On his first day in office today, the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, Right Reverend Dr Richard Murray, has written to all ministers announcing that in the wake of last month’s discovery of significant failings in the central administration of the Church’s safeguarding processes, a special General Assembly will take place on Thursday, 18 December in Assembly Buildings in Belfast.
Addressing his letter to ‘Dear brothers and sisters,’ Dr Murray wrote, “As members of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland family you will be aware of recent events in our denomination concerning the discovery of significant failings in the central administration of our safeguarding. This has led to the stepping aside of our Moderator and as a result, as the previous Moderator, I have the responsibility under The Code, the Constitution of our Church, to return to office.
“Today, 1 December, I have assumed the office of Moderator, and I want my first action to be the calling of a special General Assembly. The date planned for this is, God willing, Thursday, 18 December. We will meet in Assembly Buildings, in Belfast to call upon God as a people and to seek His face. Further details, of a practical nature, will be made available very soon.
“Please be assured that the purpose of this General Assembly is that we come together as a family before God to grieve and lament for our failings. At the same time, we also want to be particularly mindful of those who have been harmed as a result of our central failings.
“During this special General Assembly, after lunch, we will move to a formal business session and, as I have said, papers will follow.
“The order of business will be:
- 11.00 am: Worship
- 12.30pm: Break for lunch
- 1.30pm until concluded: Report from the General Council & resolutions
“All sessions will be livestreamed and will be open to members of the public and media.
“As I conclude, please make this General Assembly a priority and come to it prayerfully so that we may seek the face of God together. Please pray for those who have been hurt by the failings that we have uncovered, and pray that they will have the courage to seek the help and support they need.
“Our prayer is also that God would have mercy upon us in the midst of this storm that has not only shocked us, but shaken and deeply humbled us.”
