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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Inspired by God, we are Christ’s people in Bermuda and Nova Scotia, loving each other, following Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit.
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.
The Office of Vocation’s purpose is to “support faithful, well-equipped, effective ministry personnel,” from initial discernment of a potential call to ministry through formation for ministry, the practice of ministry, and into retirement stages. The Board of Vocation is the elected member body which oversees the Office of Vocation, honouring and living into intercultural mission and ministry.
It has been an exciting and challenging time between 2022 and 2025, as the Canadian Shield Regional Council (CSRC) continues to transform from three parts of the church, who had been neighbours structurally. This new northern region has moved from introducing ourselves to becoming partners in ministry as a Northern region.
Whatever our ancestors imagined on June 10, 1925, it was likely not what our experience is today. But, perhaps we sell them short. Even a quick read of our history outlines that there were early champions for some of the qualities that have come to define us, such as inclusivity and being justice-seeking, and there were early critics on matters we have come to regret, such as our participation in residential schools. The seeds of our future can be found in our past.
Since our last report in 2022, Chinook Winds Regional Council has continued to flourish as a dynamic and faithful expression of the United Church of Canada. We are embracing a season of vitality, innovation, and courageous discipleship. Inspired by the vision in Ezekiel 47, we are witnessing new life springing up across our region—in congregations daring to begin again, in the leadership of bold young people, and in ministries rooted in justice and reconciliation.
In a societal context that prides itself culturally as a secular one, the Conseil régional Nakonha:ka Regional Council is working to push boundaries, speak to a society that has all but forgotten about faith, navigate a hostile government, live out our prophetic call as a justice-seeking people, research and innovate in every possible way, while supporting our communities of faith that face enormous challenges, in both of Canada’s official languages. We’re constantly looking for ways to ignite creativity and imagine the church of the future. In many respects, our secular context has a 10-year head start on the future in comparison with most of the rest of Canada. We need to be bold and daring. What have we got to lose?
The United Church of Canada has historically supported compassionate end-of-life choices, including Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID). However, with the expansion of MAID legislation in Canada, there is a need for the church to deepen its theological understanding and pastoral support for individuals seeking MAID under Tract Two.
Inspired by the General Council’s strategic plan, the East Central Ontario Regional Council created its own strategic plan to navigate the challenging context in which it finds itself. The focus on equity, justice and innovation continues to be at the heart of its work. Like so many others, we face challenges finding sufficient ministry personnel, assisting congregations through transitions and anxiety, and navigating a future that is not yet clear. We continue to be a hopeful, engaged regional council with a desire to build the world that God calls us to co-create.
We are called to be the church, united and diverse, supporting and holding one another accountable. The combination of structural change and COVID-19 have left many feeling isolated, partly due to the lack of structures that support informal information sharing.
