The governing body of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland (PCI), the General Assembly, met in Assembly Buildings, Belfast from Monday morning, 4 October, to Wednesday afternoon, 6 October.
In a change to the traditional format of recent General Assemblies, it met for only three days, with the necessary Covid mitigations in place.
The General Council, with delegated authority from the General Assembly itself, after consulting widely, agreed that only full voting members would be able to be present in person, thereby ensuring the necessary social distancing required at the city centre venue.
In the main, these are PCI’s ministers in congregations, active retired ministers and a commissioned representative elder from each of the Church’s 532 congregations. To ensure appropriate social distancing, the floor of the Assembly Hall, its large gallery, along with a few suitable overflow halls in Assembly Buildings, were used.
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 when available.
Monday, 4 October
| 11.30am |
|
Service of Worship
Constitution of Assembly
Moderator of the General Assembly
|
| 1pm |
|
Lunch
|
| 2pm |
1. |
General Assembly Business Committee:
Initial Report and Resolutions 1-5 (pages 9-13 and page 305)
|
| |
2. |
Reports of Presbyteries (pages 146-151)
|
| 2.30pm |
3. |
COUNCIL FOR SOCIAL WITNESS
Report and Resolutions (pages152-159 and page 309)
|
| (3.45pm) |
|
Tea / Coffee Break
|
| 4.15pm |
4. |
GENERAL COUNCIL: Section 1 of Report and Resolutions 6-9 (pages 1-56, and pages 305-306)
Executive Summary and Introduction; Support Services; Holding Trustees Task Group; Memorial Record; Guysmere Development Panel; Ad-hoc areas of work: Church Relations; Moderator’s Advisory and Doctrine; Code Republishing Panel; Reports for Information only.
|
| (6pm) |
|
Dinner
|
| 7.45pm |
5. |
LINKAGE COMMISSION:
Report and Resolutions (pages 160-175 and pages 309-310)
|
| 8pm |
6. |
COUNCIL FOR MISSION IN IRELAND:
Report and Resolutions (pages 176-194 and page 310)
|
| (9pm) |
|
Close of Business
|
Tuesday, 5 October
| 10am |
7. |
TRUSTEES:
Report and Resolutions (pages 195-213 and 310-311).
|
| 10.30am |
8. |
COUNCIL FOR GLOBAL MISSION:
Report and Resolutions (pages 214-230 and 311).
|
| (11.45am) |
|
Short intermission
|
| 12 noon |
|
Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper
including the Memorial Roll.
|
| (1pm) |
|
Lunch
|
| 2pm |
9. |
GENERAL COUNCIL:
Section 2 of Report and Resolutions 10-16 (pages 57-113 and 306-307)
Implementation Task Group; Human Identity Task Group.
|
| (3.45pm) |
|
Tea / Coffee Break
|
| 4.15pm |
10. |
GENERAL COUNCIL:
Section 3 of Report and Resolutions 17-20 (pages 114-145 and 307).
Decision Making and Dissent Task Group; Vows for Full Membership and Baptism Task Group; Supporting Families in Challenging Times Task Group.
|
| |
|
Lapsed Business (if any)
|
| (6pm) |
|
Dinner
|
| 7.15pm |
11. |
COUNCIL FOR CONGREGATIONAL LIFE AND WITNESS:
Report and Resolutions (pages 230-249 and 312).
|
| (8.30pm) |
|
Close of Business |
Wednesdy, 6 October
| 10am |
12. |
COUNCIL FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS:
Report and Resolutions (pages 250-285 and 312-313).
|
| (11.15am) |
|
Tea/Coffee Break
|
| 11.45am |
13. |
COUNCIL FOR TRAINING IN MINISTRY:
Report and Resolutions (pages 286-295 and 313-314).
|
| (1pm) |
|
Lunch
|
| 2pm |
14.
|
WORSHIP
inclulding LISTENING TO THE GLOBAL CHURCH
– ‘People on the move’
|
| (3pm) |
|
Tea/Coffee Break
|
| 3.30pm |
15. |
GENERAL COUNCIL:
Section 4 of Report and Resolutions 21-27 (pages 130-145 and 308-309).
United Appeal; Nominations Committee; Recommendations for new work for General Council; Making the General Assembly More Accessible Task Group.
|
| |
16. |
Overtures: On the Books (pages 296-303)
|
| |
17. |
Overtures: New Ad-Hoc (pages 303-304)
|
| |
|
Lapsed Business (if any)
|
| |
18. |
GENERAL ASSEMBLY BUSINESS COMMITTEE:
Final Report and Resolutions (to be tabled).
|
| |
|
CLOSE OF ASSEMBLY |