MISSION PLAN UPDATE

Tuesday night, the presbytery voted to defer action on the draft plan presented by the Mission Planning Action Group (MPAG).
 
Among many issues raised, the most significant problem was the decision made by the MPAG to dissolve three congregations in the presbytery, including Quarter Parish Church, just outside Hamilton.  These decisions were unexpected and which no justifications or rationales were provided.  There were a number of rulings without explanation, a pattern which was repeated throughout the entirety of the 148-page report.  Over and again, decisions were made by the MPAG that often bore little resemblance to the planned intentions of the local clusters.  In the end, this proved unacceptable to the presbytery.
 
A countermotion was presented and debated at length which, when finally passed had the effect of deferring the Draft Mission Plan until such time that the MPAG was able to provide justification for their decisions.  In effect, the presbytery asked the MPAG to ‘show its workings,’ and the manner by which their decisions were made.
 
The convener of the MPAG promptly resigned, leaving the committee without leadership and arguably redundant.
 
What happens next?  In the short term, nothing, but the decision of the presbytery will not be well-received by the General Assembly.  Presbytery mission plans were to be completed by December 2022, meaning ours was already 9 months late.  Tuesday night’s decision will likely put final passage of the Plan well into 2024.  Presently, the Presbytery Clerk will be conferring with the Principal Clerk of the Assembly seeking advice as to ways forward. 
 
The Draft plan presented will remain the starting point for ongoing discussions until the presbytery either takes it forward or devises a new plan. In the meantime, congregations across the presbytery will not be allowed to seek or call a minister and property work will be limited to keeping buildings wind and watertight.  In effect, our ministry will remains paused until the plan is finally passed at some point in the future.

We are encouraged to continue working with cluster partners in local Mission and outreach, as we continue to seek God’s will and direction whilst being Christ filled and centred and a witnessing, worshipping community.