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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Life is a gift from God and elicits our respect, awe and reverence. We are one Earth community, one human family and we share one destiny. We cherish and respect the rich diversity of life and celebrate the beauty of the Earth. For us, as members of one family, love and caring are the basis of our relationships with one another and with nature. The Earth community is a sacred trust. We recognize God's call to live in harmony with this total community, to draw on the Earth's sustenance responsibly, and to care for it that all may benefit equitably now and in the future.
Energy is integral to God's creation. Sources ranging from fossil fuels to the sun are transformed into the physical energy used by human societies. Nutritional elements combine with water and air to give our bodies the biological energy to maintain life. Our relationships with God, the natural world, and other people provide us with the spiritual energy to thrive.
The 34th General Council agrees to adopt the following statement on environment and development. Keywords: Ecology, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Consumerism, environmentalism, greenhouse gases, greenhouse effect, global warming
The Anti-Racism Implementation Working Group was to serve as a resource group to develop an implementation plan for the vision and priorities in the DMC's Anti-Racism Task Group Report, and to evaluate ongoing work.
The United Church of Canada has recently declared its commitment to working towards the elimination of racism. The way in which we begin to put this commitment into action is the subject of this policy statement.
The 34th General Council calls upon the Government of Canada and all provincial and territorial administrations to ensure the enshrinement of a social charter in the Constitution of Canada; that this charter guarantee access to basic social, health care, and economic services regardless of gender, ability, race, age, sexual orientation or place of residency; and with a commitment from the federal government to the maintenance of national standards and federal funding to achieve the goals of such a charter.
WHEREAS "the needs of the poor have priority over the wants of the rich" because "the way our society treats the poor and oppressed is, for us, a test of God's redeeming presence and of human justice" (30th General Council); and WHEREAS "we must ensure that advances in biotechnology respect the integrity of creation, and that such advances do not give power to the few at the expense of the many" (31st General Council); and WHEREAS "we are one Earth community, one human family and we share one destiny" and "we recognize God's call to live in harmony with this total community, to draw on the Earth's sustenance responsibly, and to care for it that all may benefit equitably now and in the future" (34th General Council); and
The General Council needs to appoint one member to serve the duration of a term on the General Council Executive for a vacancy that has arisen since the last General Council Annual meeting.
WHEREAS the development of nuclear and other weapons of mass and indiscriminate destruction compromise Christian discipleship by making it impossible for Christians to fulfil their calling to be neighbour to one another and gardener to the creation; and
COMMEND those provinces which have established a comprehensive health services plan and urge those provinces which do not yet have such a plan to provide one as quickly as possible;
