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GLEN WAVERLEY UNITING CHURCH COUNCIL

1. Information about the Joint Nominating Committee process

Following the discussion at the CongregationalMeeting12Apr2010, it has been suggested that there needs to be more information available about the JNC process, and what it means in the context of Glen Waverley.

For example, there was confusion over the distinction between Ministers of the Word, Deacons, Pastors, and Youth Workers. Who is able to administer the sacraments? What is the composition of the JNC? What instructions are we able to give them? And so on. This document is an attempt to address these questions, and is framed as a Frequent Asked Questions document.

2. Latest News

The JNC committee has completed the JncChurchProfile.pdf and JncChurchMinistry documents. These, together with the On The Way Together document, have been forwarded to Presbytery.

Rev Greg Crowe gave a report on the current progress of the JNC process at GW to the Congregational Meeting on Mondat, 5 Jul 2010 (reproduced below).

Presbytery has appointed a chair of the JNC. He is the Rev Greg Crowe, from the Ewing Memorial Church in East Malvern. He will be calling a meeting of the JNC shortly. Proposed dates are 7 / 10 / 15 /16 / 17 June.

Greg is keen to collect documents describing the church. I have setup a new page, JncDocuments, which is intended to have attachments of useful documents to the JNC deliberations, or links to relevant other pages (either wiki or web). JohnHurst 20100603

At the Church Council on 21 Apr 2010, the following nominees to the JNC were approved (as requested by the April Congregational Meeting). They were forwarded to the Presbytery on 27 Apr 2010.

• Mark Easton
• David Fraser
• Barbara Laidlaw
• Helen Boucher
• Warren Greenwood
• Dean Mann

At Presbytery on 28 Apr 2010 (Presbytery28Apr2010), it was reported in the PRC report: "placements: ... - Glen Waverley – appointing JNC."

3. Steps in the JNC process

As reported to the Congregation, 5 July 2010

A summarised version of the Synod's 20 step process

Step 1. Vacancy

Step 2. Mission Study: On the way together

Step 3. Recommendation to fill vacancy

• Mission and Ministry
• PT/FT, M.O.W, etc

Step 4. Profile

• based on Mission doc
• approved by C.C.
• submitted to PRC
• Submitted to ACOMP

Step 5. JNC appointed and meets

Step 6. JNC considers available ministers

Step 7. ACOMP suggests up to 3 names to JNC

Step 8. Conversation/Discernment Process

Step 9. Agreement

Step 10. Recommendation to PRC then Congregation

Step 11. Call

Step 12. Response

Step 13. Settlement Begins

Currently the JNC is in the process of preparing the Profile and a brief 1-page appendix outlining the Team Ministry dimension of GWUC. Once the profile is ready it will go to the Church Council for approval and to the congregation for information.

The congregation will be kept up to date with the steps and developments of the JNC via regular reports.

4. Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Who is able to administer the sacraments?
A: Normally, only an ordained Minister of the Word. In special circumstances, Presbytery can give permission for non-ordained people to administer certain specified sacraments, under specific constraints. For example, Ross Mackinnon was originally granted permission to preside at holy communion only at the 8am services. Only last year was that permission extended to preside at all services. On the other hand, while Alison is able to preside at any "Seniors' Service", she does not have permission to preside at regular non-seniors services. Confusing, isn't it? (JohnHurst)

Q: Why can't retired ministers in the church help out?
A: They can, but we cannot expect them to. They are retired, after all, and entitled to some privacy! It would be quite inappropriate to expect periods of ministerial team leave to be covered automatically by retired clergy. (JohnHurst)

Q: How long must MOW or Youth Placements be for?
A: A congregation must guarantee funding for 5 years or the term of appointment, but placements are usually seen as a 10 year placement. At the 5 year mark, there is an opportunity for either party to seek to be released from the placement, whereas if either party wishes to end the relationship before the 5 year mark, either a case has to be made to Presbytery or there has been unacceptable behaviour. (WarrenGreenwood)

Q: Can a Youth placement, Pastor or Lay preacher Baptise people, Perform marriage ceremonies, Perform funerals or last rights?
A: No. See also "Who is able to administer the sacraments?" above (JohnHurst)

Q: What is the composition of the JNC? Are there special skills required?
A: Not really. The PlacementsHandbook identifies no constraints on the individuals, other than they are "two to six persons appointed by the Congregation(s) or other body/ies." Presbytery may authorise a larger group in special circumstances, such as "the size and complexity of the placement". Glen Waverley would have a prima facie case for such expansion. (JohnHurst)

Q: What type of committee are we looking for?
A: The are no preconceived ideas about the composition of the group nominated for the JNC, other than that they bring the right set of skills to the committee, and that they are representative of as many views in the congregation as possible. (JohnHurst)

Q: Are we selecting a team - or individuals on their own merit?
A: See the answer to the previous question. Council is adopting a French Presidential style election from the list of nominations so that as representative a group as possible might be elected. This process involves electing only two nominees per round of voting, so that councillors can revise their votes in the light of the those elected so far, with a view towards ensuring that a balance of representation in the remaining members-to-elect is achieved. (JohnHurst)

Q: Who makes the final selection and what is that selection based upon?
A: The Congregational Meeting has that responsibility. At its meeting on Monday 12 Apr 2010, the Congregation approved a motion delegating the actual selection to Council. See the previous questions on how the selection of members of the JNC is to proceed. (JohnHurst)

Q: Can a member of the ministry team be nominated?
A: This is not strictly excluded, but advice from the Presbytery is that such a nomination is unlikely to be approved. (JohnHurst)

Q: What are the differences between a Minister of the Word, a Youth placement, a Deacon/Deaconess, a Pastor. without special permissions what can each do and not do?
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