Faith in action: the 2025 federal election and the United Church

This resource includes links to workshops and resources, and will be updated and re-posted weekly until the election.

As faith communities, and registered charities, we don’t promote or critique only one party. We address all of them, we focus on their social policies, and we expect accountability of all of them. Below are some suggested principles and resources to help people of faith engage the federal election process.

We are called to speak up for what we believe in, not only what we oppose.

We are called to name our values, including what our faith calls us to. We live in a polarized and often anxious world and country, and it’s easy to focus on what we oppose. Try to ask others, especially those you disagree with, to name their values and their hopes.

Respond rather than react, working with communal and individual spiritual and faith resources.

Encourage people to engage the whole process, and vote.

Watch out for dis/misinformation. We are all vulnerable to it, because it’s tailored to spark an instant emotional reaction and to reinforce what we already believe. Always check your sources, and think before you post or share. Ask others for their sources if big, polarizing, or unlikely claims or situations are being presented as real.

Be aware that targeted and vulnerable communities are often the target of dis/misinformation, and be aware of the spiritual and emotional impact of this targeting.

Put another way by our Mennonite family members:

“I commit to loving my neighbours in the following ways:
• Listen with curiosity and compassion
• Speak with authenticity and integrity
• Act for the good of my community, here at home and around the world”

Upcoming Workshops (click on the date for the link to information and registration)

Tuesday April 8, from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Eastern. Federal Election Forum. Craig Norris, Host of the Morning Edition on CBC will moderate. Although everyone is very welcome, we are asking people to register to keep track of numbers. In person (Waterloo, ON) and online. If you register, a link for the online streaming will be sent to you. Click here for the registration link

April 24th Egale- Vote with Pride:

April 24th Canadian Interfaith conversation – Engaged Citizenship The role of Faith Communities during an election

Some key resources (click on each for the link to information)

Groups bringing justice concerns to the election process

United Church home page for election resources (scroll down to the bottom for resources- note that these will change as they’re being constantly updated.)

KAIROS Canada election resources on key issues and engaging your candidates well.  (The United Church is a founding and active member of this ecumenical justice coalition.) Their resources include: Indigenous Rights; Ecological Justice; Gender Justice; Migrant Justice; Jubilee 2025

Citizens for Public Justice election resources and travelling/ online meetings (CPJ is a long-standing Christian social justice coalition.)

Mennonite Central Committee: Every Action Counts

Specific justice concerns: choose what you are called to prioritise!

Climate justice

Faith and the Common Good- Interfaith advocacy group

For the Love of Creation- Interfaith Advocacy

Nature Canada- Election 2025 Platform

Guaranteed Livable Income

United Church of Canada – Guaranteed Livable Income

Basic Income Canada Network

Healthcare

Canadian Public Healthcare Association election focus issues
Recorded Webinar: Federal Election 2025: Protecting Medicare in Canada (March 28, 48 min)

Housing

Housing Canada: A Sovereign Plan to Protect Canadians and Build a Resilient Housing System. This resource includes an overview, and links to “Take action and email federal leaders,” and to  “Download the full plan”

National Right to Housing Network- Questions for your federal candidates

Indigenous rights

KAIROS Canada election resources

2SLGBTQIA+ rights

Human rights of gender-diverse/ 2SLGBTQIA people (Momentum Canada)

Palestine and Israel justice and peace
Vote Palestine: A coalition that includes Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and secular groups

Ontario Election 2025:

More than Tariffs A panel discussion

Sunday Feb 23, 3:00-4:15 PM EST on Zoom

Information to help you faithfully discern your vote and continue advocacy after the Feb 27^th election.

Brief presentations by five panel members on selected topics.

Panelists will respond to questions from the audience.

Advance registration required:

https://united-church.zoom.us/meeting/register/Pfy-0rDhQt-l-V5KqspFkw

For more information contact:

Thérèse Samuel tsamuel@united-church.ca and John Egger jegger@united-church.ca

Moderator:

Rev. Éric Hébert-Daly serves as the Executive Minister to ECO and EOO Regional Councils in Eastern Ontario. He was ordained in 2020. He served for 5 years as Responsible, Ministries in French, for 9 years as the National Executive Director of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society. Éric spent 17 years working in federal political circles and 7 years as a registered lobbyist. He also brings a hope-filled passion for the church.

Panel Members

Charles Barrett is a retired economist, who was actively involved in policy dialogue in North America, and the Asia-Pacific region in international economic relations, human resources development and capacity building. He has broad research experience and has written extensively on Canadian and international policy issues. He is a member of Riverside United Church, Ottawa and Eastern Ontario Outaouais Regional Council.

The Rev. Dr. Jessica Hetherington is an ecotheologian and ordained minister in the United Church of Canada. Working at the intersection of ecology and theology for 20 years, she inspires people of faith to transform their actions in response to the climate crisis. She currently serves as commissioner on climate justice with the World Council of Churches and the World Communion of Reformed Churches. Sign up for her weekly newsletter: Faith. Climate Crisis. Action. (https://jessicahetherington.substack.com/).

Bryan Smith is a long-term member of the Oxford Coalition for Social Justice, an organization committed to work and advocacy on a wide range of social and environmental issues locally in the County of Oxford and across the planet. It stands in for the Ontario Health Coalition and stands up for public health. Bryan is a retired teacher, and is active in providing school lunches and community dinners, and promoting local foods, the avoidance of waste, community events, and public health.

Rev. Jeffrey Dale (they/he) is the Minister at College Street United Church in downtown Toronto. Jeffrey is a harm reduction advocate and community educator, working with harm reduction advocacy groups throughout the Province of Ontario to educate communities of faith and the wider society regarding the needs of people who use drugs.

Rev. Susan Eagle is the minister at Grace United Church in Barrie. She chairs both the Ecological and Social Justice Commission for Shining Waters Regional Council, and the Steering Committee of the provincial interfaith coalition, ISARC, which does policy analysis and advocacy for income security, homelessness and employment rights. She has worked with newcomer and low-income individuals and sole-support families as a community outreach worker, and served on London City Council for 13 years.

This workshop is presented by the Social Justice Network of Ontario Regional Councils (SJNORC) with representation from Eastern Ontario Outaouais, East Central Ontario, Shining Waters, Canadian Shield, Antler River Watershed, Horseshoe Falls, Western Ontario Waterways and Prairie to Pine Regional Councils of The United Church of Canada.

Engage, Pray, Vote.

Is your church or ministry doing something new or exciting to grow your faith, reach out to the community, or seek justice for people or creation?

Don’t just be quiet about it! Let us know, so we can share the good news with others in the regional council.

Click to fill in the form: Story Sharing of Faith Formation, Justice and Outreach Activities – https://forms.office.com/r/cb4c1PR8Q3

God is doing so much in and through our churches. Let us celebrate and encourage one another by sharing stories of Christ’s church at work and at play.

For information contact Thérèse Samuel Tsamuel@united-church.ca

Flourishing:

Spend a day with the Moderator, engaging in reflection and energizing activities towards dream-oriented actions for our churches and communities.

Saturday, February 22, 2025, 9:00 am to 4:30 pm (local time).

9:00am -9:30am Registration and coffee/tea

9:30am – Welcome and Introductions

In person

Avondale United Church, 194 Avondale Ave., Stratford, ON N5A 6N4

All around the world – from universities to the United Nations, from corporations to community organizations – people are talking about flourishing. Rooted in belonging, flourishing means living with purpose and joy, and bringing bold collaborative solutions to our world’s challenges.

The Moderator, the Rev. Dr. Carmen Lansdowne, wants to bring that conversation to The United Church of Canada. She invites us to connect to one another in hope, with a deep conviction by a belief that, despite all the challenges of church life in this day and age, we can move from despair to transformation – from languishing to flourishing.

Is your church flourishing?

(Perhaps that’s the wrong question.)

Is your church contributing to the flourishing of your community?

How might we truly be a flourishing church in the world? How might we live in deep spirituality, bold discipleship and daring justice, linked from coast to coast to coast in ministry that transforms us and the world around us?

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER: Flourishing Workshop

It has come to our attention that across-Canada anti-2S-LGBTQIA+ protest marches are to be held on Friday, September 20, 2024. The organization responsible, Hands Off Our Kids (https://handsoffourkids.ca/) states their mission is to:“safeguard children from gender ideology teachings, sexual indoctrination, exposure to explicit sexual content, ensuring that parental consent remains paramount.” They also aim to “protect our children from thought control and will ensure their religious freedoms are protected.”

Their rhetoric has been strongly anti-2S-LGBTQIA+ and especially anti-Trans in the past. This group has worked to exert influence in school boards in Ontario and beyond, spreading harmful misinformation and opposing SOGI (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity) education in schools, again with misinformation. For information about SOGI click HERE.

These marches are planned across Canada on September 20, including the following locations across our tri-regional councils:

WOW:  Owen Sound, Meaford, Hanover, Orangeville and Kitchener

HF: Mississauga (2 locations), Oakville, Milton, Hamilton

ARW : London, Windsor

More details and updates can be found on their website: https://handsoffourkids.ca/resources/

A constantly updated list of in-person presence and counter-protests is available here. The private Facebook group 1 Million Voices for Inclusion, which also hosts community-specific chats and planning, is an excellent resource for ideas and support.

Christ calls us to be a peace-seeking, truth-speaking,
love-focused presence in the face of these movements.

How can you be active?

Faith-Filled Responses

• Send letters of encouragement to school staff and to any student group or individuals who need support;
• deliver homemade real church cookies to those groups/individuals;
• use your church signage and lawn to send PIE messaging;
• write letters to the editor;
• learn about SOGI and what it really is, as opposed to the myths spread about it;
• support school board candidates and members who are supportive of 2SLGBTQIA+ human rights.
• Offer support to transgender, Two Spirit, and gender-diverse people who are being targeted by this movement.

Faith-Focussed responses:

• Pray
• Re-read all the radical bible verses about God’s all- encompassing love.
• And be PIE— public, intentional, and explicit—about the fact that you’re people of faith supporting 2S-LGBTQIA+ people (using your best judgement about when and how, of course).

When we show up in a positive way, it is noticed!

When discussing with your congregation:

• Know that it is possible that well-meaning people in your congregation may be supporting these movements. Leading with language of “hate” in this instance can alienate the well-meaning people that you wish to connect with.
• While the “Hands Off Our Kids” and related movements are understood as hate movements, and that is an accurate description of the impact of these movements, not everyone who shows up in support of these marches is doing so out of hate.
• Name and honour how this harms people in 2S-LGBTQIA+ communities without conveying an assumption that this harm was intended. Intentions and impacts are often very different, but a well-meaning intention does not erase hurtful and harmful impacts.
• Offer grounded information to counteract harmful mis-information.

If you are making plans or have concerns, please contact me, Thérèse Samuel, Minister Right Relations and Social Justice, and my colleague John Egger, Minister, Social Justice.

Thanks to Northern Spirit Regional Council and clergy from Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council for sharing information that helped in the creation of parts of this resource.

Looking for continuing education that will grow your understanding of ministry from Indigenous perspectives? Join the Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre ministry training students in a learning circle.

October-21-25-2024-5-day-registration-form-Wisdom-and-Psalms

October-28-31-2024-4-day-registration-form-Prophets-and-Prophecy

For more information visit:  sandysaulteaux.ca/events.

You can also contact your regional council  Minister for Right Relations and Social Justice, Thérèse Samuel tsamuel@united-church.ca

We’re trying something new. We’re introducing an Ask An Expert series in partnership with the General Council Office. You ask the questions, and we’ll provide the expertise.

Who are the experts? Well, it depends on the topic and staff availability.

Maybe you want to know more about the insurance partnership between the GCO and Communities of Faith. Or what you do when the local newspaper calls (or when you want to get a good story out). Or what the new government relations officer does. Or what the cost-of-living-adjustment is.

It’s kind of like a Pick-Your-Own-Adventure book. Here’s how it works:

1. You send us your questions here: https://forms.office.com/r/q7UM9spU9z

2. We find the expert who can answer them.

3. We all tune in on Wednesday September 18th, 7-8 p.m. by Zoom here: https://united-church.zoom.us/j/89972136949

4. As many questions will be answered as can be within the allotted time. Unanswered questions will carry over to the next session, or we’ll answer them on our Regional Council Facebook group.

5. Tough questions are okay. We’ll do our best to answer them, and if we can’t on the spot, we’ll follow up with the right information.

So, pick your adventure. Will it be insurance? Or grants? Climate justice? Governance? Media relations? Government relations? Global partnerships? Or something else?

You pick. Ask your question here: https://forms.office.com/r/q7UM9spU9z.  Join us on Wednesday September 18th at 7 p.m. to get an answer in real time. Don’t have a question right now? Listeners welcome!

This session will be facilitated by: Michelle Owens

Mission Support Grants 2025

We are writing to let you know that Remit 1 has passed.  All 16 regional councils, the National Indigenous Council, and 80% of pastoral charges participated in this vote on establishing an autonomous Indigenous organization within the United Church of Canada.  This includes 81% of active Indigenous pastoral charges.

 This news will be posted on the United Church and General Council 44 websites and shared on social media this morning. We will also be posting the NIC’s statement as prepared this past weekend, and included below.

 The final breakdown of votes will be shared tomorrow, April 10. Again, we will share those numbers with you first, before they are shared with the rest of the church.

Murray and Sara

Statement from the National Indigenous Council on the Results of Remit 1: Establishing an Autonomous National Indigenous Organization

We, the National Indigenous Council, are a diverse group of Indigenous Peoples, rooted in distinct innate values and wisdom. We:

• Carry a common vision and dream
• Respect everyone’s story
• Care for one another
• Uphold community
• Build positive relationships.

We thank our Ancestors and All Our Relations who have brought us to this moment.

We are all Spirit first.

The work of Right Relations continues.

We commit to moving forward together in a good way.

Thank you

The remit vote must be made by the pastoral charge governing body (Board or Council) and cannot be delegated to the congregation. The Board/Council members should vote according to their own discernment. That being said, it is great for the congregation to share their thoughts before the Board/Council votes on it.

Your Pastoral Charge vote must be sent to General Council by March 31, 2024.

For links to the remit information and for educational materials go to

https://hfrcucc.ca/remit-1-establishing-an-autonomous-national-indigenous-organization/

https://wowrcucc.ca/remit-1-establishing-an-autonomous-national-indigenous-organization/

https://arwrcucc.ca/remit-1-establishing-an-autonomous-national-indigenous-organization/

For more information contact:

Minister, Right Relations and Social Justice: Thérèse Samuel tsamuel@united-church.ca

Minister, Social Justice: John Egger jegger@united-church.ca

Details we know so far:

Time will be designated for each individual Regional Council to meet separately. Each Regional Council will be electing their GC45 Commissioners, President Elect and slate of Executive/Commission members.

Friday May 24: 2 PM start & Friday evening The Right Rev. Dr. Carmen Lansdowne will speak

Saturday, May 25: All day. Includes Celebration of Ministries Service in the afternoon

Sunday, May 26: 9 AM to Noon: Includes Honouring of Retirees, Jubilands, In Memoriam, Community of Faith Life Cycle Changes

Prepare to Vote:

Remit Q&A Session (Online)

with Thérèse Samuel and John Egger

Wednesday January 17, 2024 7:00-8:30 PM

For Pastoral Charges

ADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED: Click here to register.

Please prepare and submit your questions in advance:

PREPARE for the Q&A Session:
We ask that all participants have previously participated in an education workshop or have listened to/watched the half-hour Remit Foundations video.

Please click this link to look at this information sheet

An additional information sheet will be available before the workshop.

The facilitators will present responses to questions received by 9:00 AM January 16^th using the form.

There will also be time for discussion and additional questions.

 SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS: Please click here to send your questions in advance.

Please DO NOT send questions by email.

For information contact

Thérèse Samuel TSamuel@united-church.ca or

John Egger JEgger@united-church.ca

Presented by Antler River Watershed, Horseshoe Falls and Western Ontario Waterways Regional Councils

Photo by Jason Leung via Unsplash

Come and join our team!

We are hiring an Executive Minister : Antler River Watershed/Horseshoe Falls/Western Ontario Regional Councils

Click here for more details

September, 2023

Dear ARW, HF and WOW Regional Councils,

We hope this message finds you well and having enjoyed a relaxing and restorative summer.

It is with mixed emotions that we announce the resignation of our Executive Minister,  Cheryl-Ann Stadelbauer-Sampa.

Cheryl-Ann is currently on a three- month sabbatical, but she will be leaving us in January to begin a two-year contract offered to her by General Secretary Michael Blair. There she will become one of the staff resourcing General Council 45 and her wealth of experience and knowledge will be drawn upon in helping the wider church in its review of the new structure. We will miss her wisdom and unwavering support and care, but we know just what a valuable resource she will be in her new position at the General Council Office.

The Executive Minister position is being held by the very capable Mark Laird (Past President of WOWRC) during her sabbatical. The position will be posted by the General Council Office shortly and we ask that you hold the Search Team in your prayers.

The Regional Councils will plan an appropriate way to recognize, celebrate, and honour the contribution of Cheryl-Ann and to wish her well in her future endeavours.

Blessings,

ARWRC President Cheryl Bolton

HFRC President Lennox Scarlett

WOWRC President Jennifer Irving