Same-sex relationships in the ministry, solar panels on church roofs
and an incentive scheme for newly qualified ministers to go to rural
congregations are just some of the topics to be debated at the Church of
Scotland’s General Assembly.
On Saturday 21 May 2011 the General Assembly formally opened, with
Moderator Designate the Rev David Arnott succeeding current Moderator,
the Rt Rev John Christie.
The events take place in the Assembly Hall and New College on the Mound, in Edinburgh, Scotland's capital.
The General Assembly is the supreme court of the Church, and is its
annual national business meeting. It has the power to make laws and set
the agenda for the coming months or even years for the administrative
councils, committees and departments of the organisation.
Moderator Designate David Arnott, who has ministered in St Andrews,
Glasgow and the Lothians, commented: “This promises to be a very full
Assembly with several important issues for commissioners to decide."
He continued: “The topics at this year’s Assembly reflect how the
Church interacts with society. Several debates show the Church’s great
concern for those on the margins on our society.
“Several debates will concentrate on the constant need there is in
the Church to be re-examining how we can be ‘church’ in the 21st
century," he said.
“The showpiece event Roll Away the Stone in Princes Street Gardens,
on Sunday afternoon, will offer a wonderful opportunity to showcase so
much of what the church is about We hope Church members and passers-by
alike, will take time to enjoy this exciting event,” Arnott added.
Running from Saturday 21 to Friday 27 May inclusive, commissioners
will gather for worship and fellowship as well as deciding upon matters
of Church business.
Discussions on the first day include proposals on how the Church
should engage with the 90 per cent of the Scottish population who
currently do not attend worship.
There will be the usual morning services at St Giles’
Cathedral and Greyfriars Tolbooth, and an innovative event showcasing
the best of the Church of Scotland begins at 1pm in Edinburgh’s Princes
Street Gardens, which is free and open to all.
Commissioners will devote the Monday session to discussing the
Special Commission’s report and recommendations on same-sex
relationships and the ministry.
On Tuesday the Church’s social care arm CrossReach urged local
authorities not to cut vital funding despite difficult financial times
for all, as well as calling for prison visitor centres to be set up at
every Scottish jail.
The Church and Society Council will discuss the
role of young people in the Church, Scotland’s attitude to the
travelling community and how the internet is used in today’s society.
The following day, commissioners will hear the need for a change in
presbytery structure and the possibility of the devolution of certain
powers from the Church’s Edinburgh offices to a regional level from the
Panel on Review and Reform.
Two petitions from the Presbytery of Greenock and Paisley and the
Presbytery of Ayr will be considered on Thursday, appealing against the
Ministries Council 20:20 Vision scheme which was approved by last year’s
General Assembly.
The Council itself is bringing forward proposals for a new form of
ministry, an incentive scheme for newly qualified ministers to go to
remote rural parishes, and also proposes a special commission to
investigate the issue of tenure.
On the final day, commissioners will hear from the General Trustees,
who have commissioned a team from Heriot Watt University to investigate
the potential payback from solar panels on church roofs.
This year’s Lord High Commissioner, the Queen’s representative at the General Assembly, is Lord Wilson of Tillyorn.