (pages 149-157)
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Lapsed Business (if any)
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| (9.00) |
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Close of Business
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Friday, 8th June
| In Private |
|
|
| 9.30am |
21. |
Judicial Commission:
Report and Resolution (pages 355-356)
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22. |
Special Judicial Commission:
Report and Resolution (page 357)
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23. |
Commission on Applications:
Report and Resolution (page 358)
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| In Public |
|
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| (10.00) |
24. |
General Council:
Section 5 of Report and Resolutions 33-38 (pages 114-142 and 146-148)
Nominations Committee; 2017 Special Assembly Task Group; Review of Moderator's Year Task Group; Reformation Celebration Task Group; Historical Archiving Task Group; Ad-Hoc Business.
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| (11.00) |
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Tea/Coffee Break
|
| 11.30 |
25. |
Council for Social Witness:
Report and Resolutions (pages 359-374)
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Lapsed Business (if any).
|
| (1.00) |
26. |
General Assembly Business Committee:
Final Report and Resolutions (to be tabled)
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CLOSE OF ASSEMBLY
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