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 the 40th General Council 2009 direct the General Secretary, General Council, to: 1. encourage congregations to significantly reduce their environmental footprint
That the General Council, through the General Secretary, General Council, ask the Government of Canada, in particular the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrifoods, to carefully re-examine the proposals in Bill C-33 by conducting a comprehensive study of bio-fuel production which includes public consultations about the environmental and social impacts of bio-fuel production before establishing definite strategies with regard to mandating ethanol percentages in automotive fuels.
That the 40th General Council 2009 approve taking the actions requested in the following proposals, and direct the Executive of the General Council either: to take such actions; or where action is required by another body or officer, to oversee the implementation of such action.
That the 40th General Council 2009 direct the General Secretary, General Council, to urge federal, provincial and territorial governments to invest in wind and other forms of renewable energy immediately, in an amount comparable to other western nations.
encourage all congregations of The United Church of Canada to welcome transgender people into membership, ministry, and full participation Keywords: Transgender, human rights, gender identity, sexual orientation
That the 40th General Council 2009 1. Record its convictions that a just peace in the Middle East will require: · The denunciation of Human Rights abuses committed by Israel and Palestine, as documented by Amnesty International and the United Nations, that will result in Member States of the United Nations taking subsequent, appropriate actions; · That the occupation and siege of Gaza by Israel cease, requiring the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza;
In 2006, The United Church of Canada committed itself to becoming an intercultural1 church. In “A Transformative Vision for The United Church of Canada,” approved at the 39th General Council, the church declared that intercultural dimensions of ministries [will] be a denominational priority in living out its commitment to racial justice, where there is mutually respectful diversity and full and equitable participation of all Aboriginal, francophone, ethnic minority, and ethnic majority constituencies in the total life, mission, and practices of the whole church.” The church affirmed that this commitment will be a process — a prayerful journey of transformation — affecting all areas of the church’s life. The Executive of General Council, in 2007, reaffirmed intercultural ministries as a denominational priority for the church. The vision of an intercultural church calls all to move toward becoming mutually welcoming and racially just communities, and calls all people to be changed.
ROP of the United Church's 40th Council, August 9-15, 2009, Kelowna, British Columbia.
Ours is a broad vision of The United Church of Canada as a Church called to live out a renewed understanding of the Gospel in our contemporary context.
Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel used to tell the story that when God, the Holy One, gets up in the morning, God gathers the angels of heaven around and asks this simple question: "Where does my creation need mending today?" And then Rabbi Heschel would continue, "Theology consists of worrying about what God worries about when God gets up in the morning."
