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.
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That the Executive of the General Council Receive "A Moment of Truth: A word of faith, hope and love from the heart of the Palestinian suffering"—the KAIROS Palestine document—as an authentic voice of Palestinian Christians and offer the document and responses to it to United Church Conferences, presbyteries, congregations, and community ministries to use in their ongoing consultation, dialogue, study, and prayer as adopted by the 40th General Council 2009 in part six (6) of its implementation of Measures Towards Peace in the Middle East.
The 40th General Council that met in Kelowna, British Columbia, in August 2009 approved a motion to add to the Doctrine section currently in the Basis of Union three other doctrinal statements that General Councils of the United Church have approved since 1925. Those three statements are the Statement of Faith (1940), A New Creed (adopted in 1968; revised in 1980 and again in 1994), and A Song of Faith (2006). For this proposed action to take place, the General Council authorized remits, which are votes by presbyteries and, in this case, also by pastoral charges, on whether to add some or all of these three statements to the Doctrine section of the Basis of Union. This background document is intended to help your pastoral charge’s session, church board, or church council as you prepare to vote on whether to include these other doctrinal statements in the Basis of Union.
Declare that in matters respecting doctrine, worship, membership and governance, The United Church of Canada is opposed to discrimination against any person on the basis of age, ancestry, colour, disability, ethnic origin, gender identity, language, marital status, place of origin, race, sexual orientation, socio-economic status or any other basis by which a person is devalued
That the 40th General Council 2009 approve taking the actions requested in the following proposals, and direct the Executive of the General Council either: to take such actions; or where action is required by another body or officer, to oversee the implementation of such action.
That the 40th General Council 2009, through the General Secretary, General Council, request the Government of Canada and the provincial and territorial governments to encourage, to support, and to provide financial incentives and subsidies to alternative and environmentally friendly sources of energy, and subsidies to the uranium/nuclear industry be limited to only medical and peaceful initiatives; and call on members and adherents of The United Church of Canada congregations to write their members of parliament to express the same desire.
That the 40th General Council 2009 direct the General Secretary, General Council, to: 1. encourage congregations to significantly reduce their environmental footprint
That the General Council, through the General Secretary, General Council, ask the Government of Canada, in particular the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrifoods, to carefully re-examine the proposals in Bill C-33 by conducting a comprehensive study of bio-fuel production which includes public consultations about the environmental and social impacts of bio-fuel production before establishing definite strategies with regard to mandating ethanol percentages in automotive fuels.
That the 40th General Council 2009 direct the General Secretary, General Council, to urge federal, provincial and territorial governments to invest in wind and other forms of renewable energy immediately, in an amount comparable to other western nations.
encourage all congregations of The United Church of Canada to welcome transgender people into membership, ministry, and full participation Keywords: Transgender, human rights, gender identity, sexual orientation
