To the Venerable, the General Assembly of The Presbyterian Church in Canada:

WHEREAS, the 144th General Assembly referred the matter of Gracious Dismissal to the Assembly Council (p. 36, 2018 AP); and

WHEREAS, the Assembly Council’s terms of reference include the obligation to “assist the General Assembly in making responsible decisions by ensuring that both the Council, and the Assembly, have before them all the information that is needed and that is pertinent to the matter in hand in order to make a wise decision” (p. 5, Assembly Council Terms of Reference Booklet); and

WHEREAS, the Assembly Council’s terms of reference also includes the obligation to “provide the broadest possible viewpoint on proposed changes in policy direction” (p. 5, Assembly Council Terms of Reference Booklet); and

WHEREAS, the Assembly Council belatedly created the Gracious Dismissal committee in March 2019 (a full 9 months after the meeting of the 144th General Assembly adjourned) thereby failing to engage the Gracious Dismissal issue with the due diligence appropriate to direction from a duly elected General Assembly deserves (pp. 1358, 1360, Assembly Council Minutes); and

WHEREAS, in November 2019, the Assembly Council approved the Gracious Dismissal committee’s terms of reference which included a final report to be presented to the Assembly council in March 2020 (pp. 1360-1361, Assembly Council Minutes); and

WHEREAS, the final report of the Gracious Dismissal Committee was circulated in March 2020 in time for the scheduled March 2020 Assembly Council meeting (p. 1361, Assembly Council Minutes); and

WHEREAS, the March 2020 Assembly Council meeting was cancelled as a result of COVID-19 protocols in place at that time (p. 1361, Assembly Council Minutes); and WHEREAS, the final report of the Gracious Dismissal Committee was not put on the agenda of Assembly Council until October 2020 (p. 1361, Assembly Council Minutes); and

WHEREAS, no response was offered to the Gracious Dismissal Committee’s report from February 2020 until the October 27, 2020 meeting of Assembly Council despite several invitations to do so from the Gracious Dismissal Committee (pp. 1361, Assembly Council Minutes); and

WHEREAS, on October 27, 2020, the Assembly Council decided not to receive the report of the Gracious Dismissal Committee until at least after the General Assembly has dealt with Remits B and C, 2019 (p. 1357, Assembly Council Minutes); and

WHEREAS, the decision to not receive the report from the Gracious Dismissal Committee effectively shuts down the conversation around this important issue; and

WHEREAS, this is in direct violation of Assembly Council’s obligation to “assist the General Assembly in making responsible decisions by ensuring that both the Council, and the Assembly, have before them all the information that is needed and that is pertinent to the matter in hand in order to make a wise decision”; and

WHEREAS, this is also in direct violation of Assembly Council’s obligation to “provide the broadest possible viewpoint on proposed changes in policy direction”; and

WHEREAS, this is also in direct violation of Assembly Council’s obligation to thoughtfully and thoroughly respond to the direction given to it by the 144th General Assembly; and

WHEREAS, the Assembly Council has, therefore, been derelict in its duty to follow the directions given to it by the duly elected and constituted 144th General Assembly;

THEREFORE the Presbytery of Essex Kent humbly overtures the 146th General Assembly of The Presbyterian Church in Canada to receive and to thoughtfully and prayerfully consider the report of the Gracious Dismissal Committee; Or to do otherwise as the General Assembly in its wisdom may deem best.