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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THAT we urge the Government of Canada to ensure that female circumcision and sexual orientation be identified as a ground for gender persecution as outlined in the Immigration and Refugee Board guidelines.
BE IT RESOLVED THAT the 35th General Council ask the Division of Mission in Canada to write a letter of support to the Government of Canada for the work now in progress on preparing gender persecution guidelines.
The 34th General Council agrees to 1. urge the Division of Mission in Canada to: compile available studies and evaluate the housing conditions and difficulties of single women on fixed income and single senior a. women (e.g. Maritime Conference study); b. make available the report of this study within the appropriate courts of the church; and 2. request the Government of Canada, on behalf of those in need, to re-establish the funding of cooperative housing proje
BE IT RESOLVED 1. that the 34th General Council adopt the definitions for sexual abuse, sexual harassment, sexual assault, sexual exploitation, child abuse and pastoral sexual misconduct found in the revised document entitled “Sexual Abuse: (Harassment, Exploitation, Pastoral Sexual Misconduct, Assault) and Child Abuse,” for use in all courts of The United Church of Canada.
The 34th General Council urges the Government of Canada to immediately amend the Canadian Human Rights Act to include sexual orientation as a prohibited ground for discrimination.
From October 1989 to the end of 1990, the United Church was involved in the study of the document The Authority and Interpretation of Scripture (referred to as the Study Document in this report). As the statistics show, in terms of the sheer numbers of persons involved and responses received, it has been one of the most extensive church studies. People came to the study with different levels of energy and spiritual expressions and with a variety of expectations and assumptions. A participant in one Conference event spoke for many involved in the study when she said, “People came…looking for a garden ready to harvest but were given dirt and tools.” It is a good metaphorical description; what we offer as a report reflects the labour of many Christian people, at home and abroad, who were not afraid to plough in with hope of a good harvest.
That the 32nd General Council receive the report Toward A Christian Understanding of Sexual Orientations, Lifestyles and Ministry along with the Dissenting Statements, as fulfilling the mandate given by the 30th General Council, 1984. [ROP 1988, page 96]
In 1988, the United Church’s 32nd General Council made two decisions about sexual orientation, church membership and leadership. General Council declared that:
Be it resolves that having heard Petitions 534, 535, 536, 539, 540, 541, and 542, and in the light of Resolution 91; that 1. The 31st General Council affirm the freedom of worship within The United Church of Canada and encourage a more broadly inclusive community by the use of a variety of human and other metaphors, images and pronouns for God in church documents, worship and liturgy.
WE AFFIRM that our sexuality is a gift of God. In its life-enhancing, non-exploitive forms it is a primary way of relating to ourselves and to one another, and is the way God has chosen to continue the human race. We acknowledge that human sexuality, like all other aspects of human nature is affected and distorted by human sinfulness. We recognize the ambiguity of human nature and therefore of human sexuality. “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)
