GA23: Day One Preview – Thursday 22 June 2023
Thursday marks the first full day of business at the 2023 General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. Ministers and elders from the Church’s 500-plus congregations across Ireland, along with corresponding members from home and overseas, will meet in General Assembly for worship, prayer, celebration, debate and discussion. It will close on the afternoon of Saturday, 24 June.
Business starts at 10am and continues into this evening, concluding at around 5.45pm. The General Assembly's Evening Celebration begins at 7.45pm.
You can attend the public gallery, or watch the livestream here.
One this page you will find:
- Business before the Assembly
- A description of the responsibilities of each Council
- Links to the Blue Book and full business schedule and
- other relevant information.
Meeting in Assembly Buildings in Belfast, the General Assembly is the all-Ireland denomination’s principle governing and decision-making body and the highest court of the Church. It opened the previous evening with the formal nomination, election and installation of the Moderator, Right Reverend Dr Sam Mawhinney of Adelaide Road Presbyterian Church in Dublin.
Dr Mawhinney is the 178th person to hold the office since the establishment of PCI in 1840 and the first minister in nearly a quarter of a century to come from a congregation in the Republic of Ireland since Rev Dr Trevor Morrow of Lucan Presbyterian Church in County Dublin was elected in the year 2000. Dr Mawhinney is the 10th Moderator to come from a congregation in the city since 1845.
Business will open at 10am with Dr Mawhinney taking the chair and will close at 5.45pm. The General Assembly’s Evening Celebration will take place from 7.45pm, the guest speaker is Rev Jonty Rhodes from Christ Church Central in Leeds.
Open to the public, the Assembly will close on the afternoon of Saturday, 25 June. Proceedings can be watched via the livestream, or in the public gallery.
Day One: Thursday’s business before the Assembly
The following reports will come before the General Assembly today:
- Initial Report of the General Assembly Business Committee
- Reports of Presbytery
- General Council (Section 1)
- Council for Social Witness
- Council for Public Affairs
- General Council (Section 2)
- General Council.
General Council
The General Council is PCI’s senior decision making body that takes any necessary decisions on behalf of the General Assembly between its meetings. The General Council has conducted its business through six General Assembly committees and seven task groups and two panels this year. Of all the Annual Reports before the General Assembly, the Report of the General Council is the longest, running to 207 pages out of the 406 in the Blue Book, which contains all the reports and resolutions before members.
To facilitate business during the week its report is divided into seven sections, with discussion and debate on its contents and resolutions taking place across the General Assembly’s 25 sessions. Sections 1 and 2 will be discussed today.
General Council Section 1:
- Introduction & Executive Summary
- Pastoral Leadership Task Group
- General Assembly Opening & installation of the Moderator Report
- Appointment of the Principal of Union Theological College.
Section 1 of Report and Resolutions 5-7 can be found on pages 1-25 and 401.
General Council Section 2:
- Doctrine Committee
- Statement of Faith and Order
- Virtual Communion
- Decision Making & Dissent Task Group
- Council for Social Witness
Section 2 of Report and Resolutions 8-12 can be found on pages 26-54 and 402.
Council for Social Witness
The General Assembly will also hear from the Council for Social Witness (CSW) and discuss its report and vote on its resolutions. The Council seeks to deliver an effective social witness through its social services on behalf of the Church and to the wider community in partnership with a number appropriate organisations.
With an operational budget of £10 million, the Council currently provides services for a diverse range of users across 17 locations in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, employing over 400 staff, providing 373 bed spaces while utilising the support of 200 volunteers.
These include the provision of residential, nursing, supported housing, respite and day care, along with a number of community-based programmes, specifically short-term supported accommodation to ex-offenders, a residential substance misuse treatment centre and short-term accommodation for people in early recovery who were homeless, or living in circumstances detrimental to their recovery.
Report and Resolutions can be found on pages 222-236 and 406.
Council for Public Affairs
Council for Public Affairs addresses current topical issues on which the Church seeks to have its voice heard clearly in the public square, it oversees the work of the Church on behalf of the General Assembly in this regard. The Council delivers its remit by developing PCI’s thinking in key areas of public policy and communicating the General Assembly’s views on important areas such as education, youth, children’s, social, moral and ethical issues. The General Assembly will discuss its report and vote on its resolutions.
Report and Resolutions can be found on pages 237-258 and 406-407.
Worship
Worship will also take place at 12.15 along with the Reception of Delegates.
Reception of Delegates
Following the first three items of today’s business the Moderator will receive the delegates from both local and overseas denominations. These include delegates from the Faculté Jean Calvin in France, Church of Central Africa Presbyterian in Malawi, Presbyterian Church of Myanmar and PAK Mission Society in Pakistan. The Moderator will also receive guests from the Methodist Church in Ireland, the Religious Society for Friends and the Irish Council of Churches, who will also address the Assembly. Following the reception of delegates worship will take place.
Evening Celebration – Confident in Christ
One of the highlights of each year’s General Assembly is the Evening Celebration - and this year is no exception, as it is a great time of praise, worship and fellowship. The theme for the evening is ‘Confident in Christ’ and is open to everyone, is free and there is no need to book.
PCI’s new Moderator, Rt Rev Dr Sam Mawhinney, will host the evening which will include, worship, scripture readings and prayer. He will also be joined by various colleagues from the Presbytery of Dublin and Munster, who will give a brief insight into its work.
Drawing everything together will be the evening’s keynote speaker, Rev Jonty Rhodes. He and his wife Georgina, live in Leeds with their five children. They came to the city to plant Christ Church Central in 2017, which began with about 15 people, and has grown to about 120.
Before the Evening Celebration, at 6pm there is a Fringe Event for Under 30s attending the General Assembly.
Today's business
NB Times in brackets may be anticpated times.
| 10am |
1.
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General Assembly Business Committee:
Initial Report and Resolutions 1-4 (pages 4-6 and 401)
|
| |
2.
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Reports of Presbyteries (pages 215-221)
|
| |
3.
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GENERAL COUNCIL: Section 1 of Report and Resolution 5-7 (pages 1-25 and 401)
Executive Summary and Introduction; Pastorial Leadership Task Group; General Assembly Opening and Installation of Moderator Report; Principal Appointment; Memorial Record
|
| 11.30 |
4.
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Reception of Corresponding Members and Delegates
- Dr Paul Wells - Faculté Jean Calvin, France
- Rev Dr Mwawi Chilongozi - General Secretary of the General Assembly of the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian, Malawi
- Rev Pek Muan Cuang - General Secretary of the Presbyterian Church of Myanmar
- Adeel Rehmat - Executive Director, PAK Mission Society, Pakistan
- Rev Dr Maqsood Kamil - Strategic Advisor, PAK Mission Society, Pakistan
|
| 12.15pm |
5.
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Worship
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| 1pm |
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Lunch
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| 2pm |
6.
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COUNCIL FOR SOCIAL WITNESS:
Report and Resolutions (pages 222-236 and 406)
|
| 2.45pm |
7.
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COUNCIL FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS:
Report and Resolutions (pages 237-258 and 406-407)
|
|
3.45pm
|
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Refreshment break
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| 4.15pm |
8.
|
GENERAL COUNCIL: Section 2 of Report and Resolutions 8-12 (pages 26-54 and 402)
Doctrine Committee; Brief Statement on Faith and Order; Virtual Communion; Decision Making and Dissent Task Group
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| 5.45pm |
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Dinner
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| 6pm |
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Under 30s Fringe Event
Come along to enjoy a free light tea and listen in on what a panel of Under 30’s are making of this year’s General Assembly.
More information and registration details to follow.
|
| 7.45pm |
9. |
Evening Celebration: Confident in Christ
Guest speaker - Rev Jonty Rhodes
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