General Assembly 2019 - Church of Scotland...66. Mrs Eleanor M Blair, Kirk of Calder 67. Mr Ian...

S A T U R D A Y 1 8 – F R I D A Y 2 4 M A Y

I. Assembly Office-Bearers &

Business Committee .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01

II. Index of Presbyteries .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 02

III. Roll of Commissioners .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 03

IV. Order of Business .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

V. Proposed Committees and Tellers .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

VI. Cases .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

VII. Reports and Supplementary Reports .. . . . . . . . . . . 39

VIII. Standing Orders .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

IX. Notices and Intimations .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

Free WiFi is available throughout the Assembly Hall

Network: General Assembly

Password: assembly2019

ORDER OF PROCEEDINGS

Tel: 0131 260 5220 Fax: 0131 260 5252E-mail: [email protected] Charity Number: SC011353

General Assembly 2019

NOTES1. The General Assembly stand

(a) When The Lord High Commissioner or the Moderator enters the Hall beforethe constitution of any Session;

(b) When Her Majesty’s Commission to The Lord High Commissioner and HerMajesty’s Letter to the General Assembly are read;

(c) When The Lord High Commissioner addresses the General Assembly,or the Moderator addresses The Lord High Commissioner; and

(d) When a distinguished visitor is brought into the Hall to addressthe General Assembly.

2. The General Assembly do not stand when The Lord High Commissioner retires fromthe Hall.

COMMISSIONERS’ TRAVELLING EXPENSES AND SUBSISTENCE EXPENSES

These are as listed on the Expenses Claim FormExpense Claim Forms will be received in the New College Foyer on:

Friday 24 May – 10.00 am to 3.00 pmor returned to the Principal Clerk’s Office within 21 days of the close of the General

Assembly

Voting Handsets and swipe cards must be returned to the Assembly Office or handedin with Expense Claim Forms as above in order for claims to be processed.

Expenses may only be claimed by Commissioners whe have recorded theirattendance at a minimum of 17 out of 21 sessions of the Assembly.

Order of Proceedings ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................

ASSEMBLY OFFICE-BEARERSTitle Name NoModerator Rt Rev Susan Brown * 845Moderator-Designate Rev Colin Sinclair * 846Chaplains Rev Timothy Sinclair * 847

Rev Andrew Anderson * 848Principal Clerk Rev Dr George J Whyte † 849Depute Clerk Ms Christine Paterson † 850Procurator Ms Laura Dunlop QC † 851Law Agent Miss Mary MacLeod † 852Precentor Rev Douglas GalbraithChief Steward Mr Alexander F GemmillAssembly Officer Mr William Mearns †Depute Assembly Officer Mrs Karen McKay †

BUSINESS COMMITTEEConvener Rev Fiona E Smith 853Vice-Convener Rev Donald McCorkindale 854

* Communications should be delivered to the Moderator’s Room, not to boxes. † Communications should be delivered to the Clerk’s Desk, not to boxes.

Order of Proceedings The Church of Scotland General Assembly 2019 01


Index of Presbyteries

31 Aberdeen 11 Irvine and Kilmarnock36 Abernethy30 Angus 6 Jedburgh

7 Annandale and Eskdale 49 Jerusalem12 Ardrossan19 Argyll 32 Kincardine and Deeside10 Ayr 25 Kirkcaldy

34 Buchan 13 Lanark44 Lewis

41 Caithness 38 Lochaber42 Lochcarron-Skye

18 Dumbarton 3 Lothian29 Dundee24 Dunfermline 4 Melrose and Peebles

8 Dumfries and Kirkcudbright 35 Moray27 Dunkeld and Meigle5 Duns 45 Orkney

28 Perth1 Edinburgh

47 England 39 Ross

22 Falkirk 26 St Andrews46 Shetland

16 Glasgow 23 Stirling33 Gordon 40 Sutherland14 Greenock and Paisley

43 Uist17 Hamilton

2 West Lothian48 International Charges 9 Wigtown and Stranraer37 Inverness

02 Order of Proceedings The Church of Scotland General Assembly 2019


Roll of Commssioners1. Presbytery of Edinburgh

Minister1. Rev James D Aitken, Edinburgh

Corstorphine St Ninian's2. Rev Peter I Barber, Edinburgh Gorgie

Dalry Stenhouse3. Very Rev Dr Russell Barr, Edinburgh

Cramond4. Rev Rolf H Billes, Edinburgh Colinton5. Very Rev Dr Derek Browning,

Edinburgh Morningside6. Rev James S Dewar, Edinburgh

Juniper Green7. Rev Dr Liam Fraser, Edinburgh

Campus Minister8. Rev Ian Y Gilmour, (Edinburgh)9. Rev Prof Susan Hardman Moore,

Edinburgh Principal of New College10. Very Rev James Harkness, (Chaplain

General)11. Rev Elizabeth M Henderson,

Edinburgh Richmond Craigmillar12. Rev Dr James A P Jack, Edinburgh

Duddingston13. Rev Gordon Kennedy, Edinburgh:

Criaglockhart14. Rev Peter J Macdonald, Edinburgh

Broughton St Mary's15. Rev Stephen Manners, Edinburgh St

Nicholas Sighthill16. Rev Iain May, Edinburgh Leith South17. Rev Alexander T McAspurren,

Edinburgh Leith North18. Rev Russell Mclarty, Edinburgh

Meadowbank19. Rev Marjory McPherson, Edinburgh

Presbytery Clerk20. Rev Ian A Moir, (Department of

National Mission)

21. Rev Peter Nelson, EdinburghSlateford Longstone

22. Rev Sheena Orr, Edinburgh PrisonChaplain

23. Rev Norman A Smith, EdinburghGranton

24. Very Ref Prof Iain R Torrance Kt,President Emeritus, PrincetonTheological Seminary

25. Rev George Vidits, Edinburgh StStephen's Comely Bank

26. Rev Nigel Watson, (East KilbrideStewartfield New ChargeDevelopment)

27. Rev Dr Stewart G Weaver, Edinburgh:Portobello and Joppa

28. Rev Dr John N Young, Edinburgh:Gracemount l/w Liberton

Elder29. Mr John M Ballantine, Edinburgh: St

Stephen's Comely Bank30. Sir Ewan Brown, Edinburgh Mayfield

Salisbury31. Dr Gavin Brydone, Edinburgh

Canongate32. Lady Bridget Coulsfield, Edinburgh St

Cuthbert's33. Dr John Crispin, Edinburgh

Murrayfield34. Mr Michael Cunliffe, Edinburgh St

Andrew's & St George's West35. Mr J Guy Douglas, Queensferry36. Dr Alison Elliot, Edinburgh Greyfriars37. Mr Jo Elliot, Edinburgh Greyfriars38. Mr John Hodge, Edinburgh Newhaven39. Ms Dee D Hunter, Ratho40. Mrs Caroline Kehoe, Edinburgh

Greenbank41. Mr Bill Kerr, Edinburgh Carrick

Knowe



42. Prof Herbert A Kerrigan, EdinburghGreyfriars

43. Miss Rose N Kumbanga, EdinburghMorningside United

44. Mr Alasdair J Mackenzie, EdinburghColinton

45. Mrs Barbara Mcintyre, EdinburghDrylaw

46. Mrs Betty McLean, EdinburghWillowbrae

47. Mrs Isabel McNabb, EdinburghGreenside

48. Ms Sheila Minty, EdinburghCorstorphine St Ninian's

49. Mr Ian Murray, Edinburgh Priestfield50. Mrs Margaret Nimmo, Edinburgh

Willowbrae51. Mr Hugh Paterson, Edinburgh Barclay

Viewforth52. Mr Douglas Robertson, Edinburgh

Gracemount53. Mrs Heather Seggie, Edinburgh St

Nicholas Sighthill54. Captain Richard A Smith, Edinburgh

Broughton St Mary's55. Mr Thomas C Watson, Edinburgh

Corstorphine St Anne's56. Mr Ross Wilkinson, Edinburgh

Inverleith St Serf'sDeacon57. Mr Mark Evans, Edinburgh Head of

Spiritual Care – NHS Fife58. Miss Agnes M Rennie, Edinburgh St

Martin's2. Presbytery of West Lothian

Minister59. Rev Dr Nelu Balaj, Livingston: Old60. Rev Alistair Cowper, Kirknewton and

East Calder61. Rev Dr Rhona Dunphy, Ministries

Support Officer, Ministries Council

62. Rev John M Povey, Kirk of Calder63. Rev Scott Raby, Fauldhouse: St.

Andrew's64. Rev Thomas S Riddell, Linlithgow St

Michael's65. Rev Duncan Shaw, Bathgate St John'sElder66. Mrs Eleanor M Blair, Kirk of Calder67. Mr Ian Fowell, Linlithgow: St.

Michael's68. Mr J Peter Kershaw, Pardovan,

Kingscavil and Winchburgh69. Mrs Lynne McEwen, Strathbrock70. Mrs Janice McFarlane, Kirknewton

and East Calder71. Mrs Grace J Millward, Livingston: Old72. Miss Agnes Waddell, Fauldhouse: St.

Andrew's3. Presbytery of Lothian

Minister73. Very Rev Dr John B Cairns, Aberlady

with Gullane74. Rev Andrew Don, Newton75. Rev Kenneth W Donald, Cockenzie

and Port Seton: Chalmers Memorial76. Rev Alexander G Horsburgh,

Dalkeith: St Nicholas Buccleuch77. Rev Chris H Kellock, Army Chaplain78. Rev Dr A Leslie Milton, Musselburgh:

St Andrew's High79. Rev Aniko Schuetz Bradwell, Humbie

with Yester, Bolton and Saltoun80. Rev David D Scott, Traprain81. Rev Lorna M Souter, Cockpen and

Carrington with Lasswade andRosewell

82. Rev Elisabeth G B Spence, PioneerMinister

83. Rev Michael D Watson, DeputyPresbytery Clerk



84. Rev Erica M Wishart, TranentElder85. Mr John Adamson, Cockpen and

Carrington86. Mrs Dianne Beatson, Musselburgh: St

Andrew's High87. Mr Kenneth G Bentley, Dalkeith: St

John's and King's Park88. Mr Christopher J Dixon, Prestonpans:

Prestongrange89. Mrs Margaret Findlay, Dalkeith: St

Nicholas Buccleuch90. Mr John Greig, Tranent91. Mr Ivor A Highley, Musselburgh: St

Clement's and St Ninian's92. Mr T Finlay Marshall, Yester, Bolton

and Saltoun93. Mr John D McCulloch, Presbytery

Clerk94. Mrs Alison Meikle, Haddington: St

Mary's95. Mr Andrew Renwick, Lasswade and

Rosewell96. Mr John Wilson, Dalkeith: St Nicholas

Buccleuch4. Presbytery of Melrose and Peebles

Minister97. Very Rev David Arnott, (St Andrews:

Hope Park with Strathkinness)98. Rev Malcolm S Jefferson, Lyne and

Manor w St Andrew's Leckie, Peebles99. Rev Victoria J Linford, Stow St Mary

of Wedale & Heriot100. Very Rev Dr Finlay Macdonald,

(Principal Clerk)101. Rev Malcolm M Macdougall,

Eddleston w Peebles Old102. Rev James H Wallace, (Ettrick and

Yarrow)Elder103. Mr John Dimmock, St Andrews Leckie

104. Mrs Jane Gillham, Stobo andDrumelzier

105. Mrs Isobel Hunter, Skirling106. Mrs Nora Hunter, Ettrick and Yarrow107. Mr Ronald McQuat, Stow & Heriot108. Mrs Lindsay Wilson, Ettrick and

Yarrow5. Presbytery of Duns

Minister111. Rev Andy Haddow, Coldingham & St.

Abbs linked with Eyemouth112. Rev Mike Taylor, Chirnside l/w

Hutton and Fishwick and PaxtonElder113. Mrs Carrie Haddow, Coldingham &

St. Abbs linked with Eyemouth114. Mrs Janet Shearer, Duns and District

Parishes6. Presbytery of Jedburgh

Minister115. Rev Alistair W Cook, Hawick St

Mary's & Old w Hawick Teviot &Robertson

116. Rev Anna S Rodwell, Kelso North &Ednam

117.Elder118. Mr R Scott Elliot, Hawick: Burnfoot119. Miss Helen Howden, Hobkirk l/w

Ruberslaw120. Mr Stuart Kelly, Cheviot7. Presbytery of Annandale and Eskdale

Minister121. Rev Eric T Dempster, Lockerbie

Dryfesdale, Hutton and Corrie122. Rev Duncan J Macpherson, HM Forces

Chaplain123. Rev John G Pickles, Annan St

Andrews l/w Brydekirk



124. Rev David Whiteman, Annan OldLinked with Dornock

Elder125. Miss Susan Bicket, Annan Old126. Mrs Susan Jackson, Dalton and

Hightae127. Mr Adam John Moffat, Hoddam

Kirtle Eaglesfield and Middlebie128. Mrs Janice Moore, Border KirkDeacon129. Mrs Angela Brydson, Presbytery

Deacon8. Presbytery of Dumfries and

KirkcudbrightMinister130. Rev Alison Burnside, Bengairn with

Castle Douglas131. Rev John Collard, Kirkcudbright132.133. Rev John Notman, Dumfries:

Troqueer134. Rev Gary J Peacock, Irongray

Lochrutton & Terregles135. Rev Sally M F Russell, Corsock &

Kirkpatrick Durham w Crossmichael,Parto

Elder136. Mrs Sheila Bishop, Castle Douglas137. Mrs Mary Burney, Corsock and

Kirkpatrick Durham138. Mr Stewart McKean, Urr139. Mrs Cath A Monk, Crossmichael,

Parton and Balmaghie140. Mr Jack Tait, Closeburn141. Mr David Townsend, Dumfries:

Northwest9. Presbytery of Wigtown and Stranraer

Minister142. Rev Eric Boyle, Kirkcowan l/w

Wigtown

143. Rev Edward D Lyons, Penninghame,St. John

144. Rev Christopher Wallace, Kirkmaidenl/w Stoneykirk

Elder145. Mr Martin Marsh, Kirkcowan l/w

Stoneykirk146. Mrs Jane Pitcher, Penninghame, St.

John147. Mr Sam Scobie, Presbytery Clerk

10. Presbytery of AyrMinister148. Rev Lynsey Brennan, Dundonald149. Rev Kenneth C Elliott, Prestwick

South / Craigie Symington150. Rev Morag Garrett, Ochiltree / Stair151. Rev Brian Hendrie, Ayr - St Leonards /

Dalrymple152. Rev James Hogg, OLM153. Rev Ian Paterson, (Linlithgow: St

Michael's)154. Rev John W Paterson, Old Cumnock:

Old l/w Lugar155. Rev Robert Pickles, Crosshill /

Maybole156. Rev David Prentice-Hyers, Troon: Old157. Rev Ian Wiseman, Prestwick KingcaseElder158. Mrs Jean Barclay, Dalmellington159. Mr Alan Bruce, Ayr: St Leonard's160. Mr Brian Duncan, Troon: Old161. Mr David Hume, Alloway162. Mr Gordon S Macdonald, Prestwick

Kingcase163. Mrs Agnes McTurk, Stair164. Mrs Isabell A Montgomerie,

Ochiltree165. Mrs Lorna Paterson, Ayr: St Columba



166. Mrs Margery G Paterson, OldCumnock: Old

167.11. Presbytery of Irvine and Kilmarnock

Minister168. Rev H Taylor Brown, Presbytery Clerk169. Rev David S Cameron, Kilmarnock:

New Laigh Kirk170. Very Rev William C Hewitt, (Clerk to

the Presbytery of Glasgow)171. Very Rev Dr David W Lacy,

(Kilmarnock Kay Park Parish Church)172. Rev Fiona E Maxwell, Kilmarnock Kay

Park Parish Church173. Rev Gavin A Niven, Stewarton John

Knox174. Rev Colin A Strong, Fenwick175. Rev Kim Watt, Irvine OldElder177. Dr Robin R Burnett, Irvine Fullarton178. Mr Colin Cameron, Irvine Old179. Mr Graeme Cameron, Newmilns

Loudoun180. Mrs Jane Johnston, Kilmarnock:

Riccarton181. Miss Fiona McBride, Crosshouse182. Mr Thomson McKenzie, Irvine Old183. Mrs Davina Scrimgeour, Stewarton

John Knox184. Mr George Seaton, Fenwick

12. Presbytery of ArdrossanMinister185. Rev R. Angus Adamson, Brodick w

Corrie w Lochranza & Pirnmill wShiskine

186. Rev Hilary Beresford, KilwinningMansefield Trinity

187. Rev Roderick I T Macdonald, BeithParish Church

188. Rev Sarah Nicol, Saltcoats StCuthberts

189. Rev Mandy Ralph, Largs ClarkeMemorial

190. Rev Tanya Webster, Ardrossan ParkElder191. Mrs Hazel Allan, Ardrossan Park192. Mrs Jennifer Fox, Ardrossan &

Saltcoats Kirkgate193. Miss Jan Houston, Dalry Trinity194. Mrs Jean Hunter, Presbytery Clerk195. Mr John Lewis, Largs St Columbas196. Mr Magnus M B Ross, Largs Clark

Memorial13. Presbytery of Lanark

Minister197. Rev Michael Fucella, Biggar w Black

Mount198. Rev Paul G R Grant, Law199. Rev Bryan Kerr, Presbytery Clerk200. Rev Louise E Mackay, Lanark St

Nicholas201. Rev George Shand, the Tinto ParishesElder202. Mrs Anna P Aitken, Coalburn and

Lesmahagow Old203. Mr Alan M Grant, Coalburn and

Lesmahagow Old204. Mrs Janette M Mason, Law205. Mr Robin M Murdoch, Lanark: St.

Nicholas206. Mr Cameron D Sutherland, Biggar

14. Presbytery of Greenock & PaisleyMinister207. Rev William R Armstrong,

(Skelmorlie & Wemyss Bay)208. Rev David Burt, Gourock Old &

Ashton



209. Rev James Cowan, Barrhead StAndrew's

210. Rev Peter Gill, Paisley WallneukNorth

211. Rev Pamela Gordon, BarrheadBourock

212. Rev Kenneth Gray, Bridge of WeirFreeland

213. Very Rev Dr Lorna Hood, (RenfrewNorth)

214. Rev Hanneke Marshall, Bridge ofWeir St Machar's Ranfurly

215. Rev Dr Peter McEnhill, KilmacolmOld

216. Rev John Murning, Paisley SherwoodGreenlaw

217. Rev Gary Noonan, Houston &Killellan

218. Rev Teri Peterson, Gourock St John's219. Rev Stephen Smith, Kilbarchan Parish

Church220. Rev Alan Sorensen, Greenock

Wellpark Mid Kirk855.Elder221. Mr Derek Bisset, Paisley Wallneuk

North222. Mr Alistair Boyd, Paisley St Mark's

Oldhall223. Mr Kenneth Carmichael, Paisley St

Lukes224. Mrs Elspeth Cochrane, Barrhead St

Andrew's225. Mrs Anne Considine, Neilston226. Mrs Fiona Cumming, Langbank227. Dr Graeme Harris, Bridge of Weir

Freeland228. Mr James Jack, Paisley Martyrs'

Sandyford229. Miss Anne Love, Gourock St John's

230. Mr Jack McHugh, Bridge of WeirFreeland

231. Mrs Ann Mcleod, Kilbarchan232. Mr James Pettinger, KilMacOlm St

Columba233. Mrs Patricia Robertson, Greenock

Westburn234. Mr Denis Wadsworth, Elderslie235. Mr Jack Winch, Renfrew North

16. Presbytery of GlasgowMinister236. Rev David R Black, Glasgow

Pollokshields237.238. Rev Dr Richard G Buckley, Glasgow

Trinity Possil and Henry Drummond239. Rev Daniel J M Carmichael, Lenzie

Union240. Rev George S Cowie, Glasgow:

Presbytery Clerk241. Rev Marian Cowie, (Aberdeen

Midstocket Parish Church)242. Rev Stuart J Crawford, Newton

Mearns243. Rev Adam J Dillon, Kirkintilloch St

David's Memorial Park244. Rev Dr Valerie J Duff, Glasgow

Shawlands Trinity245. Rev Alexander M Fraser, Glasgow

Knightswood St Margarets246. Rev Dr Douglas Gay, University

Chaplain247. Rev Tara Granados, Glasgow Ibrox248. Rev Roy J M Henderson, Glasgow

Pollokshaws249. Rev David P Hood, Chaplain Marie

Curie250. Rev Jane M Howitt, Glasgow St

Rollox



251. Rev Howard R Hudson, GlasgowBridgeton St Francis in the East

252. Rev Bob Johnston, Kilsyth Burns andOld

253. Rev Margaret H Johnston, GlasgowKinning Park

254. Rev H Martin J Johnstone, Secretary:Church & Society Council

255. Rev Joseph A Kavanagh, Mearns256. Rev Dr Scott R M Kirkland, Maxwell

Mearns Castle257. Very Rev Dr David W Lunan,

(Presbytery Clerk)258. Rev John B MacGregor, Cadder259. Rev George C Mackay, Glasgow

Broomhill Hyndland260. Rev Iain MacLeod, OLM: Glasgow

Presbytery261. Rev Mark Malcolm, Chryston262. Rev Janet S Mathieson, Williamwood263. Rev Louise J E McClements, Lenzie

Old264. Rev Gavin McFadyen, Glasgow

Cardonald265. Rev Eleanor McMahon, Glasgow

Govan & Linthouse266. Rev Dr John McPake, Church of

Scotland Ecumenical Officer267. Rev Muriel B Pearson, Glasgow

Cranhill268. Rev Jeanne N Roddick, Greenbank269. Rev Bruce H Sinclair, Glasgow

Jordanhill270. Rev David G Slater, Gartcosh w

Glenboig271. Rev Prof Roger D Sturrock, Glasgow:

Kelvinside Hillhead & Wellington272. Rev Graham M Thain, Glasgow St

David's Knightswood

273. Rev G Melvyn Wood, GlasgowBlawarthill

Elder274. Ms Margaret Alexander, Glasgow:

Cranhill275. Mrs Irene Allison, Glasgow:

Kelvinside Hillhead276. Mr Graeme D I Barrie, Easterhouse277. Mr Ralph P Boettcher, Glasgow:

Merrylea278. Mrs Christina L Brownlie, Glasgow:

Cardonald279. Mrs Alison Cairns, Glasgow Ibrox280. Mrs Helen Carnochan, Glasgow

Gairbraid281. Mrs Valerie Ewart, Glasgow:

Gartcosh282. Mrs Alison Fenton, Glasgow:

Giffnock South283. Mr Andrew Ferguson, Fernhill &

Cathkin284. Mr George Ford, Glasgow Eastwood285. Mr Ewan Gourlay, Glasgow Cathcart

Trinity286. Mr Leslie H Hooper, Glasgow:

Shettleston New287. Mr David Howard, Giffnock

Orchardhill288. Mrs Helen Howard, Greenbank289. Mr David Hutton, Giffnock: The Park290. Mr Raymond Jenkins, Glasgow: King's

Park291. Mrs Carol Johnston, Kirkintilloch

Hillhead292. Mr Duncan Logie, Glasgow:

Wellington293. Mr Gordon J MacFarlane, Glasgow:

Clincarthill294. Mr Andrew Mackenzie, Glasgow:

Bishopbriggs Springfield Cambridge



295. Mrs Fiona Matheson, Glasgow:Croftfoot

296. Mrs Isabel McDerment, Glasgow:Scotstoun

297. Mrs Janette McFarlane, Kilsyth Burns& Old

298. Miss Maureen McNabb, Glasgow:Cardonald

299. Mrs Irene Munro, Newton Mearns300. Mr Graham Murray, Torrance301. Dr Garry K Osbourne, Sandyford

Henderson Memorial302. Mr John H Stuart, Glasgow:

Kelvinbridge303. Mrs Helen Sturrock, Glasgow:

Wellington304. Prof Hazel Watson, Glasgow:

Jordanhill305. Mr Andrew Wilkin, Kirkintilloch St

David's Memorial Park306. Mr James Williams, Glasgow:

Clincarthill307. Mr Neil Young, Glasgow: St Paul's308. Ms Elsie Donald, Glasgow: Govan and

Linthouse309. Miss Irene Kay, Glasgow: Rutherglen

Old832. Mr Robert MacDonald, Glasgow:

Yoker856.Deacon310. Mr J Paul Cathcart, Glasgow:

Castlemilk311. Ms Joanna Love, Deacon: Glasgow

Presbytery17. Presbytery of Hamilton

Minister312. Rev Graham Austin, Cleland l/w

Wishaw St Mark's

313. Rev Gavin W Black, MotherwellCrosshill

314. Rev Ross Blackman, Hamilton Old315. Rev John Brewster, East Kilbride

Greenhills316. Rev Bryce Calder, Motherwell St

Mary's317. Rev Dr W John Carswell, Hamilton

Cadzow318. Rev Stewart J Cutler, Stonehouse St

Ninian's LEP319. Rev Robert M Kent, (Hamilton: St

John's)320. Rev Murdo C Macdonald, Blantyre

Livingstone Memorial l/w Blantyre:St Andrew's

321. Rev Kevin MacKenzie, East KilbrideWestwood

322. Rev Terence C Moran, Wishaw South323. Rev Fiona Nicolson, Coatbridge New

St Andrew's324. Rev Anne Paton, East Kilbride Old325. Rev Christopher A Rankine, Hamilton

Hillhouse326. Rev Hanna Rankine, Airdrie Clarkston327. Rev Sarah L Ross, Blantyre Old328. Very Rev Dr Hugh R Wyllie,

(Hamilton: Old)Elder329. Mr David S Alexander, Uddingston

Viewpark330. Mr James M Brown, Blantyre St

Andrew's331. Miss Elizabeth Buchanan, Motherwell

Crosshill332. Mrs Wilma Davidson, Airdrie New

Wellwynd333. Mrs Aileen Hannah, Motherwell

South334. Mrs Lynette Jardine, Uddingtson: Old



335. Mr David Kennedy, Airdrie High336. Mr Alistair Macrae, Hamilton

Cadzow337. Mr Craig W Mains, Cleland338. Mrs Brenda McCrae, East Kilbride

Moncreiff339. Mr Archibald McGowan, Shotts

Calderhead Erskine340. Mrs May McNeil, Holytown341. Mr Stewart McNeil, Holytown342. Mr Douglas Pearson, Uddingston

Burnhead343. Mr George Robertson, Hamilton Old344. Ms Zandra Swan, Bellshill Central345. Mr Andrew Williamson, Blantyre St

Andrew's18. Presbytery of Dumbarton

Minister346. Very Rev John C Christie, Glasgow:

Broomhill-Hyndland347. Rev Roderick G Hamilton, Bearsden

New Kilpatrick348. Rev Tina Kemp, Helensburgh Parish

Church w Rhu and Shandon349. Rev Dr Ian K McEwan, Bearsden

Baljaffray350. Rev Gregor McIntyre, Clydebank

Faifley351. Rev Norma Moore, Dumbarton:

Riverside352. Rev Ruth H B Morrison, Clydebank

Waterfront w Dalmuir Barclay353. Rev Ramsay B Shields, Milngavie St

Luke's354. Rev Graeme R Wilson, Bearsden

Cross355. Rev David T Young, Helensburgh

Parish Church w Rhu and Shandon

Elder356. Mr Alexander Anderson, Bearsden:

Westerton Fairlie Memorial357. Mrs Christine Cavanagh, Bearsden:

Killermont358. Mrs Janice Dinning, Dalmuir: Barclay359. Mr Robert M Kinloch, Jamestown360. Mr James Morris, Old Kilpatrick

Bowling361. Mrs Fiona Nicolson, Bearsden: New

Kilpatrick362. Dr David Pollard, Arrochar363. Miss Fiona Sinclair, Clydebank:

Waterfront364. Mrs Elizabeth Stewart, Dalmuir

Barclay365. Mr Neil Turnbull, Helensburgh

19. Presbytery of ArgyllMinister366. Rev Dr Iain Barclay, Appin l/w

Lismore367. Rev Dr Roderick D Campbell, West

Lochfyneside368. Rev David Carruthers, Ardrishaig w

South Knapdale369. Rev Dr Robert K Mackenzie, Upper

Cowal370. Rev David Mitchell, Kilfinan w

Kilmodan and Colintraive w Kyles371. Rev Tom Telfer, Kilchrenan &

Dalavich l/w Muckairn372.373.374.Elder375. Mr Douglas Allan, United Church of

Bute376. Mrs Morag Allan, United Church of

Bute



377. Mrs Alison Hay, Cumlodden,Lochfyneside & Lochgair

378. Mr Stephen Hunter, Ardrishaig379. Miss Margaret H Jacobsen,

Lochgilphead380. Mrs Anne Parkhouse, Kilcalmonell381. Ms Marilyn Shedden, Killean &

KIlchenzie382. Mrs Elizabeth Speirs, Rothesay Trinity383. Mr Martin Waddell, Kilbrandon &

Kilchattan22. Presbytery of Falkirk

Minister384. Very Rev Albert O Bogle, Pioneer

Minister, Sanctuary First385. Rev Scott W Burton, Brightons386. Rev G.F (Erick) F du Toit, Associate

Minister, Camelon387. Rev Dr J M Henderson, Laurieston

with Redding & Westquarter388. Rev George MacDonald,

Bonnybridge: St Helen's389. Rev Monica Macdonald, Slammanan390. Rev Elspeth McKay, Cumbernauld

Old391. Rev Marion Perry, Blackbraes &

Shieldhill with Muiravonside392. Rev Andrew Sarle, Falkirk: Bainsford393. Rev Grace Saunders, Cumbernauld:

Condorrat394. Rev Deborah L van Welie, Polmont

Old395. Rev Anne W White, Grahamston

United LEPElder396. Mr Kelvin Cairns, Larbert East397. Mr Edward Colliar, Grangemouth:

Abbotsgrange398. Mrs Jennifer Esplin, Dunipace

399. Mr John Haston, GrangemouthAbbotsgrange

400. Mr Ian W McLean, Polmont Old401. Miss Sarah Patrick, Falkirk Trinity402. Mr Douglas Pennie, Grahamston

United403. Mr John Robertson, Muiravonside404. Mr Iain Scoular, Larbert Old405. Mr Ivar Struthers, Cumbernauld Old406. Mr John Thomson, Grangemouth:

Zetland Secretary, Committee onChaplains to HM Forces

407. Mrs Marjory Williamson,Cumbernauld Abronhill

Deacon408. Miss Valerie Cuthbertson,

Cumbernauld Old23. Presbytery of Stirling

Minister409. Rev Dorothy U Anderson, Alloa

Ludgate410. Rev Alison E P Britchfield, Tillicoultry411. Rev Scott Brown, Buchlyvie l/w

Gartmore412. Rev Murdo Campbell, Strathblane413. Rev Sang Y Cha, Alloa St Mungo's414. Rev Iain Goring, Dollar l/w

Glendevon l/w Muckhart415. Rev Ruth Halley, Logie416. Rev Barry Hughes, Stirling St Mark's417. Rev Jeffrey Mccormick, Callander418. Rev Alan F Miller, Stirling Church of

The Holy Rude w Stirling Viewfield419. Rev Elizabeth M Robertson,

Bannockburn: LadywellElder420. Mr Bruce Anderson, Dunblane

Cathedral



421. Mr Iain Breakenridge, Port ofMenteith

422. Mrs Meriel Cairns, Muckhart423. Mr Daniel Gunn, Aberfoyle424. Mr Keith Hyam, Strathblane425. Ms Caroline Irvine, Gartmore426. Miss Dorothy C Kinloch, Callander427. Mrs Helen McGregor, Bannockburn:

Ladywell428. Mrs Margaret McKenzie, Stirling: St

Mark's429. Mrs Elaine Scott, Tillicoultry430. Mrs Hazel Turnbull, LogieDeacon431. Mrs Jean T Porter, Stirling: St Mark's

24. Presbytery of DunfermlineMinister432. Very Rev Dr John Chalmers, (Principal

Clerk)433. Rev Debbie Dobby, Beath &

Cowdenbeath North434. Rev Elizabeth A Fisk, Culross &

Torryburn435. Rev Dr Iain M Greenshields,

Dunfermline St Margaret's436. Very Rev Dr Andrew R C McLellan,

(Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector ofPrisons)

437. Rev Monika Redman, Dunfermline StLeonard's

438. Rev MaryAnn R Rennie, DunfermlineAbbey

439. Rev Michael Weaver, DunfermlineGillespie Memorial

Elder440. Mr James Adamson, Dunfermline St

Margarets441. Mrs Aileen Christie, Dunfermline:

Gillespie

442. Miss Ina Dodds, Culross andTorryburn

443. Mrs Lorraine E Fraser, DunfermlineAbbey

444. Mrs Elizabeth Grant, Rosyth445. Mr John Jones, Beath & Cowdenbeath

North446. Mrs Sheila Leel, Dunfermline: St

Leonard's447. Mrs Barbara Leppard, Dunfermline:

St Leonard'sDeacon448. Mrs Pamela Scott, Lochgelly Benarty:

St Serf's25. Presbytery of Kirkcaldy

Minister449. Rev Lynn Brady, Dysart St Clair450. Rev Gillian Paterson, Wellesley451. Rev Marc A Prowe, Auchtertool w

Kirkcaldy Linktown452. Rev James Reid, Kinghorn453. Rev Justin Taylor, Kirkcaldy:

Abbotshall454.Elder455. Mrs Sheena S T Briggs, Glenrothes: St

Ninians456. Mrs Ena Hudson, Kirkcaldy

Abbotshall457. Mrs Jenny Mcleod, Kirkcaldy:

Abbotshall458. Mr Gordon Thomson, Kirkcaldy:

Torbain459.460.Deacon461. Mrs Jacqueline Thomson, Buckhaven

& Wemyss



26. Presbytery of St AndrewsMinister462. Rev Gavin Boswell, Largo Parish

Church463. Rev Dr Amos Chewachong, Newport-

On-Tay464. Rev Dr James Connolly, Balmerino w

Wormit465. Rev John Duncan, Leuchars St

Athernase466. Rev William F Hunter, Howe of Fife467. Rev Jeffrey Martin, Cupar Old Linked

with Monimail468. Rev Allan McCafferty, St Andrews

Hope Park and Martyrs wStrathkinness

Elder469. Mrs Merlyn Ball, Largo Parish470. Mr Kenneth Fraser, St Andrews:Hope

Park and Martyrs Church471. Mr Ewan Macleod, Balmerino472. Mrs Jean Martin, Cupar Old Church473. Mrs Liz Slattery, Edenshead Church474. Mr Richard Trewern, Leuchars: St

Athernase475. Mr John Wilson, Howe of Fife

27. Presbytery of Dunkeld and MeigleMinister476. Rev Anne Brennan, Fortingall &

Glenlyon w Kenmore & Lawers477. Rev Annegret Ewart-Roberts,

Kinclaven w Caputh & Clunie478. Rev R. Fraser Penny, Dunkeld Parish

Church479. Rev Grace M F Steele, Blair Atholl

and Struan w Braes of Rannoch wFoss

Elder480. Mrs Margaret Conroy, Blairgowrie

481. Mrs Kathryn Conway, Fortingall &Glenlyon

482. Dr David Frame, Pitlochry483. Ms Wendy Stewart, Ardler, Kettins &

MeigleDeacon484. Mrs Sheila Wallace,

28. Presbytery of PerthMinister485. Rev Scott Burton, Perth: St Matthews486. Rev Dr Klaus O F Buwert, Muthill487. Rev J Colin Caskie, (Presbytery Clerk)488. Rev Graham W Crawford, Perth:

Kinnoull489. Rev Adrian J Lough, Auchtergaven &

Moneydie Lw Redgorton & Stanley490. Very Rev Dr Angus Morrison, Orwell

and Portmoak491. Rev Alan D Reid, Kinross492. Rev David C Searle, (Warden:

Rutherford House)493. Very Rev Dr James A Simpson,

(Dornoch: Cathedral)494. Rev James C Stewart, Perth: Letham

St Mark's495. Rev Kenneth D Stott, Perth: NorthElder496. Mrs Fiona Alexander, Perth: Kinnoull497. Mrs Sally Bonnar, Perth: North498. Mr Neil Bremner, Mid Strathearn499. Miss Marjorie Clark, Perth: St

Matthews500. Mr Thomas Drennan, Auchtergaven

& Moneydie Lw Redgorton & Stanley501. Mr Hugh L Mackenzie, Perth: Craigie

and Moncreiffe502. Mr Maxwell C G Moir, Scone and St

Martins503. Mrs Inez A Robinson, Muthill



504. Dr Dot A Weaks, Perth: North505. Mr Douglas Wiseman, Perth: Kinnoull506. Mr Raymond Young, Aberuthven and

DunningDeacon507. Miss Patricia M Munro, (Perth: St

John's Kirk of Perth)29. Presbytery of Dundee

Minister508. Rev Cathy Brodie, Dundee: Fintry

(OLM)509. Rev Dr Roderick J Grahame, Dundee:

Lochee510. Rev Dr Johnathon Humphrey,

Dundee: Chalmers Ardler511. Rev Alisa McDonald, Dundee:

Barnhill St Margaret's512. Rev Emma McDonald, Dundee: St

David's High Kirk513. Rev Edith F McMillan, (Dundee:

Craigiebank Lw Douglas & MidCraigie)

514. Rev Stewart McMillan, Dundee:Strathmartine

515. Rev Robert J Ramsay, (Invergowrie)516. Rev Caroline Taylor, (Leuchars St

Athernase)Elder517. Mrs Mary Binnie, Dundee: Balgay518. Miss Margaret C Coutts, Trinity519. Mrs Catherine Havranek, Abernyte520. Mr David MacDougall, Fintry521. Mrs Barbara MacFarlane, Dundee:

The Steeple522. Mr David Muir Wood, Monikie &

Newbigging and Murroes & Tealing523. Mr David J B Murie, Dundee:

Broughty Ferry St James'524. Mr Gordon Sharp, Dundee: West

525. Mr Tim Xenophontos-Hellen,Dundee: St Andrew's

Deacon526. Mr Lewis Rose

30. Presbytery of AngusMinister527. Rev Brian Dingwall, Arbirlot l/w

Carmyllie528. Rev Dr Martin Fair, Arbroath St

Andrew's529. Rev Dr Karen M Fenwick, Forfar

Lowson Memorial530. Rev Michael S Goss, Barry l/w

Carnoustie531. Rev Maggie Hunt, Forfar St

Margaret's532. Rev Dr Ian A McLean, Montrose Old

& St Andrew's533. Rev Dolly Purnell, Arbroath Old &

AbbeyElder534. Mrs Irene Gillies, Brechin Cathedral535. Mrs Elizabeth Kidd, Brechin Gardner

Memorial536. Mrs Elaine McLean, Montrose Old &

St Andrew's537. Mrs Helen McLeod, Forfar St

Margaret's538. Mr Neil R Purnell, Arbroath Old &

Abbey539. Mrs Ray Spalding, Montrose Old & St

Andrew's540. Mr Ian Wilson, Aberlemno

31. Presbytery of AberdeenMinister541. Rev Gordon T Craig, Oil and Gas

Chaplain542. Rev Duncan C Eddie, Holburn West543. Rev Dr Edmond Gatima, Torry St

Fittick's



544. Rev Peter (James) N Johnston,Ferryhill

545. Rev Louis Kinsey, St Columbas Bridgeof Don

546. Rev Kenneth L Petrie, Craigiebuckler547. Rev Scott M Rennie, Queen's Cross548. Rev Dr Brian S Sheret, (Drumchapel

Drumry St Mary's)549. Rev Susan J Sutherland, Aberdeen

Mastrick550. Rev Mary (Patricia) M Whittaker,

Aberdeen St John's for the Deaf andthe North of Scotland

Elder551. Miss Alice Merrilees, Kirk of St

Nicholas Uniting552. Mrs Jane E Dargie, Craigiebuckler553. Mrs Hazel Hewitt, St Nicholas South

of Kincorth554. Mrs Mary S Notman, Ferryhill555. Ms Judith J H Pearson, Queen's Cross556. Mr Alexander Riddell, St Machar's

Cathedral557. Mrs Hilda O Smith, Garthdee558. Mrs Betty A Steel, St Mark's559. Mr Malcolm A Steel, St Mark's560. Mr William D Sutherland, Mastrick32. Presbytery of Kincardine and DeesideMinister561. Rev David Barr, Glenmuick562. Rev Hugh Conkey, Newtonhill563. Rev Norman Lennox - Trewren, (West

Mearns (OLM))564. Rev Dr Alan Murray, Banchory Ternan

East565. Rev Amy Pierce, Birse and FeughsideElder566. Mr David Galbraith, Presbytery MAV

Convener

567. Mr Colin Guy, (Mid Deeside)568. Mrs Jean C M Haslam, (Birse and

Feughside)569. Mr William McCrae, (Portlethen)570. Mrs Hazel Paterson, (Stonehaven:

Dunnottar)33. Presbytery of Gordon

Minister571. Rev Dr John A Cook, Howe Trinity572. Rev Sheila Craggs, (Inverurie St

Andrews)573. Rev Dr Mary Cranfield, Culsalmond

and Rayne w Daviot574. Rev George E Glen, Cluny w

Monymusk575. Rev Carl Irvine, Kintore576. Rev Gillean P Maclean, Udny and

Pitmedden577. Rev Richard Reid, FoveranElder578. Miss Ann Brown, Kemnay579. Mrs Pam Marr, Udny & Pitmedden580. Mr Alastair Smith, Inverurie St

Andrews581.582.583.584.

34. Presbytery of BuchanMinister585. Rev Robert A Fowlie, Longside Parish

Church586. Rev Sheila M Kirk, Deer Parish Church587. Rev David I W Locke, Banff w King

Edward588. Rev Dr Alan Macgregor, Marnoch

Parish Church589. Rev Aileen McFie, Maud & Savoch w

New Deer St Kanes



590. Rev William Stewart, New Pitsligo wStrichen & Tyrie

591. Rev Dr Jeffrey Tippner, St FergusElder592. Mr John Anderson, Lonmay Parish

Church593. Mr George Berstan, Turriff St

Andrews594. Mrs Mary E Berstan, Turriff St

Andrews595. Mr Robert M Esson, Cruden Parish

Church596. Ms Irene E Finlayson, Banff Parish

Church597. Miss Ursula (address as Ruth) R

Mackenzie, Peterhead New ParishChurch

598. Mr Andrew Simpson, MacDuff ParishChurch

35. Presbytery of MorayMinister599. Rev Isabel C Buchan, Buckie North w

Rathven600. Rev John Morrison, Dallas w Forres St

Leonards w Rafford601. Rev Alasdair J Morton, (Bowden l/w

Newtown)602. Rev Gillian M Morton, (Hospital

Chaplain, Borders General Hospital)603. Rev Sheila Munro, RAF Wyton

Chaplain604. Rev Donald K Prentice, Dallas w

Forres St Leonards w RaffordElder605. Mrs Ann M C Bowie, Bellie and

Speymouth606. Mr George McKay, Elgin St Giles' and

St Columba's South607. Mr David Pirie, Findochty608. Mrs Heather Pirie, Findochty

609. Mrs Janet S Whyte, Bellie andSpeymouth

610.36. Presbytery of Abernethy

Minister611. Rev Catherine A Buchan, Laggan and

Newtonmore612. Rev Gordon Strang, Cromdale &

Advie w Dulnain Bridge w GrantownOn Spey

Elder613. Mrs Christine Clasper, Grantown-On-

Spey614. Mr Ian Hall, Laggan and Newtonmore

37. Presbytery of InvernessMinister615. Rev Trevor Hunt, Presbytery Clerk616. Rev Ian Manson, Kilmorack &

Erchless617. Rev Scott McRoberts, Inverness St

Columba New Charge618. Rev Alison Mehigan, Nairn Old619. Rev Scott Polworth, Inverness

Kinmylies620. Rev Dr Hugh Watt, Urquhart &

GlenmoristonElder621. Mr Stephen Hutchison, Inverness

Hilton622. Mr Iain MacDonald, Inverness East623. Mr Andrew Mackay, Urquhart &

Glenmoriston624. Mr Kenneth Morley, Inverness St

Columba New Charge625. Mrs Sheila Proudfoot, Inverness Ness

Bank626. Mr Michael Ronaldson, Inverness

TrinityDeacon627. Mrs Joyce Mitchell, Deacon



38. Presbytery of LochaberMinister628. Rev Stewart Goudie, North West

Lochaber629. Rev Dr Malcolm A Kinnear,

Kinlochleven l/w Nether Lochaber630. Rev Morag M Muirhead, OLM, Fort

William: Duncansburgh MacIntoshl/w Kilmonivaig

Elder631. Mrs Ella Gill, Acharacle Parish Church632. Mr Ken Gill, Acharacle Parish Church633. Mrs Fiona Maclean of Ardgour,

Ardgour Parish Church39. Presbytery of Ross

Minister634. Rev Nicholas Archer, Ferintosh635. Rev Susan Cord, Killearnan w

Knockbain636. Rev Bruce Dempsey, Dingwall St

Clement's637. Rev Andrew Fothergill, Tain638. Very Rev Dr Alan D Mcdonald,639. Rev Ivan C Warwick, Kilmuir and

Logie EasterElder640. Mrs Catherine Chambers, Presbytery

Clerk641. Mr Michael Jenner, Contin642. Mrs Sheila Macleod, Dingwall Castle

Street643. Mr Jack Reid, Tain644.645.

40. Presbytery of SutherlandMinister646. Rev Hilary M Gardner, Lairg & Rogart647. Rev Ian W McCree, Clyne l/w

Kildonan & Loth Helmsdale

648. Rev Dr John B Sterrett, Golspie649. Rev Mary J Stobo, OLMElder650. Mr Sydney L Barnett, Clyne Kildonan

& Loth Helmsdale651. Mrs Irene Chisholm, Creich652. Mrs Jeanni Hunter, Kincardine Croick

Edderton653. Mrs Gladys McCulloch, Rosehall

41. Presbytery of CaithnessMinister654. Rev Esme F Duncan, Ordained Local

Minister - Presbytery655. Rev Heather Stewart, Parish of

Latheron656.Elder657. Mrs Catherine Mappin, Wick St

Fergus658. Mrs Lorraine Sinclair, Parish of

Latheron659.

42. Presbytery of Lochcarron - SkyeMinister660. Rev Janet Easton-Berry, Bracadale

and Duirinish661. Rev Stuart Smith, Gairloch and

Dundonell662. Rev Anita Stutter, Applecross,

Lochcarron and TorridonElder663. Dr John Adamson, Glenelg, Kintail &

Lochalsh664. Mr William Cameron, Gairloch &

Dundonnell665.



43. Presbytery of UistMinister666. Rev Gavin Elliott, Presbytery ClerkElder667. Mr John Macdonald, Carinish

44. Presbytery of LewisMinister668. Rev William J Heenan, Stornoway St

Columbas669. Rev Gordon Macleod, Stornoway

High Church of Scotland670. Rev Dougie Wolf, BARVAS671.Elder672. Mr Hamish Duncan, Stornoway High

Church of Scotland673. Mr Donald Macleod, Lochs Crossbost674. Mr Donald J Macleod, Carloway675.

45. Presbytery of OrkneyMinister676. Rev Wilma Ann Johnston, East

Mainland677. Rev David Gordon McNeish, Birsay,

Harray and Sandwick678. Rev Julia M Meason, Kirkwall, East

l/w Shapinsay679.Elder680. Mr Kenneth Meason, Shapinsay681. Mr John Stockan, Birsay Harray and

Sandwick682.683.

46. Presbytery of ShetlandMinister684. Rev Dr Frances Henderson, Transition

Minister, Presbytery of Shetland

685. Rev Thomas Macintyre, Lerwick andBressay

Elder686. Mr Jim Donald, Tingwall687. Mr Larry Sutherland, Tingwall

47. Presbytery of EnglandMinister688. Rev Dr David Coulter, Guernsey St

Andrews In The Grange689. Rev Alistair Cumming, Presbytery

Clerk690. Rev Dr James Francis, Army Chaplain691. Rev Graeme Glover, Jersey St.

Columba's692. Rev Kleber Machado, Corby, St

Ninians693. Rev Philip J Majcher, Crown Court,

London694. Very Rev Dr John H McIndoe, London

St Columba's695. Rev Forbes Walker, London Crown

CourtElder696. Mrs Katie Bennie, Jersey St Columba's697. Miss Elizabeth Fox, London, St

Columba's698. Ms Elspeth Gordon, London Crown

Court699. Mrs Susan Pym, London St Columba's700. Mrs Catharine Robertson, London St

Columba's701. Mr Ian Russell, London St Columba's702. Mr Angus Snedden, Corby St

Andrews703. Mrs Anne Wilson, London St

Columba's



48. Presbytery of International ChargesMinister705. Rev Eric W Foggitt, (Dunbar)706. Rev Derek G Lawson, Scots

International Church Rotterdam707. Rev James Sharp, Colombo (Interim

Moderator)708. Rev Jan J Steyn, Paris709. Rev Laurence H Twaddle, GenevaElder710. Mr Chandan De Silva, Colombo711. Dr Thorsten Koenig, Amsterdam712. Mr David Lloyd, Brussels713. Mr Scott Macsween, Paris714. Mme Valerie Prieur, Paris

49. Presbytery of JerusalemMinister857.Elder715. Mrs Joanna Oakley-Levstein, St

Andrew's Galilee

DELEGATES FROM OTHER CHURCHESUNITED KINGDOM

The Presbyterian Church of Wales726. Rev Brian Matthews, ModeratorThe United Reformed Church728. Rev Nigel Uden, ModeratorThe United Reformed Church NationalSynod of Scotland720. Rev John S Bremner, Ecumenical and

Interfaith Relations OfficerThe Baptist Union of Scotland719. Rev Frances Bloomfield, ConvenerThe Church of England829. The Revd Canon Jeremy Worthen,

Secretary for Ecumenical Relationsand Theology Council for ChristianUnity (22 May)

The Methodist Church in Scotland723. Rev Dr David P Easton, Chair of the

SynodReligious Society of Friends – GeneralMeeting for Scotland718. Adwoa Bittle, Clerk of General

Meeting for Scotland (18 and 22 May)716. Elizabeth Allen, Assistant Clerk of

General Meeting for Scotland (19-21May)

The Roman Catholic Church Bishops’Conference of Scotland722. The Most Rev Leo William Cushley,

Archbishop and Metropolitan of StAndrews & Edinburgh (20, 22, 24May)

724. Rt Rev Mgr Philip Kerr, Vice-Presidentof the Office of Ecumenism (18, 21, 23May)

The Salvation Army717. Lieut-Col Carol Bailey, Secretary for

Scotland (19-20 May)The Scottish Episcopal Church727. The Rt Rev Andrew Swift, Bishop of

BrechinThe United Free Church of Scotland721. Mr John Cross, ModeratorThe Congregational Federation inScotland725. Rev Ruairidh MacRae, Ecumenical

Officer

DELEGATES FROM ECUMENICAL BODIESAction of Churches Together inScotland730. Rev Ian Boa, Interim General

SecretaryChurches Together in Britain andIreland731. Rev Bob Fyffe, General Secretary



World Council of Churches732. Rev Matthew Ross, Programme

Executive - Diakonia and CapacityBuilding

DELEGATES FROM OTHER COUNTRIESAFRICA

Presbyterian Church East Africa740. Rev Peter KaniahChurch of Central Africa Presbyterian,Synod of Blantyre743. Rev Masauko Lyson Mbolembole Igreja Evangelica de Cristo emMocambique745. Rev Paulo Mucapele JoaoPresbyterian Church of Nigeria729. Rev Ini Ukpuho

AMERICASPresbyterian Church in Canada747. Rev Ian Ross-McDonald

ASIAChurch of North India733. Prof Jayant AgrawalPresbyterian Church of Korea741. Rev Dr Tae Young KimChurch of Pakistan827. Rt Rev Alwin SamuelPresbyterian Church in Singapore742. Rev Keith Lai

EUROPEEvangelical Lutheran Church of Finland746. Rev Kati PirttimaaTavloa Valdese749. Rev Jonathan TerinoSpanish Evangelical Church735. Rev Israel Flores OlmosFederation of Protestant Churches inSwitzerland736. Rev Serge Fornerod

Reformation 500 Ambassador, Churchof Zurich744. Rev Catherine McMillan

MIDDLE EASTEvangelical Presbyterian Church ofEgypt, Synod of the Nile734. Rev Refat FathySt Andrew’s Refugee Service737. Rev Kirsten FryerMiddle East Council of ChurchesDepartment of Service to PalestinianRefugees748. Dr Bernard SabellaMiddle East Council of ChurchesJoint Christian Committee for SocialServices in Lebanon738. Sylvia Haddad

PACIFICUniting Church in Australia739. Rev Sharon Hollis

VISITORSAFRICA

Presbyterian Church of Nigeria752. Mrs Jessie Fubara-Manuel

ASIAChurch of South India756. Rev Paul SinghPresbyterian Church of Korea751. Rev Dr Jaeho Cho753. Rev Dr Jooseop KeumPresbyterian Church in Taiwan755. Wen Pei Shih

EUROPEHungarian Reformed Church754. Rev Dr Tamás KodácsySpanish Evangelical Church757. Ms Mireia Vidal



MIDDLE EASTEvangelical Church of Egypt, Synod ofthe Nile828. Mr Medhat Tadros

GREETINGS FROM PARTNER CHURCHESNOT ATTENDING THE GENERAL

ASSEMBLY 2019ASIA

The United Mission to NepalOur thoughts and prayers will be with you.UMN remains profoundly grateful for thesupport of the Kirk. Your steadfastpartnership in service to the people ofNepal means more than we can say. Godbless and guide the 2018 Assembly.

EUROPEGreek Evangelical ChurchWe pray for and wish you have a blessedand fruitful General Assembly.

APOLOGIES RECEIVED FROM THEFOLLOWING CHURCHES

EUROPEEvangelical Lutheran Church in DenmarkGreek Evangelical Church

MIDDLE EASTThe Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem

CORRESPONDING MEMBERSCentral Services Committee761. Mrs Anne LamontChurch and Society Council826. Rev Dr Richard E Frazer762. Mr Andrew TomlinsonCouncil of Assembly758. Mrs Catherine Skinner - Council of

Assembly759. Mrs Norma Rolls - Governance Group760. Mr David Watt – Finance Group

Social Care Council767. Mr Bill Steele768. Mrs Vivienne DickensonCommittee on Church Art andArchitecture771. Rev William T HoggGeneral Treasurer783. Mrs Anne F MacintoshGeneral Trustees772. Mr David Robertson773. Mr Raymond K YoungHead of HR784. Mrs Elaine McCloghryHousing and Loan Fund775. Mrs Lin Macmillan776. Rev Ian TaylorLife and Work781. Mrs Lynne McNeilMinistries Council763. Rev Neil M Glover764. Rev Jayne ScottMission and Discipleship Council765. Rev Angus R Mathieson766. Mr Richard LloydPanel for Review and Reform777. Rev Jenny M AdamsParliamentary Officer785. Chloe ClemmonsPension Trustees782. Mr Douglas MillarSafeguarding778. Rev Dr Karen K Campbell779. Mrs Julie MainThe Guild774. Mr Iain WhyteWorld Mission Council769. Rev Ian W Alexander



YOUTH REPRESENTATIVESYouth Representatives appointed atthe National Youth Assembly 2018786. Miss Tamsin Dingwall787. Miss Hannah Dunlop788. Miss Amy Hannah789. Miss Rachel Hunter790. Miss Gemma King791. Miss Seonaid Knox792. Miss Dana McQuater793. Miss Esther Nisbet794. Miss Blythe Rodger795. Miss Natasha Scotland

PRESBYTERY REPRESENTATIONDumfries and Kirkcudbright796. Lauren AsherDundee797. Miss Rachel BillesBuchan798. Mr George BlairAberdeen799. Mr Fraser J BorlandEdinburgh800. Mr Josep Marti I BouisArgyll801. Ms Elizabeth BrayshawMoray802. Mr Chris Fett-WorsfoldHamilton803. Miss Nicola ForbesKirkcaldy804. Miss Hannah GarnhamGreenock & Paisley805. Mr Shahrukh GillMelrose and Peebles806. Miss Mary Hall

Youth Delegates807. Miss Mary HallFalkirk808. Ms Megan HeggieDuns809. Mr Nathan HoodWest Lothian810. Mr William Jewell-SmithLochaber811. Mr Samuel JonesIrvine and Kilmarnock812. Mr Ross LeggatKincardine and Deeside813. Mr Greg ListerLothian814. Mr Connor MacFadyenPerth815. Miss Kate MacfadyenAyr816. Mr Ross McKayGlasgow817. Miss Ellie B MoranGlasgow818. Miss Ellie B MoranStirling819. Mr Andrew MurphyArdrossan820. Miss Debra NicolGordon821. Olivia PatersonDumbarton822. Miss Fiona ReidDunfermline823. Miss Tara ShannonInternational Charges704. Miss Buwanika WeerasinhaAngus824. Miss Joanne Whyte



England825. Mr Ali Yasir



Order of BusinessDAY 1 – Saturday 18 May – 9.30 am

SESSION 1Opening of the General Assembly

1. Constitution of Assembly.2. Roll of Commissioners laid on the

table.3. Election of Moderator and Prayer of

Consecration.4. Commission to the High

Commissioner to be read and ordergiven for recording it.

5. Her Majesty’s Letter to be read andorder given for recording it.

6. Address by the High Commissionerand Reply by the Moderator.

7. Address by Retiring Moderator.8. Appointment of Committee to

prepare Answer to Her Majesty’sGracious Letter.

9. Report of Standing Committee onCommissions.

10. Submission of Standing Orders.11. Appointment of Committee for

arranging Order of Business.12. Appointment of Panel of Tellers.13 Appointment of Committee to

prepare Minute on DeceasedMinisters, Missionaries and Deacons.

14. Intimation of arrangements forcelebration of Holy Communion onMonday 20 May, at 9.15 am.

Circulation BreakSESSION 21. Presentation of Delegates and

Visitors.2. Report of the Assembly

Arrangements Committee (Reports1/1).

3. Report of the Scottish Bible Societyand Presentation of Bible toModerator (Reports 1/1).

4. Report of the Delegation of theGeneral Assembly (Reports 2/1).

5. Minute of the Commission ofAssembly (Reports 3/1).

6. Minutes of the Appeal Hearingbefore the Judicial Commission(Reports 4/1).

LunchSESSION 31. Report of the Committee on Returns

to Overtures (Reports 5/1).2. Report of the Legal Questions

Committee (Reports 6/1).3. Overture from the Presbytery of

Inverness (Order of Proceedings p31)Circulation Break

SESSION 41. Report and Supplementary Report of

the Council of Assembly – exceptRadical Action Plan (Reports 7/1 andOrder of Proceedings p84).

DAY 2 - Sunday 19 May 10.00 am - Assembly Service (St Giles’).12.30 pm - Gaelic Service (Greyfriars’ Kirk).1.00 pm - 6.00 pm – ‘Heart and Soul 2019’Princes Street Gardens.

DAY 3 - Monday 20 May – 9.15 am

HOLY COMMUNIONCirculation Break

SESSION 51. Constitution of Assembly.2. Report of the Business Committee.3. Reply to the Queen’s Letter.



4. Report of the Special Commission(Order of Proceedings p40).

LunchSESSION 61. Special Commission contd.

Circulation BreakSESSION 71. Report of the Social Care Council

(Reports 8/1).

DAY 4 – Tuesday 21 May – 9.15 am

SESSION 81. Constitution of Assembly.2. Minutes.3. Report of the Council of Assembly –

Radical Action Plan (Reports 7/1).4. Petition from the Kirk Session of

Duns and District Parishes (Order ofProceedings p30).

Circulation BreakSESSION 91. Council of Assembly – contd.

LunchSESSION 101. Report of the World Mission Council

(Reports 9/1).2. Special Report of the Israel and

Palestine Review Group (Reports10/1).

Circulation BreakSESSION 111. Report of the Church of Scotland

Guild (Reports 11/1).2. Report of the Safeguarding

Committee (Reports 12/1).3. Report of the Iona Community Board

(Reports 13/1).

DAY 5 – Wednesday 22 May – 9.15 amSESSION 121. Constitution of Assembly.2. Minutes.3. Report and Supplementary Report of

the Church and Society (Reports 14/1and Order of Proceedings p81).

Circulation BreakSESSION 131. Church and Society Council contd.

LunchSESSION 141. Moderator’s Shield - Order of the Day

2pm.2. Report of the General Trustees

(Reports 15/1).Circulation Break

SESSION 151. Report of the Panel on Review and

Reform (Reports 16/1).2. Joint report from the Panel on Review

& Reform, the Theological Forum,the Ecumenical Relations Committeeand the Legal Questions Committeeon Sacramental Ministry (Reports17/1).

3. Report of the Committee onEcumenical Relations (Reports 18/1).

4. Report of the Theological Forum(Reports 19/1).

DAY 6 – Thursday 23 May – 9.15 am

SESSION 16 1. Constitution of Assembly.2. Minutes.3. Report of the Committee on

Chaplains to Her Majesty’s Forces(Reports 20/1).

Circulation Break



SESSION 171. Report of the Ministries Council

(Reports 21/1).2. Overture from the Presbytery of

lnternational Charges (Order ofProceedings p35).

LunchSESSION 181. Ministries Council contd.2. Report of the Joint Emerging Church

Group (Reports 22/1).3. Report of the Registration of

Ministries Committee (Reports 23/1).Circulation Break

SESSION 191. Report of the Chalmers Lectureship

Trust (Reports 24/1).2. Report of the Church of Scotland

Pension Trustees (Reports 25/1).3. Report of the Housing and Loan Fund

(Reports 26/1).4. Report of the Church Hymnary

Trustees (Reports 27/1).5. Report of the Church of Scotland

Trust (Reports 28/1).6. Report of the Church of Scotland

Investors Trust (Reports 29/1).

DAY 7 – Friday 24 May – 9.15am

SESSION 201. Constitution of Assembly.2. Protestations called for.3. Report on the Printing of Acts.4. Draft Minutes of Sederunts not yet

submitted to be read if required.5. Report of the Nomination

Committee (Reports 30/1).6. Report of the Selection Committee.

7. Report of the National YouthAssembly 2018 (Reports 31/1).

8. Report of the Mission andDiscipleship Council (Reports 32/1).

LunchSESSION 21 – 3pm1. Constitution of Assembly.2. Report anent Deceased Ministers,

Missionaries and Deacons.3. Appointment of Committee to revise

Minutes.4. Act Appointing Commission of

Assembly.5. Act Appointing Diet of Next General

Assembly.6. Presentations to the Moderator.7. Moderator addresses the General

Assembly.8. The High Commissioner addresses

the General Assembly.NATIONAL ANTHEM

9. Dissolution of the General Assembly.THE BENEDICTION



Proposed Committees and TellersCommittee to Prepare an Answer to Her Majesty’s Gracious Letter

(Meets on Saturday 18 May in the Moderator's Room at 11:30am)

Very Rev Susan Brown,Mr John Adamson, 85Rev Stuart J Crawford, 242Mrs Gladys McCulloch. 653

Panel of TellersMrs Sheena S T Briggs 455 Mrs Helen McLeod 537Rev Catherine Buchan 611 Rev Gillian Paterson 450Rev Alastair Cumming 689 Mr James Pettinger 232Miss Elizabeth Fox 697 Mr Andrew Simpson 598Mrs Ella Gill 631 Rev Gordon Strang 612Rev Trevor Hunt 615 Rev Tanya Webster 190Mr James Jack 228 Mr Tim Xenophontos-Hellen 525Rev Sheila M Kirk 586 Mrs Susan Pym 699Miss Anne Love 229 Rev Alison Mehigan 618Rev Emma McDonald 512 Rev James C Stewart 494

Committee to Prepare Minute on Deceased Ministers, Missionaries and Deacons

Very Rev Susan Brown Principal ClerkDepute Clerk



General Assembly 2019 - Cases

PetitionKirk Session of Duns and District ParishesPetition anent Ministry and Mission allocation for vacantcongregations.......................................................................................................................30

OverturesPresbytery of InvernessOverture anent the Appeals Act (Act I 2014) and the Alternative Dispute ResolutionProcesses Act (Act VI 2014)..................................................................................................31Presbytery of International ChargesOverture anent Ministry in the InternationalPresbytery.............................................................................................................................35



PetitionANENT MINISTRY AND MISSIONALLOCATION FOR VACANTCONGREGATIONSFrom the Kirk Session of Duns andDistrict ParishesUnto the Venerable the General Assemblyof the Church of ScotlandThe Petition of the Kirk Session of Dunsand District Parishes, Church of Scotland,Humbly sheweth that:We, the undersigned Elders and BoardMembers of the above congregation,having been without a Minister for the pastfifteen (15) months and having been facedwith an unsupportable Ministry & Missionallocation, well above our ongoing incomefor that time

May it therefore please your VenerableCourt to:Instruct the Stewardship & FinanceDepartment to urgently review the basis ofsuch allocations in all vacant charges, andto limit them forthwith to no more thanten thousand pounds (£10,000) per annumafter the charge has been vacant for six (6)months, until such time as it is filledOr to do otherwise as to your VenerableCourt may seem good.And your petitioners will ever pray.Signed by Kenneth McLean, Session Clerkand 18 elders and 5 members of theCongregational Board.



OvertureOVERTURE ANENT THE APPEALS ACT(ACT I 2014) AND THE ALTERNATIVEDISPUTE RESOLUTION PROCESSES ACT(ACT VI 2014)From THE PRESBYTERY OF INVERNESSWhereas:1. The Appeals Act (Act I 2014) sets out

one procedure for the hearing ofappeals before the AppealsCommittee of the Commission ofAssembly and the JudicialCommission. An appeal begins withan intimation to both the Clerk ofthe Court against whose decision theappeal is being taken and to thePrincipal Clerk. The Appellant thenmust lodge their Grounds of Appealwithin a set time frame and theRespondent can do likewise.Thereafter, in the normal course ofevents, an Appeal ManagementHearing date is set, and theRespondent must lodge theirresponse to the Grounds of Appealwithin a set time frame.

2. The purpose of the AppealManagement Hearing is to determinewhether the Parties are ready toproceed to a hearing of the appealand to consider all other proceduraland practical matters in respect ofthe appeal.

3. The Parties or their representativeswherever possible are requested toattend the Appeal ManagementHearing in person (although there isprovision for the AppealManagement Hearing to take placeby conference call or anotherappropriate medium). The Convenerand Vice-Convener have powers tomake any order or determinationwhich is just and reasonable and/orwhich they think appropriate tosecure the expeditious disposal of

the appeal. The date of the AppealHearing is then set along with datesby which the Parties must submittheir written arguments.

4. Once the appeal process hascommenced in terms of the AppealsAct the process can only be stoppedprior to disposal at an AppealHearing if the Appellant decides towithdraw the Appeal.

5. When a dispute reaches the formalappeals process, invariably trust hasbegun to break down between theParties. This breakdown of trust isfurther exacerbated by the formallegal nature of the appeals process.

6. While the appeals process does notin and of itself preclude the Partiesfrom trying informally to seek aresolution to their dispute therigidity of the process does not lenditself to encouraging the Parties totry and explore ways of resolvingtheir dispute without the need toproceed to a full hearing. In otherwords, once the train is on the track,it is extremely difficult to stop thetrain.

7. At the General Assembly of 2014when the Assembly passed theOverture regarding the Appeals Actit also passed the Alternative DisputeResolution Processes Act (Act VI2014).

8. The Legal Questions Committee’sreport to the 2014 General Assemblystated that while the new procedurefor the hearing of appeals againstdecisions of the Courts of the Churchprovided the Church with robust,effective and efficient procedureswhich ensured that when actingjudicially the Courts of the Churchwould continue to operate to thehighest standards of integrity and inaccordance with natural justice, theCommittee was however:



‘mindful of the words of StPaul in chapter six of his firstletter to the Corinthiansregarding theinappropriateness of law suitsbetween the followers of theLord Jesus Christ. It is a matterof sorrow for the whole Churchwhen any dispute between anyof its members can only besettled by recourse tolitigation. If parties to a disputecan be empowered to, andassisted in, achieving aresolution of their differencesby less formal means,forgiveness and healing maycome more easily. TheCommittee now brings to theGeneral Assembly a proposalthat parties to a dispute begiven an opportunity to resolvetheir differences throughalternative dispute resolution.’

9. The Assembly passed the proposedAlternative Dispute ResolutionProcesses Act (Act VI 2014). This Actgives Parties to a dispute theopportunity to resolve theirdifferences on a confidential basisusing mediation, conciliation or afacilitated conversation. Thisalternative dispute resolutionprocess (‘ADR’) can be instigatedwhen a dispute first comes to theattention of a Presbytery or when adispute has just commenced underany Act or Regulation of the GeneralAssembly but all the Parties to thedispute must agree to this processbeing used.

10. Where a case or an appeal hasformally commenced, and the Partieshave subsequently agreed to ADR theChurch court having jurisdiction overthe case or the appeal will sist theformal process for a specifiedamount of time to allow ADR to beexplored. No material arising from

this process can be used in anysubsequent court proceedings andthis process is without prejudice toexisting formal procedures as setdown by the General Assembly.

11. Since the Alternative DisputeResolution Processes Act was passedin 2014 there is only anecdotalevidence to suggest that a few casesand appeals have utilised this processeven though the clear intentionbehind this Act flows from Scripture.The reasons why this is the casemaybe varied but one striking factremains that nowhere in the AppealsAct is there any direct reference tothe ADR Act. In other words, there isno express direction for the Parties toa dispute falling within the AppealsAct to consider ADR and so inpractice this means that once theprocess starts the formal legalprocedures take over.

12. This stands in stark contrast to thenew Discipline Act which is comingto this Assembly under Returns toOvertures: it states at section 18 (2)(f) that the Assessor must considerwhether the ‘Disciplinary Complaint’before them ‘is suitable to be dealtwith in terms of the AlternativeDispute Resolution Processes Act2014 (Act VI 2014) or otherwise bymediation, conciliation or facilitatedconversation or similar processes.’

13. To reiterate the Legal QuestionsCommittee’s report in 2014 that theChurch should be: ‘mindful of thewords of St Paul in chapter six of hisfirst letter to the Corinthiansregarding the inappropriateness oflaw suits between the followers ofthe Lord Jesus Christ. It is a matter ofsorrow for the whole Church whenany dispute between any of itsmembers can only be settled byrecourse to litigation. If parties to adispute can be empowered to, and



assisted in, achieving a resolution oftheir differences by less formalmeans, forgiveness and healing maycome more easily.’ On this basis, andin the light of the provisions laiddown in the new Discipline Act, theAppeals Act needs to be reviewedand amended to specifically draw tothe attention of Parties to a disputethe processes available to them toresolve their differences throughAlternative Dispute ResolutionProcesses.

14. Further, the Alternative DisputeResolution Processes Act currentlyexcludes disputes that arise out ofthe Presbytery Planning processes aslaid down in the Appraisal andAdjustment Act (Act VII 2003). It isfurther noted that in the Returns toOvertures report in 2014 in respect ofthe Appeals Act, the Legal QuestionsCommittee stated the following:

“The Committee believes thatin future the Church wouldbenefit from the developmentof an appropriate bespokeappeal process for planningappeals. In practice, both caseswhich have arisen for theAppeals Committee of theCommission of Assemblyduring the course of last yearhave involved Presbyteryplanning issues. Dealing withthese cases has shown thatthey might be better addressedby a process which is moretailored to the particular issueswhich arise in such matters, forexample knowledge of thelocal geography and localcircumstances. The Committeetherefore recommends thatthis matter should be remittedto the Ministries Council andLegal Questions Committee fortheir joint consideration.’

15. The General Assembly of 2014instructed the Ministries Council inconsultation with the LegalQuestions Committee to considerthe development of a bespokeprocess for Presbytery planningappeals under the Appraisal andAdjustment act (Act VII 2003). In theMinistries Council’s report to theGeneral Assembly of 2015 it wasnoted that while initial conversationshad taken place with the LegalQuestions Committee on this matterit had not proved possible at thattime to bring forward proposals for abespoke process for PresbyteryPlanning Appeals.

16. The Presbytery of Inverness ownrecent experience of the Appealsprocess in respect of a PresbyteryPlanning appeal laid bare the urgentneed for reform in this area. Thecurrent Appeals process placedonerous burdens upon both theAppellant and the Presbytery, theyserved to divide the Parties further asthey did nothing to support,encourage or enable trust to berebuilt and there was no mechanismby which local knowledge andgeography could be independentlyascertained by those hearing theAppeal.

17. The development of a bespokeprocess for Presbytery planningappeals under the Appraisal andAdjustment Act (Act VII 2003) isvitally needed. In addition, such abespoke appeal process must alsospecifically take into account theAlternative Dispute ResolutionProcesses Act so that Parties to adispute in respect of PresbyteryPlanning are empowered andassisted to try to resolve theirdifferences through ADR. Even ifADR proves unsuccessful in resolvinga Presbytery planning dispute it willat the very least have served to keep



channels of communication openbetween the Parties and ensured thatthe Church’s processes did notfurther erode the trust betweenthem who, when all is said and done,are brothers and sisters in Christ.

It is humbly overtured by the Presbytery ofInverness, to the Venerable the GeneralAssembly of the Church of Scotland thatthe General Assembly instruct the LegalQuestions Committee:1. To review and consider proposing

amendments to the Appeals Act (Act1 2014) to specifically draw to theattention of Parties to a dispute thepossibility of resolving their disputeby means of the Alternative DisputeResolution Processes Act (Act VI2014) and so bring the Appeals Actinto line with the new Discipline Act;

2. To draft a set of Guidelines to assistParties to a dispute who wish topursue ADR in setting up such aprocess; and

3. In consultation with the MinistriesCouncil to consider the developmentof a bespoke process for Presbyteryplanning appeals under the Appraisaland Adjustment Act (Act VII 2003)which also includes provision forADR.

PROPOSED DELIVERANCEThe General Assembly1. Receive the Overture2. Instruct the Legal Questions

Committee –i. To review and consider

proposing amendments to theAppeals Act (Act 1 2014) tospecifically draw to theattention of Parties to adispute the possibility ofresolving their dispute bymeans of the Alternative

Dispute Resolution ProcessesAct (Act VI 2014) and so bringthe Appeals Act into line withthe new Discipline Act;

ii. To draft a set of Guidelines toassist Parties to a dispute whowish to pursue ADR in settingup such a process;

iii. In consultation with theMinistries Council to considerthe development of a bespokeprocess for Presbytery planningappeals under the Appraisaland Adjustment Act (Act VII2003) which also includesprovision for ADR; and

iv. To report to the GeneralAssembly of 2020.



OvertureOVERTURE ANENT MINISTRY IN THEINTERNATIONAL PREBYTERYFrom the Presbytery of InternationalChargesWhereas:1. The Ministries Council in its Report to

the General Assembly (GA) 2018proposed advisory figures for thenumber of full-time equivalent (FTE)ministers available for Presbyteries in2023, including a figure of 5.6 for theInternational Presbytery (IP).Currently the IP has a total of 11.5 FTEministries for its 14 charges.

2. The geographical spread of thecharges in the IP, with 14 charges inthree continents, is such that linkingsand unions are not, in mostinstances, a viable option. Even the 12charges in Europe are located in 10different countries and post-Brexit itis likely to be impossible for aminister who is no longer a EuropeanUnion (EU) citizen to ‘work’ in twoseparate EU countries.

3. Most IP congregations which havehad vacancies in recent years havefound that a significant percentageof enquiries are made by ministerswho are not ministers of the Churchof Scotland (CoS). These havegenerally not been followed throughby Nominating Committees becauseof the requirements of eligibility forelection of ministers to CoS chargesin terms of s. 18 of Act VIII 2003 (asamended). For most such enquirersthis would require that they obtain aCertificate of Eligibility (in terms of s.6 of Act IX 2002 (as amended)): aprocedure that would require theirspending a significant period inScotland – normally 9-12 months, butpossibly up to 15 months.

4. At its meeting in October 2018 the IPapproved a Response to theMinistries Council regarding theseFTE figures in terms of section 27 ofthe Deliverance of the MinistriesCouncil approved by the GA 2018.Heading ‘Thirdly’ in that Responsewas in the following terms:

“Thirdly, a request for a specialprovision re ministers fromoutwith the CoSWe do, however, accept thatwe cannot be exempt fromhaving to be part of theChurch’s cut-back in ministriesand we therefore suggest thatit might be possible for ourcongregations to recruitministers from outwith theCoS. Our congregations whenvacant already receiveapplications from ministers ofother denominations – mostnotably the PCUSA – but thecomplication of transferring toCoS ministry is a majordeterrent in almost all cases.Could some specialarrangement be made to allownon-CoS ministers to serve in IPcongregations for a fixedperiod? Act IX 2002 alreadymakes provision for a“Temporary Certificate ofEligibility” holder to serve inthe CoS for an initial period of3 years. We’d be delighted topursue this conversation withthe Ministries Council.”

5. Such conversations have taken placeand, given the terms of the followingsection of the Ministries Council’sReport to the GA 2018:

“3.5.2.7 A challenging planninground cannot be avoided,although different Presbyteriesmay wish to take different



approaches within the broadand flexible parameters of theAppraisal and Adjustment Act(Act VII, 2003, as amended)and the planning principles inSchedule 1 to the Act.”

the IP sees its intended arrangementas such an approach, not least giventhe impending serious shortage ofCoS ministers and its likely impact onthe sustainability of ministry withinthe IP.

6. The intended arrangement wouldconstitute an “Other Form ofMinistry” within the provisions of s.10(10) of Act VII 2003, namely:

“(x) Other Form of MinistryAfter consultation with theAssembly’s Committee, thePresbytery may devise a newform of adjustment orministry, provided that suchform is not inconsistent withthis Act or any other Act ordeliverance of the GeneralAssembly.”

In order to ensure that such anarrangement falls within theprovisions of said section the IP seeksthe approval of the GA to proceed, inconjunction with the MinistriesCouncil, to devise a specialarrangement for the IP whereby aminister from another denominationmay be granted, under an expeditedprocedure, a Restricted Certificate ofEligibility entitling him or her toapply for a charge in the IP and to beintroduced for a period of three yearswith the possibility of this beingextended for one further period of nomore than three years as provided forin s.6(b)(ii)(B) of Act IX 2002 (asamended).

7. Given the impending seriousshortage of ministers within the CoS,the IP seeks to find a way that doesnot circumvent the planningprinciples of Act VII 2003 (asamended) but creatively implementsanother form of ministry relevant tothe particular circumstances of theIP, while at the same time potentiallyreducing the demand on theincreasingly contracting pool ofavailable ministers within the CoS.

It is humbly overtured by the Presbytery ofInternational Charges to the Venerable theGeneral Assembly of the Church ofScotland, that the General Assemblyinstruct the Ministries Council:Jointly with the Legal QuestionsCommittee, and in consultation with theIP, to consider whether to bring forwardproposals for a Scheme whereby forcharges in the IP it would be possible tointroduce a minister who is not a ministerof the CoS, or otherwise falling within theprovisions of s.18 of Act VIII 2003 (asamended), to a charge in the IP on his/herbeing granted by the Ministries Council aRestricted Certificate of Eligibility coveringonly charges in the IP, such Certificatebeing obtainable through an expeditedprocedure approved by the RecruitmentTask Group of the Ministries Council andotherwise subject to the provisions of s.6(b)(ii)(A) to (F) of Act IX 2002 (asamended);Or to do otherwise as to your VenerableCourt may seem good.



PROPOSED DELIVERANCEThe General Assembly1. Receive the Overture.2. Instruct the Ministries Council,

jointly with the Legal QuestionsCommittee, and in consultation withthe International Presbytery, toconsider whether to bring forwardproposals for a Scheme whereby forcharges in the InternationalPresbytery it would be possible tointroduce a minister who is not aminister of the Church of Scotland,or otherwise falling within theprovisions of s.18 of Act VIII 2003 (asamended), to a charge in theInternational Presbytery on his/herbeing granted by the MinistriesCouncil a Restricted Certificate ofEligibility covering only charges in theInternational Presbytery, suchCertificate being obtainable throughan expedited procedure approved bythe Recruitment Task Group of theMinistries Council, and otherwisesubject to the provisions of s.6(b)(ii)(A) to (F) of Act IX 2002 (asamended).



Report and Supplementary Reports

Special Commission on StructuralReform ...................................................................................................................................40

Supplementary Report of the Church and SocietyCouncil ...................................................................................................................................81

Supplementary Report of the Council ofAssembly ...............................................................................................................................84



SPECIAL COMMISSION ON STRUCTURAL REFORM

Proposed DeliveranceThe General Assembly:1. Receive the report.2. Appoint with effect from 1 June 2019

a new trustee body, to be named theAssembly Trustees, to replace theCouncil of Assembly in accordancewith Appendix 1.

3. Instruct the Selection Committee topropose to this General Assembly thenames of twelve trustees, each toserve from 1 June 2019 for periods ofone, two or three years, including aConvener, a Vice-convener and anAdministrative trustee.

4. Instruct the Assembly Trustees toappoint a senior management teamto oversee the work of theUnincorporated Councils andCommittees (SC011353) inaccordance with the terms ofAppendix 1 and to take stepsimmediately to appoint a ChiefOfficer and, where necessary,additional temporary support tofacilitate the process of change.

5. Instruct the Assembly Trustees tobegin a process of reducing theadministrative costs within thecentral organisation of the Church by20%-30%, to initiate a review of thestaff pay grade scheme and report tothe General Assembly of 2020.

6. Instruct the Assembly Trustees toprepare plans for a reduction in thenumber of Councils and to bringrecommendations to the GeneralAssembly 2020.

7. Instruct the Assembly Trustees toinitiate discussion of ways in whichthe Social Care Council andCrossreach can become a more self-sustaining and financially viableorganisation at “arm’s-length”within SC011353 and to reportprogress to the General Assembly2020.

8. Appoint a new Assembly BusinessCommittee to replace the AssemblyArrangements Committee witheffect from 1 June 2019 in accordancewith Appendix 2.

9. Instruct the Selection Committee topropose the names of eight membersof the Assembly Business Committeeto this General Assembly, including aConvener and Vice-convener.

10. Instruct the Assembly BusinessCommittee to prepare plans for theGeneral Assembly 2020 to ensurethat progress on structural reform isadequately considered in all itsdimensions, and, in particular, thatthe Assembly Trustees are given thefullest opportunity to report onprogress achieved on matters ofstrategy, finance, governance, andstaffing.

11. Instruct the Assembly BusinessCommittee, in consultation with theLegal Questions Committee, to bringforward amendments to StandingOrders to ensure that each Trustee isincluded as a corresponding memberof the General Assembly when nototherwise a commissioner.

12. Instruct the Assembly BusinessCommittee to report to the GeneralAssembly 2020 on ways in which thecomposition and format of theGeneral Assembly can moreeffectively and efficiently serve thework of the Church.



13. Discharge the Panel on Review andReform with effect from 1st June 2019and thank its Convener, membersand officers for their service.

14. Instruct the Assembly Trustees tomake provision for adequateresearch and analysis to beundertaken in order to inform thevision, strategy and policies of theChurch.

15. Commend the work of the PrincipalClerk in facilitating Presbytery reformand encourage him to continue thisprocess with a view to reducingsignificantly the number ofPresbyteries within the next fiveyears.

16. Thank the Convener and members ofthe Council of Assembly for theirservice to the Church.

17. Thank the officers of the GeneralAssembly, and staff members of allCouncils and committees for theircommitment, dedication, and hardwork.

18. Thank all those who haveconstructively engaged with theSpecial Commission whether inperson or in writing.

19. Thank and discharge the SpecialCommission.

ReportIntroductionFollowing a report of the Council ofAssembly to a meeting of the Commissionof the General Assembly on 3 October2018, a Special Commission of fivemembers, independent of the Councils ofthe Church, was appointed ‘to consider thematters within the following remit, toconsult widely and to report to the GeneralAssembly of 2019.a. To review the governance structures

of the Church of Scotland Charitynumber SC011353 and makerecommendations for a trustee bodywhich would conform to bestpractice (including the avoidance ofconflicts of interest) in terms ofcharity law while being true toPresbyterian church polity.

b. To recommend key principles for anational structure which is “lean andfit for purpose to lead reform” (GA2018) and which would ensure thatthe General Assembly can effectivelyand efficiently direct its Councils andCommittees so that they prioritisetheir work and resources to supportthe mission of the local Church.

c. To recommend what further workshould be done to embed theseprinciples and review the currentpattern of Councils and Committeesin order that these might betterfocus on the Church’s understandingof its vocation to be a nationalchurch engaged in mission.’

The five members of the SpecialCommission are Rev Professor DavidFergusson (New College, Convener), SarahDavidson (Scottish Government), Right RevPeter Forster (Bishop of Chester) until 25March 2019, James McNeill QC, and MoragRoss QC. Nomi Pritz-Bennett (PhD studentat New College) has acted as secretary andresearch assistant to the group. We havealso received valuable support from SusanTaylor at 121 George Street.



The Commission has met 18 times inplenary session over a six-month period.During these meetings and in numerousother informal discussions we have soughtto engage with a wide range of office-bearers and employees within SC011353.Discussions have also taken place with theCouncil of Assembly and the Clerks Forum,while a wider consultation exercise washeld through the Church of Scotland’swebsite. The Special Commission wishes tothank all those who have been willing tospeak with us in person and to presenttheir views in writing, despite the shortperiod in which we have undertaken ourwork. Although compressed, we havefound the time-frame of six monthssufficient. The well-focussed oral andwritten submissions made us immediatelyaware of the critical issues in the minds ofcontributors with numerous themes beingreadily apparent. Specially createdelectronic databases, for which we aregrateful, have given us immediate access toall available materials on the national workof the Church. And our respectivebackgrounds within the Church haveenabled us to engage with each other atdetailed levels.In light of all of our meetings andinvestigations we agree with the concernsunderlying the remit. There is urgent needfor a group of trustees unhindered byconflict of interest. A revised structure isrequired to enable the General Assemblyeffectively to direct prioritisation of thework of the Church. The principles togovern these matters can now beembedded. Given concerns as to properstewardship of resources, these issuesshould be tackled without delay.Presbyterian Church GovernmentAccording to the mainstream Reformedtradition, the two marks of the church areWord and sacrament. At the time of theReformation, this led to a renewedappreciation of the local church as theplace where the Word of God wasproclaimed, the sacraments administered,and oversight exercised. Set within its

parish community, the church was visiblethrough its regular weekly worshiptogether with the pastoral care, educationand mission that were essential to thepeople’s calling of God. Notwithstandingthis local focus, the Church of Scotlandwas never ordered simply as acongregational organisation. Each parishchurch was under the oversight of aregional body which came to be known asthe Presbytery. This court had severalfunctions including worship and witness,mutual support and encouragement, andoversight of all matters relating to the lifeand work of congregations and parishes.These regional bodies in turn wereregulated by the highest court, the GeneralAssembly, which through its legislativepowers sought consistency of doctrine,discipline, and practice while overseeing asystem of territorial coverage. But thepresence of the Church was primarilymanifested at the local level, with thehigher courts exercising a responsibilitytowards its maintenance and welfare. Atthe national level, the Reformed churchcontinued to exercise a vital and visiblepart in Scottish civic life which continues tothis day. Yet the Kirk’s prominence hasdepended in large measure on the tractionit gained from its presence in each parishcommunity.Arguably, this system served the Kirk wellfor the best part of four centuries. Itproduced a stable form of churchgovernment that shaped the life of thenation in what Tom Devine has called ‘theparish state’.[1] But with the rapid decline inmembership since the mid-1950s and theevident dissociation of Scottish societyfrom organised religion, it has proved lesswell equipped to adapt to changingcircumstances. Since the 1950s, the Churchof Scotland has lost c80% of itsmembership, and it is now half the size itwas in 2000. With membership declining atc4% per annum, we should anticipate asmaller church with reduced resourceswhich will require to take some harddecisions about its priorities anddispositions. As G. D. Henderson once



suggested, although Presbyterianism workswell under settled conditions, it has hadmore limited success as a pioneeringagency.[2]

Despite the decline in membership,congregational giving has remained atimpressive levels. But income is now flat-lining and is expected to decrease in theyears ahead in light of demographic trends.Congregations increasingly comprise adisproportionate number of retired peopleand the predictions are that these trendsare likely to continue for the foreseeablefuture. This of course is not a counsel ofdespair. The Church has an important andexciting missiological task in a changingsocial landscape and many congregationsare meetings these challenges faithfullyand imaginatively. But the prospects forfurther numerical decline and thelikelihood of a much smaller Church ofScotland in the next 10-20 years cannot beignored.[3]

The Path of ReformNotwithstanding the efforts of severalbodies and commissions dating back to theCommittee of Forty in the 1970s, thechurch has found itself increasinglyhampered by structures that were intendedto maintain and regulate the life of a muchlarger organisation.The case for change has been consistentlymade by a succession of commissions andworking groups. Their work is outlined inDr Doug Gay’s recent work on Reformingthe Kirk, a work to which the Commission isindebted.[4] Since our recommendationsmay be seen as consistent with a singletrajectory of thinking, including much thatis argued by Doug Gay, we note thefollowing.Church without Walls (2001) – thiscomprehensive report called for far-reaching reform at every level of churchgovernment.[5] The accent here falls on thelocal church as a place of worship and anagency for mission. Power, resource,responsibility and initiative should bedevolved to a greater extent to the local

level. More flexible and efficient structuresare required to facilitate the work ofcongregations, though the report closes bynoting a longstanding resistance to changewithin the Church of Scotland based on anadmixture of fear and power. Many of therecommendations of Church Without Wallsare still being sifted, adapted and partiallyimplemented. The work of this SpecialCommission may be seen as continuingthat process.Commission on Review and Reform (2008) –chaired by Lord Brodie, this commissionwas established following an overture tothe General Assembly expressing concernsabout the increased centralisation ofpower.[6] Again, the thrust of the reportwas towards a more decentralised churchthrough the emergence of a smallernumber of better resourced Presbyteries –this led to the report of the Panel onReview and Reform (see below). Seriousquestions were also raised about the costand effectiveness of the General Assemblywith its hefty volume of reports andquantity of deliverances that can baffleeven the most determined and seasoned ofcommissioners. Similar criticisms of theAssembly are not hard to detect at earliertimes. For example, more than twentyyears ago in an acute analysis in Life andWork, Dr John Chalmers described some ofthe obvious difficulties in the way theGeneral Assembly functions. The Blue Bookis neither well read nor understood bymost commissioners as they leave after aweek of deliberations, and soon the annualprocess begins over again. ‘When you takeinto account the cost of taking men andwomen out of their parishes, the Assemblyactually costs more than we spend on newchurches or providing developmentopportunities for our ministers. That’s a lotof money – but what do we get for thisinvestment?’[7]

Panel on Review and Reform Report (2011) –following a process of consultation, thePanel submitted proposals that weredirected towards a new system of c13Presbytery assemblies.[8] This represented a



radical shift from a polity of 46Presbyteries, but the proposals weredefeated on the floor of the Assembly. Inexamining this episode, Doug Gay hasargued that Presbytery reform can onlysucceed if it is accompanied by asimultaneous reform of the central church.The Commission shares this view which hasbeen confirmed by our realisation of howthe Church of Scotland ought to functionas an organic body with many interlockingparts. The creation of fewer but larger andbetter resourced Presbyteries makes senseonly if there is some devolution of initiativeand resource from the centre to theregions. Without such a transfer, neitheradditional funding nor the increasedpowers in relation to strategy, mission andallocation of resource will make muchsense. Accordingly, the Commission takesthe view that a necessary accompanimentto its proposals is that element of thecurrent Radical Action Plan (proposed bythe Council of Assembly) which proposes arapid reduction in the number ofPresbyteries. And the improved functioningof these larger Presbyteries will requiresome simultaneous rethinking of how theycan better relate to the General Assembly,a matter which we understand is beingconsidered by the Legal QuestionsCommittee. Nothing should be allowed tostand in the way of this restructuring ofPresbyteries.In surveying this body of material, we arestruck by i) how much of it adumbrates ourrecommendations in this report and ii) howslow the Church has been to bring aboutthe radical structural reforms that havebeen recommended in the past. Oursituation has now become critical in termsof finance, numbers, and the evidentdysfunctionalities of our organisation.Without immediate change, it is unlikelythat the Church can operate in a way thatwill command the confidence of itsmembers, ministers and employees.Council of AssemblyOne of the recommendations of theCommittee of Forty was the establishment

of an Assembly Council in 1978. The growthof increasingly large and powerful Boards(later Councils) and Committees (withstaff and budgets) reporting directly to theGeneral Assembly was judged to requiregreater oversight and coordination. Hence,the primary remit of the Assembly Councilwas to coordinate the work of the centralCouncils and to set budgets and staffinglevels in accordance with strategicpriorities.[9]Whether this ever workedsatisfactorily is questionable.In 2004, this became a Council of Assemblywith a stronger emphasis upon envisioninga strategy for changing times and acting asa catalyst for change in the Church ofScotland. The report of 2004recommended that the new body havestronger financial and administrativeoversight of the central organisation.[10] Atthe same time, the old Boards andCommittees were reorganised. With theemergence of Councils, the currentorganisational structure was established.And, following the advent of new charitieslegislation, the voting members of thisbody became the trustees of SC011353upon the recommendation of a furtherspecial report. This made the reasonablepoint that since the Council of Assemblyexercised functions of oversight,stewardship and management it wasalready acting de facto as the trustee body.[11]

Yet since its inception (or reinvention) theCouncil of Assembly has laboured underseveral systemic difficulties relating tocomposition, financial management, andits relationship to the other Councils. Thesewere listed in the report brought by theCouncil itself to the Commission ofAssembly in October 2018. Our findingssupport its conclusions.Following full and frank discussions with arange of office-bearers, we offer thefollowing observations. These confirm ourjudgement that the Council of Assembly inits present form is incapable of actingsatisfactorily as a trustee body owing to i)conflicts of interest, ii) a confusion of



oversight with the day-to-day running ofan organisation, iii) a diffusion of fundholders in the organisation, and iv) anunsatisfactory relationship with theGeneral Assembly. In its report to theCommission of Assembly, the Councilalluded to inherent tensions which had notbeen mitigated and believed that there wasa pressing need to create mechanisms for aclearer prioritisation of the work of theChurch. In considering this, theCommission has come quickly to the viewthat we should not expect our trustees tolabour with an impossible remit; hence, wepropose the formation of a new trusteebody with a different composition, muchmore specific financial powers, a clearerrelationship to the senior managementteam, and significant adjustments in itsrelationship to the General Assembly. Inour view, these proposals provideconformity with best practice in terms ofcharity law and Presbyterian church polity,as we have been asked to recommend.Membership – the voting members of theCouncil of Assembly include conveners ofeach of the other Councils, thus generatinga conflict of loyalties, particularly withrespect to the allocation of resources.Where conveners (accompanied bysecretaries as non-voting members) arefaced with the challenge of securingresource for the work of their Councils, thewider strategic vision of the Council ofAssembly can be compromised. If toomany people are seated around the table(around 30 people can currently attend theCouncil of Assembly), the group is lesslikely to function well. Low levels ofparticipation amongst some members,especially the General Assemblyappointees, can result in their feelingdisempowered and marginalised. Severalhave complained to us of the way in whichdiscussion tends to be dominated byCouncil representatives. We have heardfrequent complaints of a ‘silo’ mentalityinside the central organisation, in partexacerbated by the control of restrictedfunds. This is confirmed by the recentTransformational Change report

commissioned by the Council of Assembly.In its executive summary, the report statesthat ‘starkly disproportionate levels offunding across the Councils are resulting inprotectionist attitudes, leading to animbalance in the Senior ManagementTeam’s overall ability to perform taskscollaboratively. The issue of historic budgetsetting is furthermore impacting adverselyon the ability of support services toperform their crucial roles within theorganisation. As a result, a wastefulduplication of roles within and acrossCouncils is commonplace, and thepotential to issue a coherent message ofhigh quality across the organisation is lost.’[12]

Function – The current remit of the Councilof Assembly fails to reflect that theprincipal duty of charity trustees is topreserve and deal with the charity's assetsin accordance with its purposes. Much ofthe remit reflects the responsibility to actin an executive capacity as regards the day-to-day management of the work ofCouncils and Committees. We note that inmany organisations these functions wouldbe clearly separated with the executivestaff members being accountable to thetrustees. For this reason, oversight andexecutive functions should be more clearlydistinguished in any future structure andthis has been our aim in introducing a newset of proposals for governance.Management – the Secretary of the Councilof Assembly has been required to linemanage up to 14 senior staff within theorganisation. This has compounded theremit of the Council, again confusingtrusteeship with day-to-day management,while also highlighting the blurred linesdividing the responsibility of GeneralAssembly office-bearers and Councilappointees. In recent years, the Church hasalternated between having a separateappointee as secretary to the Council ofAssembly and combining this post withthat of Principal Clerk. This duality ofcontrol has occasioned different concernsaround the workload and a potential for



conflict. There may be no perfect solutionhere, but our view is that the currentformal remit, and therefore the requiredskillset, of the Principal Clerk is quitedifferent from that of a senior executivemanager of staff and activities withinSC011353. From all of our consultation, weare in no doubt that the propermanagement of staff and activities withinthe central offices deserves and requires aproperly qualified senior executive, aswould be obligatory in any organisation ofcomparable size and complexity. The rolesof Principal Clerk and Senior Executive arecomplementary as each will release theother to focus on her or his principal dutiesto the Church. The function of the ChiefOfficer, a new post that is being proposedfor this purpose, is essentially that ofdirector of administration. As accountableto the trustee body, the office-holdercannot be a member of it. Theresponsibility for the development ofvision, strategy and overarching policy willbelong to the trustee body as guided by theGeneral Assembly, and it will be for theChief Officer, working with the trustees, toimplement that vision, strategy and policy.The primary remit of the Chief Officer willthus be inward-facing in relation toorganisational leadership and themanagement of staff and resources, ratherthan as a representative of the Church ofScotland in the wider public domain. Theskillset and experience required for thisrole is likely to attract someone with atrack record of senior executive leadershipin an organisation of comparable scale,with strategic and operational deliveryexperience.Reporting – the Council of Assemblyreports directly to the General Assembly,as do the other Councils and committeesof the church. This generates a furtherproblem around coordination of strategyand establishment of priorities, when theAssembly can give approval (as it usuallydoes) to whatever is proposed by theseother bodies. The role of the Council ofAssembly is consequently limited at theGeneral Assembly, as it tends to report as

one amongst many Councils thuscompromising the oversight andcoordination that it ought to exercise. Thisis compounded by a system that preventsmembers of the Council of Assemblyserving as commissioners ex officio. Theyare thus unable to participate indiscussions at the highest court of thechurch in which they exercise an importanttrustee role. It has also been pointed out tous that members of the Council ofAssembly often have access to the reportsand deliverances of other Councils onlyafter these have gone to press. Thereappears to be little scrutiny, filtering, oropportunity for aligning reports with theestablished priorities of the organisation.In part, this may be explained by the verytight time-frame within which reports haveto be compiled and submitted forpublication. We find this absence ofscrutiny by the Council of Assemblysurprising given that its primary function isone of coordination and oversight. With anoverall failure to impose a coordination ofstrategy and the establishment ofpriorities, approvals given by the Assemblycan be piecemeal, involve duplication andresult in waste of resources.Strategy and Priorities - A further complaintconcerns the absence of any commonunderstanding, whether expressedformally or not, of the clear, strategicpriorities of the Church of Scotland. Thesepriorities would need to be consistent withthe Articles Declaratory and the expressedwill of the General Assembly. Yet severalpersons in positions of leadership havecomplained to us that they are having tointerpret strategic priorities forthemselves, a point that is also stressed inthe Transformational Change report. Thisprevents the work of the Church beingcarried out effectively, causes confusionand duplication, and puts an undue burdenon leaders. In our view a new trustee body,freed from internal conflicts of interestbetween Councils, should be able to carryout the present remit of the Council ofAssembly to assist the Assembly todetermine strategies and to set priorities



and monitor delivery. There is no reasonwhy, as in any large, national organisation,this cannot be done systematically througha well-prepared rolling programme devisedby trustees, committees and workinggroups. A clearly articulated set ofpriorities would also be of much benefit tothe General Trustees in aligning their workwith that of the General Assembly.Finances – although the Council ofAssembly is required to authoriseexpenditure, in practice its financial powersare limited by the extent to which somefunds are restricted and others designatedfor the work of individual Councils. Thelack of clarity surrounding many of thesecreates difficulties for all concerned. Thetask of determining which funds arerestricted and whether their status can bealtered has taken some time but, weunderstand, will soon be completed.Councils are incurring annual deficits,especially Social Care and the Israelientities. These deficits have to be made upfrom reserves. The operating loss for 2018(excluding exceptional items such as losseson investments and gains on propertysales) was £5m. The principal contributorswere Ministries £(1.1m), Social Care £(1.5m)and the Israeli entities £(1m). Since at least2015, budgets, management accounts andannual outturns have shown net annualdeficits varying between £2m and £7m.Budgets and forecasts have often been atvariance. In scrutinising the minutes of theCouncil of Assembly over a four-yearperiod, the Special Commission wasdismayed to see how little attentionappeared to be devoted to discussion offinancial matters, and this despite thedetailed work of its Finance Group andwarnings sounded by some of its members.We take one example. At meetings of theCouncil of Assembly in November andDecember 2016, the deficit for 2016 wasbeing forecast at £4m against a budgeteddeficit of £3.2m and the budget for 2017was being revised to a deficit of £4.7mfrom a forecast of £1.3m. Whilst membersof the Council expressed ‘concern’, theCouncil engaged in no further discussion

over 2017 as to how to respond to this lackof budgetary control. Only in December2017 were serious questions asked, whenthe Council’s Finance Group reported thatthe detailed budget deficit for 2018 was£4m against a forecast of £2.3m and that2019 would present serious challengesbecause of reducing congregationalcontributions and a continuing andsignificant reduction in legacy income.Even so there was no urgency expressed:merely that firmer budget measures“might be required”.A related concern is the relentless growthof posts and staff costs within the centralCouncils and committees. At the end of2018, 245 persons (217 full-time equivalent)were employed within SC011353, at anannual payroll cost of £9.9m. Thisrepresents a growth in numbers of c10%from 222 (198 full-time equivalents) since2013 with a cost rise of over 20% from£8.2m. Even allowing for inflation, therising cost of the central staffingcomplement seems unaffordable, given thereduced size of the Church of Scotland andthe anticipated decline in congregationalincome (currently c£47m). SuccessiveGeneral Assemblies have added to centralstaff numbers without proper discussion ofthe optimal size of the centralorganization. A smaller and leanerbureaucracy will be needed for the yearsahead, especially if larger Presbyteries areto be better resourced for their work.Not only is there no deficit reduction plan,but our detailed investigations have showna disturbing lack of concern to curb andcontrol expenditure. Substantial sums ofmoney have recently been spent onconsultancy, branding exercises, YouTubeproductions and newsletters. Until amoratorium was recently declared, 33different newsletters were beingdistributed to a variety of mailing lists frominside 121 George Street. There is nocoherent strategy supporting thesedisparate communications activities, withample evidence of duplication and minimalconsideration of the needs of the intended



audiences. This seems an inefficient use ofscarce resources. One correspondentsuggested to us, not unreasonably in ourview, that if another national charity wereto send us over 30 newsletters fromdifferent elements of its centraladministration, we would find this baffling.With further dismay, we note that theseforms of expenditure have taken place at atime when ministry candidates and theirfamilies continue to face serious financialpressures. Despite repeated pleas andsome valiant efforts, the Church ofScotland has still failed to provide anadequate stipend for those who arerequired to devote three of four years offull-time study to their ordination training.Many of our candidates continue to borrowmoney from the Students Loan Agencyonly later to face repaying debts from aministerial stipend. Those called toministry are required normally toundertake a intense programme of 3-4years of full-time study and training.Having relinquished their secularemployment, they deserve to be bettersupported throughout this process. At atime of acute ministerial shortage andcrisis in recruitment, this is symptomatic ofan organisation that is losing sight of itsfundamental priorities.Councils – at present, the GeneralAssembly has six standing Councils:Council of Assembly; Ministries; Missionand Discipleship; World Mission; Churchand Society; and Social Care. Given ourremit to explore ways in which a leanerstructure would better serve the localchurch and its mission, we are proposing areduction in the number of Councils.Again, this is not a novel idea but one thathas been advocated for some time. Inrecent years, there have been areas eitherof overlap or of common activity withoutstrategic oversight, e.g. more than onecouncil reports on Israel/Palestine, threeCouncils have developed initiatives foryounger people, parish mission is apreoccupation for at least two Councilsand so on. Some consolidation of effort

and reduction of semi-autonomous groupswould save resource, while also facilitatingmore coordinated and strategicallyfocussed activity. A rationalised structurecould achieve better oversight, reducedexpenditure, economies of scale, lessduplication of effort, cessation of workwhich is no longer a priority, and lessrivalry between Councils.We have been unable to identify a clearrole for the Panel on Review and Reform inthe new structures envisaged, though werecognise the need for a forward looking‘think tank’ that can stimulate freshreflection and vision. Such groupings couldbe established on a limited, fixed-termbasis with a clearly defined remit by thenew trustee body. To underpin this andother work, there is a need for an in-housefacility to ensure that policies are informedby proper research and analysis.Comparisons with other churches, e.g. theChurch of England and the PCUSA, suggestthat such a facility is desirable, evennecessary. For example, a research supportofficer might undertake work in thefollowing areas, all of which are central tothe mission of the church:• 'functionality' of particular Presbyteries

or areas of the country - their use andallocation of financial and humanresources, the 'weak spots' in terms ofterritorial coverage;

• Presbytery 'health checks' to enablemore realistic planning, involvingclosures, new initiatives in pioneeringand church planting, and the resourcingof healthy churches to enable growth;

• 'mapping' to identify space for newinitiatives in church life, and drawingupon best practice in other churches;

• assessing the development of new'fresh expressions'.

Social Care presents distinctive andformidable challenges in terms ofgovernance and finance. We have discussedthese with office-bearers and the CEO ofCrossreach and we share their view that



Crossreach should become an arms-length,self-sustaining organisation. Whileremaining within the charitable body anddrawing strength from its links with theChurch of Scotland, Crossreach couldfunction in a more autonomous capacitywith its own management, financial andHR structures. This would also result insignificant efficiency gains; for example, atpresent, the CEO of Crossreach dedicatesc30% of her time to the work of churchcommittees, most of which are remotefrom her expertise and remit.Representation on Councils and Committees– a further complaint that we received onseveral occasions concerned the size ofmany Councils and Committees. Theseoften exceed 30 members with the resultthat significant numbers are unable tocontribute effectively to discussions anddecision making. Moreover, the managingof these relatively large bodies appears toabsorb a disproportionate amount of efforton the part of staff inside the churchoffices. Given this problem, in addition tothe general decline in numbers andresource, we believe that the Church ofScotland could function more effectivelywith a much smaller representation onthese and other bodies. Our system ofchurch government at every level iscurrently populated by large and unwieldybodies that neither facilitate effectivedecision-making processes, nor properstewardship of time and resource. Weshould ensure that, wherever appropriate,Council officials are empowered andtrusted to take executive decisions, insteadof requiring these to be channelled throughlarge committees for scrutiny, discussionand approval.Wider Structural ConcernsAlthough the remit of the SpecialCommission begins with a focus on theCouncil of Assembly, it raises furtherconcerns about the need for a ‘nationalstructure’ that is sufficiently ‘lean and fitto lead reform’. The Special Commissionhas also considered this, mindful of thewish of the General Assembly 2018 to see

proposals for radical reform broughtforward in this context.General Assembly – as a body of c800commissioners, the Assembly has oftenproved inadequate in holding Councils andcommittees accountable, controllingexpenditure, and in articulating a coherentstrategy for the whole church. Time andagain, we have been confronted in ourdiscussions by the view that the GeneralAssembly is unfit for purpose and unableproperly to exercise its role in relation tooversight, coordination, and the enablingof the mission of the local church. Thereare many symptoms and several causes ofthis malaise.On average 167 people are attending theGeneral Assembly for the first time andmost have not been present in thepreceding year. Commissioners areconfronted by a substantial volume towhich is added another set ofsupplementary reports which appearsshortly before the Assembly, as well asseveral sets of Daily Papers. Coupled withthe procedures surrounding questions,debates and deliverances, it is perhapsinevitable that most recommendations arereceived, taken on trust, and approved.(Amidst the plethora of approveddeliverances, some decisions are neveracted upon, while efforts to ‘encouragecongregations’ to undertake some task orother seem unlikely to have any realeffect.) The timing of the Assembly is alsoproblematic, given that it requires anyworking elder to take a week’s annualleave. Costings are imprecise, but it iscertain that the headline figure (£400+K)does not represent the total amount. Thetime spent by ministers preparing reports,travelling to meetings and spending oneweek of the year in Edinburgh also requiresto be properly costed, as does the input ofstaff time in servicing these committees,and preparing for the Assembly. If all thiswere included in the calculation, theChurch of Scotland’s AGM would appear tobe a very expensive undertaking. And withthe approval of reports and deliverances



completed, it is not long before the processbegins all over again. The disproportionatenumber of retired ministers in attendancealso attracts negative comment, especiallyfrom those younger ministers in post whofind this disempowering. We believe thatthe proposed new Business Committee, asan immediate priority, should identify waysin which the General Assembly can bereduced in size and become more effectivein serving its purpose.Presbyteries – although their number isgenerally agreed to be too high, efforts atreform have hitherto proved largelyunsuccessful. The distress experienced bymany of the smaller Presbyteries is nowpalpable and reform is urgently needed.The emergence of groups is a welcomedevelopment but soon the Church ofScotland will need to reduce the number ofits Presbyteries from 45 to c12, if these areto function as effective and properlyresourced regional bodies. Work on this isalready underway and should be furtherencouraged and accelerated. There are twoproblems that afflict the relationship ofthe Presbyteries to the General Assembly.First, there is a lack of accountability. Weappear to have no reporting mechanism bywhich plans and strategies are approved bythe Assembly, though some Councils domaintain frequent contact withPresbyteries and provide regular advice andsupport, while the Clerks Forum ensuressome coordination of Presbyteries with thecentral church. But how the GeneralAssembly satisfies itself that Presbyteriesare functioning well is not at all clear. Thisrelates to a second problem surroundingresource. The distribution of funds fromwealthier parts of the church hashistorically taken place according to thetwo criteria of poverty and remoteness oflocation. It has been an axiom of oursystem that a sharing of material resourcesis needed to support congregations in thepoorest parts of Scotland and in moreremote locations where population densitycannot produce financial sustainability.According at least to anecdotal evidence,the present system of resource allocation

seems to work sub-optimally with not afew congregations in areas that are neitherpoor nor remote receiving substantialsubsidies. This suggests that arationalisation of resource allocation,informed by the provision of more robustand granular data is urgently required. Thesystem of resource allocation is alsocontroversial for the disincentives itcreates particularly for congregations inlong-term vacancies,[13] and for the ways inwhich funds released by the sale of assets(e.g. as a result of a union) are notdistributed to areas of strategic priority.We recognise that there are tensionsamongst the local, the regional and thenational church but some balancing ofinterests and priorities needs to be moreclearly established.Kirk Sessions – Neither is the local churchfree of structural problems. Kirk Sessionsfunction as trustee bodies but again thenumbers are often too large to deliverproper oversight and executive control. Thesize of Kirk Sessions has historically beendetermined by the number of districtsrequiring pastoral care. This has producedbodies of 50+ persons in many places.Whether the ministry and mission of thechurch are best exercised by such largegroups spending significant amounts oftime servicing committees and visitingdistricts is at least an open question. Andwhether younger members wish to hold anoffice that is effectively for life is doubtful.Another correspondent suggested to usthat if prospective young elders were tosample a Kirk Session meeting and then beoffered the post for life, they would beunlikely to find this an attractiveproposition. We note that in otherchurches, for example the PresbyterianChurch of the USA, Kirk Sessions compriseonly those elected to serve for a fixed term,thus constituting much smaller andarguably more effective executive bodies atlocal level. A disproportionate amount oftime is arguably absorbed by the routinetasks of the eldership. This could bereleased for other activities and newinitiatives. We welcome the initiative of the



Legal Questions Committee in bringingforward new proposals to this end.121 George Street – there has muchdiscussion over the future of the buildingsthat currently house the church offices. Wehave received conflicting reports of thecost of necessary repairs, of decanting, ofsecuring alternative accommodation, andof the commercial viability of leasingsections of the building. The Commissionhas not taken a view on these mattersexcept to observe that i) the new trusteebody will require to take an informed viewon the future of the buildings and possiblealternatives at an early opportunity, ii) thatthis should be done through closeconsultation with the General Trustees, iii)that no decision should be taken untilthere is greater clarity on the future shapeand needs of the central organisation ofthe church and iv) that the wider culturalimpact on the organisation should beconsidered in this context. Accordingly, werecommend that the trustee body takessteps to carry out necessary repairs toensure that the organisation can continueto function in 121 at least for the short termbut that steps be taken to assess its longer-term viability. Further remarks from theTransformational Change report arerelevant in this context. ‘It was evidentfrom our visits to 121 and from numerouscomments received from SMT membersthat the existing building generalarrangement and infrastructure presentconsiderable challenges to creating anopen, collaborative workplace. Someexamples of close adjacencies betweenteams were reported to be extremelysuccessful. Most members, however, sawthe compartmentalised internal planarrangement, with distinct front and rearaccommodation blocks arranged overmultiple levels, as presenting barriers toeffective inter-team collaboration.’[14]

Outline of ProposalsThe focus of our remit is proper trusteegovernance, together with theidentification of, and proposals to embedin the Church's structures, key principles to

allow the General Assembly to prioritisethe work and resources of the Church. Sixmonths of meetings and investigation havemade us acutely aware of the need forwidespread reform, including a RadicalAction Plan.Proposal 1– A new body of trustees, to becalled the Assembly Trustees, should beestablished with effect from the end of theGeneral Assembly 2019. This body will actas the trustees of all funds held withinSC011053 whether restricted, designated orunrestricted. Trustees appointed byGeneral Assembly 2019 will retire in agradual process after one year, followingwhich appointment should take placethrough a transparent and inclusiveprocess of advertisement, application,recommendation and interview. Thisprocess should be designed to maximisethe diversity of the Trustee body fromamong all members of the Church and withthe necessary skills. The remit andresponsibilities of the new trustee body areset out in Appendix 1.Those trustees first appointed by theGeneral Assembly will be a transitionalbody who will make the necessaryappointment of a Chief Officer, establishgovernance systems which allow thetrustees to carry out their work properly,and provide assurance to the GeneralAssembly as to the manner in which theAssembly's strategies and priorities arebeing taken forward. From extensivediscussions with colleagues inside andoutside the Council of Assembly, we havereached the conclusion that the currentstructure has never been fit for purpose. Itscomposition has resulted in too large agroup, conflicts of interests on the part ofconveners and others in attendance, aconfusion of oversight with executivemanagement, and an inability to exerciseproper fiscal control over Councils andcommittees. Our view is that this new bodyrequires to take up post with immediateeffect to ensure a rapid response to a senseof crisis. This has multiple causes –financial, organisational and motivational.



Proposal 2 – Beyond the three-yeartransitional period, the trustee body shouldcomprise 12 members, to be appointed fora period of three years, including aconvener, vice-convener and administrativetrustee. Two further members will beappointed ex officiis, the Convener of theBusiness Committee of the GeneralAssembly and the Chair of the GeneralTrustees. We agree with the indication inour remit that a proper structure shouldensure that the Assembly can effectivelydirect prioritisation of work and resources.In order to achieve this, there must be truecollaboration between Councils (or theirsuccessors). This will be enhanced if thenew trustees are able to carry out the workwhich had been remitted to the Council ofAssembly of monitoring, evaluating, andco-ordinating the work of Agencies andCouncils and their wise use of resources.This can be achieved by the new trusteesfacilitating a rolling budgetary programmeand having oversight of all potentialreports and deliverances. The GeneralAssembly will then be able to set prioritiesupon the basis of a systematicallypresented set of options The AssemblyTrustees should determine for themselvesan appropriate sub-committee structure.All reports and deliverances to the GeneralAssembly should be transmitted to andscrutinised by the trustees prior to theirpublication. In our view, this will betterrepresent the way in which the trustees areintended to exercise broad oversight of thework of the charitable body. The newtrustee body should receive administrativesupport from within the organisation. Ourview is that c12 is the optimal figure for thetrustee body of our charitableorganisation. It should be sufficiently largeto incorporate the necessary skills and toreflect the breadth of the Church ofScotland. But it should be sufficiently smallto ensure that all its members participateactively in meetings and assumeresponsibility for establishing priorities andfor exercising oversight and coordinationof activities. The trustee body shouldcomprise people with skills in law, human

resources, finance, management,communications and theology, while alsoincluding members with extensiveexperience of leadership in the Church ofScotland. The need for proper coordinationwith the work of the General AssemblyBusiness Committee and the GeneralTrustees can be served by appointing theconveners of these bodies as trustees exofficiis. No employee of the Church ofScotland, full-time appointee of theGeneral Assembly, or other convenershould hold the position of trustee.Proposal 3 – A senior management teamshould be restructured to work closely withthe trustees, with delegated authority forthe discharge of functions from day to day.This will be led by a full-time Chief Officer– a new role – whose appointment shouldbe an urgent priority for the new trusteebody. The appropriate membership of andremit of the Senior Management Team willbe determined by the Trustees inaccordance with good managementpractice. We have given seriousconsideration to what a “leaner and fitter”management structure would look like.Conscious of the burden imposed by largemanagement spans and having consideredpractice in comparable organisations, webelieve that there may be an advantage in afurther new appointment to the SMT of aHead of Corporate Services. This postwould support the Chief Officer, takingmanagement responsibility for finance;human resources; communications; IT;estates and other central functions.Accordingly, we would invite the trusteesto consider this. During the interim periodfrom 1 June, we would recommend that thecurrent Acting Secretary to the Council ofAssembly continue in his role with respectto organisational oversight, working underthe authority of the new trustee body.From a range of conversations, we havereached the conclusion that the currentsenior management team is neithersufficiently clear of its role nor sufficientlyempowered to act as an executive body.This is confirmed again by the



Transformational Change Report. Clearerdelegations of responsibility andaccountability need to flow from thetrustee body through the SeniorManagement Team to the rest of theorganisation. In particular, this mustinvolve greater management oversight,support and development of staff andcontrol over budgets, expenditure andimplementation of the strategic aims ofthe trustee body as approved by theGeneral Assembly. This model functionswell in many other charitable bodies andpartner churches; it should be followedwithin the parameters of our Presbyterianform of church government.In addition, the trustees will be served byone of their own number to act as theAdministrative Trustee. With appropriatesupport from a staff member in the centralorganisation, the Administrative Trustee,among other matters, shall make allnecessary arrangements for meetings ofthe Trustees and the work to be covered bythem, work closely with the Convener,Vice-Convener, and the Chief Officer toensure that all proper governancemeasures are implemented and to ensurethat trustees are given appropriatetraining.Proposal 4 – There should a reduction in thenumber of Councils, with a view to theformation of two groupings. The followingmodel is suggested, though we recognisethat further internal discussion is requiredwith a view to the Assembly Trusteesbringing a set of recommendations toGeneral Assembly 2020. The MinistriesCouncil and the Mission and DiscipleshipCouncil might merge to form one ‘inwardfacing’ body with responsibilities for theresourcing of ministries, the upbuilding ofthe congregations of the Church ofScotland and the envisioning of Christianmission in Scotland. The World MissionCouncil and the Church and Society Councilmight merge to form one ‘outward facing’body that will facilitate the overseas workof the Church of Scotland together withthe task of bearing Christian social witness

at home and overseas. These newgroupings could provisionally be named theMinistries and Mission Group, and theChurch in the World Group. Werecommend abandoning the nomenclatureof ‘Councils’ to signify more clearly thedistinction between the trustee body andthose groupings within the centralorganisation of the Church that in futurewill become more accountable to thetrustees in terms of strategy and reporting,and through the trustees to the GeneralAssembly. But, once formed, these newgroupings should feel free in due course topropose alternative designations to theGeneral Assembly that reflects their remit.Admittedly, the terms ‘inward facing’ and‘outward facing’ are not altogether happy.The task of equipping ministers andcongregations for mission clearly has anoutward role, while much that isundertaken with respect to Scotland, theUK and the wider world has a reference tocongregations, their witness and theirpartnerships with other churches andagencies. And the ecumenical work of theChurch of Scotland will have ademonstrable locus in both bodies.Nevertheless, the integration of theseCouncils into two units has sufficientrationale to enable greater coordinationand economies of scale to take placewithout loss of vision or vital activities. Ifwe can ensure that there is sufficientcooperation and alignment withorganisational priorities, then these twogroupings can be made to work for thegood of the whole church. Our view is thatthe location of Ecumenical Relations, theTheological Forum, and the Inter-FaithOfficer should be considered in light of thisnew configuration with a view todeveloping closer links, more efficientworking and a coherent governance model.Consideration should also be given to othergroupings within the organisation. Forexample, we are aware of the importantwork of the Guild and would recommendthat the trustees seek to identify any waysin which it can be best included in any newgovernance arrangements. To develop



close links between these new groupingsand the Assembly Trustees, we envisage‘liaison trustees’ being appointed, fromamongst the trustees, to work alongsidethe group leadership.A fusion of four Councils into two groupsshould enable economies of scale,avoidance of duplication and competition,reduction of central staff numbers, moreeffective working across the organisationand devolution of some functions to largerPresbyteries. These Council mergers havebeen mooted for some years with theintention of creating one internallyfocussed and one externally focussedgroup. Now is the time to bring about thisreorganisation.The Panel on Review and Reform wasestablished by the Church Without Wallsreport in 2001. Its remit has fallensomewhat uncertainly between those ofother bodies, e.g. the Council of Assemblywhich is responsible for strategy and bothMinistries and Mission and Discipleshipwhich have initiated new programmes inministry and mission in the interveningyears. Our view is that a place will need tobe found for the wider strategic thinkingundertaken by the Panel, particularly in acomparative context, but that this can bedone on an occasional basis either by thetwo new groupings or by an ad hoc workinggroup of the trustee body. In thisconnection, we have also come to the view,following Doug Gay, that the Churchrequires a research facility in order togenerate accurate data and informedanalysis across a range of activities. Thiscould be based within the new Ministriesand Mission Group. Accordingly, the Panelon Review and Reform can now bedischarged not with disregard to theimportance of its remit but with the intentof embedding and strengthening its workvia other bodies.Social Care faces formidable challenges,already alluded to above. Our view, whichappears already to be widely shared, is thatCrossreach needs to become a moreautonomous body both in terms of its

finance and governance. The different andspecialist nature of its activities will requirethis, while the need to reach a positioncloser to financial sustainability isapparent. A positive relationship with theChurch of Scotland should be maintainedbut in a way that is financially prudent inthe longer term. The Social Care Councilshould become the Social Care Committeeand be instructed, in line with the RadicalAction Plan, to forge a new identity forCrossreach as a self-sustaining ‘arms-length’ body. The Social Care Committeeshould bring a series of recommendationsin those terms to the General Assembly of2020.Proposal 5 – The new trustee body shouldseek within one or two years a reduction inthe costs of the central administration ofSC011353 by c20–30%. This figure isindicative only, but our initial judgement isthat it needs to be of that order for costsavings that will prove commensurate withthe steady decline in the size of ourmembership and the subsequent impact onincome. To oversee this process oftransition, expertise in organisationalchange management should be secured,where necessary, by the trustees. Thismight be on a fixed-term basis: again, theprecise nature of this appointment is amatter for the trustees, working with thenew Chief Officer. A simultaneous reviewof the pay grade scheme should be also beundertaken. We understand that this isnow overdue and that significantanomalies require to be tackled. A time ofadministrative re-organisation will providean opportunity for this work to beadvanced.There has been recent growth in thenumber of posts created within the centralcommittees and Councils. This number isunsustainable for a membership shrinkingin size by c4% each year and withcongregational income likely to decline.Furthermore, the need to create fewer andbetter resourced Presbyteries will require aslimming down of the central organisationand a redistribution of resource to the



regions. Steps to reduce central costsshould be undertaken as an immediatepriority by the new trustee body. To beeffective this programme will need toconsider functions essential for compliancewith charities law, the core business of theChurch, ways in which some activitiesmight devolve to larger Presbyteries (forexample, support with mission, buildings,finance, and human resources). Otheractivities should be re-evaluated in relationto the shrinking size of the Church,increasing financial constraints, and aclearer understanding of the Church’spriorities.Proposal 6 – The Assembly ArrangementsCommittee should become the BusinessCommittee of the General Assembly toform a body of 12 members – see Appendix2.The newly formed Business Committeeshould report in 2020 on ways in which theAssembly can become smaller, of shorterduration, and more cost effective. To thisend, the 2020 Assembly should be largelydevoted to issues of governance, financeand the articulation of strategic prioritiesfor the whole church. Reports anddeliverances from Councils should be keptto a minimum during this transitional year.Following merger, the two new groupingsshould be tasked with identifying ways inwhich committee membership can besignificantly reduced as a cost savingmeasure.The General Assembly should also bereduced in size and duration to reflect thesmaller membership of the Church ofScotland and to produce a more effectiveforum for discussion and decision making.Models from other Reformed churchescould be compared for the sake ofenvisioning a more adequate form ofchurch government which bettercoordinates central, regional and localchurch structures. In particular, a new wayof enabling Presbyteries to report to theGeneral Assembly should be considered –as mentioned above, we understand that

the Legal Questions Committee is alreadyengaging with this taskThe Commission judges that the newtrustee body should have a more centralrole at the General Assembly than theCouncil of Assembly, which has too oftenfound that it is by-passed by other Councilsand thus marginalised at key moments. Forexample, it is anomalous that the Councilof Assembly often lacks advance notice ofreports and deliverances of othercommittees and Councils prior to theirsubmission for publication. Ourrequirement is that all reports anddeliverances now be transmitted to thetrustees via the Senior Management Teamand scrutinised prior to publication.Deliverances and reports should besignificantly reduced in length in theinterests of efficiency, accessibility andcost savings. The presence of trustees ascommissioners will also ensure betterknowledge of Assembly business, improvedchannels of communication, and increasedaccountability. Responsibility for Heart andSoul should be remitted to the Ministriesand Mission grouping.Through much of our consultation process,we have been struck by the adversecomments on the size of Councils andCommittees. These large bodies generatesignificant amounts of staff administrativetime and costs in terms of time and travel.Our view is that these bodies would be atleast as efficient if contracted in size withsavings also generation. To ensuresufficient expertise for the expediting ofbusiness, Committees should continue tohave powers to co-opt members. Werecommend that the eventual mergedgroupings review their committeestructures with a view to achieving asignificant reduction in numbers, whereverpossible.ConclusionThe Commission submits these proposalsto the Church, conscious of their far-reaching consequences. These are alignedwith previous analyses and reports,together with much of what we have



learned through the consultation process.It is clear to us that the status quo is notsustainable and that vital changes areimmediately required for the welfare of thewhole Church and the proper stewardshipof its resources. Frequently, we have beenurged to be bold and radical in ourproposals. In that spirit, we offer thisreport and its recommendations to theGeneral Assembly.

In the name of the CommissionDavid Fergusson, Convener

Sarah DavidsonJames McNeill

Morag RossAppendix 1

CONSTITUTION AND REMITOF THE

CHARITY TRUSTEES OF THE CHURCH OFSCOTLAND,

(the Unincorporated Entities),SCOTTISH CHARITY NO SC011353

Introduction1. The Charity Trustees of the Church of

Scotland, (the UnincorporatedEntities) Scottish Charity No.SC011353 (the “Charity”) are knownas the “Assembly Trustees”.

2. The general work of the Church ofScotland (the “Church”) beyond thelocal spheres of Congregations andPresbyteries is directed andcontrolled by the General Assemblyof the Church (the “GeneralAssembly”) through standingcommittees appointed for thepurpose. By Deliverance of theGeneral Assembly made on 17 May2004, the Council of Assembly (the“Council”) was established, witheffect from 1 June 2004, as such astanding committee of the GeneralAssembly, to which it is directlyaccountable and to which it isrequired to report annually.

3. Following upon the coming into forceof the Charities and TrusteeInvestment (Scotland) Act 2005 (asp10) (the “2005 Act”) the Church isrecognised as a Designated ReligiousCharity, Scottish Charity No.SC011353. By Deliverance of theGeneral Assembly those members ofthe Council appointed by the GeneralAssembly together with thosemembers of the Council holdingoffice as Conveners of the six majorCouncils of the Church (the“Conveners” ) were appointed to actas the Charity Trustees and, as suchTrustees, to have general control andmanagement of the assets of theunincorporated Councils andCommittees of the Church (the“Unincorporated Entities”).

4. The assets of the Charity are thoseheld for the Unincorporated Entitiesand include the assets of the Churchof Scotland Housing and Loan Fundfor Retired Ministers and Widowsand Widowers of Ministers. OtherChurch assets are held by the GeneralTrustees, Scottish Charity SC014574,the Church of Scotland InvestorsTrust, Scottish Charity SC022884 andthe Church of Scotland Trust,Scottish Charity SC020269 (together,the “Statutory Corporations”).Church assets are also held locally byindividual trustees on behalf ofCongregations or by Presbyterytrustees on behalf of Presbyteries.



5. In practice it has been found that (a)because much of the remit of theCouncil involves acting in anexecutive capacity as regards theday-to-day management of the workof Councils and committees, it isimpractical for a body of volunteertrustees to accomplish such workwithout dedicated executive support(with the result that what should bethe principal role of exercisingoversight and coordination ofactivities suffers) and (b) theinclusion as Charity Trustees of theConveners (as members of theCouncil) have not been conducive togood governance and managementof the Charity’s assets.

6. This deed therefore makes newprovision as to the constitution,powers and duties of the AssemblyTrustees, reconfirms the charitablepurposes, makes specific provision asto the nature of the matters to becarried out by the Trustees andconfirms the extent to which day today management of the work of theGeneral Assembly’s standingcommittees is to be carried out underthe aegis of the Assembly Trusteesand as part of the remit to them.

Trustees7. As from the date of their

appointment by the GeneralAssembly the first Assembly Trustees(the “Trustees”) shall be [ here takein the names of those individualsfirst appointed by GeneralAssembly 2019]. [name] shall be thefirst Convener. [name] shall be thefirst Vice Convener. [name] shall bethe first Administrative Trustee.

8. The Trustees shall be members of theChurch.

9. Trustees shall hold office for a termof three years, renewable for onefurther term only, whether

consecutive or not; provided that, asregards the Trustees first appointed,one third in number shall serve for aterm of one year only, non-renewable for a consecutive term,one third in number shall serve for aterm of two years only, non-renewable for a consecutive term,and one third in number shall servefor a term of three years only, non-renewable for a consecutive term.The Trustees first appointed shall beeligible to serve a second term, non-renewable, after an interval of threeyears.

10 The appointment of a new Trusteeupon the occurrence of a vacancy byreason of death, resignation orotherwise, and any re-appointment,shall be determined by the Trustees,subject to approval by the GeneralAssembly, through the adoption of apolicy such as that set out inScheduleA below. There shall betwelve appointed Trustees except intime of vacancy. In addition toappointed Trustees the Convener ofthe Business Committee of theGeneral Assembly and the Chair ofthe General Trustees of the Churchof Scotland shall be Trustees byvirtue of office.

11. Up to one half of the Trustees may beministers and deacons of the Church.No employee of the Church and nomember of any Agency will beeligible for appointment as a trustee.

12. There shall be a Governance Group asprovided for in Schedule B below.

13. There shall be a Convener, ViceConvener and AdministrativeTrustee, chosen as provided for inSchedule C below.

14. A Trustee will automatically cease tohold office if: -



a. he or she becomes incapablefor medical reasons of carryingout his or her duties as acharity trustee – but only ifthat has continued (or isexpected to continue) for aperiod of more than sixmonths; or

b. he or she gives to the Convenera signed notice of resignation;or

c. he or she is removed fromoffice following the procedureset out in paragraph 15 andSchedule B below.

15. If it appears to the Convener, ViceConvener or Administrative Trusteethat a trustee may be in materialbreach of her or his duties as aTrustee or if a complaint is made byanother Trustee or by an interestedparty alleging such a breach, theAdministrative Trustee (or, ifnecessary, another Office Bearer)shall report the matter to theTrustees’ Governance Group at thefirst reasonable opportunity, withoutnaming the Trustee, with a requestthat the Governance Group take suchsteps as are appropriate within theprovisions of Schedule B below. Uponsuch an occurrence, the Trustee inquestion shall have the rights andobligations set out in that Schedulein addition to all other rights andobligations at law.

16. In all aspects of their work asTrustees, each of the Trustees shallbe indemnified by the Church inrespect of any liability incurred asone of the Trustees arising from actsor omissions save where a Trusteehas acted in a breach of trustamounting to wilful default orrecklessness.

Charitable Purposes17. In accordance with the Declaratory

Articles and Act of Assembly V of2010, the Trustees shall hold theentire heritable and moveableproperty, assets, securities,investments and income held by orfor the Charity (the “CharitableEstate”) for the following objects:1) to offer Christian worship,

fellowship, instruction, missionand service;

2) to bring the ordinances ofreligion to the people in everyparish of Scotland through aterritorial ministry;

3) to labour for the advancementof the Kingdom of Godthroughout the world.

18. In doing so the Trustees -a. shall seek to build and

strengthen local congregationsas centres of worship, carenurture, service, witness andmission;

b. shall promote, in partnershipwith other churches, theministry and mission of theChurch throughout all ofScotland, with particularreference to its poorest andmost remote areas;

c. shall support the work ofecumenical bodies and otheragencies in Scotland andelsewhere in the world; and

d. may make such provision ofsupport, if any, to othercharitable bodies having similaraims as those foregoing, asmay seem appropriate in acommon pursuance of theforegoing objects.

19. As regards the investments andincome held by or for the Trustees as



part of the Charitable Estate, theTrustees shall have sole and absoluteauthority to give instructions to theChurch of Scotland Investors Trust asto the management of and dealingwith those assets, declaring that theTrustees shall maintain, and inconsultation with the GeneralTreasurer keep under review, a list ofnominated persons by whom suchinstructions may be given.

Work of the TrusteesGovernance20. The Trustees shall exercise the

supervisory function required by theChurch's Designated ReligiousCharity status; in particular, theyshall –a. maintain a Code of Conduct for

the Trustees adhere to it andsupervise compliance with thatCode by all Trustees;

b. maintain a Code of Conduct forall Agencies, adhere to it andsupervise compliance with thatCode by all members of suchAgencies;

c. carry out the work oftrusteeship in accordance withthe provisions of Schedule Cbelow; and

d. maintain and implement suchinternal audit functions andrisk management strategies asappear to the trustees, uponproper advice, to beappropriate.

21. The Trustees shall liaise with thePrincipal Clerk of the GeneralAssembly (the “Principal Clerk”) asnecessary and in particular insofar asthe work required in that postinteracts with the work of theTrustees. The Trustees shall requestthe Principal Clerk to attend suchparts of such meetings of the

Trustees as appear to the Trusteesand to the Principal Clerk to beappropriate; but without thePrincipal Clerk being entitled toparticipate in any vote or other formof determination by the Trustees.The Solicitor of the Church shallattend meetings for the purpose ofgiving such advice as may benecessary on the legal implications ofmatters being discussed.

22. The Trustees shall have oversight ofthe work of the Agencies and shallseek to ensure that the use andproposed use by the Agencies of theCharitable Estate is in accordancewith the policies, priorities andstrategic objectives of the GeneralAssembly and the Financial Strategyof the Trustees.

23. The Trustees shall approve thereports to the General Assembly ofall Agencies and others prior tosubmission; and shall ensure thatsuch reports are submitted in draftto the Senior Management Teamnolater than four weeks prior to anyprinting deadline required forsubmission to the General Assembly.Before approving reports forsubmission to the General Assemblythe Trustees shall discuss withAgencies any apparentinconsistencies with the policies,priorities and strategic objectives ofthe General Assembly, with theFinancial Strategy of the Trusteesand as between or among reports ofvarious Agencies.

24. The Trustees shall attend the sittingsof the General Assembly inaccordance with such arrangementsas are put in place through theBusiness Committee of the GeneralAssembly.



Powers25. In carrying out their work in terms of

this constitution the Trustees havepower to do all such things as arenecessary or incidental to theattainment of the CharitablePurposes.

26. In particular, the Trustees shall haveall powers necessary to put intoeffect the matters hereinafterspecified and set out in Schedules A,B, C and D below.

27. At a meeting of the Trustees atwhich the appropriate quorum (asset out in Schedule C below) ispresent, those Trustees present mayexercise all powers exercisable by theTrustees.

Duties28. The Trustees shall seek to ensure the

implementation of the policies,priorities and strategic objectives ofthe General Assembly throughworking with the Agencies to achievea collaborative approach to thenurturing of the people of the Churchin their witness, worship and serviceand through assisting the GeneralAssembly to determine strategy forthe Church.

29. Upon the appointment of theTrustees first appointed –a. the Trustees shall, as soon as

practicable after appointment,consult with the respectiveConveners of the Church andSociety, Ministries, Mission andDiscipleship, and WorldMission Groups as to the mosteffective and efficient mannerin which the work of theMinistries Group and that ofthe Mission and DiscipleshipGroup, and the work of theWorld Mission Group and that

of the Church and SocietyGroup are to be carried out intwo new groupings;

b. the Trustees shall as soon aspracticable after suchconsultation, require theConveners of the Ministries,Mission and DiscipleshipGroups and, separately, theWorld Mission and Church andSociety Groups to report to theTrustees within two monthswith proposals from eachcombined Group as to:i. a proposed name for

their combined Group;ii. an appraisal of those

parts of the work of theirformer Councils whichshould be carried out byPresbyteries, those partswhich should be carriedout by the combinedGroup and any partswhich it is no longernecessary to carry out;

iii. a proposed remit fortheir combined Group;

iv. a reasoned proposal forthe number of membersfor their combinedGroup; and

v. a reasoned proposal as towhich areas of work ofthe combined Groupsmight most convenientlybe carried out throughspecial task groups orworking parties;

c. the Trustees shall, within onemonth of receipt of thoseproposals and after suchfurther consultation as theTrustees deem appropriate,determine upon the



appropriate name, division ofwork, remit and number ofmembers of each combinedGroup; and

d. the Trustees shall, within onemonth of such determinations,issue appropriate guidelines tothe combined Groups as to themanner in which the combinedGroups are authorised to carryout work through special taskgroups or working parties andthe parameters which are to beapplied to such an approach.

Administration of the work of the Trustees30. The Trustees shall appoint one of

their number as the AdministrativeTrustee to carry out the work set outin Schedule E below, or otherwise asthe Trustees shall determine, and toliaise with the Chief Officer, theGeneral Treasurer and, whennecessary, the Principal Clerk, as tothe proper conduct of theadministration of the Charity. Incarrying out this work, theAdministrative Trustee shall beassisted by the Solicitor of theChurch.

Finance and Stewardship31. The Trustees shall oversee the work

of the General Treasurer incontributing to the fulfilling of thework of the Church by maintaining astrategic overview in the delivery offinance, accounting and supportservices, in being responsible to theTrustees for budgetary control, in co-ordinating an appropriate approachto financial services which are of astrategic nature, in carrying out thework of day-to-day oversight of theprovision of an effective treasuryfunction and in overseeing thesupport of human resources, IT andcommunications.

32. The Trustees shall ensure thatChurch resources are used wisely andeffectively and in accordance withthe policies, priorities and strategicobjectives of the General Assembly;and in particular, they shall –a. adhere to the policies, priorities

and strategic objectives of theGeneral Assembly;

b. adopt, maintain and keepunder review a FinancialStrategy;

c. after each General Assembly,review as necessary whetherpotential expenditure shouldbe categorised for the purposeof identifying prioritisation ofexpenditure;

d. after each General Assembly,review as necessary theappropriate prioritisation ofexpenditure;

e. maintain and, after eachGeneral Assembly, review asnecessary a set of BudgetPrinciples to be applied indeterminations in accordancewith the provisions of ScheduleD;

f. maintain, and in consultationwith the Church of ScotlandInvestors Trust subject to aperiodic review, an appropriateInvestment Policy as regardsinvestments held as part of theCharitable Estate;

g. maintain, and in consultationwith the Agencies subject to aperiodic review, an appropriateScheme of Financial Delegationsuch as that set out in ScheduleF below to be followed by theAgencies;

h. maintain, and in consultationwith the Agencies subject to a



periodic review, an appropriateScheme of General Delegation;

i. maintain, and in consultationwith the finance committees ofthe Agencies subject toperiodic review, an appropriateProcurement Policy to befollowed by the Agencies;

j. set appropriate standards offinancial management forAgencies and to overseecompliance;

k. supervise and assistPresbyteries and congregationsin adhering to financialstandards required by charitylaw and by the GeneralAssembly and to overseecompliance;

l. oversee the provision offinancial management servicesfor the Agencies, as agreedfrom time to time for theStatutory Corporations;

m. determine policy in relation tothe teaching and promotion ofChristian stewardshipthroughout the Church and toensure adherence; and, inparticular they shall –i. provide support to

Presbyteries andcongregations in thepromotion ofstewardship with a viewto generating sufficientincome to resource theworship, mission, nurtureand service of theChurch; and

ii. make proposals to theGeneral Assembly as toappropriate policy inrelation to Ministries and

Mission Contributionsfrom congregations, and,subject to Regulations tobe approved by theGeneral Assembly, todetermine withPresbyteries theMinistries and MissionContributions requiredannually fromcongregations.

33. The Trustees shall maintainbudgetary control of the use of theresources of the Charity; and inparticular they shall –a. determine in accordance with

the provisions of Schedule D,for each calendar year, thefinancial provision (includingcontingency allowances) to bemade available for the work ofeach Agency and shall ensurethat funds are made availableto each Agency to meet theprovision determined upon;

b. prepare, approve and presentannually to the GeneralAssembly an indicative RollingBudget and outline FinancialPlan for the following fiveyears;

c. prepare, approve and presentannually to the GeneralAssembly the audited AnnualReport and FinancialStatements of theUnincorporated Entities; and

d. ensure the maintenance byAgencies and any other budgetholders of proper accountingrecords including those forfinancial transactions andpayroll matters together withmanagement accounts.

34. For the financial year 2020, theTrustees shall determine a final



budget for that year no later than 1December 2019.

35. For the financial years 2021 andfollowing, the Trustees shallcommence work by 31 August 2019on the development of the budgetfor that year and beyond under thearrangements set out in Schedule D.

36. The Trustees shall recommend to theGeneral Assembly the total amountof the Church’s Co-ordinated Budgetfor the Parish Ministries Fund and theMission and Renewal Fund for thefollowing financial year; and shalldetermine the allocation of thebudget for the Mission and RenewalFund among the relevant Agencies.

37. The Trustees shall develop andmaintain a Reserves Policy; and, inparticular, they shall make specialprovision for the funding of Fundssuch as the Go For It Fund and of anyGrowth Fund approved by theGeneral Assembly. The Trustees shallmaintain oversight of the work ofsuch Funds to ensure that theCharitable Estate is deployed inaccordance with the CharitablePurposes set out above.

38. The Trustees shall receive anddistribute the income or capital ofunrestricted legacies and donationsamong the Agencies at such timesand in such proportions as to theTrustees shall seem appropriate, withpower to specify the use to whichthese funds are to be applied.

39. The Trustees shall have regard to theconclusions of the 2018-2019 reviewof Funds which seeks to identifywhether Funds are subject torestrictions as to the uses to whichsuch Funds may be put and, if so, asto the proper interpretation of suchrestrictions. As regards Funds inrespect of which there is no suchrestriction (“Unrestricted Funds”),

the Trustees, if they consider it to beappropriate for the work of theChurch, may, following uponconsultation with the Agency orAgencies affected, reallocate suchportion as they determineappropriate of any UnrestrictedFunds for the time being held onbehalf of any of the Agencies, to thework of another Agency or Agencieswith power to specify the use towhich the same are to be applied.The Trustees shall carry outsubsequent reviews at intervals offive years with the aim of ensuringthat Funds are allocated inaccordance with the agreed prioritiesof the General Assembly.

40. The Trustees shall maintain a registerof Funds held by them in respect ofwhich the terms of the donationindicate a restriction as to the uses towhich such Funds may be put(“Special Funds”) together with astatement of the terms of therestriction. They shall monitorwhether the nature of the restrictioncontinues to provide a suitable andeffective method of achieving theobjects of the Charity. If, in theopinion of the Trustees, having takenappropriate advice, the nature of therestriction does not provide asuitable and effective method ofachieving the objects of the Charity,they shall seek to have the restrictionremoved.

41. The Trustees, as confirmed in theConstitution of the Church ofScotland Housing and Loan Fund forRetired Ministers and Widows andWidowers of Ministers, havingsupervisory duties in respect of thatFund, shall monitor the extent towhich that Fund continues to providea suitable and effective method ofachieving the objects of the Fund. Inthe event that the Trustees conclude,in consultation with the trustees of



that Fund, that the purposes of thatFund provide a use for only part of itsassets, the Trustees, together withthe Fund’s trustees, shallrecommend to the General Assemblythat they apply to the CharityRegulator for a reorganisationscheme in order that such part of theFund’s assets as may be deemedappropriate may be applied to bettereffect for charitable purposesconsistently with the CharitablePurposes set out in paragraphs 17 and18 above; and in the event ofapproval being given by the GeneralAssembly, the Trustees shall makesuch application.

42. The Trustees shall determineannually the stipend rate, havingregard to the recommendation of theappropriate Agency; underdeclaration that any Trustee inreceipt of either a salary or stipendfrom the Parish Ministries Fund, ormarried to or the civil partner of sucha person shall be excluded fromdeliberation or voting on thatdetermination.

43. The Trustees shall determine thetypes and rates of expenses whichmay be claimed by members servingon Agencies.

Operational oversight and Strategy44. The Trustees shall employ a Chief

Officer to ensure that thedeterminations of the Trustees areenacted efficiently in order topromote the ministry and mission ofthe Church, and to ensure theeffective management of staff andresources. The duties of the ChiefOfficer shall include facilitation ofthe development and enhancementof joint working between and amongthe Agencies, strategic oversight ofthe administration of the work of theAgencies, and workingcollaboratively with the PrincipalClerk.

45. The Trustees shall arrange with theChief Officer the institution andmaintenance of a SeniorManagement Team to be convenedby the Chief Officer on a regular basisin order to ensure that there isoversight of any emerging issues,effective co-ordination of the workof the Agencies of the Church, andcollective leadership of the staffbody. The constitution and remit ofthe Senior Management Team, shallbe determined by the Chief Officerafter consultation with the Trustees.

46. In seeking to achieve a collaborativeapproach to the nurturing of thepeople of the Church, the Trusteesshall meet with Agencies and mayestablish working groups with themto reflect on the best practices to beadopted.

47. In exercising general oversight of thework of the Agencies the Trusteesshall appoint liaison Trustees foreach Agency (the “Liaison Trustees”).Liaison Trustees shall workcollaboratively with their Agency tounderstand the development of theAgency’s work.



48. The Trustees shall oversee theimplementation of any broadframeworks as from time to timedetermined upon by the GeneralAssembly.

49. The Trustees shall makerecommendations to the GeneralAssembly on the relative priority ofwork being undertaken by its variousAgencies.

50. The Trustees shall keep under reviewthe central administration of theChurch, with particular regard toresolving issues of duplication ofresources.

51. The Trustees shall makerecommendations to the GeneralAssembly on matters ofreorganisation and structuralchange, including adjustments to themembership and remits of relevantAgencies.

Vision52. The Trustees shall encourage vision

among the members and theAgencies of the Church so as toenable the emergence of ministriesto meet the needs of the people ofScotland.

53. The Trustees may establish workinggroups to facilitate strategic thinkingon vision with power to co-optmembers.

Staffing, Management andCommunications54. The Trustees shall consult with

Agencies on matters ofmanagement, resourcing andorganisation; and as and whenrequired shall offer guidance toAgencies or issue instructions.

55. The Trustees shall, in consultationwith Agencies determine theirstaffing and resourcingrequirements, including inter-

Departmental sharing or transfer ofstaff, in line with priorities approvedby the General Assembly and anypolicies drawn up by the Trustees; itbeing declared that the term “staff”shall not include those directlyemployed by the Ministries Council,the Social Care Council and theWorld Mission Council or by theirsuccessor bodies.

56. The Trustees shall consult with therelevant Agencies in theirappointment of senior staff. TheTrustees, after appropriateconsultation, shall appoint theEcumenical Officer, InterfaithOfficer, the Head of Stewardship, theHead of Communications and theHead of Human Resources. TheTrustees, in consultation with allother relevant persons shallnominate individuals to the GeneralAssembly for appointment to theoffices of Principal Clerk of theGeneral Assembly, Depute Clerk ofthe General Assembly, GeneralTreasurer and Solicitor of the Church.

57. The Trustees shall act as one of theemploying agencies of the Church inrespect of corporate service staff andshall assume and exercise the wholerights, functions and responsibilitiesof the former Central ServicesCommittee in that regard.

58. The Trustees shall have responsibilityfor determining the terms andconditions of the staff for which it isthe employing agency.

59. The Trustees shall ensure that propersalary provision, terms andconditions are adhered to by allAgencies and that salary scales arekept under review when necessary.

60. The Trustees shall have responsibilityfor policy matters relating to DataProtection within 117–123 GeorgeStreet, Edinburgh (the “Church



Offices”) and with respect toAgencies based elsewhere.

61. The Trustees shall oversee thedelivery of central services todepartments within the ChurchOffices, to Agencies and, whereappropriate, to the StatutoryCorporations, Presbyteries andCongregations namely -(i) Those facilities directly

managed by the FacilitiesManager;

(ii) Information Technology(including the provision ofsupport services to PresbyteryClerks);

(iii) Human Resources;(iv) Legal Services (as delivered by

the Law Department andsubject to such oversight notinfringing principles of legalprivilege);

(v) Property Services.62. The Trustees shall oversee the

development and implementation ofany Communication Strategy acrossthe Church.

63. The Trustees shall oversee andmanage any major reputationalopportunities and risks for theChurch, working with such Agenciesas may be appropriate.

64. The Trustees shall oversee effectivecommunication with members andcourts of the Church, encouraginggood practice.

Property and contracts65. The Trustees shall facilitate strategic

property planning across theAgencies to ensure that the best useis made of the property portfolio.

66. The Trustees shall consider anddecide on proposals from Agencies topurchase heritable property or anyother asset valued in excess of£50,000 or lease any heritableproperty where the annual rental isgreater than £25,000 per annum. NoAgency, except as provided for inparagraph 72 below, shall purchaseor lease such property without priorapproval from the Trustees.

67. The Trustees shall consider anddecide on proposals from Agencies,except as permitted in paragraph 72below, to sell or lease for a period inexcess of five years or otherwisedispose of any heritable property, orto sell or otherwise dispose of anyasset valued above £50,000, held byor on behalf of that Agency. TheTrustees shall have power to allocateall or part of the sale or leaseproceeds to another Agency orAgencies.

68. The Trustees shall consider anddecide on proposals from Agencies toenter into an agreement or contractfor receipt of goods or services (withthe exception of contracts ofemployment or those relating toproperty transactions) with a totalactual or potential financialcommitment in excess of £50,000.No Agency, except as provided for inparagraph 72 below, shall proceed toenter into such an agreement orcontract without prior approval fromthe Trustees.

69. Title to the Church Offices shall beheld by the Church of ScotlandGeneral Trustees for behoof of theTrustees.

70. The Trustees shall be responsible forthe proper maintenance andinsurance of the Church Offices.



71. The Trustees shall be responsible forpolicy matters relating to Health andSafety within the Church Offices.

72. For the avoidance of doubt,paragraphs 66, 67 and 68 shall notapply to the Church of ScotlandGeneral Trustees and the Church ofScotland Housing and Loan Fund forRetired Ministers and Widows andWidowers of Ministers both of whichmay deal with heritable property andother assets without the approval ofthe Trustees.

Interpretation73. The terms “Agency” and “Agencies”

mean the following bodies beingStanding Committees of the GeneralAssembly, namely:1. the following Groups: Church

and Society, Ministries, Missionand Discipleship, Social Care,World Mission; and

2. the followingCommittees: AssemblyArrangements, Chaplains toHer Majesty’s Forces,Ecumenical Relations, LegalQuestions, Panel on Reviewand Reform, Safeguarding,Theological Forum, InterfaithPrograms.

74. “Fund”, except where used as part ofa named Fund other than“Unrestricted Fund” and “SpecialFund”, means a financial unit,comprising investments or a sum ofmoney or both, held as a separatecomponent part of the CharitableEstate, and identified by reference tothe name of a donor, to a particularuse or purpose or to use by anAgency or Agencies.

75. “Go For It Fund” means the Fundestablished in 2012 as part of theMinistries Council of the Church.

76. “Growth Fund” means any Fundestablished by the General Assemblyto be set apart for community andparish development.

77. “Trustee” and “Trustees”, for theavoidance of doubt, mean allTrustees, including thoseparticipating by virtue of office.

SCHEDULE APOSSIBLE SCHEME FOR APPOINTMENT

OF TRUSTEES1. When it becomes necessary to

appoint a Trustee, the process shallbe transparent and competencybased and shall be of the followingnature:a. The Trustees shall identify the

requisite and desirableexperience and skills to fill thevacancy. In particular:i. Trustees should possess

an understanding of thelife and culture of theChurch and of Scotland’scontemporary cultureand should be committedto developing the visionand mission of theGeneral Assembly; and

ii. the expertise of theTrustees must includefinance, humanresources, management,communications, civillaw, strategic planningand theology.

b. The vacancy shall be advertisedand circulated as the Trusteesdetermine; such circulation toinclude Presbyteries,Congregations and theNomination Committee. Theadvertisement and circulationshall confirm that applicants



must be members of theChurch and that no employeeof the Church and no memberof any of the Agencies areeligible for appointment as atrustee.

c. All applications shall be siftedby the Trustees according tothe required criteria and anappropriate number shall beinvited to interview.

d. Interviews will be conducted bya panel of the Trusteesaccording to such process ofexamination of the skills,experience and suitability fortrusteeship as the Trustees,guided by the Head of HumanResources (who shall attend asa non-voting member of thepanel), shall determine.

e. The panel shall report to theTrustees, who shall consultwith the NominationCommittee as to anycomments which theCommittee wish to make onthe panel’s recommendationsfor appointment;

f. any appointment shall be madeby the Trustees, subject toapproval by the GeneralAssembly. In proceeding todetermine an appropriateappointment the Trustees shallhave regard to the need to seekdiversity among the Trustees;and

g. Following acceptance ofappointment, a new trusteeshall be given an appropriateinduction into each of thefacets of Charity trusteeship.The induction process shall bedetermined upon by theTrustees after consultation

with the Solicitor of theChurch.

2. The Chief Officer shall take no part inthe process of recruitment orappointment of Trustees.

3. When the term of office of a Trusteehas been completed and the Trusteeis willing to serve a second term, theTrustees shall renew theappointment without discussionunless the Trustee has failed toparticipate fully in the work of theTrustees. In the event that a Trusteehas failed to participate fully in thework of the Trustees, the Convenerof the Trustees shall meet with theTrustee to establish why that failurehas occurred and how it might beavoided in the event ofreappointment. The Convener shallreport to the remaining Trusteesafter such discussions and theConvener and the remaining Trusteesshall decide whether to reappoint theTrustee.

SCHEDULE BTRUSTEES’ GOVERNANCE GROUP

1. A Governance Group of sevenmembers shall be established by theTrustees, one of whom shall be theConvener, one the Vice Convener andone the Administrative Trustee.

2. The Governance Group shallestablish, maintain and keep underreview all necessary Codes ofConduct.

3. In establishing a Code of Conduct forTrustees (the “Code”), the Groupshall have regard, in the firstinstance, to the Code of Conduct forthe Voting Members of the Councilof Assembly as Charity Trustees.

4. The Governance Group shall ensure –



a. that each Trustee is aware ofthe terms of this Constitution;

b. that each Trustee is aware ofthe deliverances from the mostrecent General Assembly;

c. that each Trustee is aware ofher or his role as an AssemblyTrustee;

d. that each Trustee is aware ofthe need to act withindependence of mind and withprobity;

e. that the delivery of the work ofthe Charity and the Agencies isfounded upon goodoperational and financial plans;

f. that the effective working ofthe Trustees is enabled throughthe body of Trustees havingappropriate skills, experienceand diversity;

g. that the Trustees exercise thecontrols necessary to ensurethat the strategic priorities,policies and decisions of theAssembly are implementedeffectively and efficiently andestablish appropriate checks onmanagement, financial controlmechanisms and risk appraisal;and

h. that the Trustees and theAgencies are open andaccountable in their actions,enabling good communicationamong themselves and withstaff, with others workingwithin the Church, withmembers of the Church andwith those with whom theTrustees and theAgencies engage.

5. Upon a report from theAdministrative Trustee of a possiblematerial breach of duty by a Trustee,

the Group will appoint a panel ofthree of their number (the “panel”)to deal with the complaint. Unlessthe panel decides that the complaintis vexatious, frivolous or withoutmerit (namely that even if thecomplaint were proved it would notconstitute a breach of the Code) thepanel will investigate the complaint.The Trustee who is the subject ofsuch an investigation will beinformed of the complaint and willbe interviewed to ascertain the facts.The Trustee is required to give theinvestigators his/her fullest co-operation. The complaint andinvestigation will be handled inconfidence as far as is practicable.Unless there are exceptionalcircumstances, the investigation willbe completed within 56 days.a. In the event that the panel

consider that there has been abreach of the Code justifyingaction being taken, it will referthe matter to the GovernanceGroup for determination as tohow the matter should bedisposed of. Both the panel andthe Trustee shall be entitled toattend and makerepresentations to the Group(the Trustee having the right tospeak last) both in relation towhether a breach has occurredand, if it has, the appropriateaction to be taken. The Groupshall determine the procedureto be followed. Evidence shallnot be led from witnessesexcept where the Group deemsthis necessary.

b. The Governance Group actionthereafter may include:i. reprimand, which shall

be an expression of



disapproval of particularbehaviour with counselregarding future conduct;

ii. removal of the Trusteefrom a sub-committee orgroup, either temporarilyor permanently;

iii. suspension from CharityTrusteeship either for afixed period or until thenext meeting of theGeneral Assembly with arecommendation to thatAssembly that thetrustee be removed frommembership of theCharity Trustees;

iv. referral of the matter tothe relevant Presbyterywhere the conduct foundestablished couldconstitute a disciplinaryoffence in terms ofGeneral AssemblyDiscipline Legislation.

c. A Trustee who is subject tosuch action will have the rightof appeal to the Trustees onthe following grounds:i. an error in lawii. irregularity of process,

including breach of theprinciples of naturaljustice

iii. decision influenced byincorrect material fact;and

iv. the severity of anysanction imposed

d. The Trustees will determinehow to handle any such appeal.Members of the GovernanceGroup will take no part indetermining the appeal.

e. If the Trustee whose conduct isthe subject of a complaintunder these provisions is amember of the GovernanceGroup, he or she shallimmediately withdraw fromactive membership of theGroup until the matter isresolved. If it appears that theindependence of theGovernance Group may becompromised, the Trusteesmay appoint other members toact for the time being in placeof the Group.

f. If the Trustee whose conduct isthe subject of a complaintunder these provisions is theConvener of the Trustees, he orshe will immediately withdrawfrom active membership of theTrustees until the matter isresolved. The Vice-Convener ofthe Trustees, with theGovernance Group, will assumeresponsibility for the handlingof the complaint.

6. Advice and guidance in relation tothe processes set out within theseprovisions will be provided by theSolicitor of the Church.

7. The Governance Group shallestablish, maintain and keep underreview an appraisal system for theTrustees which is in accordance withcurrent good governance practice.The system should be developedthrough consideration with agovernance consultant external tothe Church.

8. In developing an appraisal system,the Governance Group will haveregard to the following possibleelements –a. that the Trustees should, at

least every two years, set aside



time to reflect on their ownperformance and functioningas a team, identify areas forimprovement and makenecessary changes;

b. that, in the event ofdetermining upon a system ofindividual appraisal, such aprocess should –i. be facilitated by a

governance consultantexternal to the Church;

ii. be forward-looking andfocused on learning andimprovement;

iii. be sensitive to Trustees’volunteer status andproportionate in terms ofdemands on trustees’time.;

iv. provide an opportunityto reflect on individualresponsibilities andperformance as well asthose of the Trustees as awhole;

v. encourage suggestionsfor improvement anddevelopment;

vi. permit the Chief Officerand the SeniorManagement Team tooffer their views;

c. that any system should providefor written conclusions andtargets to be drawn up –i. as regards the Trustees

as a whole, by thefacilitator and theTrustees, for furtherdiscussion andimplementation by theTrustees; and

ii. as regards any individualappraisals, by thefacilitator and theTrustee, for personaldevelopment by theTrustee; and

d. that the Trustees should reflecton the outcomes of suchappraisals as a guide to theimprovement of their Trusteetraining programmes, and inguiding their approach toTrustee renewal andrecruitment.

SCHEDULE COPERATIONAL WORKING OF THE TRUSTOffice Bearers1. The first Convener shall be …….,

whose term of office as a Trusteeshall be non-renewable and shallexpire on ……..

2. The first Vice Convener shall be …….,whose term of office as a Trusteeshall be non-renewable and shallexpire on ……..

3. The first Administrative Trustee shallbe ……., whose term of office as aTrustee shall be non-renewable andshall expire on ……..

4. Three months in advance of theanticipated retirement of an OfficeBearer, or no later than one monthafter the occurrence of anunexpected vacancy, the Trusteesshall choose a successor from amongtheir own number.

5. Save as provided in respect of thefirst Office Bearers, the term of officeas an Office Bearer is three years,non-renewable; and that term will becounted as part of her or hispermissible terms as a Trustee.



Meetings of TrusteesProceedings6. The Trustees shall meet on at least

seven occasions (an “OrdinaryMeeting”) in each year.

7. The dates of the Ordinary Meetingsfor the ensuing calendar year shall besettled by the Trustees no later than31 October in the year preceding. Oneof those dates shall be specified asthe annual meeting-in-person atwhich all Trustees are expected toattend in person.

8. Any trustee may request theConvener to hold an additionalmeeting (a “Special Meeting”) by arequest in writing or sentelectronically to the Convener andcopied to all other Trustees inconfidence giving reasons for therequest. After taking the views of allTrustees, the decision as to whetherto call a Special Meeting shall be atthe absolute discretion of theConvener.

9. Notices of every meeting togetherwith an agenda shall be deliveredelectronically, or delivered by hand,or sent by post to each Trustee atleast ten days prior to the meeting orwithin such time as the Trustees maydetermine.

10. Meetings shall be held at times andplaces convenient for each of theTrustees.

11. Except in respect of the annualmeeting-in-person, attendance at anOrdinary Meeting or at a SpecialMeeting may be made by way oftelephone-conferencing, Skype,video-conferencing and otherinternet- or electronic-basedmethods of communication.

12. Minutes shall be taken by theAdministrative Trustee of topicscovered at all meetings, recording

reports received, decisions taken andthe allocation of any further workrequired. Matters properly to betreated as confidential, such asemployment issues, should not berecorded in the main minute but thefact of the item of business havingbeen discussed should be recordedand a full note set out in a paperapart, to be kept in a separate filefrom the minute book. The Solicitorof the Church shall be in attendancewhen it is anticipated that the givingof advice may be necessary on thelegal implications of matters beingdiscussed.

13. Copies of approved minutes and ofconfidential “papers apart” and of allreports and other papers consideredat meetings must be retained in aform that continues to allow accessthroughout the anticipated lifetimeof the Charity. All such papers shouldbe retained both in hard copy and inelectronic format.

14. A quorum of Trustees shall be 8.15. The Convener shall chair each

meeting of the Trustees.16. In the event that the Convener is not

present within 15 minutes after thetime at which the meeting was dueto start (or is not willing to act asChairperson), the Vice Convener, ifpresent, will act as chairpersonfailing which the Trustees presentmust elect, from among themselves,the person who will act aschairperson of that meeting, or untilthe arrival of the Convener.

17. In the event of the need for a vote,each Trustee has one vote, whichmust be cast personally, but may begiven as part of electronicattendance.

18. All decisions will be made by majorityvote.



19. In the event of an equal number ofvotes for and against any decision,the Convener or the chairperson ofthe meeting will be entitled to asecond, or casting vote.

20. The Trustees may, at their absolutediscretion, allow any person toattend and speak at a meetingnotwithstanding that the person isnot a Trustee, but on the basis thatthey must not participate in decision-making. The minute of that meetingmust make the status of any suchperson clear for the avoidance ofdoubt.

21. A Trustee must not vote at a meeting(or at a meeting of any sub-committee) on any decision whichrelates to a matter in which theyhave a private interest or duty whichconflicts, or may conflict, with theinterests of the Charity; the Trusteemust withdraw from the meetingwhile an item of that nature is beingdealt with.

22. For the purposes of paragraph 21above:a. private interest held by an

individual who is connectedwith the Trustee (such as beinghusband, wife, partner, child,parent, brother, sister) shall bedeemed to be held by thatTrustee; and

b. a Trustee will be automaticallydeemed to have a privateinterest in relation to aparticular matter, if a body inrelation to which he or she isan employee, director, memberof the managementcommittee, charity trustee,officer or electedrepresentative, has an interestin that matter.

Requirements23. Each meeting shall be constituted

with prayer.24. At the commencement of each

meeting each trustee shall be askedto declare whether he or she has anyconflict of interest in any item ofbusiness.

25. In the event of a conflict beingdeclared the remaining Trustees shalldetermine the course of action to beadopted.a. They shall determine whether,

in the whole circumstances, itis preferable for the Trustee towithdraw from the discussionand decision, or whether theTrustee may speak but not voteon the matter. In the eventthat a withdrawal is consideredpreferable but would renderthe meeting no longer quorate,and the item of business isurgent the Trustees shall remitthe business to a specialmeeting.

b. Whichever course is adopted,the minutes should record:i. which Trustee was

affected;ii. when the conflict was

identified and declared;iii. what was discussed

about it and decided andwhy that step wasconsidered to be in thebest interests of thecharity;

iv. whether the Trusteewithdrew; and

v. if the Trustee was notrequired to withdraw,precisely what was his orher participation.



26. At each meeting of the Trustees theyshall consider a financial statementof assets, income and expenditure ofthe whole Charitable Estate up todate as at no more than six weeksprior to the date of the meeting.

Specific Powers27. The Trustees shall have power to

appoint transition managementconsultants to advise upon and assistin the facilitation of therearrangement of the work ofAgencies following the GeneralAssembly 2019. Such consultancyshall be on such terms andconditions as to the Trustees shallseem appropriate but shall be for alimited period and shall provide theidentification and implementation ofa strategic plan for change. It shallidentify appropriate physicalarrangements for staff to worktogether in the new Groups and shallassist Group members and staff toengage with the proposed plan andseek to enhance working culture andmotivation whilst allowing membersand staff to continue with the workof the Church. The Trustees shallhave power to make an interimappointment to enable considerationby the Trustees as to an appropriateremit for consultants.

28. Emoluments: in the event of anOffice Bearer being a parishminister the Trustees may make anappropriate payment to the relevantcongregational treasurer to provideadditional ministerial support.

29. Expenses: Trustees will bereimbursed expenses properlyincurred in carrying out their dutiesas Trustees. Claims and vouchers willbe presented to the AdministrativeTrustee within one month of theexpense being incurred.

SCHEDULE DBUDGET PLANNING, APPROVAL AND

FINANCIAL CONTROL1. The Trustees shall adopt, maintain

and keep under review both aFinancial Strategy and BudgetPrinciples.

2. For each calendar year the Trusteesshall maintain budgetary control by –(i) requiring each Agency to

submit to the Chief Officer andthe General Treasurer, no laterthan 30 September, (a) budgetproposals for the cost of itswork in the next but onecalendar year and (b) draftbudget proposals for suchcosts in the four ensuingcalendar years;

(ii) requiring representatives fromeach Agency to meet with theChief Officer and the GeneralTreasurer, for the purpose ofdiscussing the budgetproposals for that Agency, at ameeting individual to the workof that Agency on a date inOctober or Novemberfollowing budget submission;

(iii) requiring the Chief Officer andthe General Treasurer,following such meetings, topresent to the Trustees acomprehensive annual andforward budget proposal;

(iv) requiring representatives fromeach Agency to meet with theChief Officer and GeneralTreasurer, for the purpose ofdiscussing the Trustees’proposed financial provisionfor that Agency, at a meetingindividual to the work of thatAgency on a date in January or



February following budgetsubmission;

(v) determining, by 31 March ineach year, the financialprovision to be made availablefor the work of each Agency inthe ensuing calendar year;

(vi) commenting to each Agency,by 31 March in each year, uponits draft budget proposals forthe four succeeding calendaryears;

(vii) making clear to each Agencythat funds additional to thefinancial provision determinedupon for a calendar year willnot be made available to thatAgency unless approved by theTrustees upon a special reportbeing made by the Agency tothe Trustees, no later than 31March in the calendar year forwhich additional funds aresought, detailing theexceptional circumstancesgiving rise to the request,seeking appropriate approvaland setting out proposals as tohow the allowance of suchadditional funding is to betaken into account in the draftbudget proposals for ensuingcalendar years;

(viii) making clear to each Agencythat the financial provisiondetermined upon for a calendaryear will be made available tothat Agency only for the workapproved for that financial yearthrough the foregoingbudgetary process. Anyfunding not applied for suchwork will not be madeavailable to the Agency foralternative work and will notbe carried over as additionalfunding available to the

Agency in ensuing calendaryears unless such an approachis approved by the Trusteesupon a special report beingmade by the Agency to theTrustees, during the calendaryear in respect of which specialapproval to use or carry over issought, detailing theexceptional circumstancesgiving rise to the request,seeking appropriate approvaland setting out proposals as tohow the allowance of suchadditional funding is to betaken into account in the draftbudget proposals for ensuingcalendar years;

(ix) making clear to each Agencythat the foregoing provisionsare as applicable to access toSpecial Funds held by theTrustees for the work of thatAgency; and

(x) presenting a report to theGeneral Assembly annuallyrecording the work of theTrustees during the precedingtwelve months, outlining thestrategic aims and policieswhich it is seeking to furtherand setting out the view of theTrustees as to the standards offinancial management of eachAgency and the compliance ofeach Agency with therequirements of the Trusteesunder the provisions of thisparagraph.

3. In determining the said annualfinancial provisions the Trustees shall –a. have regard to the strategic

priorities, policies and decisionsof the General Assembly;



b. have regard to the anticipatedincome arising from theCharitable Estate for the yearin question as estimated by theGeneral Treasurer;

c. take into account theavailability to any individualAgency of income and capitalfrom any part of a Special Fundor Unrestricted Fund;

d. decide for the year in questionwhether, and if so to whatextent, there should be a use ofpart of the capital of theCharitable Estate for anyspecial purpose, whether froma Special Fund or otherwise.

4. In exercising financial control overthe work of Agencies, the Trusteesshall –a. authorise the Chief Officer and

the General Treasurer to liaisewith the finance committees ofAgencies;

b. ensure that the Chief Officerand the General Treasurerreport to the Trustees as totheir discussions with Agencieson budget proposals;

c. ensure that monthlymanagement accounts aremade available to the GeneralTreasurer by each Agencyshowing actual income andexpenditure as against budgettogether with the reasons forany material disparity; and

d. instruct the General Treasurerto report to each meeting ofthe trustees with an up to datefinancial statement showingoverall expenditure againstbudget together with a note ofany disparity of actualexpenditure as against budget

in the management accountsof any Agency.

SCHEDULE EAN OUTLINE OF THE WORK OF THE

ADMINISTRATIVE TRUSTEEMeetings1. To prepare for and attend all

meetings of the Trustees which, in anordinary year, may be of the order ofseven; and in particular –a. Prepare for the preparatory

meeting for the ensuingmeeting of the Trustees withthe Convener and ViceConvener of the Trustees, theSolicitor of the Church and theChief Officeri. Check the Yearplan for

scheduled businessii. Check preceding Minutesiii. Prepare Agenda for

preparatory meetingiv. Confirm the date with

those attendingv. Attend preparatory

meetingb. Prepare and circulate Agenda

and all other papers forTrustees’ ordinary meetings,confirm attendance and anyspecial arrangementsi. Confirm with any non-

trustee attendingspecially

ii. Confirm date(s) for anypapers from others to bewith AdministrativeTrustee

iii. Make any other contacts



c. Attend Trustees’ meetingsi. Prepare draft Minutes for

convenerii. Make any contacts

requested at meetingiii. Arrange date of next

preparatory meetingGovernance2. Meet occasionally with Convener and

Chief Officer to discuss emergingissues

3. Consider terms of trust accountswith Convener, General Treasurerand Chief Officer

4. Meet bi-annually with Convener,General Treasurer and InvestmentManagers

5. Have Trustees consider terms ofInvestment Policy bi-annually

6. Prepare Annual Report and Accountsa. Prepare draft Report and

discuss with Convener andGeneral Treasurer

b. Circulate draft Report toTrustees for comment andfinalise

c. Assist in liaising with Auditorregarding Accounts

7. Assist in the preparation andsubmission of OSCR return

8. Make arrangements for Trustees’biennial away-day

9. Prepare induction packs for newTrustees and meet with incomingTrustees

SCHEDULE FDRAFT SCHEME OF FINANCIAL

DELEGATIONIntroduction1.1 The Church of Scotland is recognised

as a Designated Religious Charity(the “Charity”), Scottish Charity No.SC011353. The assets of the Charityare those held for theUnincorporated Entities of theChurch.

1.2 The Assembly Trustees (the“Trustees”) have been appointed bythe General Assembly (the“Assembly”) to act as the CharityTrustees of the Charity and, as suchTrustees, to have general control andmanagement of the assets of theCharity.

1.3 This Scheme describes the limits andextent of financial decision‐makingauthority delegated by the Trustees.A clear scheme of delegation ofauthority is fundamental to goodgovernance.

1.4 The Scheme includes a template fordepartmental schemes of delegation.Each Agency is required to put inplace a robust scheme of delegation,to review it from time to time and toensure that staff are aware of thescheme and adhere to it.

1.5 The Governance Group of theTrustees is responsible for overseeingthe operation of this Scheme and willinvolve other bodies, including theAudit Committee, as appropriate.The General Treasurer is the seniorstaff member responsible for thescheme, reporting to the GovernanceGroup and to the Trustees.

1.6 Assistance and advice on the Schememay be obtained from the GeneralTreasurer.



Delegated Powers2.1 The Assembly has created a number

of Agencies which hold delegatedpowers from the Assembly. Thepowers are set out in remits for eachbody, as agreed and amended fromtime to time by the Assembly. Theremits establish the ambit ofdecision-making powers for eachbody.

2.2 Budget arrangements for thefinancial consequences of decisionsand actions taken by Agencies areapproved for each financial year bythe Trustees.

2.3 Any decisions or actions taken byAgencies and staff must becontained within the items of workfor which budget approval has beengiven for the relevant financial year.The associated financialconsequences of any decisions oractions taken by Agencies and staffmust be contained within theapproved budget provisions for thoseitems for the relevant financial year.

2.4 Proposed plans which might incurunbudgeted costs for items of workfor which budget approval has beengiven for the relevant financial yearor which would involve items of workfor which budget approval has notbeen given for the relevant financialyear must be referred to the Trusteesand their General Treasurer fordecision.

Authorised Persons3.1 Agencies shall, in consultation with

the General Treasurer, prepareindividual schemes of delegation asto the level of authority in financialmatters to be granted to individualoffice holders. Such schemes shallmake provision for that authority tobe exercised by the holder of anothernominated office during periods ofleave or illness, or where the post isvacant. Such schemes must beapproved by the Trustees.

Accountability4.1 Agencies and staff tasked with

delegated authority under theScheme shall be accountable fortheir decisions and actions toappropriate governance bodiesincluding the Audit Committee. TheGovernance Group, on behalf of theTrustees, has the power to inviterepresentatives of Agencies andsenior staff, to justify decisions andactions taken under the Scheme andto report on issues to the Trustees.

4.2 It must be made clear by a delegatingAgency to all office holders to whomdepartmental financial authorisationis being given or upon whomdepartmental authorisation may fallin the event of leave or illness of anoffice holder or in the event of avacancy, that they are accountablefor their financial decisions andactions to appropriate governancebodies including the AuditCommittee.



Appendix 2REMIT & MEMBERSHIP FOR THEPROPOSED NEW BUSINESS COMMITTEEOF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLYThe new Business Committee of theGeneral AssemblyThe role of the Committee will be:• To make all necessary arrangements

and to order the business for theGeneral Assembly and Commissions ofAssembly.

• To have oversight of and keep underreview the functions, the membership,the processes and procedures of theGeneral Assembly.

• To advise the Moderator on his or herofficial duties if so required and to haveoversight of the election, role andfunction of the Moderator.

• To be responsible to the GeneralAssembly for the care and maintenanceof the Assembly Hall and theModerator’s residence and for allarrangements in connection with theletting or other use of the AssemblyHall.

• To act in routine matters not thebusiness of other General AssemblyStanding Committees or the Trustees inaccordance with the accepted practiceand procedure of the Church.

Membership – 12• Business Convener & Vice Convener• 2 Members of Legal Questions

(Convener & another member involvedmore in judicial matters to benominated by Legal Questions)

• A further 6 members made up ofministers & elders around the countrywith experience of the GeneralAssembly – its functions &arrangements, church law & propertyknowledge

• Moderator & Moderator Designate• Ex officio members: Principal Clerk (to

act as Secretary), Depute Clerk,Solicitor; Procurator; General Treasurer

Detailed Remit• The ordering of General Assembly

business• Oversight and review of the process and

procedures that govern the GeneralAssembly)

• Nomination of the General Assembly’sSelection Committee

• Monitor General Assembly decisionsyear on year and report to the GeneralAssembly any non-compliance orfailure to implement General Assemblydecisions and instructions

• Oversight & responsibility for thepractical arrangements of the GeneralAssembly

• Oversight and control of the budgetcovering the General Assembly withinthe powers delegated to theCommittee by (the New Trustee body)

• Oversight of the membership, shapeand function of the General Assembly

• Oversight of commissioners andcorresponding members of GeneralAssembly



• Oversight of communications withPresbyteries concerning all matters thatrelate to the General Assembly

• Design and oversee processes andprocedures for Presbyteries to reportand be held accountable to the GeneralAssembly

• Oversight of and support for thePrincipal Clerk (currently the Convenerof AAC is the Principal Clerk’s linemanager – this should transfer to theBusiness Convener but with theadditional support of the LegalQuestions Convener, a trustee and 1other making up a support group forannual appraisal)

• Oversight of future re-structuring ofPresbyteries

• Oversight of the election, role andfunction of the Moderator (support/budget discussions with Trustees/review)

• Advice, and guidance for thepreparation and drafting of reports andDeliverances to the General Assembly

• Oversight of the practice and procedureof General Assembly appointments i.e.Principal Clerk, Depute Clerk, Solicitorand General Treasurer

• Responsibility for the management andmaintenance of the General AssemblyHall & Moderator’s residence

References[1] Tom Devine, The Scottish Nation

1700–2000 (Harmondsworth:Penguin, 1999), 84–102.

[2] G. D. Henderson, Why We ArePresbyterians (Edinburgh: Church ofScotland Publications, 1954).

[3] See for example Ben Clements,‘Religious Change and Secularisationin Scotland: An Analysis of Affiliationand Attendance’, Scottish Affairs 26.2(2017), 133–162.

[4] Doug Gay, Reforming the Kirk: TheFuture of the Church of Scotland(Edinburgh: St Andrew Press, 2017),143–171.

[5] ‘Report of Special Commission AnentReview and Reform’, Reports to theGeneral Assembly of the Church ofScotland (Edinburgh: 2001), 36.1–74.

[6] ‘Report of Special Commission onStructure and Change’, Reports to theGeneral Assembly of the Church ofScotland (Edinburgh: 2008), 25.1–30.

[7] John Chalmers, ‘On the Nod’, Life andWork, September 1997, 20-21 (21).

[8] ‘Report of Panel on Review andReform’, Reports to the GeneralAssembly of the Church of Scotland(Edinburgh: 2011), 2.1–28.

[9] ‘Report of Committee of Forty’,Reports to the General Assembly ofthe Church of Scotland 1978(Edinburgh: 1978), 491. A similarproposal had been moved butrejected in 1964.

[10] Reports to the General Assembly ofthe Church of Scotland 2004(Edinburgh: 2004), 10.1–25.

[11] ‘Report of Special Committee on theReview of Charity Governance’,Reports to the General Assembly ofthe Church of Scotland 2010(Edinburgh: 2010), 24.1–8.

[12] Transformational Change Project, 2.[13] See the discussion in Gay, Reforming

the Kirk, 84-89.[14] Transformational Change, 12.



SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT OF THE CHURCH AND SOCIETY COUNCILMAY 2019

OUR FUTURE RELATIONSHIP WITH EUROPEProposed Deliverance

The General Assembly:1. Receive the Supplementary Report.2. Call on Parliamentarians across the

UK to actively seek to buildconsensus about the future ofrelationship between the UK and theEU across the four nations of the UK.

3. Encourage congregations to createspaces within our communities forpeople to come together, to listen, toreflect and pray, to learn from and tocelebrate one another.

4. Call on the UK and ScottishGovernments to guarantee that theimpact of the UK departing from theEU will not increase financialinequality in the UK.

5. Commend the Scottish Governmentfor the support and welcome itcontinues to show to citizens ofother EU nations who are resident inScotland.

6. Call on the UK Government to retainthe right of freedom of movementand residence for persons in the EU.

ReportThe UK voted to leave the European Unionin June 2016. The process for leaving the EUis laid out in Article 50 of the Treaty ofLisbon. The UK triggered Article 50 andplanned to negotiate the terms for leavingthe EU during a two year period whichended on 29 March 2019. The WithdrawalAgreement and Political Declaration on thefuture relationship between the UK and theEU were endorsed at a special meeting ofthe European Council on 25 November2018. At the time of writing (15 April 2019)the UK Parliament has voted to reject theWithdrawal Agreement on 3 separateoccasions.The uncertainty about the future of theUK’s relationship with the EU continuesamid a crisis in our Parliamentary process.Both the Government and the Oppositionare deeply divided and it is far from clearthat either leader could command thesupport of their party. In a statementissued on 5 April 2019, at the time whenthe Prime Minister wrote to Donald Tusk,President of the European Council, torequest a second extension to Article 50the Church and Society Council said “wemust recognise that it is not just within theUK Parliament where there is a lack ofagreement, as a society, we are divided.”The fact that the UK Government andParliament have failed to reach aconclusion about the relationship theywant the UK to have with the EU even inthe broadest terms is a terrible indictmentof the state of our democracy. Lookingacross the UK the devolved nations ofScotland and Northern Ireland voted toremain in the EU; the rhetoric of the UKGovernment does not acknowledge thatthe vote to leave the EU was not consistent



in all parts of the UK nor with the veryclose outcome of the Referendum.In 1999 the General Assembly agreed to“Encourage all those involved in workingfor peace and reconciliation in NorthernIreland and commend the people ofNorthern Ireland to the prayers of theChurch.” This deliverance was written inhope, and with the understanding that theGood Friday Agreement of 1998 was part ofa long journey towards peace. During thenegotiations around Brexit the EU hasclearly stated the importance of the GoodFriday Agreement, and for over 20 yearsthe safeguards that come with EUmembership have underpinned thatagreement. The preservation of the peaceprocess in Northern Ireland should be ofparamount importance in the UK.In 2018 the Council facilitated three localevents exploring the potential impact ofBrexit in coastal communities. Duringthese events those present expressed theirconcern that they did not feel wellrepresented by their electedrepresentatives, in particular that therewas no accountability for promises thatwere made which could not be delivered.There was a perceived lack ofunderstanding of the needs of localcommunities, particularly ruralcommunities.Elections to the European Parliament arenow expected to take place in the UK on 23May 2019. There is a role for the Church toencourage open and respectfulconversation with candidates seeking torepresent Scotland in the EuropeanParliament. It is important, particularly inthe context of the tension about thedecision to hold these elections, that weacknowledge and celebrate the value ofdemocratic decision making. It is welcomethat the UK can remain part of theEuropean Parliament while taking moretime to consider the terms of our futurerelationship with the EU.In this context the following reflections areoffered from a Church seeking the

Kingdom of God in midst of theuncertainty that faces this country.LamentationFor many people in communities acrossScotland the overwhelming response toBrexit is grief. People weep for the loss oftheir European identity or with therealisation that better world they hopedfor is a not contained in the proposalsunder consideration.The Referendum on leaving the EU showedthe divisions that exist in the UK, and theway in which the preparations for the UKto leave the EU have deepened thosedivisions. Reconciling this divide requires adifferent approach; it will require time,humility and a willingness to listen andbuild consensus not just in Westminsterbut across our communities. If we wish toavoid significant damage to our sharedwellbeing it also requires our politicians towork actively towards agreement acrossthe four nations of the UK and to usewhatever mechanisms are necessary tocreate the time for this to happen.A voice for those who are not heardIn practical terms, there is likely to beconsiderable economic impact fromleaving the EU. The absence of clarityabout the future relationship between theUK and the EU has immediate andpotentially catastrophic effects; however,it is likely that even with a well planneddeparture there will still be financialconsequences.As a society we should be committed toensuring that our political choices do notdisproportionately affect those who arealready struggling with poverty. TheGovernment should guarantee that it willassess all policy decisions in the context ofreducing poverty.Hospitality and welcomeThe UK Government has committed to endthe right of freedom of movement andresidence for persons from the EU anddescribed this as an integral part of thedecision to leave the EU. For citizens of



other European countries living in the UKand UK citizens living in other Europeancountries this is a life changing decision.For people who have made their homes in anew place, who have put down roots andbecome part of communities this is a timeof anxiety and fear. It is important for theChurch to continue to speak out in supportof the values of welcome and hospitalityand to show though our lives together thatdiverse communities are rich andrewarding places to live and work.It is commendable that the ScottishGovernment has been outspoken inreiterating the welcome it offers to citizensof other EU countries who live in Scotland.The General Assembly has recognised thevalue and rights of EU citizens in 2017 and2018. In 2018 the General Assembly agreedto “Instruct the Council to consult with theUK Government to seek to safeguard therights of EU nationals working in Scotlandand UK nationals working in the EU, as theUK negotiates its status in relation to theEU.” Ending freedom of movement doesnot protect the existing rights of UKcitizens currently resident in the UK orelsewhere, nor does it protect the rights ofEU nationals working in Scotland and therest of the UK. The Council is committed tosupport the continued right of freedom ofmovement.PeacebuildingAt the heart of the EU is a commitment topeace building. The 1996 Church andNation Committee report, Europe – a crisisor an opportunity: “The Church’s supportfor ever closer union amongst the peoplesof Europe is based on a belief that only byrecognising the increasing inter-dependence of nation states and bytranscending national barriers can wemaintain and promote peace anddemocracy and have the power to bridgethe gap between rich and poor both withinEurope and between the developed worldand the Third World.” The importance ofthe EU in contributing to peace was againnoted in reports to the General Assemblyin 2014 and 2016: “The absence of war

between the nations of Western Europesince 1945 should be celebrated but nevertaken for granted, nor should thepeacebuilding role of the EU and otherinstitutions be underestimated.” Suchcomments are particularly resonant whenwe recognise the way in which EUmembership, and the four freedoms thatare an inherent part of it, underpins theGood Friday Agreement. The real andserious implications that the loss of suchfreedoms have for Northern Ireland andbeyond should be a significant concern forall of us and give ample reason for a moreconciliatory and consensus drivenapproach.ConclusionIn the midst of persistent uncertainty anddivision, where the temptation is to drawboundaries, we must place humanrelationships at the center of our policymaking. As communities and as nations wecan strive to listen to one another, toincrease our understanding and to find ashared solution. Whatever the UK’s futurerelationship with the EU is, if it is to avoidleaving entrenched and serious divisionswithin our communities and across the UK,it must be reached through open discussionand the building of common ground. It isonly in such a process that, as a society, thenext steps might be taken together ratherthan apart.

In the name and by the authority of theCouncil

RICHARD FRAZER, ConvenerPAULINE EDMISTON, Vice-Convener

WENDY YOUNG, Vice-ConvenerMARTIN JOHNSTONE, Secretary



SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT OF THE COUNCIL OF ASSEMBLY MAY 2019Proposed Deliverance

The General Assembly:1. Receive the Supplementary Report.2. Receive the 2018 Report and

Accounts of The Church of ScotlandUnincorporated Councils andCommittees. (Section 1)

3. Approve the total to be contributedby congregations in 2020 of£46,586,000 based on the projectionof congregational income for 2020and its disposition among localcongregational expenditure, theParish Ministries Fund and theMission and Renewal Fund. (Section 2and Appendices I and II)

4. Note the indicative budget for 2020.(Section 2.7 and Appendix II)

5. Approve:a) the winding up of the Huts and

Canteens Grants Fund and thedistribution of the balance asfollows:(i) a payment of £150,000

to SSAFA Forces Help;and

(ii) the remainder of funds,both capital and interest,to be transferred to theMission and RenewalFund.

b) the retention within the Hutsand Canteens Pension Fund ofan appropriate amount (basedupon current annual pensionpayments, increased by anannual amount determined asreasonable by the GeneralTreasurer) until such time as nobeneficiaries remain, andthereafter the closure of thePension Fund and transfer ofthe remaining funds to the

Mission and Renewal Fund.(Section 3)

6. Note the position with regard to theNew College Library, approve theMemorandum of Agreement withthe University Court of the Universityof Edinburgh and authorise theModerator and the Principal Clerk tosign it on their behalf. (Section 5 andAppendix III)

7. Pass the Growth Fund Regulations asset out in Appendix IV (Section 6 andAppendix IV)



Report1. AUDIT OF ANNUAL ACCOUNTS

FOR 2018The Council of Assembly is responsible, onbehalf of the General Assembly, forpreparing and approving the Report andAccounts of the Unincorporated Councilsand Committees and approval was given atthe Council meeting in April 2019. TheTrustees’ Report describes in detail theChurch’s objectives, activities andgovernance arrangements. The externalauditors gave an unqualified, or ‘clean’,audit opinion on the Accounts. TheAssembly is invited to receive the 2018Report and Accounts of theUnincorporated Councils and Committees.

2. CONGREGATIONAL INCOMEAND 2020 INCOMEDISPOSITION

2.1 The remit of the Council ofAssembly requires it “to bringrecommendations to the General Assemblyconcerning the total amount of theChurch’s Co-ordinated Budget for thefollowing financial year and the dispositionthereof amongst Local CongregationalExpenditure, the Parish Ministries Fund,and the Mission and Renewal Fund”. TheCouncil’s recommendations for totalcongregational contributions for 2020, andthe allocation of these, are to be found inAppendix II. This level of income is requiredin 2020 to pay for the activities to whichthe Church is already committed.Acceptance of the proposals from theSpecial Commission and the Radical ActionPlan proposed by the Council maynecessarily require changes in thefinalisation of the detailed budget for2020. While the Radical Action Planproposes changes to the Ministries andMission system for collectingcongregational contributions, stability inincome is needed to finance stipends,salaries and other costs of supporting thelocal Church.

2.2 The Council of Assembly proposesthat the amount of the Budget to be metby congregations in 2020 should remain atthe same level as 2019 (£46,586,000).Appendix I summarises the actual andprojected annual income of congregationsover the period 2017 to 2020 and how theincome will be used – the “IncomeDisposition”. The projected “OrdinaryIncome” of congregations for 2020 shownon Appendix I is £88.3 million. Of this, theamount retained by congregations for localexpenditure is projected to decrease from51.5% in 2019 to 51.4% in 2020. It should benoted that congregational income onAppendix I does not include extraordinaryincome, such as legacies, restricted incomenot available to meet regular expenditure,receipts for major fabric projects etc, whichare assumed to be used exclusively to meetlocal congregational expenditure.2.3 The Parish Ministries Fund isprojected to remain at 38.3% in each ofthese years (after deducting vacancyallowances), and the Mission and RenewalFund to increase from 10.2% to 10.3%. TheMinistries Council continues to receivefunding from the Mission and RenewalFund as well as the Parish Ministries Fund.Expenditure on the Parish Ministries Fundpays for the provision of Ministries to thelocal Church. Much of the work funded bythe Mission and Renewal Fund is alsodirected back to the local Church in thepromotion of worship, prayer anddiscipleship; facilitating engagement withlocal and global communities; provision offinancial and legal services; advice onchurch judicial procedures; and regulatorycompliance and safeguarding services.2.4 The Council of Assembly proposesto maintain the total available for thePresbytery Discretionary Allowance for2020 at 5% of the total Ministries andMission contributions due from thecongregations in each Presbytery. Thismeans that around £2,500,000 is availableto Presbyteries for regional or local use.



2.5 Parish Ministries Fund(including Stipends and relatedexpenses for Parish Ministers)2.5.1 2017 was the first year of operationof the new ring-fencing arrangements forthe Parish Ministries Fund. This means thatthe Parish Ministries Fund element of theMinistries Council budget is now separatedand protected and other aspects of thatCouncil’s budget are assessed on the samebasis as other Councils and Committees.From Appendix II it will be noted that thetotal budget for the Parish Ministries Fundfor 2020 to be met by congregations is£37,473,000 (2019 - £37,473,000). Stipendendowment and glebe income of£3,450,000; annual investment income of£565,000; and reserves of £1,202,000 areadded to this amount to fund the projected£42,690,000 cost of Parish Ministries in2020 shown at 2.5.5. This is a best estimatebased on existing minister and MinistriesDevelopment Staff (MDS) numbersprojected forward to take account ofretirements, leavers and joiners. This is,however, difficult to forecast in detail andis closely connected with the PresbyteryPlanning Process. If all posts in currentPresbytery Plans were filled,congregational contributions would needto increase significantly to fund this cost.Ministries Council is bringing forwardproposals to cap the number of MDSwithin existing budgets, and on atemporary basis, to 2020, it is fundingstipend increases from its restricted funds.2.5.2 The ring-fencing arrangement hasnot operated entirely as initially planned.This is partly because of the difficulty ofworking on budgets one year ahead forboth numbers of posts and stipendincreases. The original intention was toadjust congregational contributions in theindicative budget for the following year tocollect the estimated annual cost of ParishMinistries. Ministries Council’s decision touse restricted funds for stipend increases in2018, 2019 and, if approved, 2020 hasmeant that congregational contributionshave not needed to be increased in line

with stipend increases. In addition, theprinciple of assessing Ministries Council’swork funded by the Mission and Renewalelement of congregational income hasbeen difficult to establish in the absence ofwell defined priorities for the Church’swork as a whole. The Council of Assemblyand Ministries Council have thereforeproposed a review of the arrangementfollowing the General Assembly of 2019 toestablish whether, in the light of any otherdecisions taken, this remains the mostsuitable method of budgeting for ParishMinistry costs.2.5.3 The Ministries Council will receive82% of congregational contributionsincluding stipend endowment income andglebe rents, directed through the ParishMinistries Fund, which includes use for:• the National Stipend Fund which pays

the stipend and other costs of parishministers;

• ordained parish ministry support anddevelopment;

• the salaries and other costs ofMinistries Development Staff, asdefined below;

• new, alternative and emerging forms ofministry costs;

• readership costs;• recruitment and education for

ministries, including Ordained LocalMinisters and the training ofProbationers;

• parish appraisal costs;• properties costs;• a share of Ministries Council support

and administration costs.2.5.4 The Ministries Development Staffreferred to above are MinistriesDevelopment Staff posts on agreedPresbytery Plans, employed or appointedby the Ministries Council and including(though not exclusively) Deacons in theemploy of the Church, Associate Ministers,and Team Leaders. Any parish staff



engaged locally by congregations (and notdesignated on Presbytery Plans) will not befunded by the Parish Ministries Fund.2.5.5 Cost of Ring-fenced ParishMinistries Fund 2020Funding £000’s

CongregationalContributions &

StipendEndowments

£000’s

Restricted Funds

£000’s

Total cost

National StipendFund

33,518 1,260* 34,779

MinistryDevelopment Staff

4,627 - 4,627

Partnerships &Development

625 49 674

Education andTraining

777 393 1,169

Recruitment &Support

702 120 822

Priority Areas** 264 - 264Share ofAdministration

355 - 355

Total Cost 40,868 1,822 42,690*Restricted funds will not be available against this cost after 2020 and the cost will revert to congregations.** Represents 38% of total spend on Priority Areas by Ministries Council, the remaining 62% being outwith thering-fence.

2.5.6 Mission and Renewal Fund2.5.6.1 The Mission and Renewal Fund’sshare of the Income Disposition is 10.3%,after releasing £600,000 (2019 -£800,000) from the Fund’s non-congregational annual income andreserves. Non-recurring, unrestrictedlegacies have been used to provide supportfor the budget, support which hasincreased over the last ten years from£500,000 to £1.3 million by 2018. Thissupport to the budget in 2020 is thereforeless than half of the amount provided in2018. The Council of Assembly willcontinue to deploy this resource to benefit

the work of the Church but, as noted in lastyear’s report, at a much reduced level. Itsview is that reserves, being essentiallyfinite, should not be used to supportregular ongoing work. The balance on theMission and Renewal Reserve Fund as at 31December 2018 had been extinguished.However, as detailed in the Council’s mainReport, the review of reserves project hasidentified funds which can be reorganisedor reclassified, and work is nowconcentrating on examining general fundsheld by Councils, with substantial sumsalready having been identified for inclusionwithin the Mission and Renewal Fund.



Actions in respect of these reclassificationswill take place during 2019. Any surpluseson Councils’ annual budgets arising fromMission and Renewal contributions arenow clawed back to the Fund. At the pointwhen detailed 2020 budgets are prepared,Mission and Renewal contributions arelikely to be reallocated as required betweenCouncils, Committees and Departments.2.6 Congregational Income2.6.1 The commitment and generosityof those who make up the congregations ofthe Church of Scotland across the countryis evidenced in their regular giving, forwhich the Church remains thankful. Thestarting point in the preparation of theindicative budget for the following year isthe estimation of total congregationalincome for the previous year, drawn fromthe returns submitted by treasurersimmediately after the year end. Provisionaldetails for 2018 Congregational Income arecontained in Appendix I. These show adecrease of 0.1% in total “OrdinaryIncome”, with “Offerings” down by 1.1%,and Gift Aid tax recovery up by 0.1%, beingoffset by an increase in “Other OrdinaryIncome” of 2.8%. While these percentagesare small, the financial impact on totalcongregational income is significant. Thereis evidence that the income of manycongregations looked at on an individualbasis remains steady, although this will notbe the experience of all. However,aggregate income is reducing ascongregations unite, typically losingmembers and income as a result. What isclear is that, given what is now a trend ofdeclining income, the Church can only carryout the activities which congregations areable to fund.2.6.2 In the meantime good progresshas been made in recruiting staff to theNational Stewardship team andformulating future plans to deliverstewardship in the most effective way,including the development of digital giving.This will enable congregations to increaseincome.

2.6.3 Although early indications show a2.8% increase in “Other Ordinary Income”in 2018, this heading includes a number ofdifferent categories of income, and thetotal can only be confirmed when thedetailed analysis of congregationalaccounts is completed later in the year.However it is apparent that income fromoutside organisations shows an increaseand greater use of church premisesbenefits both the finances and the missionand outreach of local congregations, whereit encourages the development of linkswith local communities and other Churchof Scotland work.2.7 The 2020 Co-ordinated Budget2.7.1 Pressures on the National Churchbudget remain of serious concern, butCouncils have been able to make onlymarginal reductions on programme costsuntil such time as clearly identifiedpriorities have been agreed. Once again adeficit budget is being presented to theGeneral Assembly for 2020. It has not beenpossible to make decisions on key strategicissues during 2018/2019 due to uncertaintyabout future plans. At the same time,stipends and salaries; building repairs; priceinflation; and compliance and governancecosts are all increasing when income isdecreasing. Carrying out the Church’sdiverse activities and administering itscomplex governance structure placesconsiderable pressure on resources.Nonetheless, the Council has made someprogress in reducing the indicative deficitfor 2020 to £2,953,000 from the 2019 finalbudget deficit of £4,468,000. A financialstrategy has been developed and progresshas been made in areas such asprocurement, review of reserves,investment policy and the propertyportfolio.2.7.2 The co-ordinated budget providesfully for the total projected number ofPresbytery Plan posts which are likely to befilled during 2020 as part of the ParishMinistries Fund. As stated in theintroduction, the Council considers that itis not affordable to fill all posts within the



Plans even if ministers and MinistriesDevelopment Staff could be recruited tothem and this will need to be addressed bythe Presbytery planning process.2.7.3 Presbytery planning should ensurethe most effective and appropriate use ofresources at a local level. Changes incongregational configuration can lead to adrop in income without any correspondingdrop in expenditure. Continued carefulfinancial management of the nationalCouncils and Committees, and the increasein the proportion of congregational incomewhich is retained for local work, areessential to present a more sustainablepicture. The Radical Action Plan includesproposals for changes to the Ministries andMission contribution process but whatremains evident is that the Church is onlyable to maintain the level of ministries andmission, both local and national, which itsmembers are prepared to support throughtheir offerings; diligent stewardship of theChurch’s resources of people, property andmoney remains paramount.2.7.4 Absorbing further compliance andgovernance costs and change projectsmeans that Councils and Committees willagain face challenging budget decisions in2020. The Council of Assembly continuesto scrutinise and in some cases turn downbids for additional funding for new projectsand posts and has engaged in carefulconsideration of other proposed projects,looking at costs and resultant benefits ofthe work.2.7.5 Appendix II shows indicativefigures for Projected Gross Expenditure foreach Council and how this is to be funded,using contributions from congregations,income from external sources and annualincome from investments, with anyprojected deficit being met from thereserves of the individual Councils. Thisshows Projected Gross Expenditure of£103,061,000 (2019 £104,789,000), incomefrom congregations £46,586,000 (2019£46,586,000), income from externalsources including investment income,£53,523,000 (2019 £53,736,000) with a

deficit from reserves of £2,953,000 (2019£4,468,000). In view of the lack of growthin congregational income and thenecessary curtailment in the use of theMission and Renewal Reserve, no increasehas again been made to overall budgets forinflation and Councils and Departmentswill be required to fund any increased costsfrom within their budgets, which could inturn affect planned work programmes.Given that inflation remains a factor, thiswill present further budget pressures toCouncils and Departments.2.7.6 Councils will continue to use theirrestricted funds to continue their work andthe reorganisation of funds through OSCRis freeing up money which was previouslynot able to be spent by Councils. TheCouncil of Assembly encourages Councilsto use restricted funds, where possible,before general reserves and this willcontinue to be a feature of the Co-ordinated Budget. The split of the 2020deficit from reserves between theunrestricted and restricted funds ofCouncils is £1,373,000 and £1,580,000,respectively.2.7.7 Budgets of Councils,Committees and Departments2.7.7.1 Following the 2018 triennialvaluation of the closed Defined BenefitPension Schemes the Pension Trustees haveagreed that deficit repair payments inrespect of the Central Service Committee(CSC) section of the Staff Pension Schememay cease from 2019, subject to finalapproval by the Trustees. This represents asaving of £350,000 per annum to the 2020budget, the costs of which have previouslybeen absorbed by Councils, Committeesand Departments whose budgets includeCSC staff.2.7.7.2 The Social Care Council 2.7.7.2.1 The Social Care Council facesanother challenging year in 2020 due to thesituation in the care sector generally andissues in some service units within OlderPeople’s Services. The Council has indicateda budget deficit of £1,065,000 including



pension deficit repair contributions.However, because of the complexities ofthe sector in which it operates, includinglocal authority funding cycles, the budgetmay be subject to change later in the year.The Management Team is committed toreducing the deficit and is working hard tomanage operational risks, reduce costs andincrease income. There are some majorareas of potential change such as propertymaintenance costs and fundraising income.2.7.7.2.2 A key consideration for the 2020budget will be pay policy and this can beexpected to vary from the indicativebudget which currently anticipates anincrease in the National Minimum Wage(NMW) and Scottish Living Wage (SLW) of4%. It has been assumed that any SLWincrease will be fully funded by LocalAuthorities, the National Care HomeContract or the National Children’sFramework and be cost neutral for thebudget. Also included is an estimate of£376,000 to cover all staff receiving a 2%cost of living rise if they have not alreadyreceived such an increase throughNMW/SLW increases. Since publication ofthe Council of Assembly’s main report, thePension Trustees have indicated that,based on the results of the triennialvaluation of the Social Care section of theStaff Pension Scheme, payments could bereduced by £400,000 per annum to£700,000. This lower amount has beenincluded in the Council’s indicative budgetas a best estimate, but it is important tonote that the valuation has not beenapproved at the time of writing.2.7.7.2.3 The Social Care Council’sindicative budget deficit is summarised asfollows:

£000’sOlder People 40Adult Care 87Children & Families 124Other including pension deficit (1,316)Total (1,065)

2.7.7.3 Ministries Council 2.7.7.3.1 The Ministries Council isbudgeting for a deficit of £1,855,000,which includes, as outlined in 2.4.2, stipendincreases for 2019 and 2020 paid fromrestricted reserves. The budget includes acontingency of 2% for stipend and salaryincreases at a cost of c£600,000 althoughthese are subject to future approvalprocesses. The Council will continue, andplans to conclude, its DevelopmentProgramme by General Assembly 2021,with the aim of more sustainableresourcing of its work to recruit, supportand develop Ministries. The Council hasattempted to prioritise and reduceexpenditure on its Mission and Renewalsupported work which includes the Go ForIt Fund, Workplace Chaplaincy and PriorityAreas. However this area of the budget is indeficit. The General Trustees’ levypayments to Go for It are budgeted toreduce from £200,000 in 2019 to £115,000in 2020. At the time of writing the PensionTrustees have agreed that deficit repaircontributions to the MinistriesDevelopment Staff (MDS) Scheme maycease with immediate effect, based on thetriennial valuation result, subject tosatisfactory conclusion and signing of finalschedules. On that basis the budgetincludes no deficit repair contributions.



£000’s £000’s £000’sUnrestricted Restricted Total

Parish Ministries Fund 55 (1,257) (1,202)Development Programme (315) (65) (380)Go For It, Priority Areas,Workplace Chaplaincy

(306) 37 (269)

Other (2) (2) (4)Total (568) (1,287) (1,855)

2.7.7.4 Mission and DiscipleshipCouncil2.7.7.4.1 The indicative budget for Missionand Discipleship is an overall deficit of£27,000, with £80,000 of expenditurebeing funded from restricted funds.Savings have been identified on staff costs.The Council’s budget includes income andexpenditure relating to the ScottishStorytelling Centre, John Knox House andLife and Work magazine.2.7.7.5 World Mission Council2.7.7.5.1 The indicative budget shown onAppendix I relates to the Church ofScotland “Charity” only. In addition to this,the Council operates subsidiaries in Israel,the financial results of which are includedeach year in the Church’s consolidated(“Group”) Annual Accounts. The WorldMission Council’s indicative budget showsa surplus of £42,000, including expenditureof £146,000 from its restricted funds.2.7.7.5.2 Detailed 2020 budgets for thetrading subsidiaries in Israel will beprepared later in 2019. The Council willbring plans during 2019 to refurbish itsGuesthouse in Jerusalem, includingreconfiguring the number of bedrooms andhealth and safety upgrades, in line with abusiness plan. The estimated costs are£910,000, likely to be funded from acombination of restricted funds and loansby the Council to the Guesthouse.2.7.7.5.3 The Council employs twelvemission partners and provides

approximately £1 million per annum ingrant funding to support its programme ofattentive accompaniment of partnerchurches and organisations overseas.2.7.7.6 Church and Society Council2.7.7.6.1 With agreement from the Councilof Assembly, Church and Society funded itsSpeak Out 10,000 Voices work from itsreserves until 2019. The Council has largelyabsorbed the seven strands of this workinto its existing staff structure as well asraising external funding for it. The deficit of£26,000 presented for 2020 represents thepart year cost of two fixed term posts forcompletion of this work.2.7.7.7 Support and ServicesCommittees and Departments andSpecial Contributions2.7.7.7.1 These Committees andDepartments have been listed on AppendixII. They have no reserves and as such needto be funded mainly by congregationalcontributions. The Departments provideservices to the national, local and regionalChurch as well as to the Church’s otherStatutory Corporations – the GeneralTrustees, the Church of Scotland InvestorsTrust and The Church of Scotland Trust.They also carry out work on behalf of thePension Trustees. Charges are made tothese bodies as well as to the Housing andLoan Fund and New College. Cross chargesare rarely made to congregations, mainlyfor property-related transactions. TheChurch has centralised most of its supportand service functions and (other than



limited charges for legal and safeguardingservices provided to CrossReach as notedbelow) does not cross charge Councils andCommittees for these services.2.7.7.7.2 The Social Care Council is largelyautonomous in terms of central servicesand charges the costs of its CentralServices costs against service units. There isalso some cross-working between SocialCare and departments within the NationalOffice, such as Estates, Law andSafeguarding.2.7.7.7.3 £400,000 has been included inthe indicative budget for essential repairson the George Street property, with£500,000 budgeted for 2019. Pendingdecisions on the building, these works areconsidered to be essential to maintain thefabric of the building and are beingprioritised in consultation with the GeneralTrustees.2.7.7.7.4 The Ecumenical RelationsCommittee has an annual budget of£142,000. The Church also contributes£202,000 to Ecumenical Bodies – theWorld Council of Churches (WCC), WorldCouncil of Reformed Churches (WCRC),Churches Together in Britain and Ireland(CTBI) and Action of Churches Together inScotland (ACTS). During 2018 the Councilof Assembly and Ecumenical RelationsCommittee agreed that thesecontributions should be brought under theauspices of the Committee. While theyrepresent a contribution from the wholeChurch, and are funded by congregationalcontributions, it was agreed that the newarrangement would provide better visibilityover the cost and impact of thecontributions.2.7.7.7.5 A block grant of £85,000 is paidannually by the Church to Christian Aid,again funded by congregationalcontributions. The Council is aware of thesubstantial financial support provided bycongregations directly to Christian Aid.2.7.7.7.6 Finally a grant of £290,000 ismade to the Central Fabric Fund of the

General Trustees. This assists in providinggrants to congregations for fabric repairs.2.7.8 The 2019 detailed budgetsapproved by the Council of Assembly arecontained in its main report in the BlueBook (section 5.1.5) along with a summaryand details of the operating results ofCouncils, Committees and Departmentsagainst the 2018 budget (section 5.1.3).3. HUTS AND CANTEENS

PENSION FUND AND HUTSAND CANTEENS GRANTSFUNDS

3.1 As part of the ongoing review offunds of the Unincorporated Councils andCommittees of the Church, the Huts andCanteens Pension Fund and Huts andCanteens Grants Fund have been identifiedas having surplus funds which are not beingfully utilised and are available for transferto other funds. These funds were formerlyheld by the Huts and Canteens Committee.3.2 In 1970 the Assembly approved thearrangements for a gradual withdrawalfrom Forces Welfare Work overseas withintwo years and agreed that suitablearrangements be made for the retention ofany Home Centres which the Forces wereanxious to retain. The work of the HomeCentres was handed over to other bodiesand in 1972 the Assembly noted the newarrangements and directed that theterminal reserves of the FormerCommittee should be applied as follows:(i) to create a Pension Fund (Huts and

Canteens Pensions), the income to beapplied in payment of pensions forthe former office and field staff ofthe Huts and Canteens Committee;and



(ii) to set up a Residual Fund (Huts andCanteens Grants), where up to 75%(at the discretion of the then GeneralFinance Committee of the Church) ofthe income was paid as a grant toSoldiers’, Sailors’ and Airmen’sFamilies Association (SSAFA ForcesHelp) for direct welfare to servingand ex-serving members of HMForces and their families. Theremainder of the income was to bepaid to the Mission and RenewalFund (then Mission and ServiceFund).

3.3 Following the death of the lastpensioner the Pensions Fund would beclosed and the balance added to the GrantsFund.3.4 The Committee also recorded itswish that the remainder of the ResidualFund should, subject to the control of theAssembly, be retained by the GeneralFinance Committee and thus be availablefor use should the re-activation of the workcarried out by the Committee be necessary.3.5 Following the decision in 1972 itfell to the former Stewardship and FinanceCommittee to consider the pensionspayable to retired members and a pensionis now paid to one remaining individual. Inrecent years the revenue on the Fund hasbeen steadily increasing, with no grantspaid since 2011, and the capital fund hasremained static since 1998. In October2018, in accordance with the discretionarypowers of its predecessor committee, theCouncil of Assembly approved the transferof undistributed income in the Grants Fundto the Mission and Renewal Fund. As aresult £151,561 was transferred inDecember 2018. The Council agreed that allfuture income earned would be crediteddirectly to the Mission and Renewal Fund.3.6 Pension payments continue to bemade to the remaining pensioner and areincreased each year by a rate agreed by theStewardship and Finance Department.

3.7 Value of Funds:Pensions Grants

£ £Capital fund 144,018 57,881Revenue fund 55,198 -Total (at cost) 199,216 57,881Market valueof capital fund

289,784 582,177

3.8 The Council proposes that theGrant Fund is wound up and the balancestransferred in order to allow the funds tobe used in accordance with the originalpurposes agreed by the Assembly in 1972,for SSAFA Forces Help and Mission andRenewal work of the Church.Consultations have taken place with theConvener and Secretary of the Committeeon Chaplains to HM Forces in arriving atthe proposal and no objections were raised.3.9 The approval of the GeneralAssembly is now sought to wind up theGrants Fund and to distribute the balanceas follows:(i) a payment of £150,000 to SSAFA

Forces Help; and(ii) the remainder of funds, both capital

and interest, to be transferred to theMission and Renewal Fund.

3.10 The Council proposes to retain anappropriate amount (based upon currentannual pension payments, increased by anannual amount determined as reasonableby the General Treasurer) in the PensionFund until such time as no beneficiariesremain, and thereafter to close the PensionFund and transfer the remaining funds tothe Mission and Renewal Fund.

4. SYSTEMS OF INTERNALCONTROL

4.1 Role of Audit CommitteeThe Committee’s remit includesresponsibility for reviewing the systems of



internal control and for oversight of theInternal Audit function. This function isdelivered by Deloitte as the appointedInternal Auditors alongside the work of theChurch’s own Audit and ComplianceOfficer. Deloitte produce an annualprogramme of work based on anassessment of audit risk which seeks toensure that all the main areas of activityare periodically reviewed. Audit reports aresubmitted at the end of each assignmentand an annual audit report is made to theAudit Committee expressing an opinion onthe systems of internal control in place inthe Unincorporated Councils andCommittees.4.2 Deloitte conducted a number ofreviews in 2018 covering the followingareas:• Investment Project Review• Review of GDPR Readiness and

Compliance• Review of Housing and Loan Fund• Review of IT Strategy, Operations and

Management.4.3 Deloitte reported to the AuditCommittee that, on the basis of the workundertaken for the year ended 31 December2018, they consider that theUnincorporated Councils and Committeesof the Church of Scotland generally has anadequate framework of control over itssystems except in relation to the fourPriority One matters highlighted in theirreviews of GDPR Readiness andCompliance, and IT Strategy, Operationsand Management. This conclusion isconditional upon satisfactoryimplementation of recommendations fromprevious audit reports.4.4 During 2018 the Trustees decidedto re-tender for external audit services inview of the potential level of non-auditservices being procured fromPricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. They agreedto concurrently re-tender for internal auditservices to allow firms to bid for eitherservice. RSM UK Audit LLP were appointed

as external auditors for the 2018 financialyear end, and Scott-Moncrieff as internalauditors with effect from 2019.

5. NEW COLLEGE LIBRARY5.1 The Library at New College, theUniversity of Edinburgh School of Divinity,is made up of a number of books,manuscripts, archives, art works, museumobjects and theses (“the Collection”), somebequeathed to the Church and others tothe University, as well as books purchasedover the years by both the Church andUniversity. In 1962 the Church agreed totransfer to the University the site andbuildings of New College, which includedthe Library. The General Assembly and theUniversity Court entered into a Minute ofAgreement to set out the arrangements forthe library books and other moveable itemswithin the buildings, which were given onloan to the University.5.2 It is nearly 60 years since theoriginal agreement was entered into andthe lack of space within the Library isacute. There have been various discussionsin recent years between the Church and theUniversity. Both parties wish to aid thephysical management of the Collection,including the potential withdrawal anddisposal of items. Appendix III to thisSupplementary Report contains the text ofa new Memorandum of Agreementbetween the parties which will allow thefollowing to be achieved:1. The removal and storage of some of

the Collection offsite2. The withdrawal of items where

appropriate, e.g. in case ofduplication

3. The digitisation of materials from theCollection

4. Temporary loan of items forexhibitions

5. Clarification of the insurancearrangements



6. Extension of the period fortermination of the Agreement, giventhe practical realities of separatingout the items in the Collection iftermination was to occur.

The text of the 1962 Minute of Agreementis also provided in Appendix III.5.3 It is hoped that this will providegreater clarity to the Church andUniversity, whilst recognising the limits ofwhat is practical in the context of theCollection.

6. GROWTH FUND6.1 The main report of the Council ofAssembly laid out proposals for theestablishment of a Growth Fund as part ofthe Radical Action Plan (3.4.1ff), indicatingthat regulations for the Fund and initialcriteria would be included in the Council’sSupplementary Report. Proposedregulations are included in Appendix IV ofthis Report.6.2 Responsibility for theestablishment of the Fund, if approved bythe General Assembly, will rest with theTrustees of the Unincorporated Councilsand Committees of Scottish Charity(SC011353). Given the high possibility ofchange to this trustee body following thisyear’s General Assembly, the Councilwould be keen that final responsibility forthe timescale of the Growth Fund beingestablished should rest with that body. Atthe same time, the Council is mindful ofthe request that action is required quickly,as instructed by the 2018 GeneralAssembly. As such, the regulations lay outproposals for the establishment of theGrowth Fund from 1 January 2020 althoughthis date could be delayed if required bythe Trustees.6.3 The Growth Fund will merge withthe Go For It Fund, replacing it as theprimary grant-making fund operated bythe Church of Scotland. It makes sense forthe Church of Scotland to operate, as far aspossible, a single grant-making body forthose seeking non-building related funds.

This will ensure that administration isstreamlined, and that learning can be moreeffectively shared. It will also help toensure maximum clarity on who to contactand how.6.4 The Go For It Fund has had asignificant impact on the life ofcongregations and communities bothwithin Scotland and further afield and hasdeveloped significant expertise insupporting, networking and resourcingcongregations in their mission. It is vitalthat the Growth Fund will build upon andfurther develop this expertise. The Churchgives thanks to God for the pioneeringwork which the Go For It Fund has enabledsince 2012, as well as expressing its deepappreciation of those who have led andresourced this work.6.5 Whilst building upon the work ofGo For It, including its strong commitmentto tackling poverty and challenging socialinjustice, the Growth Fund requires to bemore explicit in the requirement forevangelism, for the planting of newworshipping communities and for engagingcreatively with all sectors of our societybut, in particular, with those aged 40 andunder.6.6 In its main Report, the Council wasclear that the funds required for the 7-yearimplementation of the Growth Fund willneed to be identified from within existingreserves. As reported elsewhere within thisReport (Section 2), work is alreadyunderway in freeing up a significantproportion of the Unincorporated Councilsand Committees' restricted reserves. Basedon work done to date, the Council wouldrecommend the evaluation of the Fundafter an initial 3-year period with a reportto be brought to the 2023 GeneralAssembly. This will not only allow theGeneral Assembly to evaluate the impactof the Growth Fund’s effectiveness, butwill also allow time for future funds to befully identified and for these to beallocated amidst a range of prioritiesagreed by the General Assembly.



6.7 Alongside applications for fundingfrom individual congregations and groupsof congregations, presbyteries and groupsof presbyteries should also be eligible toapply where they can demonstrate thevalue of a wider and more regionalstrategy. It will also be important tosupport communities of interest as well asgeographical ones.6.8 Where at all possible, fundsreceived from the Growth Fund should onlyform part of the overall costs of theplanned work. That funding can come froma wide variety of sources, including moniesraised or held locally by congregations orpresbyteries. It is, however, recognised thatsuch funding will not always be available,and the Growth Fund should ensure thatthere is flexibility within its processes andprocedures to ensure that proposals can beeligible for grants up to 100%.6.9 The Growth Fund should provide avariety of grants from relatively small one-off to multi-year awards for a likely periodof up to 5 years. Particularly with largergrants, there will be a strong focus on howthe work can be sustained in the longerterm and how the work can be replicated inother areas. Again, evidence that the workis not solely dependent on the GrowthFund will be important.6.10 The Radical Action Plan includes astrong commitment to work ecumenicallyand it is critical that this commitmentforms part of the assessment criteria forthe Fund. The Fund should also want to seeevidence of broader partnership workingand collaboration.6.11 Whilst significant work has alreadytaken place to lay out the principles andcriteria of the Growth Fund, importantwork remains to be done. This is inevitablegiven the wide range of proposals forchange included in reports to this year’sGeneral Assembly. The main Reportproposed the bringing of a set of names tothe General Assembly who would, underthe direction of the trustees, undertakefurther work to ensure that the Fund can

be fully established to become operationalfrom January 2020. Upon further reflectionand advice, it is now recommended thatthis group will be established – for a six-month period – by the trustee body.6.12 This group should bring togetherpeople from across the Church with arange of expertise including in projectdevelopment, funding management,church planting, a commitment to tacklingsocial injustice and working with under40s. In carrying out its work, the groupshould be guided by the proposals laid outregarding the Growth Fund within theCouncil’s main and supplementary Reportsand by the decisions of the GeneralAssembly.

In the name of the CouncilSALLY BONNAR, Convener

DAVID WATT, Vice-ConvenerMARTIN JOHNSTONE, Acting Secretary



Appendix IIIMEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT

BetweenThe General Assembly of the Church ofScotland, the Principal Court of TheChurch of Scotland, Scottish Charity NoSC011353 and having its administrativeoffices at 121 George Street, Edinburgh EH24YN (the “Church”)andThe University Court of the University ofEdinburgh, a charitable body registered inScotland under registration numberSC005336, incorporated under theUniversities (Scotland) Acts and having itsmain administrative offices at Old College,South Bridge Edinburgh, EH8 9YL (the“University”),(hereinafter referred to collectively as “theparties” and each of them being “a party”)Background(A) The Church and the University are

parties to the 1962 Minute, underwhich books belonging to the Churchin the Library, or books purchasedfrom the New College EndowmentFunds, shall be given on loan to theUniversity, for use in the Faculty ofDivinity.

(B) While the University holds listings ofmany items in the Collection anditems are in many cases marked so asto distinguish between Church-owned books and University-ownedbooks, many items have over theyears become entwined such thatthey are not in every case clearlymarked as belonging to either theChurch or the University.

(C) Due to these historical factors, theparties believe that it would beimpractical to seek to identify thelegal owner of each and every item inthe Collection. However, the partiesrecognise that steps should be takento clarify, as far as possible, theprinciples that apply to the questionof ownership, and that theseprinciples should be applied to themanagement of the Collection in thefuture.

(D) In addition to issues of management,the parties wish to clarify certainelements relating to the insurance ofitems provided by the Churchpursuant to the 1962 Minute.

(E) This Memorandum sets out theprinciples which the parties agreeshall govern the ownership,management and insurance of theCollection from the CommencementDate.

1. Definitions and Interpretation1.1 The definitions and rules ofinterpretation in this Clause apply to thisMemorandum (including its recitals):

“1962 Minute” means the Minute ofAgreement between the Universityand the Church dated 27 July 1962,attached as the Appendix to thisMemorandum;“Business Days” means any dayother than a Saturday, Sunday orbank or other holiday listed in theUniversity calendar;



“Collection” means the books,manuscripts, archives, art works,museum objects and theses ownedby the Church and/or Universitywhich are stored at the Library andthe Adam Smith Collection, ownedby the Church, but already relocatedto the Main University Library (butexcluding immovable property orother physical items referred to inthe 1962 Minute which do not fallwithin this definition);“Commencement Date” means thedate of signature of thisMemorandum by the parties;“Curator” means the Curator of theLibrary from time to time;“Library” means New CollegeLibrary, New College, Mound Place,Edinburgh EH1 2LU;“Memorandum” means thisMemorandum of Agreement;“Option Period” has the meaninggiven to that term in Clause 9.2; and“Principal” means the Principal ofNew College from time to time.

1.2 Clause, schedule and paragraphheadings shall not affect the interpretationof the Contract.1.3 Words in the singular shall includethe plural and vice versa.1.4 A reference to one gender shallinclude a reference to the other genders.1.5 A reference to a statute orstatutory provision is a reference to it as itis in force for the time being, takingaccount of any amendment, extension, orre-enactment and includes any subordinatelegislation for the time being in force madeunder it.1.6 A reference to writing or writtenincludes e-mail but excludes fax. Areference to notification excludes e-mail.

1.7 Any obligation in theMemorandum on a person not to dosomething includes an obligation not toagree or allow that thing to be done.1.8 References to Clauses are to theclauses of this Memorandum. Referencesto Sections are references to the sectionsof the 1962 Minute.1.9 Any words following the termsincluding, include, in particular, forexample or any other similar expressionshall be construed as illustrative and shallnot limit the sense of the words,description, definition, phrase or termspreceding those terms.2. DurationThis Memorandum commences on theCommencement Date and will remain inforce until terminated in accordance withits terms.3. Principles GoverningOwnership of the Collection3.1 The parties acknowledge that dueto the history of the Collection, it may insome instances not be immediatelyapparent whether a book has beenprovided by the Church, donated to theUniversity, or obtained by some othermeans. Accordingly, it may be difficult toascertain whether an item is on loan fromthe Church or whether it is the property ofthe University or a third party.3.2 To address this ambiguity, theparties agree the following principles whichshall apply to ownership of the items in theCollection:3.2.1 Pre-1935 items held in the specialcollections section of the Library, whichincludes all archives and manuscripts(handwritten or typescript documents), allbooks printed before 1900 and any otherbooks treated as special because of value,rarity or provenance, regardless of date,and also includes art works and museumobjects; or3.2.2 Items received by the Library priorto 1935,



shall be classified as belonging to theChurch.3.3 The principles referred to in Clause3.2 shall not apply to items in relation towhich the University and/or Church havespecific knowledge, supported bydocumentary or other supporting evidence,that such classification should not apply,or where the parties otherwise agree thatsuch principles should not apply.3.4 Principles of ownership whichapply to Collection items which do not fallwithin the scope of Clause 3.2 shall bedealt with on a case-by-case basis asrequired.3.5 The parties agree that this Clause 3sets out agreed principles only and is notintended to override the existing legalrights of either party in respect of theCollection, and neither party waives ormodifies its existing legal rights ofownership in respect of the Collection.4. Procedure for Withdrawal,Relocation or Disposal of CollectionItems4.1 The parties acknowledge thatspace in the Library is extremely limited,and that the withdrawal and disposal ofitems that are duplicated in the Collectionor elsewhere in University plays animportant role in the management of theCollection (save for special collectionsreferred to in Clause 3.2.1). The partiesfurther acknowledge that certain items inthe Collection have been relocated fromthe Library prior to the CommencementDate.4.2 All Collection managementactivities will follow professional practiceand approved Library policy documentsincluding the Collections ManagementPolicy as approved by University Court andthe general Library Collections Policy,which can be found at https://www.ed.ac.uk/information-services/about/policies-and-regulations/operational-policies/collections. Any

changes to this Policy will be reported tothe Principal of New College.4.3 Accordingly, the parties agree thatthe Curator and the Principal shall have arole in reviewing any items which theUniversity proposes to relocate or disposeof. The University’s proposals regardingsuch items shall be subject to thePrincipal’s agreement.4.4 The Curator and Principal shallhold such reviews as may be required,having regard to the frequency or volumeof the University’s proposed relocation ordisposal of Collection items. If theprovisions of Clause 4.5 are not invokedand the University disposes of Collectionitems for value the proceeds of sale will bereinvested to benefit the Collection.4.5 If, following the Principal havingagreed to the University's proposals torelocate or dispose of any items that arethe property of the Church, the Churchdoes not wish the University to relocate ordispose of such items, the Church mayremove the item from the Collection. TheChurch shall do so within 1 (one) month ofsuch notification, following which the 1962Minute shall be considered terminated forthe purposes of any such item.4.6 The parties agree that the processreferred to in Clauses 4.3 and 4.4 shallapply to all items in the Collection,regardless of the date they were receivedby the University.4.7 The University agrees that anybooks so relocated shall be clearlyidentified as belonging to the Church ifapplicable.4.8 The parties acknowledge that,notwithstanding Clauses 4.3 - 4.6 above,there may be circumstances where theUniversity is required to move items in theCollection to a location owned and/oroperated by the University or a third partyfor a temporary period to allow forimprovement or emergency works toLibrary infrastructure. Accordingly, the


https://www.ed.ac.uk/information-services/about/policies-and-regulations/operational-policies/collections





Church hereby agrees that the Universitymay undertake such temporary moves,provided that the Church is notified inwriting, in advance and appropriatearrangements are made with the insurersof the Collection for the relocation of saiditems.4.9 Any temporary relocation of anyparts of the Collection pursuant to Clause4.8 shall last no longer than 18 months andthe obligations set out in Clause 4.2 and 4.7above shall apply to such relocated items.Should the University be required to storesuch items in a temporary location forlonger than 18 months, it shall not do sowithout first obtaining the written consentof the Church.5. Loans of Collection Items toThird Parties5.1 The parties wish to confirm theright of the University to provide itemsfrom the Collection on loan to thirdparties, normally for exhibition display,subject to such terms and conditions asmay be agreed between the University andthat third party. Such terms will include arequirement that the source of the itemson loan from the Collection are suitablyacknowledged.5.2 The University agrees that theterms and conditions referred to in Clause5.1 shall not conflict with any terms agreedwith the Church under this Memorandum,the 1962 Minute (as amended by thisMemorandum), or any other terms agreedbetween the University and the Church inrelation to the item(s) in question.5.3 The Curator shall also provide anannual report to the Principal and theChurch of any Collection items fallingwithin the category of items set out inClause 3.2 which have been provided onloan to third parties.6. Digitisation of the Collection6.1 As part of the University’s plans toincrease the number of its collectionsavailable in digital format, the University

wishes to agree with the Church a positionon digitisation the Collection. 6.2 Subject to Clause 6.4, the Churchagrees:6.2.1 to the extent it is able to do sounder applicable law, to grant theUniversity the right to digitise the entireCollection (which shall include itemsowned by the Church) in order for theUniversity to make the Collection availableonline on an open-access basis; and6.2.2 that such digitised copies shall beowned by the University, but shall beaccessible by the Church.6.3 The University shall ensure thatany digitisation process is carried out toappropriate professional standards usingspecialist staff.6.4 The parties acknowledge that therights and obligations referred to in thisClause 6 shall be subject to, andconditional upon, further discussion andthe entering into of further agreementsbetween them in relation to digitisation ofthe Collection.7. Governance7.1 In the event of any dispute arisingout of or in connection with theinterpretation of this Memorandum theparties shall endeavour to settle suchdispute amicably and by good faithnegotiations. 7.2 Should the parties fail to settlesuch dispute within three (3) months (orsuch shorter period as may be agreedbetween the parties) of referral of thedispute to the other party, the matter shallbe escalated to the Principal who, afterconsultation with the New College Senateand New College Financial Board, willdiscuss the matter with the parties andseek to find a mutually agreeable solution.In the event the parties fail to reach such asolution, they may refer the matter to thecourts in accordance with Clause 13.



8. Termination8.1 The parties agree that from theCommencement Date, Section I. (i) on pagesecond of the 1962 Minute shall beamended as follows: the words “twelvemonths” shall be deleted and replaced with“thirty six months’”8.2 In the event the 1962 Minute (asamended by this Memorandum) isterminated, this Memorandum shallterminate of even date.8.3 The parties agree that Section I. (i)on page second of the 1962 Minute (asamended by this Memorandum) shall notapply to any items removed from theCollection by the Church pursuant toClauses 4.4 to 4.6.9. Post-termination Provisions9.1 The parties agree that in the eventof termination of the 1962 Minute (asamended by this Memorandum) and thisMemorandum, the principles of ownershipset out in Clause 3 shall apply to theseparation of the Collection.9.2 In the event the Church wishes tosell any of its items from the Collectionfollowing termination or followingwithdrawal of an item pursuant to thereview process set out in Clause 4.3, theChurch shall offer the University first rightsof refusal in respect of any such items andshall notify the University of any itemswhich it wishes to sell. This right may beexercised by the University by providing awritten notice to the Church during theone (1) month period immediatelyfollowing such notification (the “OptionPeriod”).9.3 Upon receipt of a notice from theUniversity as provided for in Clause 9.2, theUniversity and the Church undertake tonegotiate in good faith, the fair andreasonable terms and conclude therelevant agreement regarding such sale byno later than three (3) months followingthe expiry of the Option Period.9.4 In the event of either:

9.4.1 the University having failed to givenotice to the Church within the relevanttime period specified in Clause 9.2; or9.4.2 the Church and the Universityhaving failed to reach agreement on theterms of the agreement referred to inClause 9.3, by the expiry of relevant timeperiod in Clause 9.3,the option referred to in Clause 9.2 shallexpire and the Church shall be at liberty toenter into any other agreements orarrangements with any third party orparties in relation to the sale of such itemsentirely at its sole discretion.9.5 The following Clauses shall survivetermination of this Memorandum: Clause 1(Definitions), Clause 3 (PrinciplesGoverning Ownership of the Collection),Clause 9.2, 9.3 and 9.4, Clause 11(Confidentiality) and Clause 13 (GoverningLaw and Jurisdiction).10. Insurance10.1 Under the terms of Section I. (4)on page second of the 1962 Minute, theChurch is responsible for insuring booksbelonging to it in the Library against fire,and the University shall refund to theChurch any premiums paid and payable bythe Church in relation to such insurance.10.2 The parties acknowledge that, dueto the history and entwined nature of theCollection and the current insurancearrangements the University has in place,this approach may no longer reflect thecurrent insurance arrangements whichapply to the Collection10.3 The Collection (including anyitems from the Collection on loan to thirdparties) is currently insured under theUniversity’s Property Insurance policy (the“Policy”), which covers building contents(including but not limited to artworks) andis renewed annually. The Policy covers theentire value of the Collection. It isenvisaged the Collection would continue tobe insured under the Policy followingsubsequent valuations. The University will



insure the whole Collection (including anyitems from the Collection on loan to thirdparties) for its assessed insurance valueand will exhibit the insurance policy andvaluation documentation to the Churchfrom time to time, if requested to do so.10.4 The parties agree that theinsurance arrangements set out at clause10.3 shall be kept under review by theUniversity and discussed with the Church ifthere are any material changes to theseinsurance arrangements.11. ConfidentialityThe parties acknowledge that the terms ofthis Memorandum are confidential and theparties shall work together in relation tothe content of any public communicationon the principles of this Memorandum andno party shall make any such publiccommunication without the prior writtenconsent of the other party.Notwithstanding the foregoing, this clause11 shall not prevent the circulation of thisMemorandum among members of theGeneral Assembly of the Church ofScotland, nor its publication in the relevantBlue Book of Council and Committeereports which forms part of GeneralAssembly discussions.12. Variation and Status of the1962 Minute12.1 Other than as amended andsupplemented by this Memorandum, theterms of the 1962 Minute shall continue infull force and effect.12.2 This Memorandum may only bevaried by the written agreement of theparties.13. Governing Law and Jurisdiction13.1 This Memorandum, and any non-contractual obligations arising out of or inconnection with it, will be governed by andconstrued in all respects in accordancewith Scots law.13.2 Each party hereby irrevocablyagrees to submit to the exclusivejurisdiction of the Scottish courts over any

claim or matter arising under or inconnection with this Memorandum.Signed as follows:The text of the 1962 Minute of Agreementis provided for reference.

MINUTE OF AGREEMENTBETWEENThe General Assembly of the Church ofScotland (hereinafter referred to as "theChurch") of the First PartANDThe University Court of the University ofEdinburgh (hereinafter referred to as "theUniversity") of the Second PartWHEREAS the Church has agreed totransfer to the University the site andbuildings of New College, Edinburgh(including the Library buildings) and theadjacent property No. 3, 5 and 7 Milne'sCourt, together with the heritable fittingsand fixtures in the said properties inaccordance with terms and conditions oftransfer approved of by the GeneralAssembly of the Church on 23rd May 1961and later incorporated in Missives enteredinto between the parties under which theUniversity took entry on 11th November1961; AND WHEREAS consequent upon thetransfer of the said properties negotiationshave taken place between the Church andthe University with regard to the Librarybooks and the other moveable property inthe said properties; AND WHEREAS aninterim arrangement has been madebetween the parties whereby the Universityhas as from 11th November 1961 been giventhe use of the Library books and othermoveables, subject to certain conditions,pending a permanent agreement beingreached; AND WHEREAS a permanentagreement has now been reached in termsof these presents: THEREFORE the partieshereby agree as follows:-I. LIBRARY BOOKSThe books belonging to the Church in theLibrary at New College (hereinafter



referred to as "the Church books") shall begiven on loan to the University on thefollowing conditions:-(1) The said loan shall be during thepleasure of the Church. The Church shallgive the University not less than twelvemonths' written notice of its intention toterminate the said loan in whole or in part.(2) The University shall use and makethe Church books available for the purposeof the Faculty of Divinity.(3) The University shall engage theLibrarian and other staff necessary for theLibrary and shall be responsible forpayment of their salaries and otherexpenses in connection with the saidLibrary and books as from 11th November1961.(4) The Church shall continue toinsure the Church books against fire andthe University shall as from 11th November1961 refund to the Church the InsurancePremiums paid and to be paid by theChurch.(5) The University shall retain thebooks either in the present Library buildingof New College and/or in such otherpremises in New College as may beappropriate for Library purposes, providedthat the University may with the writtenapproval of the Faculty of Divinity removespecified books to the University Library forsecurity or for other reasons to beapproved by the Faculty of Divinity.(6) The University shall allow allpersons and bodies who at present haveaccess to the said Library the sameprivileges in relation to all books in theLibrary as have been given by the Senate ofNew College. The Faculty of Divinity mayextend such privileges to other persons orbodies subject to the agreement of theUniversity Library Committee.(7) The Church books shall continueto be marked to distinguish these frombooks belonging to the University and the

Church books shall be entered as such inthe University Library's records.(8) Any books given or bequeathed tothe said Library from Church of Scotlandsources or purchased from New CollegeLibrary Endowment Funds shall be treatedas on loan to the University on the sameconditions as the Church books at presentin the Library and shall be included in theterm "the Church books" for the purposeof this Agreement.(9) The New College LibraryEndowment Funds held by the Church shallcontinue as at present to be used for thepurchase of books and periodicals for theNew College Library.II. PORTRAITS, &C., ANDCERTAIN MOVEABLESThe portraits, pictures, prints, busts, theorgan, Communion plate, Communiontable and other articles in New College (allherewith referred to as "the portraits andothers") of which an Inventory "A" issigned with reference to this Agreement,shall be given on loan to the University onthe following conditions:-(1) The loan shall be during thepleasure of the Church, and the Churchreserves right to terminate the loan inwhole or in part subject to giving theUniversity a reasonable period of notice.(2) The portraits and others shall bekept by the University in New College andthe University shall take reasonable care ofthem.(3) Any additional portraits or otherarticles belonging to or which may comeinto the ownership of the Church andwhich shall, with the approval of theUniversity, be housed in New College shallcome under the provisions of this head II.of this Agreement and shall be added toInventory "A".(4) The Church shall insure against firethe articles referred to in this head II. forsuch sum or sums, if any, as the Church



may think fit, and the Church shall beresponsible for payment of the Premiums.III. OTHER MOVEABLESThe other moveable property in NewCollege consisting of furniture, teachingequipment, carpets, linoleum and others,of which an Inventory "B" is signed withreference to this Agreement, shall behanded over to the University free ofcharge but on the following conditions:-(1) If the site and buildings of NewCollege and other subjects which havebeen transferred to the University shouldrevert in whole or in part to the Church, orto The Church of Scotland Trust for behoofof the Church, the furniture, equipmentand other moveables therein or in the partwhich is so to revert shall be handed overby the University to the Church free ofcharge, provided however that theUniversity shall be entitled to retain anyportraits or other articles which have beenbequeathed or donated to the University.(2) The Church shall retain theownership of the gong in the corridor but,except during meetings of the GeneralAssembly or their Commission, theUniversity shall have right to use it.This Agreement shall take effectimmediately it has been signed by bothparties:-IN WITNESS WHEREOF:-Appendix IV

[ ] ‘GROWTH FUND’ REGULATIONS(REGS [ ] 2019)

Edinburgh, [ ] May 2019, Session [ ]Replaces ‘Go For It’ Regulations(Regulations IV 2012) (as amended byRegulations II 2014, I 2017 and III 2018):‘Growth Fund’ – Fund Regulations1. The Church of Scotland Growth Fund

(“the Fund”) shall be establishedfrom 1 January 2020.

2. Responsibility for the Fund shall restwith the Council of Assembly or anysuccessor body which acts as theTrustees of the UnincorporatedCouncils and Committees of ScottishCharity Number 011353 (“TheTrustees”). The Trustees mayestablish a body to oversee the Fundon its behalf.

3. The purpose of the Fund is to supportthe numerical and spiritual growth ofexisting Church of Scotlandcongregations and new Church ofScotland worshipping communitiesand thereby increase the positiveimpact of the Church of Scotland.

4. In the initial three years (2020 –2022), the Fund shall prioritise thoseprojects concerned with (i) theplanting of new worshippingcommunities and (ii) working withpeople aged 40 and under.

5. The Fund shall operate for a 7-yearperiod until 31st December 2026. Areview conducted by the Trusteesshall take place after the first threeyears of operation and shall measurethe success of the Fund againstpreviously agreed criteria todetermine future direction andinvestment.

6. The Fund shall replace the Go For ItFund. Administration of grantsalready awarded out of the Go For ItFund shall become the responsibilityof the Fund. Monies alreadycommitted in the Go For It Fund at 31December 2019 shall be transferredto the Fund.

7. An application to the Fund may bemade by a Kirk Session, a group ofKirk Sessions, a Presbytery or a groupof Presbyteries.



8. Applicants to the Fund should beable to show that they have workeddiligently to: (i) raise funds from localsources (including the congregationor partnerships making theapplication); and, (ii) raise fundsfrom appropriate external sources.Funding, up to 100%, will notnecessarily be contingent on fundingbeing provided by any other body.

9. The Trustees shall provide corefunding from the funds held onbehalf of the UnincorporatedCouncils and Committees. Thismoney shall cover both grants to bepaid from the Fund and theadministration of the Fund.

10. The Fund may be supplemented byother funds raised within and beyondthe Church, including part of the levypayable on the sale of properties interms of Regulations VIII, 2008 (asamended).

11. The strategy and guidelines for use ofthe Fund shall be developed andmonitored by the Trustees. Anymajor amendments to the strategyand guidelines shall require Assemblyapproval.

12. The Trustees shall be responsible formonitoring the ongoing effectivenessof the Fund. The Trustees shall reportannually on the work of the Fund tothe General Assembly with a focuson how the Fund is achieving itsprimary aims as set out in sections 3and 4 of these Regulations.

13. If the General Assembly decides thatthe Fund shall be closed before 31stDecember 2026 any moniesremaining in the Fund shall betransferred to the Mission andRenewal Fund or any successorgeneral Fund.



Standing Orders

I. Commissions..................................................................................................................... 110

II. Conduct of Business......................................................................................................... 111

III. Members not Commissioners......................................................................................... 113

IV. Committee Reports and Overtures................................................................................ 116

V. Conduct of Cases.............................................................................................................. 118

VI. Order of Debate .............................................................................................................. 121

VII. Committees and their Membership.............................................................................. 125

VIII. Alteration and Suspension............................................................................................ 131



Standing OrdersI. COMMISSIONS

1. Roll of Presbytery.Each Presbytery Clerk shall, by 15 January ofeach year, transmit to the Clerks ofAssembly the number of charges,appointments and deacons specified insections 2 and 4 of Act III 2000 (asamended) – all as at 31 Decemberimmediately preceding.2. Presbyterial Representation.The Assembly Arrangements Committeeshall meet in January of each year for thepurpose of considering the said Rolls and ofascertaining the effect, as regardsrepresentation, of any changes inPresbyteries which have occurred in thecourse of the previous year. The Clerks ofAssembly shall immediately thereafterintimate to Presbyteries what will be theirrepresentation in the ensuing Assembly.The decision of the AssemblyArrangements Committee, so intimated toPresbyteries, shall be subject to review bythe Assembly on Petition by the Presbyteryconcerned.3. Question Arising. Should therearise between the month of February andthe opening of the Assembly any questionregarding representation not provided forin these Orders, the AssemblyArrangements Committee shall havepower to dispose thereof.4. Furnishing of Commission. TheClerks of Assembly shall furnish PresbyteryClerks with a copy of the approved form ofCertificate of Commission.5. Transmission of Certificates.The names, in alphabetical order, and fullpostal addresses of Commissioners fromPresbyteries, shall be transmitted byPresbytery Clerks to the Clerks of Assemblynot later than 31 March in each year so faras they have been elected by that time.Certificates, endorsed by the Clerk of eachPresbytery to the effect that to the best of

his or her knowledge the Elders namedtherein are bona fide acting Elders and arecommissioned by the Presbytery, shall betransmitted by Presbytery Clerks so as tobe in the hands of the Clerks of Assemblynot less than one week before the openingof the Assembly.6. Committee on Commissions. TheCommittee on Commissions shall consistof the Clerks; the Principal Clerk shall beConvener. The Committee shall prepare areport on all Commissions and Certificatestransmitted to them for submission to theAssembly at the opening Session. The saidCommittee shall prepare and print a list ofCommissioners.Along with the said list a copy of theStanding Orders of the General Assemblyshall be made available to each member.The Clerks shall arrange to forward to eachCommissioner, at least one week beforethe opening day of the Assembly, a copy ofthe volume of Reports and ProposedDeliverances and a copy of all AssemblyPapers then available.7. Objections. The Committee onCommissions shall, if called upon, or if itshall appear to it necessary or expedient soto do, hear any person whose Commissionis objected to in support of his or herCommission, and also any person orpersons who may object to suchCommission.8. Late Commissions. It shall becompetent at any time during the sitting ofthe Assembly to lodge with the Clerks ofAssembly Commissions which have notpreviously been transmitted to them; andsuch Commissions shall be submitted bythe Clerks to the Assembly on the day nextafter that on which the Commissions havebeen lodged, and shall be disposed of bythe Assembly as may seem proper.



II. CONDUCT OF BUSINESS(a) OPENING SESSION9. Convening. The Commissionerselected to serve in the Assembly shallconvene on the day and at the hour fixedfor the meeting of the Assembly, and, afterprayer by the Moderator of the precedingAssembly, the List of Commissioners shallbe laid on the table.10. Election of Moderator. The election of a Moderator shall then bemade.11. Her Majesty’s Commission. Her Majesty’s Commission to the Lord HighCommissioner shall then be read andordered to be recorded.12. Her Majesty’s Letter. Her Majesty’s Letter to the Assembly shallthen be read and a Committee shall beappointed to prepare an answer thereto.13. Standing Orders. The StandingOrders shall be laid on the table.14. Committee on Commissions. The Report of the Committee onCommissions (SO 6) shall be called for anddisposed of.15. Order of Business. The Assemblyshall appoint a Business Committee, theConvener and Vice-Convener thereofnormally to be the Convener and Vice-Convener respectively of the AssemblyArrangements Committee. The AssemblyArrangements Committee shall prepareand submit at the opening session an Orderof Business for the first two days.(b) BUSINESS COMMITTEE16. The Business Committee shallconsist of forty Commissioners includingthe Convener and Vice-Convener; and theModerator, Clerks, Procurator and LawAgent shall be additional members, exofficiis.17. First Meeting. The BusinessCommittee shall meet on the opening dayof the Assembly as intimated and

thereafter as business may require. At itsfirst meeting it shall consider the DraftOrder of Business which shall have beenprepared by the Assembly ArrangementsCommittee for the business of theAssembly subsequent to the first two days,and shall be wholly responsible therefor.18. Selection Committee.Commissioners to the General Assemblyshall be free to nominate othercommissioners to serve on the SelectionCommittee. The names of those proposedshall be brought before the first meeting ofthe Business Committee which, in turn andwithout being limited to those namesproposed by commissioners who are notamong its members, shall nominate aSelection Committee of twentycommissioners, including a Convener andVice-Convener, whose function it shall beto select and submit to the Assembly fortheir approval names of persons to serveon all Special Commissions andCommittees appointed during the sittingsof the Assembly. Such persons need not becommissioners.19. Communications. All lettersaddressed to the Moderator for thepurpose of being communicated to theAssembly shall, in the first instance, be laidbefore the Business Committee, whichshall advise the Moderator as to theirdisposal.20. Paper through Boxes. Requestsfor permission to distribute materialthrough Members’ boxes should besubmitted to the Assembly ArrangementsCommittee before the commencement ofthe Assembly, and requests receivedthereafter shall be submitted to theBusiness Committee. Any otherCommittee concerned should be informedand supplied with copies, if available, ofthe material to be distributed.(c) DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES21. The Lord’s Supper. The Assemblyshall celebrate the Sacrament of the Lord’s



Supper at a time appointed by the GeneralAssembly at its opening session.22. Acts of Worship. The Moderatorshall be responsible to the Assembly forthe conduct of all acts of worship, andshall consult the Assembly ArrangementsCommittee or the Business Committeeanent any proposed innovation in suchconduct.(d) MISCELLANEOUS23. Minutes. The minutes of eachday’s proceedings, if available, togetherwith the Agenda for the following day ordays, intimations of meetings ofCommittees, and Notices of Motion, shallbe printed as the “Assembly Papers”, andshall be made available for all members.The Minutes, being taken as read and fullopportunity having been given forcorrection, shall be approved as available.It shall always be in order at the close ofany particular item of business to movethat the Minute thereanent be adjustedand approved. Before the dissolution of theAssembly a small Committee, appointedfor the purpose, shall be authorised toapprove the Minutes not already approvedby the Assembly.24. Quorum. The quorum of theAssembly shall be thirty-one, of whom notless than sixteen shall be Ministers. AnyMember may at any time call the attentionof the Moderator to the fact that there isnot a quorum present, and if, on a countbeing made, it is found that such is thecase, it shall be the duty of the Moderatorto suspend or adjourn the session.25. Tellers. The AssemblyArrangements Committee shall submit forthe approval of the Assembly at their firstsession a proposed Panel of Tellers. (See SO105.)26. Printing of Acts. The Committeeon Commissions (SO 6) shall arrange forthe printing of the Acts of Assembly andshall print in the Assembly Papers of thepenultimate day an Interim Report

thereon, which shall be considered on thelast day of the Assembly.27. Examination of Records. Minutesof the Standing Committees of theAssembly shall be examined by the LegalQuestions Committee. The Committeeshall report thereanent to the GeneralAssembly.28. Returns to Overtures.(a) A Committee on Overtures and

Cases, consisting of the Clerks,Procurator and Law Agent of theChurch (with the Principal Clerk asConvener) shall advise anyCommittee or individual on theprocedure to be followed in respectof measures requiring process underthe Barrier Act.

(b) For the avoidance of doubt,measures other than Acts ofAssembly may be referred for theconsideration of Presbyteries, inwhich case they shall be presented tothe General Assembly in the form ofan Overture set out as an Act.

(c) For the avoidance of doubt, it is opento the General Assembly to declineto consider any motion of which itbelieves inadequate notice has beengiven, considering the nature of itscontent.

(d) Measures remitted to Presbyteries byan Overture under the Barrier Actshall be accompanied by a note ofthe voting figures in the GeneralAssembly, the text of the relevantReport and a note by the Clerksexplaining any technical or legalmatters contained in the Overture.



(e) All Presbyteries shall make a returnin respect of every Overture sentdown under the Barrier Act. Thereturn shall be made upon theschedule sent electronically to thePresbytery Clerk for the purpose,transmitted to the Clerks ofAssembly, and then submitted to theCommittee on Overtures and Cases.The Committee shall classify thereturns and make a report to thenext Assembly. It shall be the duty ofthe Committee to report not only thenumber of Presbyteries for andagainst an Overture, but also thenumbers voting in the Presbyteries asreported in the schedule.

(f) The Report of the Committee shallinclude the text of such Overtures ashave been approved by a majority ofPresbyteries.

(g) The Assembly ArrangementsCommittee shall ensure that theCommittee’s Report classifyingreturns is taken by the GeneralAssembly no later than session 2thereof, and in any case before anydebate that in the opinion of theCommittee on Overtures and Caseswould more usefully followconsideration of the Committee’sReport.

(h) The Report of the Committee shallbe given in to the Assembly by thePrincipal Clerk, with the reply to thedebate on the merits of the measuregiven by the relevant Convener. Bothshould be available to answerquestions, as appropriate.

29. Special Commissions andCommittees.Special Commissions or Committees willonly be appointed where the GeneralAssembly has no existing StandingCommittee to which the matter underconsideration can, in all the circumstances,properly be remitted. In normalcircumstances, business proposed by

Councils or Committees of the GeneralAssembly or proposed by Commissioners inthe course of debate shall be remitted toone or more of the appropriate StandingCommittees listed in SO 113. When, fromtime to time, a Standing Committeerequires to co-opt relevant expertise inorder to fulfil the work remitted to it bythe General Assembly, it shouldacknowledge the same in its Report to theGeneral Assembly.30. Closing of Assembly.When the business set down for the lastday of the Assembly has been disposed of,the Assembly shall be closed by addressesby the Moderator to the Assembly and tothe Lord High Commissioner, and by anaddress by the Lord High Commissioner tothe Assembly, during an act of worship,and dissolved according to the practice ofthe Church

III. MEMBERS NOT COMMISSIONERS(a) MEMBERS ex officiis31. These are the Moderator of theAssembly, on election, and theimmediately preceding Moderator, theClerks, Procurator, and Law Agent, andalso the Convener and Vice-Convener ofthe Business Committee upon theirelection.They have all the rights and privileges ofCommissioners.(b) CORRESPONDING MEMBERS,DELEGATES AND VISITORS – DEFINITION32. Corresponding Members.Representatives of Departments andStanding Committees as stated in SO 33.

Delegates from other Churches.Representatives of other Churches whocome in response to an invitation from thePrincipal Clerk sent at the request of theWorld Mission Council or from theCommittee on Ecumenical Relations totheir Church to send a delegate ordelegates to the General Assembly andwho are duly accredited by the Courts orequivalent authority of their Churches.



Visitors. Visitors from otherChurches who come with a Letter ofIntroduction from Assembly or PresbyteryClerks or equivalent officer of their Church.33. Corresponding Members1. (a) The following shall have theright to appoint Corresponding Members interms of (b) below:Council of Assembly, Church and SocietyCouncil, Ministries Council, Mission andDiscipleship Council, Social Care Council,World Mission Council, Committee onChurch Art and Architecture, CentralServices Committee, Ecumenical RelationsCommittee, General Trustees, Church ofScotland Guild, Trustees of the Housingand Loan Fund, the NominationCommittee, Panel on Review and Reform,Safeguarding Committee, Stewardship andFinance Committee, the Church ofScotland Pension Trustees and theTheological Forum.

(b) Each of the above shall appointfor each day a member or staff-member toact as Corresponding Member, and willadvise the Assembly ArrangementsCommittee not less than one week beforethe commencement of the GeneralAssembly of the names of theCorresponding Members appointed foreach day. The names of CorrespondingMembers appointed under this StandingOrder shall be printed in the AssemblyPapers.2. The Secretaries of the Council ofAssembly, the Church and Society,Ministries, Mission and Discipleship, SocialCare and World Mission Councils, theEcumenical Officer, the Editor of Life andWork, the General Treasurer, the Head ofStewardship, the Head of HumanResources, the Convener of theNomination Committee and the ScottishChurches’ Parliamentary Officer shall beCorresponding Members when notCommissioners.

3. The Charity Trustees of theUnincorporated Councils and Committeesof the General Assembly who are alsoConveners of the Finance, Governance,Staffing and Communication Committeesof the Council of Assembly shall also beCorresponding Members when notCommissioners.34. Status. Corresponding Membersof Assembly shall be entitled to attend allsessions of the same and to speak on anymatter before the Assembly affecting theinterests of their Council or Committee,where applicable, but shall not have theright to vote or make a motion.(c) YOUTH REPRESENTATIVES35. Status(i) One person between the ages of

eighteen and twenty-five on theopening day of the General Assemblyshall, if possible, be appointed byeach Presbytery to serve as a YouthRepresentative; each Representativeshall be involved in the life of acongregation within the bounds ofthe Presbytery and be regularlyinvolved in the life and worship ofthe Church of Scotland. The ministerof the congregation shall provideconfirmation of this involvement ifasked by the Mission and DiscipleshipCouncil.

(ii) The National Youth Assembly eachyear shall appoint ten of its ownnumber, being between the ages ofeighteen and twenty-five on theopening day of the following GeneralAssembly, to serve as Youthrepresentatives to that GeneralAssembly.

(iii) Youth Representatives shall beentitled to speak and move motionsbut not to vote:during debates on Committeereportsduring debates on Overtures



(iv) Youth Representatives shall not beentitled to speak, move motions orvote:during debates on Petitions or casesduring debates on matters affectingGeneral Assembly procedure orStanding Orders

(v) Youth Representatives shall not bemembers of the Commission ofAssembly.Oversight

(vi) The Mission and Discipleship Councilshall take responsibility for YouthRepresentatives and shall extend tothem appropriate hospitality.

(d) DELEGATES AND VISITORS36. Reception. Delegates from otherChurches shall be received and welcomedby the Moderator. The AssemblyArrangements Committee is authorised,after consultation with the World MissionCouncil and the Ecumenical RelationsCommittee, to recommend to theModerator to invite two specifieddelegates to convey greetings briefly afterall the delegates have been received andwelcomed by the Moderator.37. Status.(i) Delegates to the Assembly shall have

the right to attend all sessions and tospeak on all matters before theAssembly, except when theAssembly are exercising judicialfunctions, but shall not have theright to vote.

(ii) Visitors shall have the privilege ofseats in the Assembly but withoutthe right to speak or vote. As in thecase of Delegates, the officials of theWorld Mission Council, theEcumenical Relations Committee, orother relevant Council or Committeeshall extend appropriate hospitalityto Visitors.

38. Oversight. The officials of theWorld Mission Council, the EcumenicalRelations Committee, and other Councilsor Committees which may be interested inDelegates, shall see that Invitations toAssembly functions are procured for theDelegates, and that the Members ofAssembly shall do everything in theirpower to make the visits of all theDelegates pleasant and profitable.(e) NON-MEMBERS39. Guest Speakers. Where anyCommittee wishes that one of its membersor staff members, not being a Member ofAssembly, should have an opportunity ofaddressing the Assembly in connectionwith the discussion of its Report, theConvener shall, before the commencementof the debate, (i) obtain the permission ofthe Convener of the Business Committee,and (ii) inform the Moderator. Where anyCommittee wishes that a person, not beinga Member of Assembly or member or staffmember of that Committee, shouldaddress the Assembly, the Convener shallsubmit the name of such person forapproval to the Assembly ArrangementsCommittee before the Assembly opens, orto the Business Committee during thesittings of the Assembly, and the decisionof the Assembly Arrangements Committeeor Business Committee shall be final,unless the Assembly themselves shallresolve in terms of SO 129 hereof todispense with the observance of StandingOrders in respect of that particular matter.40. Conference Sessions. TheAssembly Arrangements Committee, orthe Business Committee, in consultationwith other Councils and Committees asappropriate may invite the GeneralAssembly to meet in conference sessionsand arrange for guest speakers to addresssuch sessions. Councils and Committeesshall also be free to invite guests, whomthey consider to have a particular interestin the matter under discussion, toparticipate in the debate. When theGeneral Assembly is meeting in conference



no resolutions shall be framed or decisionstaken. Expert speakers invited to addressthe conference shall be allowed amaximum time of fifteen minutes. Allother speeches shall be limited to fiveminutes.

IV. COMMITTEE REPORTS ANDOVERTURES

(a) REPORTS41. Transmission. Reports of allCommittees reporting to the Assemblyshall be transmitted to the Clerks ofAssembly not later than the first Mondayafter the third Tuesday in February eachyear provided that, by arrangement withthe Clerk of Assembly, a Statement andProposed Deliverance on the Budget of theChurch, report on Congregational Statisticsas reported by Kirk Sessions throughPresbyteries and report on Statistics ofMinistry may be submitted at a later date,but in time to be printed and forwardedwith the Reports. All Reports shall beaccompanied by the Deliverance to beproposed to the Assembly, and when theProposed Deliverance exceeds two sectionseach section shall be numberedconsecutively.42. Printing. It shall be the duty of theClerks to arrange for all such Reports andProposed Deliverances to be printed in theauthorised form, to be stitched together,paged, and for a copy to be forwarded toeach Member of Assembly at least oneweek before the day of meeting. AllReports so distributed shall be held as read.Each Committee shall immediately afterthe rising of the Assembly furnish thepublisher of the Reports with the numberrequired for circulation.43. Oral Reports and Reports of Sub-Committees. Oral Reports shall not bereceived, and no Sub-Committee shall giveany Report to the Assembly.44. In Retentis. Reports shall not beengrossed in the Minutes, but two copiesof each printed Report certified by one of

the Clerks as being that given to theAssembly, shall be kept in retentis; and theReports thus collected shall be bound up involume to be preserved among the otherRecords of the Assembly.45. Questions on Reports. After theDeliverance on the Report of anyCommittee has been moved and secondedthe Assembly, before dealing with anyother motions or amendments thereon,shall have opportunity for asking questionson the Report, this being without prejudiceto the right of Members to put questions,with the leave of the Assembly, at anysubsequent stage.46. Questions requiring Notice. It shall be in order to ask questions of theConvener regarding any matter in the careof the Committee to which no reference ismade in the Report but in such casestimeous notice shall be given to theConvener.47. Deliverance. The final Deliveranceof the Assembly upon the Report of anyCommittee shall follow immediately afterthe consideration of that Report, except inthe event of a special reason for thecontrary having been approved by theAssembly and recorded in the Minutes.48. Late Reports. Reports ofCommittees appointed during the sittingsof Assembly, if they propose any motionnot already printed, shall be put into thehands of the Clerks of Assembly at leastone day prior to their being considered, andprinted in the “Assembly Papers”.(b) OVERTURES49. Transmissions. All Overturesfrom Presbyteries passed on or before 24April shall be sent to the Clerks ofAssembly not later than that date in eachyear. Overtures from Commissioners shallbe lodged with the Clerks not later thannoon on the third last day of the meetingof the Assembly, unless the Assembly forspecial reason decide otherwise.



50. Printing. The Clerks shall arrangefor the printing of Overtures, at theexpense of those promoting them and fortheir circulation to Commissioners, eitherwith the papers for Cases or in the“Assembly Papers”.51. Form. Overtures should contain abrief statement of the matter to bebrought before the Assembly togetherwith a Proposed Deliverance, of which thefirst section shall be “The GeneralAssembly receive the Overture”.52. When Taken. Overtures relatingto matters under the care of theCommittees of the Church whose reportsare on the Agenda for one of the first twodays of the Assembly shall be assigned bythe Assembly Arrangements Committee(unless the Committee on Overtures andCases decides not to transmit) to the placein the discussion at which they shall beintroduced to the Assembly. In other casesthis shall be done by the BusinessCommittee. When the ProposedDeliverance of an Overture is capable ofbeing treated as a counter-motion oramendment to the Proposed Deliveranceof a Committee, or as a new section ofsuch Proposed Deliverance, it shall be sotreated.53. Grouping. Overtures on the sameor cognate subjects shall be grouped by theAssembly Arrangements Committee orBusiness Committee of the Assembly andonly one speaker shall be heard introducingeach group.54. Introduction. An Overture from aPresbytery may be introduced by anymember of that Presbytery, speciallyappointed for the purpose, at the bar; or byany one of its Commissioners to theAssembly in his or her place as aCommissioner.(c) GENERAL55. Matters Relating to Stipend. Itshall not be competent for the Assembly,without due notice of motion in the hands

of Commissioners in print and in properform (for example as a ProposedDeliverance, Notice of Motion or Crave of aPetition), to debate any proposal whichmight impact directly on or which mightbring about binding changes to the termsand conditions of ministers which relate tostipend or stipend scales.56. New or Additional Expenditure.Any proposal which involves new oradditional expenditure must, together withan estimate of such expenditure, be in thehands of Commissioners in print and inproper form (for example, as a ProposedDeliverance, Notice of Motion, or Crave ofa Petition), provided that:(a) if it relates to the income disposition

proposed within Co-ordinatedBudget for the next calendar yearand if the proposal is not submittedin the form of an amendment to thetotal of the said Budget, it shallprovide for and specify the reductionor reductions to be made in otherexpenditure contained within thesaid Budget; and

(b) if it involves continuing or recurringexpenditure which, if approved,would require to be incorporated infuture Co-ordinated and RollingBudgets, it shall provide for thematter to be remitted in the firstinstance to the Council of Assemblyfor consideration and report to thenext General Assembly.

57. Declaratory or Interim Act. Thedraft of any proposed Declaratory orInterim Act, as also the draft of anyOverture which it is proposed to transmitto Presbyteries in terms of the Barrier Act(other than any Overture printed andcirculated in the volume of Reports),shallbe printed and laid on the table of theAssembly and circulated among theMembers at least one day before a Motionfor the passing of such Declaratory orInterim Act, or for the transmission of suchOverture to Presbyteries, is made in theAssembly.



V. CONDUCT OF CASES58. Commission of Assembly. Therules of procedure for the AppealsCommittee of the Commission ofAssembly shall be as set out in Schedule 2to the Appeals Act (Act I 2014). StandingOrders 59 – 61 apply where a matter isbeing brought before the Commission ofAssembly in terms of those powers of theCommission of Assembly not beingexercised by the Appeals Committee, orbefore the General Assembly, being apetition, a reference or an appeal on amatter of doctrine. In Standing Orders 59 -61 references to the General Assembly shallbe taken to refer where appropriate to theCommission of Assembly and all referencesshall be so construed mutatis mutandis.(a) LODGING OF PAPERS59. Appeal; Dissent and Complaint;Petition. The papers in all cases intendedto be brought before the Assembly,whether Appeals or Dissents andComplaints against the judgement ofinferior courts, or Petitions, should belodged with the Clerks of Assembly notlater than 24 April, and must be lodged notless than fourteen days before the openingsession of Assembly; except in the case ofjudgements pronounced within sixteendays of the meeting of Assembly, in whichcase they shall be lodged within forty-eighthours of the judgement being pronounced.60.

(a) Reference. In the case of Referenceof a matter from an inferior court forthe judgement of the Assembly thesame limits as to time for lodging ofpapers in the case shall apply as in SO59.

(b) Reference of Matter PreviouslyConsidered. Where the matter of aReference has previously been underconsideration of the Assembly, theReference shall state the date whenthe matter was previously before theAssembly and shall narrate theAssembly’s Deliverance thereon.

61. Answers. It shall be competent forall parties claiming an interest in thesubject matter of an Appeal, Dissent andComplaint or Petition to lodge Answersthereto complying with the requirementsof this SO 61. Answers may be lodged anytime after the Appeal, Dissent andComplaint or Petition is received by theClerks, but not later than seven days beforethe opening meeting of Assembly. Answersshall be in the form of articulate numberedAnswers to the narrative contained in theAppeal, Dissent and Complaint or Petition,indicating in particular matters of fact thatare admitted and denied, and shall setforth a concise statement of theRespondent’s case, together with a cravespecifying the action the Assembly areinvited to take thereanent.(b) PRINTING OF PAPERS62. Printing. It shall be the duty of theClerks on receiving papers that are to comebefore the Assembly in connection withcases to arrange to have these printed inauthorised form, stitched together andpaged.63. In Private. Papers relating tobusiness dealt with by Presbyteries inprivate, or which the Committee onOvertures and Cases (SOs 70 - 71) considershould be taken in private, shall be printedseparately and may be dealt with by theAssembly in private.64. Cost of Printing. In cases ofdiscipline brought before the Assembly bythe Judicial Commission, by Reference froma Presbytery, or by complaint by a minorityof the Court, the expense of printing shallbe borne by the Assembly ArrangementsCommittee; in other circumstances by theComplainer or Appellant. In all other casesthe expenses of printing in sufficientnumbers for the use of Commissionersshall be borne by the party having interestin the same or desiring a Deliverance fromthe Assembly.65. In Retentis. Two copies of everyprinted paper shall be kept by the Clerks of



Assembly to be bound up and retainedamong the Records of Assembly.(c) CIRCULATION OF PAPERS66. Date of Dispatch. A copy of allpapers transmitted to the Clerks ofAssembly not later than 24 April shall beforwarded by them to each Member ofAssembly at least one week before theopening day of the Assembly.67. In Private. The Clerks of Assemblyshall not issue in advance to Members thepapers in cases which they think require tobe conducted in private, until speciallyinstructed by the Assembly so to do; butshall report such cases to the Convener ofthe Business Committee, for theinformation of that Committee,immediately after its appointment.(d) INTIMATION TO PARTIES68. Appeal; Dissent and Complaint.In all cases coming before the Assembly byAppeal or Dissent and Complaint it shall bethe duty of the Clerks of Assembly toinform the parties on both sides as soon aspossible of the time at which such case islikely to be taken by the Assembly. Suchintimation shall, unless in a specific casethe Assembly determine otherwise, beregarded as sufficient notice.The Clerks shall further be bound, onapplication made to them for the purpose,to supply six copies of all prints made inpursuance of the foregoing Orders to theopposite party or parties in any case, or tohis or her or their duly accredited Agents.69. Petition. In every Petition it shallbe the duty of the Petitioner to make suchintimation of the Petition as may benecessary having regard to the nature ofthe Petition. Such intimation shall be madenot more than seven days later than thetime when the Petition is lodged with theClerks of Assembly as provided in SO 59above; and along with the Petition thereshall be lodged a certificate signed by thePetitioner or his or her Agent setting forththe names of the parties to whom such

intimation has been made or is to be made.The Assembly may refuse to dispose of anyPetition if in their opinion sufficientintimation thereof has not been made.(e) TRANSMISSION TO ASSEMBLY70. Committee on Overtures andCases. All papers lodged with the Clerks incases of every sort in terms of theforegoing Orders shall be laid by thembefore the Committee on Overtures andCases, which shall consider the same andreport to the Assembly.71. Decision not to Transmit. If theCommittee on Overtures and Cases shalldecide not to transmit to the Assembly anypapers in cases duly lodged with the Clerksof Assembly it shall report the same to theAssembly at their first Session, or at theSession next after such decision, with itsreasons for not transmitting the papers,and parties shall be entitled to be heardthereon at the bar of the Assembly.Intimation of a decision not to transmitpapers shall be made to the partiesconcerned as soon as possible, and in timeto allow of their being represented at thebar when the decision not to transmit isreported to the Assembly.72. In Private. The BusinessCommittee shall, in its first Report, specifyany case which in its judgement requires tobe conducted in private, and any casewhich does not appear to it to be of thatcharacter although the Clerks of Assemblymay have reported it as such. TheAssembly shall thereupon determine by aspecial Deliverance, at what stage in theproceedings the papers in such a case shallbe issued to the Commissioners. In everycase which the Assembly appoint to beconducted in private the instruction toissue the papers shall be accompanied by aspecial exhortation to the Commissionersto keep them private.73. Proposed Legislation. All Overtures from Presbyteries or fromCommissioners which propose theintroduction of new or the amendment of



existing Acts (or Regulations) shall containthe precise terms of the legislation whichthey propose; and the Committee onOvertures and Cases shall not transmit tothe Assembly any Overture which isdeficient in this respect, provided alwaysthat the Clerks and Procurator shall beavailable to assist with the framing of suchproposals.(f) HEARING OF CASES74. Announcement. Before partiesare heard in any contentious case the Clerkshall read the following announcement, viz– “The Commissioners are reminded thatjustice requires that all the pleadings at thebar should be heard by all those who votein this case, and that their judgementshould be made solely on the basis of thepleadings.” Immediately before a vote istaken in such a case, the Clerk shall readthe following further announcement, viz –“The Commissioners are reminded thatonly those who have heard all thepleadings at the bar are entitled to vote inthis case.”75. Appeal; Complaint; OneAppellant. In cases brought before theAssembly by Appeal, where there is onlyone appellant (or one set of appellantsconcurring in the same reasons of Appeal)and only one respondent (or one set ofrespondents concurring in the sameanswers to the reasons of Appeal) the casefor the appellant (or set of appellants)shall be stated by him or herself or by his orher counsel, who at the same time shallsubmit such argument upon the case as heor she shall think fit. The party or counselso stating the Appeal shall be followed bythe respondent or his or her counsel wholikewise shall submit such arguments uponthe case as he or she shall think fit. At theclose of the statement for the respondentthe appellant shall be entitled to be againheard, and the respondent shall also beentitled to be heard in answer to thesecond speech for the appellant and if, inhis or her final answer, the respondentshall state any fact or submit any

argument not adverted to in his or heranswer to the opening statement for theappellant, the appellant shall be entitled toa reply upon the new matter introduced inthe final answer for the respondent. Withthe exception of this right of reply, solimited, more than two speeches shall notbe allowed to any party at the bar.76. Appeal; Complaint; More thanone Appellant. In such cases as thosereferred to in SO 75 if there is more thanone appellant (or set of appellants)insisting on the Appeal, or more than onerespondent (or set of respondents)supporting the judgement appealedagainst, (a) on different grounds, or (b) inseparate reasons or answers, eachappellant shall be entitled to open andstate his or her separate case, and eachrespondent shall be entitled to make his orher separate answer, and the debate shallbe closed with a reply for the severalappellants; provided always that it shall becompetent to the parties, with consent ofthe Assembly to make any arrangement forconducting the debate other than hereinprescribed, if it shall have the effect oflimiting, further than is herein done, thenumber of speeches to be made from thebar.77. Appeal; Complaint; Who mayappear. Any Member of an inferior courtwhose judgement is brought under reviewof the Assembly may appear at the bar insupport of the judgement; but, whenCommissioners have been speciallyappointed by the inferior court to supportits judgement, the Assembly shall not hearany Member of such court other than theCommissioners so appointed, unless anyMember not so appointed but wishing tobe heard can show a separate and peculiarinterest to support the judgement; and inall such cases it shall be competent to theAssembly to limit the number of Membersof an inferior court who shall be heard insupport of the judgement under review.78. Dissents and Complaints. In SOs75 to 77, “Appeal” includes “Dissents and



Complaints” and “Appellant” includes“Complainer”.79. Petition. In cases brought beforethe Assembly as the court of first instanceby Petition, the party promoting theapplication shall be entitled to be heard insupport of the same; and the Assemblyshall also hear an answer from any party atthe bar claiming to be heard whom it shallconsider to be a proper respondent, andthe debate at the bar shall be closed with areply from the person promoting theapplication.80. Reference. In cases broughtbefore the Assembly by reference from aPresbytery the reference shall be stated tothe Assembly by a Member of the referringcourt, specially appointed for the purpose,at the bar if not a Commissioner, or in hisor her place as a Commissioner if aCommissioner from the Presbytery. TheAssembly shall thereafter hear the partiesin the case referred in such order as thenature of the case may seem to require,keeping in view the regulations in SOs 74 to79.81. Readjustment Cases. In casesarising from Act VII, 2003, when a requestfor determination follows a decision of thePartnership Development Committee notto concur in the judgement of a Presbytery,the Convener, or other member of the saidCommittee, shall be heard at the bar if nota Commissioner, or in his or her place as aCommissioner if a Commissioner,immediately after the request fordetermination has been stated. After theinitial statement and the response by thesaid Committee when applicable, theGeneral Assembly shall hear at the barsuch parties in the case as are notrepresented by Commissioners, in suchorder as the nature of the case may seemto require.

VI. ORDER OF DEBATE(a) ORDER OF THE DAY82. When the Assembly have resolvedthat a case or other piece of business shallbe taken up at a certain hour mentioned inthe Order of Business, such case or otherpiece of business shall be taken not laterthan the hour fixed and the business beforethe Assembly, if not finished at the hournamed, shall be adjourned, provided that,in the case of an Order of the Day followingthe Report of the Church and SocietyCouncil, such unfinished business shall notbe taken up. If, in the opinion of theModerator, it would be in accordance withthe general convenience of the Assembly,the Moderator may allow the transactionof the business then actually underdiscussion to continue for a period of notmore than fifteen minutes beyond thespecified time, but no fresh business shallbe commenced.(b) MOTIONS83. TIME-BOUNDOn the motion of the Business Committeeor moved as part of the deliverance of theAssembly Arrangements Committee, theGeneral Assembly may resolve that theReport and draft Deliverance relating to aparticular Council or Committee’s Reportbe taken in a time-bound process of debateand decision. Such a motion shall be movedat least 24 hours in advance of thepresentation of the Report concerned.Having so resolved the General Assemblyshall operate the following timetable:-(a) Start times shall be allotted to

specified Sections of the Report andto the related sections of the draftDeliverance. Discussion of anySection of the Report shall notcommence later than its allottedstart time, but may begin earlier ifdebate of the previous Section hasbeen completed.



(b) If discussion and debate of aparticular Section of the Report hasnot been concluded within itsallotted time, then furtherconsideration of associated sectionsof the draft Deliverance shall besisted and the General Assemblyshall take up the next Section of theReport.

(c) If, at the close of the debate on thelast Section of the Report, there isstill time before the Order of the Dayrequires to be implemented orbusiness is due to conclude, then theGeneral Assembly shall return forfurther debate of any outstandingsections of the draft Deliveranceremaining relative to each Section ofthe Report

(d) If the Order of the Day or anticipatedclose of business is imminent, thenany outstanding sections of the draftDeliverance shall be voted uponwithout debate, except that othermotions printed in the Daily Papersshall also be taken, without debate,the Convener simply having the rightto indicate whether or not theCouncil or Committee is willing toaccept the motion.

(e) Where motions printed in the DailyPapers do not relate directly to theReport and draft Deliveranceproposed by the Council orCommittee, they will be taken eitherat the end of the appropriate Section,if there is time available according tothe allotted timetable, or at the endof the appropriate Section when theprocedure leading to the Order of theDay (or close of business) is beingimplemented.

84. Right to Move. Any Commissionerto the Assembly may make a motion uponany matter coming regularly before theAssembly; and on rising to do so he or sheshall read the terms of the motion havingwherever possible handed the same in

writing on the form provided to theAssembly Office or other point ofcollection intimated to the GeneralAssembly. It shall be in order to move amotion regarding any matter in the care ofa Committee to which no reference ismade in the Report of that Committee,provided that reasonable notice has beengiven in writing to the Convener beforepresentation of the Report. The mover ofany counter-motion or amendment mayreply to the discussion of his or her motion,immediately before the Convener closesthe debate.85. Withdrawal. When a motion hasbeen duly seconded it shall not becompetent to withdraw it, or to make anyalteration upon it, without the permissionof the Assembly.86. Priority. The Deliverance on theReport of a Committee shall takeprecedence of any other motion on thatsubject.87. Committee Convener. TheConvener of a Committee when aCommissioner, on giving in the Report ofthat Committee, shall move theDeliverance proposed in terms of SO 41. AConvener, when not a Commissioner, shallbe allowed to submit the Report of theCommittee, and to give explanations in thesubsequent discussion. In such a case thePrincipal Clerk, whom failing, the DeputeClerk, shall formally move the Deliverance.In all cases the Convener shall have theright of replying to the debate.88. Introducer of Overture.The Introducer of an Overture, if aCommissioner, shall move the Deliverance;and if he or she is not a Commissioner thePrincipal Clerk, whom failing the DeputeClerk, shall formally move the Deliverance.The Introducer, whether a Commissioneror not, may answer questions or giveexplanations in the course of the debateand, if a Commissioner, may reply to, thediscussion immediately before the relevantConvener closes the debate.



89. Notice of Motion. Any Commissioner may, during the sittingsof the Assembly, give notice of Motion onany subject due to come regularly beforethe Assembly, other than a contentiouscase. Notices of Motion so given in shall beprinted in the “Assembly Papers” not laterthan the day before that on which thebusiness is to be taken. Such printed Noticeof Motion shall confer no right of priorityof moving same, the Moderator being thesole judge of the order in which Membersare entitled to address the Assembly.(c) THE DEBATE90. The Chair. Every speaker shalladdress the Assembly through theModerator, and the correct address is“Moderator”.91. In Support. When a motion ormotions have been made and seconded,any Member (including a formal seconderin terms of SO 95) may take part insubsequent debate.92. Speeches. (1) Except as provided inSOs 84 and 87, no Member may speaktwice on the same question except inexplanation, and then only by specialpermission of the Assembly. (2) Membersshall make relevant declarations of interestwhere the topic of debate makes itappropriate to do so.93. Point of Order. Any Member mayrise to speak to a Point of Order. A speakeris not to be interrupted unless upon a callto order. When so interrupted he or sheshall cease speaking, and shall resume hisor her seat until the Point of Order isdecided. The Member calling to order shallstate the grounds for so doing; and thespeaker who has been interrupted maybriefly reply in explanation, to show thathe or she is not out of order, but no otherMember may speak to the Point of Orderunless with the permission or at therequest of the Moderator, with whom thedecision of the point rests, though theModerator may put the point to a vote ofthe Assembly.

94. There shall be no right of reply to adebate except as provided for by SOs 84and 87.95. Limits. All speeches shall belimited to 5 minutes, with the followingexceptions:(i) COMMITTEES

Convener giving in the Report of his orher Committee and moving thereon(seconding to be formal)

15 minutes

Convener responding to a question4 minutes

(ii) OVERTURESIntroducing an Overture and when theIntroducer is a Commissioner, movingthereon

10 minutes

Mover of other Motions in relation toOverture (seconding to be formal)

10 minutes(iii) PETITIONS

Speeches of Petitioners10 minutes

96. No Time Limit. The time limitsshall apply, except in the following cases:(a) when the Assembly are debating

specific proposals for change underBarrier Act procedure;

(b) when the Assembly are exercisingjudicial functions;

(c) in Petitions when, for special reasons,the Committee on Overtures andCases reports that the circumstancesdemand an extension, and when theGeneral Assembly adopt thatopinion;



(d) in any other matter when theAssembly Arrangements Committee(in respect of the Order of Businessfor the first two days) or the BusinessCommittee (in respect of the Orderof Business for the subsequent days)declares that, in its opinion, suchmatter is of exceptional importance,and when the Assembly adopt thatopinion.

(d) DEALING WITH MOTIONS97. Character of Motions. Motionsshall be considered as belonging to one ofthe following categories, and shall be dealtwith as prescribed, viz:1. The original Motion.2. Counter-Motions – being Motions

contradictory or negative of theoriginal Motion or of a substantialpart of the original Motion.

3. Amendments being Motions notsubstantially contradictory of theoriginal Motion or Counter-Motion,but for making deletions, alterations,or additions thereto withoutdefeating its main object.

4. Amendments of amendmentsalready moved and seconded.

98. Moderator to Judge. The Moderator shall be judge of thecategory to which any Motions shall beconsidered to belong, and the ruling of theModerator shall be final.99. Grouping of Amendments. When to any Proposed Deliverance therehas been given notice of amendmentswhich differ from each other only slightlyin their general tenor, the Moderator shalldecide whether or not to permit more thanone of such amendments to be moved.100. Voting on Amendments. When an amendment (Category 3) hasbeen proposed it shall be disposed of bythe Assembly before any other counter-motion or amendment is proposed.However, it shall be in order for an

amendment of an amendment (Category4) to be proposed, seconded and debated,after which the Moderator shall take a vote“For” or “Against”. When all such Category4 motions have been so disposed of, theAssembly shall complete its considerationof the original amendment (Category 3)and the Moderator shall take a vote “For”or “Against” the original amendmentamended or unamended as the case maybe. For the avoidance of doubt, it isaffirmed that the order of debate forCategory 3 and Category 4 motions shall bethe same except as herein provided andthat the provisions of SO 87 shall apply toboth.101. Voting on Motions. After allamendments, if any, have been disposedof, the Moderator shall take a votebetween all Motions in Categories (l) and(2), and in doing so shall adopt thefollowing procedure. A vote shall be takenin one of the methods provided below,between all the Motions in the order inwhich they were made, beginning at thefirst. Each Commissioner may vote for oneMotion only. If, on the numbers beingannounced, one Motion has obtained aclear majority of votes, all the otherMotions shall fall; but if no Motion hasobtained a clear majority, the Motionhaving the smallest number of votes shallbe struck off and a vote taken between theremaining Motions; and the Assembly maydetermine.102. Voting for Appointments. In thecase of voting for appointments to vacantoffices in the Church, where there are morethan two nominations the Assembly shallvote separately on all the names proposed,and, unless there be a majority in favour ofone over all the others combined, the onehaving the lowest number shall bedropped, and the Assembly shall again voteon those that remain.103. Deliberative Vote. The Moderatoror Acting Moderator in the Chair shall haveno Deliberative Vote.



104. Casting Vote. If in any divisionthere shall be an equality of votes for twoproposals before the Assembly, theModerator shall have power to give adeciding vote; and if in the course of thevoting as provided in SOs 100 and 101above, there should be an equality of votesfor the two Motions having fewest votes,the Moderator shall have power to give adeciding vote and the Motion for which theModerator shall vote shall be retained forthe purpose of the next vote of theAssembly.(e) TAKING THE VOTE105. The Moderator may, in anycircumstances and at his or her solediscretion, ascertain the mind of theAssembly by asking the Commissioners tostand in their places, and shall intimate tothe Assembly on which side there is in hisor her opinion a majority. Unless theopinion of the Moderator so intimated is atonce challenged, it shall become thedecision of the Assembly. If anyCommissioner challenges the opinion ofthe Moderator, the Assembly shall proceedto take an electronic vote using a systemapproved by the Assembly ArrangementsCommittee. Alternatively, it shall be opento the Moderator, again at his or her solediscretion and in any circumstances, toascertain the mind of the Assembly byrecourse to the use of electronic voting.After all votes have been counted theModerator shall intimate the result of thevoting which will become the decision ofthe Assembly. In no circumstances shall asecond vote be taken on a matter whichhas already been the subject of a vote byelectronic voting. The Business Committeeshall ensure that Commissioners arefamiliar with the method of electronicvoting and will appoint tellers to assistCommissioners, where necessary, with theprocess of casting votes and to assist theAssembly with the process of voting bypaper ballot which shall be a competentalternative to the taking of a vote byelectronic means in the event of a failure inthe electronic voting system.

(f) DISSENTS106. Entering. Any Commissionerdissatisfied with a judgement of theAssembly, which has not been unanimous,has the right to enter his or her dissentagainst it; but no dissent can be given inuntil the matter to which it refers has, forthat session, been disposed of, the Minuteadjusted, and the Assembly is ready toproceed to other business.107. Adhering. When a dissent hasbeen entered, it is in order for any otherCommissioner present when thatjudgement was pronounced to adhere tosuch dissent. No other’s adherence may beentered.108. Reasons. A person dissenting maydo so with or without giving in reasons ofdissent. If he or she dissent for reasonsgiven in at the time, or to be afterwardsgiven in, such reasons shall, if received bythe Assembly as proper and relevant, andprovided they are given in before the closeof the next session (or, when made on thelast day of the Assembly, before the closeof the same session), be recorded in theMinutes.109. Answers. If the Assembly appointa Committee to prepare answers toreasons of dissent, the Report of theCommittee shall, except on the last day ofthe Assembly, be printed in the “AssemblyPapers”; and, as approved by the Assembly,shall be printed in the Minutes, if thereasons of dissent have been so printed.110. Record of Dissents. Reasons ofdissent and answers thereto when notentered in the Minutes, shall be kept in aseparate Record of Dissents.

VII. COMMITTEES AND THEIRMEMBERSHIP

(a) COMMITTEES111. Committees. The Committees ofthe General Assembly shall be those listedin SO 113 together with such ad hocCommittees as the General Assembly mayappoint from time to time. Clerical services



for the ad hoc Committees shall normallybe provided by the staff of the PrincipalClerk’s Department.112. Quorum. Save for the JudicialProceedings Panel and those bodies whereprovision is already made for a quorum, thequorum of Standing Committees of theGeneral Assembly listed in SO 113 shall bethree. When a meeting ceases to be quorate,business must be suspended. The quorumshall apply also to sub-committees andother bodies constituted from the relevantStanding Committees where such sub-committees and other bodies havedecision-making powers, but nototherwise.113. Membership. The StandingCommittees of the General Assembly shallhave membership as follows, GeneralAssembly appointments being made on thenomination of the Nomination Committeeexcept where otherwise stated.1. Council of Assembly... 27Convener, Vice-Convener, and 10 membersappointed by the General Assembly, one ofwhom shall have appropriate knowledgeand experience of Christian stewardship,the Secretary of the Council of Assembly,the Principal Clerk, the General Treasurerand the Solicitor of the Church as membersex officiis (non-voting); the Conveners andCouncil Secretaries (Secretaries to be non-voting) of the Church and Society,Ministries, Mission and Discipleship, SocialCare and World Mission Councils and theConvener of the Panel on Review andReform.2. Church and Society Council...32Convener, 2 Vice-Conveners, 27 membersappointed by the General Assembly andone member appointed from and by eachof the Social Care Council and the Guild.The Nomination Committee will ensurethat the Council membership contains atleast 5 individuals with specific expertise ineach of the areas of Education, Societal/Political, Science and Technology andSocial/Ethical. This number may include

the Convener and Vice-Conveners of theCouncil.3. Ministries Council ...47*(temporarily 51 - see below)Convener, 4 Vice-Conveners, 38* membersappointed by the General Assembly and 1member appointed from and by theGeneral Trustees, the Housing and LoanFund, the Committee on Chaplains to HerMajesty’s Forces and the DiaconateCouncil. For the avoidance of doubt wherea representative of these other bodies is amember of staff, they will have no right tovote. *For a limited period of two years fromthe General Assembly of 2018 this increasesto 42 members appointed by the GeneralAssembly.4. Ministries Appeal Panel...5Convener, Vice-Convener and 3 membersappointed by the General Assembly. Atleast 1 member shall be legally qualified, atleast 1 shall be a minister and at least 1shall be an elder.5. Trustees of the Housing and LoanFund …Up to 11Up to 3 ministers and 1 member appointedby the Ministries Council, who havingserved a term of 4 years shall be eligible forre-appointment for a second 4 year term;Up to 4 appointed by the General Assemblyon the nomination of the Trustees, whohaving served a term of 4 years shall beeligible for re-appointment for a second 4year term;Up to 3 appointed by the Baird Trust, for aterm of office determined by that Trust.Any Trustee (other than one appointed bythe Baird Trust) may serve for up to afurther two four-year terms if elected alsoas Chairperson or Depute Chairperson.6. Committee on Chaplains to H MForces…18Convener, Vice-Convener and 16 membersappointed by the General Assembly. Thereare also 2 non-voting members: onerepresentative from and appointed by each



of the Ministries and the Church andSociety Councils.7. Mission and DiscipleshipCouncil …33Convener, 3 Vice-Conveners and 25members appointed by the GeneralAssembly, the Head of Stewardship, 1member appointed from and by the Guildand the Go For It Committee, and theConvener or Vice-Convener of theCommittee on Church Art andArchitecture as that Committee shalldetermine. The Nomination Committeewill ensure that the Council membershipincludes at least 3 individuals with specificexpertise in each of the areas ofCongregational Learning, Church WithoutWalls and Resourcing Worship.8. Committee on Church Art andArchitecture…18Convener, Vice-Convener and 16 membersappointed by the General Assembly.Notwithstanding SOs 114 & 118, membersshall be appointed for a term not exceedingeight years. The Committee shall have thepower to invite a representative of each ofthe following bodies to attend itsmeetings: the General Trustees, theScottish Episcopal Church, the NationalAssociation of Decorative Fine ArtsSocieties and Historic EnvironmentScotland.9. Social Care Council...25Convener, 2 Vice-Conveners and 22members appointed by the GeneralAssembly.10. Assembly ArrangementsCommittee …16Convener, Vice-Convener and 10 membersappointed by the General Assembly, theModerator, the Moderator Designate andthe Clerks of Assembly, the Convener andVice-Convener also to serve as Convenerand Vice-Convener respectively of theGeneral Assembly’s Business Committee.

11. Central Services Committee...13a) Convener, Vice-Convener (Human

Resources), Vice-Convener (Property)and 6 members appointed by theGeneral Assembly, together with, exofficiis and non voting, the Secretaryof the Council of Assembly, theSolicitor of the Church, the GeneralTreasurer and the Head of HumanResources.

b) Appeal Group...88 members appointed by the GeneralAssembly with the Solicitor of theChurch as Secretary. Members shallnot include any former or currentmembers of staff of any of theChurch’s Employing Agencies(including the Social Care Council),nor any current Council orCommittee member.

12. Ecumenical RelationsCommittee …8 plus representatives, co-optees and corresponding membersa) 6 members appointed by the General

Assembly one to be attached, for thepurposes of ecumenicalaccompaniment, to each of theChurch and Society Council, theMinistries Council, the Mission andDiscipleship Council, the Social CareCouncil, the World Mission Counciland the Theological Forum.

b) Convener who will act as a personalsupport for the Ecumenical Officer(EO) and Vice-Convener, appointedby the General Assembly.

c) A representative of the RomanCatholic Church in Scotlandappointed by the Bishops’Conference and 1 representativefrom each of 3 churches drawn fromamong the member churches ofACTS and the Baptist Union ofScotland, each to serve for a periodof 4 years.



d) The Committee shall co-opt Churchof Scotland members elected to thecentral bodies of Churches Togetherin Britain and Ireland (CTBI), theConference of European Churches(CEC), the World Council of Churches(WCC), the World Communion ofReformed Churches (WCRC) and theCommunity of Protestant Churchesin Europe (CPCE, formerly theLeuenberg Fellowship of Churches).

e) The General Secretary of ACTS shallbe invited to attend as acorresponding member.

f) For the avoidance of doubt, whileonly those persons appointed underparagraphs a) and b) above shall beentitled to vote, before any vote istaken the views of membersrepresenting other churches shall beascertained. The Convener shall beentitled to call a meeting of thevoting members.

13. Legal Questions Committee...16Convener, Vice-Convener and 10 membersappointed by the General Assembly, theClerks of Assembly, the Procurator and theSolicitor of the Church.14. Safeguarding...13Convener, Vice-Convener and 6 membersappointed by the General Assembly, 1representative (voting member) from andappointed by each of the Ministries, Churchand Society, World Mission, Mission andDiscipleship and Social Care Councils, theSolicitor of the Church, the NationalAdviser (Head of Safeguarding) asSecretary to the Committee, the Secretaryof the Council of Assembly and up to 4members co-opted by the Committee fortheir expertise. For the avoidance of doubtit is declared that only the followingpersons will be entitled to vote: Convener,Vice-Convener, the six Assembly appointedmembers and the five representatives fromeach of the Ministries, Church and Society,World Mission, Mission and Discipleshipand Social Care Councils.

15. World Mission Council...32Convener, 2 Vice-Conveners, 28 membersappointed by the General Assembly and 1member appointed by the Presbytery ofInternational Charges.16. Panel on Review and Reform...11Convener, Vice-Convener and 8 membersappointed by the General Assembly,together with the Ecumenical Officer (non-voting).17. Nomination of Moderator...Up to16Convener, up to 8 ministers and deaconsand up to 7 elders elected by theimmediately preceding General Assemblyfrom among its commissioners.18. Judicial Commission2 Conveners, 2 Vice-Conveners and a poolof 25 ministers, elders and deaconsappointed by the General Assembly.(The Clerks of Assembly are Clerks of theJudicial Commission though not membersthereof.)19. General TrusteesTrustees are appointed as required, by theGeneral Assembly on the nomination ofthe Trust.20. Nomination Committee...26Convener, Vice-Convener and 24 membersappointed by the General Assembly.Notwithstanding SO 118, no member of theCommittee, having served a term of 4years, shall be eligible for re-election untilafter a period of 4 years, except for specialcause shown. The Convenership of theCommittee shall be for 3 years.21. Church of Scotland TrustTrustees are appointed as required, by theGeneral Assembly on the nomination ofthe Trust.22. Church of Scotland InvestorsTrustTrustees are appointed as required, by theGeneral Assembly on the nomination ofthe Trust.



23. Delegation of the GeneralAssembly…4The Clerks of Assembly, The Principal Clerkas Chairman, the Procurator and theSolicitor of the Church, ex officiis.24. Iona Community Board...20Convener and 5 members appointed by theGeneral Assembly;6 members appointed by and from the IonaCommunity, 2 changing each year;The Leader of the Iona Community;1 member appointed by and from thePresbytery of Argyll.In addition the Board will invite 6 memberchurches of Churches Together in Britainand Ireland (CTBI) to appoint arepresentative member to the Board, suchmembers being eligible to serve for amaximum period of 4 years.25. Judicial Proceedings PanelA Panel of ministers, elders and deaconsappointed by the General Assembly whoare suitably experienced in the law andpractice of the Church and whose numbershall, in accordance with the Discipline ofMinistry Act (Act III, 2001), section 1(1)(e),be determined, from time to time, by theLegal Questions Committee.Notwithstanding SOs 114 & 118,appointments shall be for three years withthe option of further consecutive terms. Incalculating how many Panel members maybe appointed, no account shall be taken ofany members whose current term hasexpired but who are deemed to remain asmembers of the Panel by operation of theDiscipline of Ministry Act (Act III, 2001),section 1(1)(f).26. Theological Forum…12Convener, Vice-Convener and 10 membersappointed by the General Assembly, themembership being selected to provide anappropriate balance of (a) ministers ofWord and Sacrament, (b) members ofacademic staff from the Divinity Schools(or equivalent) of Institutions of HigherEducation in Scotland, (c) elders and (d)

members drawn from the widermembership of the Church chosen for theirparticular expertise, experience orprovenance.27. Registration of MinistriesCommittee...5Convener, Vice-Convener and 3 members. 1member is appointed by the LegalQuestions Committee, 1 member by theMinistries Council and 3 members by theGeneral Assembly. The Convener and Vice-Convener are appointed by the GeneralAssembly from the General Assemblyappointees. One or other of the Clerks tothe General Assembly and the Secretary tothe Ministries Council attend theCommittee ex officiis in an advisorycapacity but are not members. TheCommittee is clerked by a person from theMinistries Council who is not a member ofthe Committee.(b) MEMBERS114. Period of Service. All Members ofeach of the Standing Committees shallretire after serving for four years.115. Representatives. Bodies entitledto appoint representatives shall bepermitted to make changes in theirrepresentation for special reasons in anyyear.116. Non-attendance. The name of aMember shall be removed from anyStanding or Special Committee which hasmet three times or oftener between 1 Juneand 1 March unless he or she has attendedone-third of the meetings held within thatperiod. Attendance at meetings of Sub-Committees shall for this purpose bereckoned as equivalent to attendance atthe meeting of the Committee itself.117. Replacement. When a Minister,Elder, or Member of any Standing orSpecial Committee is unable to accept theappointment, or where from any causevacancies occur in Committees during theyear, that Committee, after consultationwith the Convener of the NominationCommittee, may appoint a Member to take



the place of the Member whose retirementhas caused the vacancy. All suchappointments, if for a longer period thanone year, shall be reported forconfirmation through the NominationCommittee to the General Assembly.118. Re-election. A Member retiringfrom a Council or Committee by rotation,or having his or her name removed for non-attendance, shall not be eligible for re-election to that Council or Committee untilthe expiry of one year thereafter, unlessthe Assembly are satisfied, on the Reportof the Nomination Committee, oninformation submitted to it by the Councilor Committee concerned, that there arecircumstances which make re-electiondesirable; but where more than onemember is due to retire then not morethan one-half of the retiring members beso re-elected. No Member shall normallyserve for more than two consecutive termsof office. (If possible 20 per cent of theAssembly appointed members of Councilsor Committees should be under the age of35 at the time of their appointment). AMember appointed in the room of onedeceased, resigned or removed, or of oneappointed as Convener or Vice-Convener,shall serve for the remainder of the periodfor which the person was appointed whoseplace he or she takes, and on retiral shall beeligible for re-election if he or she has notserved for more than two years.A retiring Convener shall be eligible for re-election as an additional member of theCouncil or Committee concerned to servefor one year only immediately followingtenure of office as Convener.119. Eligibility. No person shall be aMember of more than three Councils orCommittees at the same time.Appointments ex officio shall not bereckoned in this number. This rule shall notapply to those for whom the NominationCommittee is prepared to give specialreason to the Assembly for theirappointments to more than threeCommittees.

The Nomination Committee shall notnominate for Committees any of its ownnumber except in special circumstanceswhich must be stated to the Assembly.120. Secretaries and Deputes. It shallbe the responsibility of the Secretary ofeach Council and Committee to attend themeetings thereof, to provide informationand advice as requested, and to provide adepute for any meeting that he or shecannot attend. Members of staff shall nothave the right to vote at any meeting.121. Expenses. Expenses incurred byMembers of Committee, consisting oftravel charges and a sum for maintenancewhen required shall be defrayed.(c) CONVENERS AND VICE-CONVENERS122. Appointment. Conveners andVice-Conveners of Councils andCommittees shall be appointed by theAssembly. Conveners shall hold office fornot more than four consecutive years (inthe case of the Nomination Committee,three consecutive years) and Vice-Conveners shall hold office for not morethan three consecutive years, unless theAssembly are satisfied that there areexceptional circumstances which make thereappointment of Conveners and Vice-Conveners desirable. The period ofreappointment shall be for one year only. Ifat the time of their appointment they arealready members of the Council orCommittee another Member shall beappointed in their room for the remainderof the period of their original appointment.123. Replacement. In the event of thedeath, resignation, consistent non-attendance or supervening incapacity ofthe Convener or Vice-Convener of anyCouncil or Committee, the bodyconcerned, after consultation with theConvener of the Nomination Committee,may appoint an Interim Convener orInterim Vice-Convener, as the case may be.Such appointment shall be reported by theCommittee to the General Assembly and



the Assembly shall make such order as thesituation may require.(d) NOMINATION COMMITTEE124. List of Nominations. TheNomination Committee shall include in itsReport its list of nominations to besubmitted to the Assembly. The Report, soprepared, shall be included in the Volumeof Reports issued to Members of Assembly.125. Nomination of Conveners. Whenthe Convener or Vice-Convener of aCommittee or Council is completing his orher term of office the Council orCommittee shall be invited by theConvener of the Nomination Committee tosuggest the name of one who may beappointed in succession. The NominationCommittee shall satisfy itself that an openand transparent process has been followedin identifying the Convener or Vice-Convener so suggested.126. Conveners to Attend Meeting.Conveners of Standing Committees shallbe entitled to be present at meetings of theNomination Committee when thecomposition of their respectiveCommittees is under consideration, butnot to vote.127. Amendment to Report.No amendment to the Report of theNomination Committee shall be in order ofwhich due notice has not been given.All notices of proposed amendments onthe Report, including such as propose theomission or insertion of any name ornames, or the addition of a name or nameswhere the full number eligible has not beennominated by the Committee, must begiven in to the Clerks before midday on thethird day prior to the closing of theAssembly, signed by the Member orMembers giving them.All such notices of proposed amendmentshall, with the names of those signingthem, be printed in the “Assembly Papers”issued on the second day prior to theclosing of the General Assembly, and on

the morning of the day the Report is to becalled for.

VIII. ALTERATION AND SUSPENSION128. Alteration. Any proposal foralteration of Standing Orders shall beeither (a) on the Report of the LegalQuestions Committee and printed in thevolume of Reports or (b) by Overture andthe subject of at least one day’s notice inthe “Assembly Papers”. This StandingOrder shall not apply to SO 113 which maybe amended by the Principal Clerk inaccordance with the decisions of theGeneral Assembly.129. Suspension. It shall always becompetent for the Assembly, on theMotion of any Commissioner and on causeshown, summarily to dispense with theobservance of the Standing Orders, or anypart of them, in any particular case:provided that such Motion shall receive thesupport of not less than two-thirds ofthose voting on the question when putfrom the Chair, and that such suspensionshall not contravene any Act of Assembly.


IMPORTANT INFORMATIONFIRE PROCEDURE

FIRE PROCEDUREThe following arrangements MUST BE STRICTLY ADHERED TO:A. ON DISCOVERING A FIRE –

Sound the Alarm by operating the nearest break-glass Call point. This will automatically call the Fire Brigade.

B. ON HEARING THE ALARM –1. Evacuate the building by nearest available Exit route following the stewards’ directions

Debating Chamber Level: Main doors down to QUADRANGLEGallery Level: 4 Exits on to LAWNMARKET

2. Do not use the Lift in the event of an emergency, due to the risk of power failure3. Do not stop to collect belongings, ie. Coats, brief-cases, handbags, etc.4. Exit doors must remain clear at all times. When exiting leave in an orderly fashion5. ASSEMBLE –

a. OPPOSITE THE MAIN ENTRANCE, MOUND PLACE orb. LAWNMARKET/JOHNSTON TERRACE, WHICHEVER IS NEARER

(Note: The above-mentioned arrangements relate to the Assembly Hall building. If present within New College when the College fire alarm sounds, leave the College by the nearest available exit. New College areas include the Cloakroom, Assembly Office, Stewards’ Office, Martin Hall, Media Rooms and Commissioners’ Box area (Rainy Hall).

FIRST AID ROOM – This room is off the “black and white” corridor of the Assembly Hall.REPORTS – Commissioners are reminded that the Volume of Reports is available for downloading through www.churchofscotland.org.uk/ga. Printed copies of the Reports are only issued in advance to those Commissioners whose request was submitted along with their Presbytery Commission. A limited stock of the Volume of Reports will be held, for purchase, at the Cornerstone Bookshop. NOTICE TO SPEAKERS – Speakers are asked to speak from one of the microphones situated round the Hall and in commissioners’ galleries. TIME LIMIT FOR SPEECHES – A bell will notify Speakers that they are approaching the time limit and are expected to finish their speeches within one minute.HEARING AIDS – These should be switched to “T” for best results from the induction loop. BSL interpreters will cover each session of the General Assembly. Please advise the Principal Clerk’s office if you would find this facility helpful so that a seat can be reserved for you in the appropriate area.COMMISSIONERS – Are informed that the Ground Floor and the South and West Galleries of the Hall are solely appropriated for them. Only when these parts of the Hall are fully occupied may Commissioners sit elsewhere, as guided by the Stewards. LEAVE TO MEET DURING ASSEMBLY – Applications from Church Courts or Assembly Committees for leave to meet during the Sittings of the General Assembly should be handed in to the Clerks’ Office. There is a standing permission for Kirk Sessions to meet if no members are Commissioners.FILMING/PHOTOGRAPHY – We draw to your attention that cameras are used to film and photograph the General Assembly throughout its meeting and that the footage may be streamed live on the Church of Scotland website and used in other media including Social Media. In addition the footage and live stills obtained may, at some future point, be broadcast on national or international television and/or be used in other publications. If you do not wish to be filmed/photographed in this way, you should sit out of range of the cameras in the corners against the back wall on the ground floor of the Assembly Hall, and not behind any of the microphones which are located around the Hall. If you are unsure where this is, please ask a steward.

LOST PROPERTY SHOULD BE REPORTED OR HANDED IN TO THE ASSEMBLY OFFICE

General Assembly 2019 - Church of Scotland...66. Mrs Eleanor M Blair, Kirk of Calder 67. Mr Ian...

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Transcript of General Assembly 2019 - Church of Scotland...66. Mrs Eleanor M Blair, Kirk of Calder 67. Mr Ian...