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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WHEREAS the ministry and compassion of Jesus was extended to the marginalized, as seen in Luke 10:25-37, when Jesus was asked “Who is my neighbour?” by a teacher of the law and he answered him by telling the parable of the Good Samaritan; and WHEREAS the AIDS crisis challenges us profoundly to be the church as a healing community; and WHEREAS as a member of the World Council of Churches, the United Church is called upon to:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the 63rd Annual Meeting of the British Columbia Conference of The United Church of Canada petition the General Council to urge the Canadian Government to: 1 Rescind its endorsement of the marketing guidelines of the Canadian Infant Formula Association; and 2 Communicate this request to the Hon. Jake Epp, Minister of National Health and Welfare; 3 Urge congregations to write their member of parliament to affirm the request in No. 1.
THAT the 31st General Council reaffirm The United Church of Canada position opposing all forms of advertising of beverage alcohol, and that the national Division of Mission in Canada again communicate this position to the federal and appropriate provincial and territorial governments.
SUPPORT all efforts to discourage smoking in work places, public buildings and all forms of public transportation, and ask local congregations to encourage and support such efforts in their communities;
The termination of the boycott was reported, and the action of the Division in October 1984 communicated. The Executive of General Council agreed to: 1 ENDORSE the International Nestle Boycott Committee (INBC) to terminate the current boycott of Nestle; 2 CELEBRATE the success of this seven-year campaign to change a major multinational company’s aggressive practices in marketing infant formula in the Third World, which contributed to severe malnutrition for many infants;
WHEREAS the use of illicit drugs continues to be a serious problem of epidemic proportions among our youth; and WHEREAS marijuana and the other cannabis products are the major entry drugs into the drug culture and drug dependence;
The General Council called on the governments of Canada (provincial and federal) to enact immediately legislation banning all alcohol advertising through the media; and, further, to challenge the members of the church to examine their own use of alcoholic beverages. Keywords: Alcohol, Liquor, Advertising
As Amended by the Executive Council of the General Council, November 1989. Preamble As Christians we wish to affirm: The sanctity of human life, born or unborn. That life is much more that physical existence.
WHEREAS we are concerned about the effect of alcohol on unborn babies, specifically: -a complex of growth deficiencies, -physical malformation, -mental retardation known as the fetal alcohol syndrome;
Theological Approach Dependency God through incarnation in Jesus Christ has affirmed that in our humanity we should “have life and have it abundantly”-that we are created in God’s image. Nurtured by Christ’s spirit and strengthened by God’s means of grace, we are given confidence to cope with the complexities of living. In this way we develop a healthy dependency upon our own inner resources and also upon loving and supportive human relationships. When confidence in God, others and ourselves is seriously eroded we tend to become susceptible to pressures and substances that interfere with the development of our wholeness.
