Following the Presbyterian Church in Ireland’s (PCI) Special General Assembly last month, the all-Ireland denomination has produced its third edition of The Review – a digital snapshot of the special meeting, which took place in the week before Christmas.
The Special General Assembly was called by PCI’s Moderator, Rt Rev Dr Richard Murray, to discuss specific proposals to address the central safeguarding failures announced publicly by the Church in November, and other related matters.
The eight-page online magazine, which is available on issuu.com, and on PCI’s website, includes news and photos from the meeting. Held in Assembly Buildings in central Belfast and attended by 700 ministers and elders, journalists and over 100 members of the public, The Review’s embedded links also take readers to the report and resolutions that were discussed on the day.
Speaking about the latest edition, Mark Neale, PCI’s Head of Communications, hoped readers would find it informative. “Our first edition was produced within three weeks of the close of the 2024 General Assembly. While it lasted for three days and more business was transacted, this time around, with the Christmas break fast approaching, we managed to write, design, and publish within three working days of the close of the Special Assembly. Given that, I would like to thank everyone on the team who made this possible. So far it has been viewed over 1000 times, which is really encouraging.”
Mr Neale continued, “This edition of The Review provides a brief summary of the business and the key decisions taken at the special assembly. As an organisation which seeks to communicate in an open and transparent way, the front-page headline ‘A repentant Assembly’ sets the scene, and the tone for what took place, as we report on Dr Murray’s opening address in which he apologised, as Moderator, on behalf of PCI to those who have been hurt or harmed as a result of the Church’s central safeguarding failings.”
While the next meeting of the General Assembly has been scheduled for 9-11 June 2026, it was agreed that some of the business discussed at Special General Assembly should be reported back for final agreement to a second Special General Assembly. This will be called by the Moderator prior to the June meeting and is likely to be held on 17 February.
You can read The Review online here.
