Presbyterian Church in Ireland - Mission Overseas - GENERAL ASSEMBLY: Starts Monday, 6th June with the installation of the new Moderator

26th May 2011

The 2011 General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland will meet in Church House, Belfast on the evening of Monday, 6th June with the installation of the Moderator, and continues through three further days to an expected conclusion on the afternoon of Thursday, 9th June.

At 7.00 pm on Monday, 6th June, the Assembly will convene with members joined by invited guests and members of the public to install their Moderator who will chair the week's proceedings and represent the Church throughout the forthcoming year.

In an atmosphere of praise and celebration, outgoing Moderator, Rt Rev Dr Norman Hamilton, will lead the Assembly in worship and report briefly on his year of office, before asking members to proceed to the election of his successor.

After formal proposing and seconding, the Moderator Designate, Rev Dr Ivan Patterson, will be officially appointed to the chair. His first duty will be to thank Dr Hamilton for carrying out the role of Moderator in the year that has passed since the last General Assembly, in June 2010. He will then address the Assembly, setting out his plans for the year ahead.

The business sessions of the Assembly begin on Tuesday morning (7th June) and for the next three days the 1200 delegates, representative of every Presbyterian congregation in Ireland, will hear reports and debate resolutions presented to it by the Boards and Committees of the Church.

These will include financial and administrative reports, as well as reports from the church wide ministries directed by Assembly, which include Mission in Ireland (report), Mission Overseas, Social Witness (report), Christian Training (report), and Youth and Children's Ministry(report) [Other Board Reports].

With the exception of a brief private session the Assembly is open to everyone, though only delegates can take part in debates or vote.

Members of the wider church, in particular, are invited to join with members of the General Assembly for daily worship.

The Board of Mission Overseas report will be presented on Thursday, 9th June after the morning intermission, no later than but possibly a little before 11.00 am.

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