**Canada, Stand up for Palestinian Children’s Rights**
Join this International Day (Nov 29) of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.
Light a candle for the Palestinian Children.
Join the UNJPPI campaign to support Palestinian children living under the Israeli military occupation.
https://www.unjppi.org/join-childrens-rights-campaign.html
Sign up through this link http://eepurl.com/htSZpb to receive information about the campaign and how to participate.
Last fall Parliamentary Petition e-2667 was presented to Parliament. It called on the Government of Canada “to ensure the human rights of Palestinian children are protected by instructing a Special Envoy to promote, monitor and report on the human rights situation of Palestinian children living in the occupied Palestinian Territory and Gaza”.
This fall, the Tri-Region Affirm Network received a letter seeking endorsement of a statement of multi-faith solidarity for a Hindu priest who has been condemned for officiating a same-sex marriage ceremony. The Affirm Network has signed the letter and the individuals on the Network have committed to signing it. We, the members of the Affirm Network, are now asking leaders in communities of faith across our regions to consider signing to endorse a multi-faith statement of solidarity.
Excerpts of the letter that started it:
Dear friends,
This is Nikhil Mandalaparthy from Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus and Hindus for Human Rights.I’m writing today because we at Sadhana are calling on religious leaders and representatives of faith-based organizations to endorse a multi-faith statement of solidarity with Sri Ranganathan Kurrukal, a Hindu priest based in Toronto, Canada. …
Recently, Kurrukal conducted a marriage ceremony for a same-sex couple. This has led to a severe backlash from his family and conservative members of the community. Kurrukal has received multiple death threats by text, phone, and social media. Toronto Hindu organizations have pushed him out and he is facing exclusion from a local association of Hindu priests. …
We hope you will add your voice to condemn this backlash against a religious leader who sought to honor and celebrate the love between two LGBTQ+ community members. We must resist homophobia and transphobia wherever they manifest and commit to uplifting inclusive religious leadership in all of our communities.
Thérèse shares the Social Justice position with the Minister, Social Justice, serving the Discipleship and Justice Commissions and social justice ministries in the region. She also supports Indigenous and Non-Indigenous churches in the region in the work of building right relations.
Serves in: Antler River Watershed, Western Ontario Waterways and Horseshoe Falls Regional Councils
Location: Teleworks from home and spends time in the regional councils.
Role: Thérèse encourages and connects communities of faith in their work and supports Indigenous ministries in their relationship with the region and promotes and supports racial justice and social justice ministries.
Contact Thérèse about: Affirming Ministries, Anti-Racism; Intercultural Ministry; Right Relations; Indigenous Ministries, Social Justice Ministries and resource to the Discipleship & Justice Commission.
Diane Matheson-Jimenez
Minister, Social Justice for Antler River Watershed, Western Ontario Waterways and Horseshoe Falls Regional Councils
An Ontario Certified Teacher, Diane has long been passionate about empowering people of all ages to engage in meaningful justice work. She serves the Mission & Discipleship Commissions, as well as working with and building social justice networks in the regions.
Early in 2021, the Executive and Commission members of the regional council together attended the four sessions of the United Church’s racial justice training. That experience informed the spring meeting where time was devoted to Indigenous justice and anti-racism. It also informed this fall meeting where the traditional Land Acknowledgement shifted from a formula into a reflection. The title became “Reconciliation Focus” and we considered the nearest First Nations to us, the name of an Indigenous leader who influenced us and our next step in this journey towards reconciliation. The names were formed into a word image:
Indigenous Leaders Who Have Influenced Us!
Just as prominent as the names of national leaders were the names of Indigenous leaders known to us personally, such as Geraldine Robertson, Grafton and Eileen Antone and Janice Rising. We give thanks for these elders among us.
We were pleased to have Elaine Jacobs introduce us to Walpole Island (Bkejwanong Territory) and Tarance Whiteye to introduce us to the ministry of the congregation at Moraviantown. Chief Denise Stonefish of the Eelŭnaapéewi Lahkéewiit (Delaware Nation at Moraviantown) also joined us to share with the regional council her people’s deep connection to the land where the village of Fairfield once was and their hopes to create an interpretation centre there to expand the story curated by the museum.
Karlene Brown-Palmer opened our sessions with the lighting of the flame and offered us words of wisdom and insight in worship. Her unshakeable faith and powerful messages inspire long after the service ends. Many, many thanks to all who framed our worship and sessions with music. Your extraordinary talents were a gift that lifted our hearts and our hopes inspiring us to “Keep Calm and Rock On”.
The fall meeting of the regional council had two main foci:
Business and accountability;
Proposals to General Council 44.
The regional council received one proposal for its own consideration concerning the role of former ministry personnel continuing to offer ministerial leadership in a community of faith where they no longer serve. This was passed and directs the regional council to develop an educational plan and to raise concerns with the Office of Vocation concerning ministry personnel who continue to do this.
Another six proposals for General Council 44 were presented. Author, Jim Evans, shared these were formed from concerns voiced at a gathering sponsored by UniFaith. One of the six was withdrawn as a commitment has already been made to what it was requesting (a review of the new structure). The regional council’s role was to determine if it agreed or did not agree with the proposals. The regional council elected to agree with all proposals, adding a further note to a few of them. The proposals can be found in the workbook here:
Many thanks to President Jane Van Patter and Agenda and Business Chair Kenji Marui for helping the regional council navigate its first experience of significant online debate.
Treasurer, Doug Cameron, gave an update on finances and outlined the principles that informed the preparation of the 2022 Budget which the regional council adopted. The way that the income earned on investments supports our priorities was highlighted.
Unfortunately, the time needed for business truncated the opportunities for small group time. Please consider drawing together neighbours to discuss the thought-provoking topics prepared by Christina Crawford: What did the spring meeting, with its focus on Indigenous justice and anti-racism, spark in you? Where is sacred space for you? How are you doing (at this point in the pandemic)? and, lastly, What are you taking home and how will you share it?
The Planning Team hopes you will take home a sense of being in community, dealing with complicated topics, being inspired in worship and learning more about the work of the regional council. Many thanks to the Covenant Commission, Human Resources Commission and Mission and Discipleship Commission for the video presentations of your work and the written accountability reports. The latter can be found in the workbook and the former will be posted on the regional council website and are below. Also below and to be posted on the website, a helpful video prepared by Stewardship and Gifts Officer, Dave Jagger, that we did not have time to share.
The United Property Resource Corporation (UPRC) video and the video introducing the United Church’s new mission statement: Deep Spirituality, Bold Discipleship, Daring Justice will also be added. These latter videos may not be posted quite as quickly as we need to confirm access first.
General Secretary Michael Blair brought the words of our new statement to life for us with his message at the Celebration of Ministry Service on Saturday evening at Byron U.C. Many thanks to Byron and their minister, Greg Brawn, for all they did to make the regional council welcome and for the ways they supported and enriched the service. Congratulations to Karlene Kimber on being commissioned as a diaconal minister. Karlene is well known from her days as the Director of the Middlesex Presbytery Resource Centre. We are delighted for her and for the Belmont-Harrietsville-Mossley Pastoral Charge where she serves.
We look forward to gathering in the spring. We hope to have an in-person meeting then but that depends upon the public health guidelines at the time. We’ll keep you posted but, in the meantime, may you “Keep Calm and Rock On”!
The Celebration of Ministry live stream
is available to view on Youtube!
Youth Forum at General Council 44 Delegate Application Application deadline December 15
Are you ready to lead the church into the future?! If so, why not apply to become a General Council 44 Youth Forum Delegate?
And yes, SUMMER EMPLOYMENT is also part of Youth Forum at GC44!
You will be paid for your participation, leadership, and dedication to General Council.
General Council is the United Church of Canada’s triennial business meeting where justice issues are discussed, visions are cast, proposals are examined, decisions are made, and inspiring worship and community are offered. The voices of leaders ages 15-19 are needed to speak into this space. If you would like to have an impact on the direction of the church now and into the future, please apply here.
Youth Intern Application:
This application is for youth ages 15 – 19 to apply to the youth intern position. Each Regional Council will have 5 youth intern positions.
Please see the link to the application below for more information.
Antler River Watershed Regional Council invites everyone to join us for the livestream of the Celebration of Ministry service on
Saturday, October 30th at 7:00pm
Preacher, General Secretary, Michael Blair Candidate, Karlene Kimber
Communion will be celebrated on the livestream so please have the elements ready.
Many thanks to Byron U.C. and their Music Director and Minister for all they are doing to host this service.
If you cannot join the livestream, catch the service later (minus communion) on the regional council YouTube channel noted below!
Several communities of faith have inquired if the vaccine passport being instituted in Ontario applies to them.
The legal advice the regional council has received to date is that communities of faith do not have grounds to request this information. Privacy legislation protects medical information and there has been no provincial action mandating such information be shared in a community of faith. In fact, worshiping communities have been specifically exempted from the vaccine passport.
There is also the ethical/faith issue of denying people access to the church. How do we make the faith available to all and protect those who gather?
Communities of faith are encouraged to:
continue to follow provincial legislation and local public health advice when gathering in person;
screen attendees at any in-person event and maintain their contact information;
follow best practices when in-person: masks, maintain social distance, manage traffic flow through the building, provide sanitizer, minimize contact, follow advice re singing).
Several months ago Dr. Tam, Chief Public Health Officer, met with religious leaders asking us to encourage vaccinations. Dr. Tam outlined the research behind the vaccine and its safety and asked faith leaders to be partners in promoting vaccinations. Communities of faith are encouraged to follow these steps to manage risk.
This is our current advice. Throughout the pandemic, advice has changed based on new information. We will keep you posted if new information comes our way. As always, the decision rests with the governing body of the community of faith and these are recommendations to them.
Any governing body that feels vaccine passports should be required for worship is encouraged to write their local Member of Provincial Parliament, Minister of Health, the Honorable Christine Elliott and Premier, the Honorable Doug Ford, to advocate for an expansion of the legislation.
Prime Minister’s response to a woman from Grassy Narrows prompts calls for in-person apology, and petition for compensation for mercury poisoning in the Indigenous community.
Rev. K. Virginia Coleman, former General Secretary from 1994–2002, died on April 3. She oversaw several milestones for the church, including the church’s 75th anniversary and addressing the church’s… continue reading
The United Church is excited to partner with Cosmopolitan Affirming Community, who provide spiritual support, mental health care, community, and healing for LGBTQIA+ Africans
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