The current formulation of the Cost-of-Living Group Assignments (COL) are creating inequities between pastoral charges located in the same city. Final decisions on appeals of COL assignments are made at the General Council Office using third party data, however using the hard data alone has created unhelpful disparities between churches in the same community. There is currently no mechanism for those with local knowledge of their own communities to correct these irregularities.

The situation in Gaza has reached a catastrophic level. Yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu explicitly announced the intention to ethnically cleanse Gaza—a statement that confirms and accelerates what many Palestinian voices have been warning for decades. This comes alongside the weaponization of humanitarian aid, the deliberate starvation of civilians, and the destruction of essential infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, water systems, and homes.