13th August 2009
Hasty plan to re-shape the UCA
A proposal to dramatically change the Preamble to the Uniting Church Constitution will be presented to the 12th Assembly in July. It is an extremely important matter as the Preamble is the link between the Constitution and the Basis of Union, the Uniting Church’s foundational document.
On 8 December 2008 the General Secretary of the UCA, the Rev Terence Corkin, sent a letter to Secretaries of Presbyteries and Synods advising them of proposals coming to the Twelfth Assembly to alter the Preamble to the Constitution. Although it claims to be a response to the disappointment of UAICC at Presidential Ruling 25 in 2007,
which determined “where the limits to Congress’ authority were in regard to the oversight and discipline of Ministers serving in placements with the Congress,” the new proposal goes far beyond any attempt to resolve the particular matters in dispute. The General Secretary and the Convenor of the Constitution Task Group, the Rev Chris Budden, who have invited comments on the proposal, argue that the Constitution should be focused more on ‘our most important relationships’ than on inflexible ‘structural arrangements.’
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