Scottish Charity No: SC010199

At Fort William, and within Ardgour Parish Church, the fifteenth day of June 2010, at 6.00 pm, which place, date and time the Presbytery of Lochaber met and was constituted with prayer.

COMMUNION AND INSTALLATION OF MODERATOR

1.1 The retiring Moderator, the Rev Dr Richard Corbett, gave thanks to Ardgour congregation for their hospitality and then conducted worship and preached. He welcomed the new Moderator, the Rev James Carmichael, whom he installed with prayer.

1.2 Service being ended, Presbytery resumed in open court for ordinary business.

SEDERUNT, APOLOGIES, WELCOME, TRIBUTES & ROLL

2.1 Present were the Rev James Carmichael, Moderator, Mrs Ella Gill, Clerk, plus twenty one full members, one corresponding member of Presbytery and three visitors.

2.2 Names and apologies as per sederunt sheet.

2.3 The Moderator welcomed Rev David Kellas, Rev Dr Malcolm Kinnear, Melville Paton and Andy Haddow.

Elders’ Commissions

2.4 Elders’ Commissions for 2010/11 were received from congregations within the bounds.

ORDER OF BUSINESS

 Item 8 iii and 8vi to be taken in reverse order. Presbytery approved the Order of Business.

MINUTES

Minutes of the previous meetings on March 23^rd, April 17^th and 24^th 2010. Para. 6 page 269 – the sentence ‘Eleanor Halliday…’ to be inserted before ‘Presbytery was asked to sustain the Call’.

Presbytery approved the minutes so altered.

INTIMATIONS

Intimations were made by the Clerk:

John Roberts, a Reader has moved to Kinlochleven and has transferred to Lochaber Presbytery.

The Peninsula Picnic will take place on Sunday June 20^th at 3.00pm in Ardgour Manse garden followed by a service in Ardgour church.

Further clarification is to be sought about safeguarding documentation.

CORRESPONDENCE

The Clerk presented twenty four items of correspondence

Attention was drawn to :-

1. A letter of thanks to Presbytery from Marie Perkins who had recently been a student with Donald MacQuarrie.

2. Climate Change Report: this had not been completed by Lochaber within the time limit and so to be addressed as soon as possible.

3. Data Protection: The Law department had sent a reminder that all data collection within the Presbytery is the responsibility of the Clerk as Data Controller. Therefore great care should be exercised.

REPORT OF THE BUSINESS  COMMITTEE

Joint Post

Fort William

Presbytery Plan Review Group

Conference

Working Group Conveners

Roll of Presbytery

Five Yearly Visits 2010/11

Practising Certificate

Five Yearly Visit reports

Worship Leaders

Vacancy Schedule

Report on the Joint Post

Five Yearly Reports completed 2009/10

8.General Assembly Reports

Rev Adrian Varwell thanked the Kirk Session of Ardgour for their welcome and all the arrangements for the installation of the Moderator.

There has been some progress relating to the vacant posts within the Presbytery Plan.

7.1.1 A job description for a joint post with Scripture Union has been discussed. Report below.

7.1.2 A revised job description for the post of “Associate Minister or Parish Assistant - Social Outreach” for Fort William: Duncansburgh MacIntosh linked with Kilmonivaig has been drafted by the task group. The draft to be transmitted to the Ministries Council for their information and comment.

7.1.3.The General Assembly has approved proposals from Ministries Council to reduce the number of ministers and parish assistants. This will mean a revision of our Presbytery Plan to achieve a reduction of posts form 10 to 9. There are a few queries that will have to be directed to Ministries Council and important issues locally to address at a local level. The Business Committee therefore recommends the appointment of a Presbytery Plan Review Group, with nominations for membership to be brought to the September meeting.

7.1.4.The Committee reviewed proposals for the Presbytery Conference which will take place on Saturday October 23^rd at Onich. Members were asked to keep this day clear for what promises to be a most a most interesting gathering. It is hoped that every congregation will be able to send delegates to the conference. Melville Paton briefed Presbytery on the arrangements and programme for the day. Grateful thanks were given to Melville for his work. Details in appendices.

The issue of the cost of the day was raised but , although funding for the day will continue to be pursued, it was felt that £10 -12 was inexpensive for such a day. Kirk Sessions to be encouraged to support delegates.

Nomination

7.2.1 Appoint Presbytery Working Group Conveners for session 2010/11:  Education – Mrs Elizabeth Carmichael; Finance – Mr Eric Walker; Ministries – Rev Ann Winning; Mission – Rev Alison Burnside; Safeguarding – Mrs Sallie

Parrish. Property – Mr George Haggart. Rev Alan Lamb to be appointed as Ecumenical Relations Facilitator.

Appraisal to be incorporated into the Business Committee.

Spiritual Development – no appointment made

7.2.2. The Presbytery Elder Commissions having been received the Roll of Presbytery for 2010/11 was presented.

Agreed

Superintendence

7.3.1 Presbytery Five Yearly Visits (Act II, 1984) for Session 2010/11 to the charges of Duncansburgh Mackintosh linked with Kilmonivaig and Acharacle linked with Ardnamurchan. Teams to be arranged.

7.3.2 Issue Practising Certificates to the Rev Heather Olsen.

7.3.3 The five yearly visit reports on the NW Lochaber and Fort Augustus linked with Glengarry have been undertaken. Reports were given at the end of the Business Report.

7.3.4 Following a request for clarification of the locus of Approved Worship Leaders, it was agreed that “provided that the Kirk Sessions of linked parishes accepted the worship leader, then the approved worship leader could lead services within the linkage”.

7.3.5 The Business Committee notes that Rev Alison Grainger had been granted compassionate leave and that Rev Ann Winning be appointed Interim Moderator for Acharacle linked with Ardnamurchan.

Vacancy Procedure Committee

7.4.1. The Vacancy Schedule for Ardgour, Morvern and Strontian was received for completion, approval and onward transmission to the Ministries Council .

7.4.2 An extension of the Call for a further six months Agreed

 The sub committee met last Friday with Gordon Roy of Scripture Union and considered the draft job description for Schools and Churches Development Worker to be employed by Scripture Union and Lochaber Presbytery. The group was encouraged by an email from John Jackson of the Ministries Council indicating that favourable consideration would be given to the post. For Scripture Union it was explained that they would wish the appointee to work in schools in Lochaber and elsewhere, but that this would be without prejudice to the 50/50 split in working hours between the two agencies. It was agreed that Scripture Union would now revise the job description with a view to SU becoming the employing agency, and thereafter it would be sent to the Ministries Council and Presbytery for approval.

Two matters still need to be addressed by Presbytery, namely the provision of office space; and secondly some thought will have to be given to the funding of travel and office expenses. SU will forward a draft budget to assist us with this, the Finance Committee to be asked to give this some consideration once details are obtained.

There was some discussion about the advantages of having the post holder within church  premises and Kilmallie was offered as a possible option for an office. Presbytery received the report and agreed with the proposal.

The Presbytery received the Five Yearly Reports for  Fort Augustus and Glengarry; NW Lochaber.

The Moderator thanked the teams involved in the visits.

8.1.1 Receive Assembly Diligence and report from Pat Walker.

 The Moderator thanked Mrs Walker for her report.

8.1.2 The Clerk read a report from Eilidh MacColl, Lochaber’s Youth Representative at the Assembly.

9.Reports from the working groups

9.1. Education: Mrs Elizabeth Carmichael reported that some members of the Education Committee had been to hear Mrs Jean Whitton of Acharacle conduct a service. They were now in a position to recommend her as an approved Worship Leader.

9.2 Ecumenical Report: A written report had been submitted

9.3 Property: Members had received a document detailing revaluations of church properties in the mailing. Mr George Haggart suggested that as these might raise concerns for congregations, a meeting with John Strachan could be arranged to discuss these. The Clerk to arrange this. The Clerk should also make enquiries with regard to any funding which might be available to offset the cost to the congregations of these valuations.

9.4 Finance; Mr Eric Walker reported that :-

9.4.1 A bequest for £5000 had been received to be used for Mission. Requests or ideas should be forwarded to Rev Alison Burnside in the first instance as Convener of the Mission Group. These would then be considered by the Business Committee for financial approval.

9.4.2 Revaluation; the cost of this has been £3150 and this cost will be divided between the congregations.

9.4.3 Mr Walker will attend a Stewardship and Finance conference on September 16^th.

9.5 Mission; Rev Alison Burnside reported that:

9.5.1 The Mission Group were unable to distribute the cans of juice at the Mountain Biking World Cup for a variety of reasons.

9.5.2 Information has been collated from the questionnaire issued by 2009/10 committee. Thanks were given to those who had completed them and the results were distributed at the meeting. Two suggestions from the group were; cards for B & B with service times and caring for those in the community who may be in special need – especially in the cold weather.

9.5.3 The committee are exploring the possibilities of Presbytery twinning, where Presbyteries in Scotland are twinned with a Presbytery from our partner churches.

Deliverances:

Presbytery give their permission to engage with other Christian denominations within Lochaber Presbytery boundaries as we seek the best way forward in witnessing to locals and visitors at next year’s MBWC.

Agreed

Presbytery thanks those who filled in the Mission questionnaires and encourages congregations to see what is being done in their own parishes, while being inspired to think again by the collated responses.

Agreed

Presbytery encourages the Mission Committee to explore Presbytery twining.

Agreed

It was intimated that Billy and Angus Burnside were to cycle across Scotland during the summer to raise funds for Christian Aid. Presbytery was encouraged to support the venture.

9.6 Safeguarding; Mrs Sallie Parrish reported that;

9.6.1. Clarification needs to be sought about the new forms for safeguarding.

9.6.2 Morag Muirhead (DMac) and Helen Allen (Glengarry) have expressed an interest in training as safeguarding trainers.

Presbytery agrees to support the training and work of the safeguarding trainers.

Clarification was sought about expenses and equipment.

 121 would pay for the initial training. Subsequent travelling expenses around the Presbytery during the course of their training sessions would be met by Presbytery. It was anticipated that equipment needed would be available already within Presbytery and could be borrowed rather than bought.

Agreed

9.6.3 It was suggested that an annual meeting of safeguarding officers from Presbytery would be helpful.

10. Report from Ardgour and Kingairloch linked with Morvern linked with Strontian

Rev David Kellas had presented a written report:

10.1 The sale of Ardgour Manse is progressing, the valuation given by the surveyor appointed by the General Trustees is disappointingly low. The offer on the house in Strontian has been accepted and both solicitors are finalising details.

10.2 The Nominating Committee has published a Parish Profile with an excellent website (www.ourchurches.org).

10.3 The Deacon has long since visited every home on the three Communion Rolls and teaches weekly in the three primary schools.

10.4 Ardgour, having been without a Session Clerk, have now appointed Fiona Maclean.

ADJOURNMENT

There being no further business, Presbytery adjourned to meet for Ordinary Business on Tuesday 7th September 2010 within the Hall of Kilmallie Parish Church, Caol, at 6.00 pm.