Northern Ireland

Covid-19 prompts Presbyterians to cancel annual General Assembly

Presbyterians have decided to cancel their annual June meeting in Assembly Buildings, Belfast because of coronavirus - the first time it won't have met in 180 years
Presbyterians have decided to cancel their annual June meeting in Assembly Buildings, Belfast because of coronavirus - the first time it won't have met in 180 years Presbyterians have decided to cancel their annual June meeting in Assembly Buildings, Belfast because of coronavirus - the first time it won't have met in 180 years
By William Scholes

THE Presbyterian Church has confirmed it is cancelling its annual General Assembly meeting of lay people and clergy because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The gathering, which is the Church's most important decision-making and governing body, is traditionally held in June.

Urgent business has been delegated to a '2020 Standing Commission of the General Assembly' while the Church holds out hope that if public health considerations allow, the body may yet be able to meet in some form this autumn.

It will be the first time in 180 years that the General Assembly has not met in June.

The decision was taken by ministers and elders, who are senior lay people from each congregation, voting online over a period of days at the start of the month.

The Church of Ireland and the Methodist Church have already cancelled their annual decision-making meetings of lay people and clergy, the General Synod and Conference respectively.

The General Synod was due to meet next month in Croke Park in Dublin, though the Church of Ireland will explore holding the event later in the year if Covid-19 restrictions allow.

The Methodist Conference traditionally takes place in June but has been postponed to October in Lisburn.

Methodists still intend to instal their new President, the Rev Dr Tom McKnight, and incoming Lay Leader, Hazel Loney, in June, though the form of service has yet to be confirmed.

The Presbyterian decision was in line with the "wonderfully pragmatic response" to the coronavirus pandemic that congregations had already shown, said the Rev Trevor Gribben, Clerk of the General Assembly and the denomination's general secretary.

The Rev Trevor Gribben, clerk of the Presbyterian General Assembly, said that 'unprecedented times often call for unprecedented responses'
The Rev Trevor Gribben, clerk of the Presbyterian General Assembly, said that 'unprecedented times often call for unprecedented responses' The Rev Trevor Gribben, clerk of the Presbyterian General Assembly, said that 'unprecedented times often call for unprecedented responses'

"The General Assembly is the PCI family coming together and meeting collectively to discuss and decide matters that are central to the life, mission and direction of the denomination," he said.

"Yet, unprecedented times often call for unprecedented responses to provide for a measure of certainty and continuity."

Mr Gribben said that Churches were not the only organisations "trying to navigate their way through this crisis".

"It is important that we find ways to make the decisions that need to be taken," he said.

"In doing so, we need to ensure that we keep within government guidance, with the emphasis on the health and wellbeing of colleagues, and in the spirit of our longstanding commitment to openness and accountability as a Church."