Shortest Assembly for 40 years

Rather than running for five days and nights from Monday July 5 to Friday July 9,  the 2010 PCNSW General Assembly finished just after lunch on the Thursday – a very unusual phenomenon, according to Assembly Clerk Paul Logan.

Below: Clerk Paul Logan addresses the Assembly.

“The only short Assembly I can remember was in 1971 when the Rev CM Dyster, then Clerk of Assembly, was Moderator,” Dr Logan said.

“Actual attendance this year was about the same as usual, although there were a considerable number of apologies because of illness and school holidays, but I think that one of the reasons the assembly finished early this year was because, apart from an appeal, there weren’t any real contentious matters.

“Another reason was that the Wednesday night session was devoted to business rather than to other activities. Also, there were only 34 Notices of Motion this year, which is down on the normal number.”

But there could be another, less palatable reason for the speediness of the Assembly. “I would like to think that the Assembly was short this year because everything is running smoothly,” Dr Logan said.

“But I wonder sometimes whether there is a great apathy and lethargy in the church and that many people do not consider the church as a whole but only their own little corner.

See also: Committee Reports, Resolutions & Photo Gallery. 
Also download the expositions (David Balzer) and communion sermon (Matt Oates) (MP3)