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About the GA: Annual meetings
RESOLUTIONS PASSED AT THE 2007 ANNUAL MEETINGS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF UNITARIAN AND FREE CHRISTIAN CHURCHES
The following Resolutions were agreed at the GA Annual Meetings 2007. In each case they were passed with a majority well in excess of the basic requirement.
1) FROM THE EASTERN UNION OF UNITARIAN & FREE CHRISTIAN CHURCHES
That this General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches, noting that the syllabuses for Religious Education in maintained schools are periodically reviewed, encourages its member congregations to inform themselves about their local syllabus with a view to having some input into the review process.
2) FROM GOLDERS GREEN UNITARIANS
That this General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches:
- Notes that an increasing number of people living in the UK are foreign migrant workers, and that they contribute to the national wealth;
- That many of these migrant workers experience exploitation by unscrupulous employers who take advantage of their ignorance of their rights and of weak regulation, and that they also face prejudice;
- That in recent years a number of faith and community groups have come together to support migrant workers living and working in the UK.
- Urges the General Assembly Executive Committee, and all Congregations, District Associations and Affiliated Societies, to get involved in appropriate campaigns to support foreign migrant workers and new-arrival communities in Britain, and to help end their exploitation.
3) FROM THE UNITARIAN WOMEN'S GROUP
That this General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches:
A.Welcomes the recent action of Her Majesty's Government in signing the Council of Europe Convention against Trafficking in Human Beings;
B. Urges the immediate introduction of all necessary measures required by the terms of the Convention.
C. Pledges its active support at national, district and local levels of the work of CHASTE (Churches Alert to Sex Trafficking across Europe) and other Non Government Organisations to end this appalling abuse of human beings and their sexuality.
4) FROM WESTGATE CHAPEL (UNITARIAN), WAKEFIELD
That this General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches supports the Strangers into Citizens Campaign.
5) FROM THE NORTHERN UNITARIAN ASSOCIATION
That this General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches urges all Churches, Fellowships and their members and friends to, firstly do a personal and collective carbon footprint and secondly work out ways to reduce it.
6) FROM SEVENTEEN INDIVIDUAL VOTING MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
That this General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches:
Welcomes the recent report 'Time to Talk: The Case for Diplomatic Solutions' on Iran issued by a coalition of humanitarian, medical, environmental, trade union, Muslim and Christian organisations warning of:
- the potentially highly dangerous consequences unleashed by an armed attack on Iran's nuclear installations,
- the deaths of many innocent civilians in densely populated areas near these nuclear facilities,
- heightened instability in the Middle East, with grave effects on the political situation in Iraq and neighbouring countries,
- a disruption of the oil supply leading to a serious worldwide energy crisis and consequent economic damage to many economies following rises in oil prices,
- environmental degradation caused by nuclear contamination, and
- an inflammation of the already grave dangers of terrorism throughout the region
This General Assembly, mindful of these dangers, calls on the British Government to pursue resolutely all available diplomatic options though the United Nations within the framework of international law and the UN Charter in order to seek a peaceful diplomatic solution of the crisis caused by nuclear proliferation and political instability in the Arabian Gulf and throughout the region.
7) FROM THE UNITARIAN PEACE FELLOWSHIP
That this General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches:
recognising the suffering caused to civilian populations around the world by the use and indiscriminate nature of cluster munitions, calls upon HM Government to support the call by the International Committee of the Red Cross for a new international humanitarian law agreement to specifically regulate cluster munitions and the implementation of the following three measures by all Nation States;
- To immediately end the use of cluster munitions;
- To prohibit the targeting of cluster munitions against any military objective located in a populated area;
- To eliminate stocks of inaccurate and unreliable cluster munitions and, pending their destruction, not to transfer such weapons to other countries.
Further that all Churches, Fellowships, Societies and individual Members of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches be encouraged to support the above by highlighting the issue through worship, talks and workshops during 2007, and to support the Unitarian Peace Fellowship Lent Appeal.
PROCEDURAL MOTIONS
- That the Report of the General Assembly Executive Committee and the Accounts of the General Assembly be received and adopted.
- That Messrs Edmund Gibbs & Co be reappointed as Auditors.
- That Martin G West be appointed Honorary Treasurer for the year 2007-2008.
- That the thanks of the Assembly be given to Martin G West for his services as Honorary Treasurer, and to district association and local officers for their invaluable services.
- That greetings be sent to kindred churches and societies abroad.
- That the thanks of the Assembly be given to the Reverend Brenda Catherall for preaching the Assembly Sermon.
- That the thanks of the Assembly be given to the Reverend Geoffrey R Usher, worship leader for the Anniversary Service, and to all those who provided music and other content for the Anniversary Service and on other worship occasions during these meetings.
- That the thanks of the Assembly be given to the members of the General Assembly Annual Meetings Panel and other volunteers for their inestimable help in organising the Meetings.
- That the Reverend Celia Midgley be appointed President of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches for the year 2007-2008
- That Joyce Ashworth be appointed as Vice-President for the year 2007-2008.
- That this seventy-ninth General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches expresses its gratitude for the services provided by David Dawson as President during the year 2006-2007.
EARLIER RESOLUTIONS The next GA Annual Meetings will take place at the University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield from 26 - 29 March 2008.
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