This Library contains documents from all recent United Church governance meetings, including General Council and its Executive. It also includes “Our Beliefs Explained” official policy documents dating back several decades. If you can't find something you think should be included, contact gcbusiness@united-church.ca.
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That the authority of the Executive of the General Council is as set out in The Manual.
Authority of the Executive of the General Council That the authority of the Executive of the General Council is as set out in The Manual.
Rules of order for the GC44 Annual General Meeting.
The Call to Ministry is a sacred trust. The covenant of Ordered Ministry is Celebrated in sacred ceremony. In addition to this covenant, members of the order of ministry are also employees who deserve the rights and privileges of all workers in any station of life.
The 44th General Council asked that a principles-based approach to the United Church’s justice work be developed. A set of principles would govern the church’s responses to historic, current, and emerging social justice issues and enable timely and contextual responses.
We believe God/Jesus Christ/the Holy Spirit is calling the church to recognize the lifelong call to ministry and faithful service in response to that call of many current Designated Lay Ministers. While their practice of ministry is indistinguishable from that of ordered ministers in the eyes of many church members, DLMs have been frustrated, hurt and disappointed at continuing to be limited to appointments and not eligible for call, paid at lower minimum salary schedule than ordered ministers, and retaining no status as ministry personnel between appointments and in retirement in many regional councils.
Since at least 2010, the Manual has stated that ministry personnel not in a call or appointment in a pastoral charge, community of faith, paid accountable ministry, or recognized ministry must be in “formal association” with a pastoral charge/community of faith in order to carry out the “functions of ministry.”
The Pacific Mountain Regional Council is aware that those in ordered ministries have their salaries and benefits continued for 6-months if they die while in ministry. However, this policy does not apply to the General Council staff. Salary and benefits terminate immediately at the time of death.
Ministry personnel who are order of ministry and are appointed to administrative positions in the General Council and regional council offices (Manual section I.1.2.5) retain ministry personnel status and accountability to the Office of Vocation for compliance with the Ethical Standards and Standards of Practice for Ministry Personnel. Appointments to staff positions can be without term; the General Council and regional council offices are considered ministry sites.
We have witnessed in real time genocide against the people of Gaza - an atrocity that has challenged our morality, ethics and ultimately our theology. As we have watched this horror unfold, many have come to realize that the international rules-based order as well as many theological understandings that emerged after World War II now lay in ruin under the rubble of Gaza.
