The General Assembly, noting the recommendation of the Interchurch Relations Committee, and the Committee’s correspondence with the Interchurch Relations Committee of the Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia (PCEA), approve the following draft Act on the revised arrangements for the admission of Ministers, Office-bearers, and Communicant Members from the Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia, and, noting that Act 1, Class 1, 1952 anent Federal Relations with the Free Presbyterian Church of Australia, is a Class 1 Act, pass the revised arrangements as an Overture to Presbytery under the terms of the Barrier Act for the sole purpose of rescinding Act 1, Class 1, 1952:
1.Ministers and Probationers. Ministers and Probationers in the PCEA will be eligible for election to fill a vacancy in a congregation of the Free Church of Scotland on a provisional basis according to the terms of Section D.2.2. of Act 7, Class 2, 2025, anent Filling a Vacancy.
1.1.Application Process. The application for admission to the ministry of the Free Church will follow the process set out in Act 19, Class 2, 2016, as amended by Act 22, Class 2, 2021.
1.2.Presbytery. The application will normally come through the Presbytery, which has jurisdiction over the congregation in which the provisional election has taken place.
2.Eldership. The Free Church of Scotland will recognise the status of Ruling Elders ordained in the PCEA. On their admission into the communicant membership of a congregation of the Free Church, they shall be eligible for election to the office of Elder according to the practice of the Church.
3.Communicant Members. Communicant members of the PCEA will be admitted into the membership of a congregation of the Free Church on the submission of a disjunction certificate showing that they have left a congregation of the PCEA in good standing. In the absence of a disjunction certificate, they will be interviewed by the receiving Kirk Session according to the practice of the Church.
4.Missionaries. In light of the current Global Mission Policy of the Church, and the appointment of full-time missionaries being discontinued, the previous arrangement of recognising Missionaries of the PCEA as our own, and vice versa, is now terminated.
5.Ongoing Interchurch Relations. The Free Church of Scotland will continue interchurch relations with the PCEA in the category of Ecclesiastical Fellowship as such is defined by Act 18, Class 2, 2024, with the exchange of delegates on a regular basis.
6.Repeals. The General Assembly repeal Act 1, Class 1, 1952, anent Federal Relations with the Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia, and the associated Act 7, Class 2, 1984, anent the Name of the Church referred to in Federal Relations Act 1, Class 1, 1952.