SAVE THE DATES – ARW Regional Council Fall Meeting October 25 & 26th


As Pride season continues, hate incidents, assault, hostility and pushback in communities across the nation are on the rise, and some of these incidents go unreported and/or undocumented.
The United Church of Canada is beginning to collate information on these incidents, to map out patterns and also to encourage reporting, create awareness, and support advocacy initiatives.
Unfortunately many congregations and other ministries have already experienced anti-2SLGBTQIA+ pushback. The regional council has created a reporting form for such incidents. Should you experience any incidents, please fill out the form and help us work together to address the pushback against 2SLGBTQIA+ rights and wellness here:
Incident Form
And may you have a happy and safe summer.
Thérèse Samuel
Antler River Watershed, Western Ontario Waterways, Horseshoe Falls

Photo Credit Hannah Voggenhuber via Unsplash
Feedback on a draft apology to members of the 2S and LGBTQIA+ communities by The United Church of Canada
The United Church of Canada’s Apology Task Group invites feedback on a draft apology to members of the 2S and LGBTQIA+ communities harmed by The United Church of Canada. This is a part of the United Church’s commitment to continued learning, reconciliation and action. A volunteer apology task group was appointed in November 2023, to draft an intentional living apology that moves beyond a statement to explicit action. Recognizing the need for apologies to be lived into with action, the apology task group has developed this statement in response to the findings of Iridesce: The Living Apology Project and the 2011 National LGBT Consultation, for which feedback is welcome. Further engagement with communities of faith is planned in town hall meetings commencing later this Fall.
The draft and feedback survey can be found here.
At the 42nd General Council, the church approved support for a national process of a Living Apology installation project for dialogue, story-telling, education, and reconciliation with persons who identify as sexual or gender diverse including but not limited to Two-Spirited, Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender, Queer persons. The Iridesce: The Living Apology Project launched in 2017 and was a collaboration between the General Council Office (GCO) and Affirm United/S’affirmer Ensemble (AU/SE).
Over three years, the project gathered stories from across the United Church and submitted its final report to the General Secretary in July 2020. Upon review of the report, it was recommended that the General Council Office (GCO) form a working group to recommend follow-up actions to the General Council Executive. The working group concluded and submitted formal recommendations for follow-up on the Iridesce Project in January 2023. Among the recommendations was the crafting and offering an apology to 2S and LGBTQIA+ communities.
The apology task group members are Rev. Tricia Gerhard , Rev. Michiko Bown-Kai, Christine Dolson, Rev. Aaron Miechkota and Frederick Monteith. Further inquiries can be directed to Rev. Tricia Gerhard at minister@westworth.ca or through the GCO liaison to the task group, Jane Thirikwa at jthirikwa@united-church.ca.
GC45 is quickly approaching, and with it the deadlines for Regional Councils to submit proposals. At the fall meeting of Antler River Watershed Regional Council we will be taking time to look at proposals which have come to ARWRC to be considered to be passed along to GC45.
More information about what a proposal looks like can be found on our website here: https://arwrcucc.ca/general-council-45/
We would like to give the members of the Regional Council time to review any proposal that is to come before them this fall, so it is preferred to have proposals in to be considered for GC45 two weeks before the meeting. This suggested deadline for Antler River Watershed is Friday Oct 11th.
Executive Minister
Antler River Watershed Regional Council
Questions: MLaird@united-church.ca

For Antler River Watershed, Horseshoe Falls, Western Ontario Waterways Regional Councils
Click here for Job Description: https://united-church.ca/opportunities/executive-assistant
The Antler River Watershed, Western Ontario Waterways and Horseshoe Falls Regional Councils are seeking an Executive Assistant on a permanent full-time basis (35 hours per week).
Antler River Watershed, Western Ontario Waterways and Horseshoe Falls Regional Councils share staff with many, including this position, serving all three regional councils. These three regional councils represent diverse contexts: major urban centers as well as rural and recreational communities. Within them are significant hubs for technology, manufacturing and academia.
Reporting to the Executive Minister, the Executive Assistant supports the Executive Minister, the Regional Councils and their Executives and plays a vital role in the preparation for and holding of Executive and regional council meetings. The Executive Assistant also ensures that the official records of the regional council are properly maintained.
The primary areas of responsibility are:
See attached job description for detailed tasks
The United Church of Canada has adopted a hybrid workplace model, providing flexibility for this position, working from a home office with office space available at the regional office located at 1552 Hwy 6, Carlisle, ON. The incumbent will be provided, for work purposes, use of secure devices and must be available by email, phone, teams or zoom during regular office hours Monday to Friday. Travel within the region will be required. Occasional additional hours, evening and weekend assignments may be required.
As part of our ongoing commitment to the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, The United Church of Canada will aid employees who request accommodation throughout their employment with us, unless the position is deemed to be a bona fide occupational requirement and/or to the point of undue hardship considering issues of health, safety and cost.
The target hiring range for this position is $49,462 to $56,372 per year with the ability to progress to a maximum of $65,950. This is based on category 4 on the 2024 salary range. Placement on the salary range will be based on factors such as market condition, internal equity, candidate experience skills and qualifications relevant to the role. Pension and group benefit plans coverage and annual vacation round out this compensation package.
Interested applicants are invited to submit their resume to Human Resources at careers@united-church.ca. Please quote job number 24-28 in your application.

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