That the Assembly:

25.1 reaffirm the centrality of reading and studying the Bible for the enhancement of every aspect of the life of the Uniting Church;

25.2 commend the report to congregations and presbyteries for prayerful consideration and action;

25.3 encourage synods and presbyteries to ensure that :

(a) lay people, wherever possible, take advantage of the wide range of courses available in theological colleges and lay education units, many of which courses can be accessed by correspondence,

(b) students undertaking the period of discernment be nurtured in their development of biblical understanding,

(c) ministers give priority to biblical studies in their continuing education programmes.

25.4 request all members, congregations and councils of the church to consider prayerfully and use the resources produced and noted by the Task Group; these resources include, but need not be limited to:

(a) the Bible study published as a companion to the report;

(b) the book of papers written for the Task Group or identified by it as useful insights into the use and understanding of Scripture;

(c) the Disciple materials produced by the United Methodist Church in the USA;

(d) the materials listed in the Appendix to the report;

25.5 recognising that the matters raised in the report involve a continuing process, refer them to Theology and Discipleship for ongoing attention; Theology and Discipleship may well consider the desirability of sponsoring a consultation of biblical scholars and theologians in the Uniting Church, to be held in the next three years, with a view to providing further advice to the Assembly.

Rationale:
See report C29.