This Library contains documents from all recent United Church governance meetings, including General Council and its Executive. It will also soon include “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.
Helpful topics
We believe God is calling The United Church of Canada to deepen its racial justice work by making a clear and unequivocal commitment to becoming an anti-racist denomination. God’s Spirit continues to move in this time, and calls people in the church to respond to ongoing manifestations of racial injustice in church and in society.
This timeline offers an overview of some key moments of anti-racism work in The United Church of Canada.
People in the United Church have developed anti-racism policies and education programs, worked towards reconciliation and Indigenous justice, adopted the Calls to the Church, and created intercultural policies and initiatives.
That the Executive of the General Council approve that: • Before being recognized as a candidate, an inquirer must complete all mandatory trainings required of ministry personnel; and • The following statement be added to the Entering Ministry Handbook in the section “Inquiry and Discernment” to reflect this addition policy
That The Executive of the General Council as part of its response to the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action, and its commitment to reconciliation with Aboriginal Peoples, and in light of previous commitments to racial justice and anti-black racism, name work on identifying and understanding White privilege as important for the church and direct the General Secretary, General Council to appoint a task group to create an education program around White privilege for the church. Included in the terms of reference for the task group would be to develop or identify:
Encourage The United Church of Canada Foundation and direct the Executive of the General Council to take active steps to sell their holdings in the 200 largest fossil fuel companies; Keywords: fossil fuel, fossil fuel divestment
That the 42nd General Council direct the General Secretary, General Council to ask publicly for commitment from the Federal Government that all Canadian communities, including First Nations communities, have access to running potable water by 2018; and encourage The United Church of Canada congregations and members to do likewise.
That the 42nd General Council commit the church to encourage the federal and provincial governments to implement an economy-wide price on greenhouse gas emissions where currently such a price does not exist.
That the 42nd General Council 2015: 1. Support a long-term global emission reduction goal consistent with the Paris agreement; 2. Recognize that a major portion of the Canadian economy produces products that generate carbon emissions such as electricity, transportation, manufacturing, mining, and production of oil and gas; carbon emission, global emission, economy of Canada, renewable energy, energy efficiency, Reducing Carbon Emissions
That the 42nd General Council (2015): a) have the General Secretary, General Council: i) write to the Federal Government expressing The United Church of Canada’s concerns about The Trans Canada Pipeline Energy East project; and, ii) that we encourage each of our pastoral charges to consider launching a letter-writing campaign expressing their concerns about the Trans Canada Pipeline Energy East project to both their Provincial and the Federal Governments.
