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All pictures by Derek Fett Photography
All pictures by Derek Fett Photography

Church Called to Pray

Saturday May 20 2017

General Assembly Day One

Homelessness in Scotland 'Unacceptable'
Princess Royal Says Assembly Example of 'Reasoned Debate'

The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland has issued a call to the Church to pray ‘that God will do fresh work amongst us as God’s people’, as it faces the challenges of falling membership and financial pressures.

The deliverance of the Church’s Council of Assembly instructs Presbyteries and Kirk Sessions to ‘consider how best to respond to this call’ and the Council itself to prepare resources supporting it.

Dr Sally Bonnar, the convener of the Council, told the first day of the gathering in Edinburgh that the Church may have reached a ‘tipping point’ whereby falling membership numbers begin to result in falling income.

The call to prayer was welcomed by the Rev Gordon Kennedy who said: “I hope that the church will not only pass this but hear it and act on it. It might be in the providence of God that, 300 years from now, the Christian people in Scotland will give thanks for our call for people to pray and acting on it.

“Why would we not answer that call? Why would we not pray? God will pour out his generosity not just on us but on the nation and the world. Here is something we can do, right on the first day: we can pray, and we can go home and become agents for prayer.”

The Council was also seeking permission to continue work on a Strategic Plan for the Church. Dr Bonnar called for the church to be united as it faces its current challenges said: “We have to examine all the activities of the church with a critical eye and decide what are our priorities. We need to decide what new things do we need to do, what needs to be kept and what needs to be stopped.

“We must as a church pray for renewal of our vision and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, but we must use all the tools at our disposal and, above all, we must do it together.”


During the opening session, the retiring Moderator condemned the level of homelessness in Scotland as ‘unacceptable’.

The Very Rev Dr Russell Barr said in his address that the latest figures for homelessness were little different from what they were 25 years ago, and that 5751 pre-school and school-age children were registered as homeless at the end of last year - an increase of 17%.

With First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Scotland’s civic local authority leaders watching, he added: "The galling thing is that it need not be like this. All the research has been done, the causes identified. The one thing missing is the political will and ambition to resolve it. “Whatever the constitutional future holds for Scotland, I hope the General Assembly will say with one voice that this is unacceptable, it needs to be changed, and there should be no place for homelessness in 21st century Scotland."


Earlier, Dr Barr had handed the Moderatorial ring to his successor, the Rt Rev Dr Derek Browning, whom he told: "You enjoy cooking and dining out, which is just as well for you are about to eat for the Church of Scotland."

Dr Browning said he was 'humbly thankful for the privilege to serve this fabulously diverse and wonderfully glorious Church of Scotland'.


HRH the Princess Royal, Princess Anne, giving the address of the Lord High Commissioner, paid tribute to the work of the Church throughout the country, particularly the CrossReach projects she visited the last time she held the position 20 years ago and which are still going. She said that though numbers in church on Sunday might be lower, the need for 'spiritual leadership' was just as great. She also said that the importance of the General Assembly was in reasoned debate, which is 'in quite short supply at the moment'.


During the presentation of the overseas delegates, Dr Browning announced that two seats would be kept empty for the delegates who are unable to attend: Rola Sleiman of the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon, who was turned away by officials at the airport in Lebanon on Thursday; and the Rev James Makuei Choul of the Presbyterian Church in South Sudan, who was denied a visa. Dr Browning said it was a ‘bitter, bitter disappointment’ that they were unable to be there, adding: “I echo the words of the Principal Clerk who said ‘I would like to urge the Home Office to review its practices to ensure the UK’s reputation as a place of welcome is not diminished’.”

A statement from Ms Sleiman was read to the Assembly, in which she spoke of her pride in the church which ordained her the first female Christian pastor in the Middle East: “I am so glad that the theme of the World Mission report to your blessed General Assembly is ‘Women in the World Church’ and I am glad I am able to be part of it, even from a distance. It is disappointing not to be able to be with you in person but God works in mysterious ways as he has been working with me for many years. No church can grow and live faithful to Jesus’ life and ministry, and deny half the society to be part of its life and service. God is love; he demonstrated this love through his son Jesus Christ who was crucified for us, this kind of love cannot discriminate between God’s children.”


Also today:

  • The Chief Executive of the Scottish Bible Society, Elaine Duncan, was moved to tears as she recalled the thanks from Peruvian children given materials by the Society.
  • The proposed changes to the registration system for ministers were approved after The Principal Clerk, the Very Rev Dr John Chalmers, provided reassurances that ministers in positions such as armed forces chaplaincy would not become ‘second class ministers’ under the new system. The proposal put ministers in such roles into a different category from parish ministers, and would require them to undergo training if they wish to return to a parish. Dr Chalmers said: “The transition is a simple safeguard for people who have been out of the parish for some time that they are up-to-date with changes in charity governance, safeguarding legislation, church legislation and the like before they return to a parish. There is no intention that this should be a very onerous process.”
  • The Assembly had opened on a sad note with the announcement of the death of the Very Rev Dr James Weatherhead, Moderator of the General Assembly in 1993 and Principal Clerk from 1985-1996. Dr Barr said the thoughts of the Assembly were with his wife Anne and the rest of his family, who were remembered in prayer during opening worship.
  • Among the tributes during the morning was one to Alison Murray, who is retiring after 16 years as PA to the Moderator having acted as Minute Secretary at the Assembly before that. Mrs Murray has been invited to wear the Moderator’s Disruption Brooch this week in honour of her service.
  • There was also a tribute to David McColl, retiring as Assembly Officer after 17 years.

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