On April 19, 2010, the General Secretary released the report “Planning for a Future Grounded in Faith and Action”, found on the website at: http://www.united-church.ca/communications/news/general/100419
The General Council Executive meets on May 1-3, 2010 and will deliberate and decide on this report. You have until then to read the report and feed back comments to your elected representative to the General Council Executive. We are listed on the website at: http://www.united-church.ca/contact/gce
This report recommends some rather sweeping changes in the workings of The United Church of Canada, including:
· Reduction in spending in current areas
· Increase in spending in new areas
· Moving meetings of the General Council to every 4 years
· Staff reductions at the General Council Office of 15 to 20 people
· Realignment of remaining staff
· Cutting the Manual in half
· Reimagining the roles of each court of the church
· Recruitment, development and support of ministry personnel
· Moving Pastoral Relations work from the Presbytery to the Conference
· Use of new technology and social media
· Support for the establishment of new ministries
· Use of Reserves funds for regular budget as well as new innovations
· Creation of a new fund “United Cares” to “enable donors to contribute to areas of the church’s work that reflect their own passions.”
· A major Legacy Campaign
· Reduction in grants for Mission Support, Global Partnership, Theological Schools and Educational Centres.
· Establish the “New Ministries Fund” with $1 million from Reserves
· Creation of a “Centre for Ministry Development”
There’s a lot in the report about which to get excited and imagine a fresh start for our church. READ THE REPORT!
There’s also a number of questions to answer:
1. What exactly are the problems, for which this is the solution?
2. How much exactly is in the Reserves, and how much of that is available for us to use for these purposes?
3. Which half of the Manual is the problem? How do we make sure our least favourite parts are included in the cuts?
4. How will we fund the additional work assigned to the Conference level?
5. How do we maintain the M&S Fund in the face of new interest in the United Cares Fund?
6. How will all these shifts work to strengthen and revitalize congregations?
READ THE REPORT!
What are your questions?
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I've read the report and shared parts of it with our congregation on Sunday. There is certainly some exciting stuff there for the future of our church. It reinforces our belief that we need to become relevant on a local level so that we can continue to "be church" in our small rural village. My reading of the report is that we will have the support of the wider church in this....Jamie B.
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ReplyDelete(Sandy via Facebook) I read the report last week. There was some good stuff, but to be honest there was a lot that made me concerned, and one of the questions I was asking, what are the specifics of these problems that they referred to. I was also uneasy about the approach towards the role and structures of the various courts of the church. In general I got a sense that the proposals were to downsize them with little explanation how they would operate in this new model, and how they would be supported in their new tasks, where will the Conferences get the money for these paid staff they mentioned, and who will clarify exactly who these paid staff will be accountable to, especially if people want to appeal the decisions made by these staff?
ReplyDeleteI was also concerned by this fetish of reducing the size of the Manual. The Manual is not that big a book to read in the first place. My issue with the Manual is not the Manual itself, it is people's unwillingness to actually read it, and accept that it is a witness to the will of the United Church that emerges when we meet as a body, and its changes arise out of the discussion of the courts of the church. They are not missives issued by secret councils or individuals, but testament to the Body of Christ willing to openly discuss what we can do to make our church more effective! If people have a problem with the Manual, maybe they should try reading the canons of the Anglican or Roman Catholic churches!
I appreciate the report being distilled into the points you have listed so I will comment on those:
ReplyDeletereduction in spending...
this must be done for expediency but must it or should it be a policy or guiding principle of the church's operation?
increase in spending in new areas...
these are not really "new areas" but shift of priorities in response to perceived needs - ministry training etc - this appears to draw on "rainy day" money. No doubt it is raining but is it the deluge that makes it necessary to use this money?
moving meetings to every four years...
the General Concil already has the authority to shift to two years or four years in extreme cases. Are we in extreme times as opposed to "changing times?" This suggestion really raises alarms about the dilution of accountability , connection with grassroots, perception of undermining of democratic character of church. I oppose it.
staff reductions of 15-20 people...
seems inevitable but someone better to ready to explain the gain because there is going to be pain
cutting The Manual in half...
Why? It's not very large and it's accesible to anyone willing to read and study it. The notion of morphing portions of it into handbooks is scary - a means of hiding much of it away. I am against it.
reimagining the roles of each court of the church...
I don't think this is actually proposed. Shifting some of the responsiblities might be helpful but a lot more detail will have to be presented before one can really comment.
recruitment of, training ministry personnel... essential
use of new technology and social media
OK, if you must
Creation of United Cares Fund...
I agree with concerns that current doners will be confused and potential contributors underwhelmed with opportunity to participate
new ministries...
My concern is that these efforts actually be ministries - coffee houses, etc are not ministries just because they are held in church settings
use of reserves for regular budget...
they would not longer be "reserves" would they?
new ministries fund, Centre ofr Ministry development
Why?
Blesings on your efforts to move things along, David (and Shirley.) I think there might be some clues as to the Maritime Conference attitude in the core values identified at the executive meeting last week and in some of the old (but still good) words like evangelism, stewardship, mission