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People and organizations
Corporate body · 1972-2001

Until 1976, first as an Associate Secretary and then as Secretary, Garth Legge had responsibility for Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America. James A. Kirkwood first reported as Associate Secretary for Africa in 1977, with Garth Legge continuing to have responsibility for the Caribbean and Latin America. From 1988 to 1993, Paula J. Butler and Jim Kirkwood shared the roles of Africa Area Secretaries, followed by Omega Bula and Paula Butler (1994-1995), Omega Bula and Lee Holland (1996-2002). Under the major reorganization of 2002, work related to Africa was moved to the Justice, Global and Ecumenical Relations Unit.

Corporate body · 1972-2001

The Asia Area comprised of Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, India, Nepal, and Taiwan in 1972 but the boundaries were continually altered since that time. E. Frank Carey, an Associate Secretary and then Deputy Secretary, was responsible for Asia until 1984. In 1985 the Asia and Pacific Area Secretary first reported; at times the responsibilities for this area were divided between two Area Secretaries--for East Asia, and for South Asia and Pacific. During this period cooperation with other churches (both native and foreign) and mutuality in mission were important. Area Secretaries for East Asia 1985 have included Rhea M. Whitehead, 1984-1991 and Nancy (Nan) Hudson, 1992-2000 while Jack G. Lakavich, 1988-1995 and Bruce Gregersen, 1996-2001 have served as Area Secretaries for South Asia and Pacific.

Corporate body · 1971-2001

Garth Legge, first as an Associate Secretary and then as Secretary, was responsible for Africa, the Carribbean, and Latin America until 1977 when an Associate Secretary for Africa first reported. He continued to have responsibility for the Caribbean and Latin America Area until 1983. From 1984-2002 the Area was the responsibility of an Associate Secretary (1984) or Area Secretary (from 1985). Associate Secretaries were Rev. Thomas C. Edmonds, 1984-1990; Rev. Christopher Ferguson, 1991-1998 and Jim Hodgson, 2000-2001. Under the major reorganization of 2002, work related to Caribbean and Latin America was moved to the Justice, Global and Ecumenical Relations Unit.

Corporate body · 1971-2001

In 1972, the General Council authorized the creation of a portfolio under administration of the Division of World Outreach on Research and Education in Interfaith Relations and International Understanding. The name of the portfolio changed in 1976 to Interfaith Dialogue when the terms of reference were altered to exclude international affairs, and to give more emphasis to education and promotion of interfaith exchanges. The mandate, simply stated, was "to develop community through dialogue with people of other faiths within and beyond Canada." The Secretary had six main areas of responsibility: initiating dialogues between people of different faiths; representing the Division in Canada and abroad in discussions about interfaith encounters; interpreting dialogue concerns to the Church; providing and disseminating resource materials; extending dialogue into cognate areas of human rights; and doing appropriate research. The Secretary began serving ex-officio as a member of the General Council Committee on Inter-Church and Inter-Faith Relations in 1980. New terms of reference, instituted in 1988, charged the Secretary with the task of devising ways to promote interfaith dialogue at the congregational level in concert with the General Council and Conference Inter-Church and Inter-Faith committees. James F. Seunarine was Secretary from 1974 to 1980. He was succeeded by John H. Berthrong who served from 1980 to 1989. Paul W. Newman served from 1990-1993, and Bruce Gregersen from 1995-2001.

Corporate body

When the work of the Board of World Mission became part of the Division of World Outreach the responsibilities held by two committees under the General Council, the Committee on World Development and Relief and the Committee on Overseas Relief and Inter-Church Aid, were made one under the Division of World Outreach and called the Committee on World Development, Service and Relief, in 1972. The Committee was overseen by a Secretary of the World Development Service and Relief Committee (Glenna Graham, 1976-1979), then an Associate Secretary, Development (Glenna Graham, 1979-1982); then, Development Secretary (Lee Holland, 1986-1996).

In a unit reorganization in 1997, work re development was folded into Education for Engagement, which brought together and integrated the educational work of three former DWO Committees (Development, Interfaith, Mission Education) as part of the implementation of the recommendations of the Division’s Strategic Work Task Group.

Corporate body · 1997-2001

In a unit reorganization in 1997, work re development was folded into Education for Engagement, which brought together and integrated the educational work of three former DWO Committees (Development, Interfaith, Mission Education) as part of the implementation of the recommendations of the Division’s Strategic Work Task Group.

The mandate of the Education for Engagement Committee was to ensure the implementation of the Division’s mandate for education for engagement of The United Church of Canada’s community in global partnerships, or, supporting the Division’s commitment to find ways to enable the whole of the United church to better participate in global partnership.

Educational work of the Division was meant to enrich the understanding and practice of partnership, integrate the whole of the United Church more completely in the partnerships the Division maintained and respond to local initiatives in that regard, facilitate people-to-people exchanges, south/south, south/north and north/south, and deepen commitment to the support of systemic justice.

Work of the Cluster: globalization, the Canadian Jubilee Initiative, twinning, Face to Face, Faith to Faith, Interfaith Reference Group, Mission Study, Moral Economy, urgent action, responses to emergencies, emergency appeals, ecumenical coalitions, gender justice and partnership.

In 2002, the Division of World Outreach work was absorbed by the newly created Justice Global and Ecumenical Relations Unit. Work continued in the People in Mission Unit.

Corporate body · 1958-1971

The Committee on Ecumenical Affairs was established by General Council in 1958 to cultivate an understanding of the ecumenical movement and its relevance to the United Church. Through participation in the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches, as well as through direct contact with several Canadian churches and coalitions, the Committee promoted interdenominational cooperation with other Christian denominations and later, other faiths. At the November meeting of the General Council Executive in 1969 the Committee on Ecumenical Affairs submitted the following recommendation: That the work of the following four committees – Ecumenical Affairs, Committee on Union, Protestant-Roman Catholic Relations, Joint Committees of Seven (Presbyterian-United Church) be subsumed into one Committee which would assume the present responsibilities of each Committee and that its name be “The Committee on Inter-Church and Inter-Faith Relations”. The Committee was superseded by the Committee on Inter-Church and Inter-Faith Relations in 1971.

Corporate body · 1971-2009

At the November meeting of the General Council Executive in 1969 the Committee on Ecumenical Affairs submitted the following recommendation: That the work of the following four committees – Ecumenical Affairs, Committee on Union, Protestant-Roman Catholic Relations, Joint Committees of Seven (Presbyterian-United Church) be subsumed into one Committee which would assume the present responsibilities of each Committee and that its name be “The Committee on Inter-Church and Inter-Faith Relations”. The Committee was superseded by the Committee on Inter-Church and Inter-Faith Relations in 1971.

The Purpose of the Committee, as stated in 1971, was to “challenge the Church to a vision of ecumenism which includes the whole inhabited world. The committee shall encourage, support, enable, and hold the Church accountable to its role as a sign of reconciliation and renewal among human communities at both the local and global levels. The Committee shall constantly remind the whole church that ecumenism is not an option, but rather, an integral part of its life and witness.”

1933-

The Judicial Committee was established in April, 1933; it was to sit at the request of the Moderator and decide on appeals of decisions by the General Council and its Executive, the Boards or Division of the Church, and the Conferences and Presbyteries, on matters of law and jurisdiction. Its decision are binding on the parties involved in an appeal until the following General Council either approves or returns the decision for the further study to the committee. Appeals to the Committee include those of ministers over transfer and removal from charges, and interpretation of The Manual and Basis of Union regarding church property, doctrine, powers of church courts and other varied matters.

1968-

The Committee on Nominations was proposed by a study committee in 1968. The Committee was an attempt to expand the process of finding suitable candidates for the several committees and commissions appointed by the General Council, by inviting representatives of the Conferences and the Church at large to participate. The Committee was responsible for compiling biographical and other information on prospective candidates, and also for the appointment of members of the Judicial Committee and other standing committees of General Council. The Committee reports to the Executive of the General Council.

Corporate body · 2003-2011

The Committee is one of the four committees of the Executive of the General Council that was established after the restructuring of General Council divisions in 2001. It is responsible for overseeing and monitoring the financial life and policies of the General Council, including assets, income, expenditures, considerations of its short- and long-term financial issues, risk management, and investment and fund management; overseeing the long-term financial planning of the General Council; recommending the overall expenditure and income budget to the Executive; monitoring income, expenditures, assets, liabilities, and capital initiatives and reporting them regularly to the Executive and; recommending financial strategies.

The Permanent Committee on Finance is made up of 9 to 12 voting members reflecting the gender, race, ethnic, age, vocation, and geographical diversity of The United Church of Canada and three voting members of the Executive of the General Council. The General Council Officer for Finance is the staff resource to the committee.
Corporate body · 2003-2008

The Permanent Committee on Governance Planning and Budgeting Processes (PC-GPBP) was one of the four Permanent Committees set up to assist the General Council Executive in it’s work. The Committee was charged with assisting the Executive to develop it’s governance, planning and budgeting processes. It created and recommended strategies or processes through which the Executive could carry out its governance planning and budgeting roles. Specifically, it reviewed work coming before the Executive; ensured planning with the committees and units was held up and came to the Executive in a coherent, integrated and manageable form; co-ordinated and presented policy recommendations; ensured accountability for delegated tasks; made decisions as delegated in the area assigned and delegated other functions to Working Units, sub-committees or other task groups; ensured and modelled the principle of collaboration between staff and elected members; carried out other functions as requested and advised and guided the Executive on matters relevant to its mandate.

This committee was a Permanent Committee of the General Council from 2003-2008 at which point a new Terms of Reference was adopted and most work of the Committee moved to the Committee on Governance and Agenda.

Corporate body · 2002-

This committee brings to the Executive integrated recommendations on the program life of the church, including work to support justice and global initiatives, congregations and ministries, and our diverse and intercultural ministries. It was established in 2002 as successor to some of the work of the Divisions of World Outreach, Division of Mission in Canada and the Division of Communication.

The committee is responsible for coordinating and integrating the directions and priorities set by the Executive for program work, including resource production and distribution; maintaining connections with education and outreach personnel and with appropriate committees throughout the church; bringing to the Executive coherent, integrated and manageable recommendations on program priorities; ensuring that resources in keeping with the program priorities are created and distributed; supporting the program and resource units as they carry out their work with creativity and collaboration, while maintaining constructive dialogue with unit leaders of the program and resource production units as well as the Permanent Committee on Governance and Agenda.

The committee is made up of 25 voting members who reflect the diversity of The United Church of Canada with respect to gender identity, racial and ethnic identity, age, geography, vocation, including two voting members of the Executive of the General Council and a chair who also serves as a voting member of the Executive. Additionally, two global partners and one member from the Theology and Inter-Church Inter-Faith Committee are appointed.

Corporate body · 2003-

The Permanent Committee on Ministry and Employment Policies and Services (PC-MEPS) is accountable to the Executive of the General Council and has the responsibility to provide advice to the Executive regarding ministry and employment policies and services. This committee assists the Executive of the General Council in its responsibilities as the legal employer of a considerable number of staff and the legal administrator of a pension fund and ensures that all the various personnel systems have fair, equitable and consistent values.

The committee has a number of specific responsibilities; overseeing policies in relation to ministry personnel, GCO and Conference staff, Overseas personnel, KAIROS, the pension plan and group insurance plans of the United Church of Canada, and Administrators of the Pension Plan.

The committee is made up of 12 voting members who reflect the diversity of The United Church of Canada (diversity with respect to sex, race, age, geography and vocation) and three voting members of the Executive of the General Council. The Chairperson is appointed as a voting member of the Executive of the General Council.

Corporate body · 1994-2000

In 1994, the 35th General Council acknowledged a need for new life in the structures of the church. It encouraged Conferences, Presbyteries, Pastoral Charges, “being open to the life giving transforming spirit of God” to evaluate present structures, to experiment with new structures (if desired) and to share these experiences with the rest of the church.

The Council appointed a task group (later called Working Group on the Changing Church) to facilitate a process of consultation, support and initiative for changes that would best enable the church to carry out its mission of new models and structures. These included a revision of the four-Court system and a three-Court model that would reduce the number of decision-making and oversight bodies. The Executive, in 1997 created a task group with unit representation, known as the “Internal Task Group” (ITG), to “bring a design for a new model for structure of the General Council Offices and to include in its report, information regarding the potential cost savings, potential impact on staff and volunteers, potential impact on the church’s mission, plus a plan for implementation. The Executive agreed that the report should be given to the Working Group for the Changing Church for inclusion in its report to the 37th General Council. The latter report (the work of an Internal Task Group) was attached to the main body of the Working Group Report. The final report presented to General Council contained a comprehensive description and financial implications of only one model.

In August 2000, the General Council approved the re-organization of the General Council offices, including its governance structures. The Council did not pre-determine the shape of a new organizational structure, but asked the General Council Executive to have oversight of the process. A New Directions committee was appointed by the Executive (Nov, 2000) to guide the redesign and bring recommendations on new structures. Two Change Teams (Staff and Volunteer) were also appointed, to coordinate the implementation of the change process.