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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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.
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, responding to the ethical imperative of our faith as expressed in the social policies of The United Church of Canada, and commitments to partnership and right relations including support for free, prior and informed consent, instructs the General Secretary to communicate to The United Church of Canada Pension Board (UCCPB) that the will of the church is to divest of its shares in Goldcorp and make public that divestment.
That the 41st General Council 2012, in order to continue the work of the Beaconsfield Initiative in the Cordillera region in the Philippines, direct the Executive of the General Council and General Secretary, General Council to:
