Details of the opening service of Assembly 2000 have been announced.

The service will be held at 7.30pm at the Adelaide Convention Centre on Saturday, July 15.

During the service Rev Professor James Haire will be installed as the new president of the Uniting Church for the next three years.

The national assembly meeting will be held in Adelaide from July 15 to 22.

Dr Don Hopgood, who is SA ex-moderator and who chairs the Assembly 2000 local arrangements committee, gave three reasons why the convention centre has been chosen.

"First of all, it's central," he said. "Second, it has most of the facilities we require. And, third, it's about the right size."

Don said the committee had considered the Clipsal Powerhouse at Findon for the service.

"But that would mean going to a place that has a capacity of 8,000," he said.

"Even if you partitioned off part of it, the sort of crowd we expect to get would look a bit small in a huge area like that.

"Another possibility was to go to our church with the biggest seating capacity, Kent Town. But it seats only 900 — and we would expect more than twice that.

"So we were looking for a place with a capacity of about 2,000 to 2,200 people — something like that.

"We think that it shouldn't be too difficult to fill and have 2000 people worshipping together, providing the church and the synod really get behind it."

Don said the service would, in some respects, be the most significant service of worship in the SA synod this decade.

"We don’t often have an assembly in South Australia," he said. "And, when we do, it's important we make the most of it for the glory of God."

The committee expects people from all over SA to be part of the service.

"It's an opportunity for the whole of the synod to be together with the assembly."

The business committee is encouraging each congregation to appoint an assembly agent to publicise the assembly and, in particular, the opening service.

"Tickets will be available through the local churches," Don said. "There will be no charge. Nor will there be any number on the ticket. The ticket gets you in. It doesn’t necessarily guarantee you the exact seat you want. But it will be a good seat, wherever you sit.

"We feel that, where people are prepared to take the ticket, that does indicate a commitment to be present. There will of course be a collection during the assembly to defray costs."

Don Hopgood asked for prayer for Assembly 2000.

"The last assembly was, in fact, a testing time for the church. I doubt if the church will be tested quite as much this time, but I could be wrong.

"It’s important that everyone prays for the assembly and that the assembly is led by the Holy Spirit in wisdom.