PACT Minutes – May 2023

Highlights..

1.  From St Leonard’s – the Jambouree Choir are presenting a “Summer Music Box” on Sunday June 11th at 3pm;  tickets are £10 and include refreshments.   All welcome.

2. From St Ninian’s Cathedral – the Provost Very Rev. Hunter Farquharson has intimated that he will be retiring at the end of July this year, and we send him best wishes for his retirement.

3.   St Matthew’s Church will be hosting art exhibitions during the summer months, and will be pleased to see anyone who cares to drop by!

If there is any more news which needs sharing, do get in touch, and I will circulate it.

And should anyone wish to contact our speaker Jo Middlemiss, to hear more about the Ethiopia Medical Project, please visit their website:   www.ethiopiamedicalproject.com


Minutes of the AGM of Perth Action of Churches Together held on Tuesday May 30th 2023 in St John’s C Catholic Church Hall, Melville Street, at 7.30p.m.

Welcome:   Convener Jenny Dawson welcomed everyone to our AGM, and introduced Jo Middlemiss, who shared her experiences of founding and supporting the Ethiopia Medical Project. She was thanked for her interesting and informative talk. Following her talk, we proceeded to hold our AGM.

Present:  Jenny Dawson (Convener), Lorna Ferguson, Kelvin Bristol and 15 others.  

Apologies had been received from Lis Burke, Hamish Breckenridge, Rev. Gordon Campbell, Jamie Gardner, Liz Hood, Barbara Saunders, Andrew Symon and Jean Young.

The Minutes of the 2022 AGM, were accepted as a correct record.   

Matters arising: there were none.

Convener’s Report:  Jenny Dawson reflected on the  meetings held in the  past year, her first as Convener. She mentioned the different areas in which PACT had had an impact – the Warm Spaces initiative in churches, the Advent Parade and the Walk of Witness in the city centre, worshipping together at the Christmas Carol service and Easter Dawn service.   In addition she had enjoyed attending the Scottish Episcopal Synod, where she met with others from ecumenical groups. We were sorry to lose Kathryn and Andrew Howe, who were posted by the Salvation Army from Perth to Lochgelly in the spring.   In conclusion, Jenny said she was struck by the many and various examples of practical Christianity  with which PACT churches had been, and continued to be, involved, such as CATH, the Prison Visitor Centre and Foodbank, Shawl Ministry and Street Pastors.

Treasurer’s report:    Lorna Ferguson presented the accounts.  Our current balance stands at £8,271, of which £4,136 is ring-fenced from the Jean Morley Fund. It was agreed that there should be no requests for subscriptions this coming year, in light of our healthy bank balance.

Grateful thanks were offered once again to John Dewar who independently examined the accounts, and who has agreed to continue in this role for a further year. 

The accounts were accepted by the meeting.

Marjorie Clark pointed out that, while the Christmas Carol service had raised £1187, only £800 of that has been distributed, (£400 each to Salvation Army and Starter Packs).  The residue had been earmarked for Warm Spaces, but this was not required;  she suggested that, in light of what we had earlier from our speaker, we donate £400 to the Ethiopia Medical Project, which suggestion received unanimous approval.

Elections:  Jenny Dawson has agreed to continue as Convener with Andrew Symon as Vice-Convener; both were unanimously elected.  Marjorie Clark and Lorna Ferguson agreed to continue as Secretary and Treasurer respectively.  

Intimations: Various intimations were given of upcoming events in the different churches  – these would  be circulated by e-mail following the meeting.   

AOB:  One comment was made that the Easter Dawn service this year was quite short, and should have had more hymns. This point was noted by the group who plan the service, for future reference.

There being no further business, thanks were expressed to St John’s for hosting our AGM, and for the refreshments enjoyed at the start of the meeting.

The meeting closed with the sharing of the saying of the Grace.