The General Council shapes the life of the church, holds the church’s relationships with partners in Canada and around the globe, and strengthens the church for faithful witness and service. It is the decision-making body for the United Church as both a denomination and a legal corporation, responsible for matters such as doctrine, worship, and governance, as well as for denomination-shaping issues relating to public witness. (See The Manual, Section D.2. for more detail).
General Councils are referred to by numbers. In 2025, the United Church will open the 45th General Council. With the exception of 2022, when the pandemic necessitated an online session, the General Council opens with an in-person meeting with an option for online participation. The General Council has a three-year term, and in the subsequent two years, the General Council met annually online. The in-person meeting is hosted by a regional council, the middle level of decision-making in the church, and alternates between central and eastern or western Canada.
The members of General Council are called Commissioners. There are 260 Commissioners in total with 204 being elected by regional councils. The presiding officer of each regional council also is a Commissioner. The National Indigenous Organization chooses 15 Commissioners. Remaining Commissioners are selected by office or to ensure the diversity of the General Council.
In its membership, the General Council reflects the denomination from coast to coast to coast while also making space for voices not always included, ensuring that its decisions may benefit from diverse input.
The General Council Office carries out the work directed to it by the General Council under the oversight of the General Secretary (see next section).