2009 State Assembly

The 2009 NSW State Assembly will officially open on Monday July 13 in the Keown Theatre at the Presbyterian Ladies’ College in Meta St, Croydon.

It will be officially opened at 7pm in the College's Performing Arts Centre, known as the Audrey Keown Theatre and the new Moderator will be sworn in during the evening. Moderator-elect is the Rev Christie David Balzer, BPharm;BD;MTh.

Dr Rod Yager is the new business convener.

Commission of Assembly meets in November

Presbytery changes

Three Presbyteries have undergone name changes and four have had their boundaries changed, following decisions by the 2008 General Assembly.

Presbyteries affected are Hawkesbury, Sydney North, Sydney South and Illawarra.

The Presbytery of Dubbo is now the Presbytery of the Central West, while the Presbytery of the Murrumbidgee is the Presbytery of the Riverina and the Presbytery of Bathurst the Presbytery of the Central Tablelands.

Meanwhile, the boundaries of the Presbytery of the Hawkesbury have changed. As a result,  Castle Hill becomes part of the Presbytery of Sydney North; Camden, Campbelltown, Ingleburn and Liverpool become part of the Presbytery of Sydney South; and Wollondilly part of the Presbytery of Illawarra.

Photo: Commissioners take a break between sessions of the 2008 General Assembly.

General Assembly 2008

Two hundred and seventy Commissioners including 155 ministers and 115 Elders travelled from throughout NSW and the ACT to attend the 2008 NSW General Assembly at Stanwell Tops in July.

The annual meeting of the “Parliament” of the Church was held as a residential event for only the second time. Apart from debating matters of the Church, highlights included a Cross Cultural Multicultural Dinner organised by Cross Cultural Coordinator Mike Wilson, music groups and six-a-side soccer teams.

Photos from the General Assembly>

Download talks (mp3)>

The Assembly made the following decisions:

• Elected the Rev Bruce Meller, Ministry and Mission Superintendent, as its Moderator.
• Congratulated the Rev AR. Beaton, J.F. Broadhead and E. Hammo, Ministers Emeriti, on the 50th anniversary of their ordination to the ministry.
• Congratulated Mr. W. McLeod, Elder at St. Philip’s, Newcastle, on the 50th anniversary of his ordination to the eldership.
• Welcomed the following new ministers having been inducted into their first parishes, set apart for their first appointment in NSW or granted a seat by the Assembly for the first time-Rev. M.W. Deal (Wingham), M. Glanville (Tregear), M. Ham (Associate Minister at Gosford), D. Haley (Assistant to the Minister at St. Andrew’s, Newcastle), J. Lin (Assistant to the Minister at Burwood Chinese Presbyterian Church), R. Marsh (Defence Force Chaplain), B. Merchant (Grenfell), D. Powell (Associate Minister at Albury), T. Ravenhall (Young), P. Tamsett (Granville-Merrylands Home Mission Station) and N. Zakhary (Arabic Evangelical Toongabbie).
• Remembered the following former members of the Assembly who had passed away-Rev. C.M. Moulton, Minister Emeritus, F.G. Hollands, Minister Emeritus, Messrs R. Beasley, former Assembly Elder, H.I.M. MacFarlane, A.M., former General Secretary of the Presbyterian Church in NSW, J.C. Mackillop, O.A.M., former employee of Church Offices and Assembly Elder.