General Council 44 Commissioners overview

Please click here for a PDF version of this letter and invitation.

Dear members of Living Skies Regional Council,

This letter is concerning nominations of Commissioners for the meeting of General Council 44.

We are currently seeking commissioners to serve for a three year period, which includes attending the main meeting of General Council 44, as well as annual online meetings, and occasional special meetings in between.  Those who are members of The United Church of Canada as well as those Ministry Personnel currently in the Admissions process are eligible to serve as Commissioners.

You may recall that General Council 44 was originally planned for July of 2021 in Calgary, Alberta. Due to the pandemic, those plans needed to change, and a decision was made to move the General Council meeting back one year, to the summer of 2022. Plans for that meeting are still unfolding, but it is possible that General Council 44 will take place entirely online, with the main meeting happening in July of 2022, and with other components of learning and preparation happening in the months prior.

We are aware that an online meeting might pose additional challenges for some folks in terms of online accessibility. We are hoping this will not be an obstacle which will block you from applying. The Living Skies Regional Council Executive is committed to doing what they can in response to technological and online needs.

For the 44^th General Council, the Living Skies Regional Council is asked to name 17 Commissioners, and that number includes:

• 1 Commissioner who is ex-officio – the chairperson of the Living Skies Regional Council
• 1 Youth Commissioner from the Living Skies Regional Council, chosen from among the 4 youth chosen by YAYAC (Youth & Young Adult Community), as described below
• 15 Commissioners who are selected from the applications submitted to the Nominations Committee

Youth Forum for General Council 44 in 2022 is expected to be similar to that of GC43. Each Regional Council will be invited to select four youth, ages 15-18, to comprise a Youth Forum at GC44.  These youth will attend GC44 as well as a Winter Retreat at Five Oaks Centre in Ontario in February of 2022.  YAYAC is taking the lead in organizing the selection of the four youth from Living Skies, with more information about the application process to follow in coming months as it becomes available.  If you have any questions in the meantime, please don’t hesitate to contact Kent at livingskiesyaya@united-church.ca or 306-221-5529.

The deadline for nominations for GC44 Commissioners is April 15^th, 2021.

The Nominations Committee will meet after that date to enter into a process of “balancing” the list of nominees to ensure that the commissioners represent the Regional Council. It is required by the General Council that “a minimum of 1/3 of the members elected must be ministry personnel on the roll of the Regional Council, and a minimum of 1/3 of the members elected must be lay members of communities of faith within the bounds of the Regional Council other than ministry personnel…” (Manual 2019 D.1.1)

The Nominations Committee will also be guided by a commitment made by The United Church of Canada, and affirmed by the Living Skies Regional Council Executive of “honouring and living into intercultural mission and ministry.” The Living Skies Regional Council Executive has further advised the Nominations Committee to “ensure that individuals who are representative of the intercultural church (including but not limited to racialized / racial minority, gender identities, sexual orientation, differently abled) are valued participants in the structures of Living Skies Regional Council. This principle of inclusion should also be adhered to in the selection of Commissioners for General Council 44.”

Once the Nominations Committee has determined a recommended list of GC44 Commissioners, we will then present that list to list to the Living Skies Regional Council at their online meeting planned for June 4-6, 2021. A list of alternate commissioners will also be presented, in case some commissioners cannot attend at the time of General Council. Because we are electing commissioners a year in advance, having a list of alternate commissioners will be important.

Click here for the confidential application form to be completed by those interested in applying to be Commissioners. You can also email an expression of interest to the Nominations Committee at lsrcnominations@gmail.com on or before April 15, 2021.

Applications can also be mailed to:

Susan Reed, Box 542, Carnduff, SK S0C 0S0

If you have any questions, please contact us by email at lsrcnominations@gmail.com or contact Susan by phone at 306-482-3932.

We hope you will consider this opportunity, and we hope you will help spread word of it to others you know who might be interested in serving the wider church in this way.

Thank you, and blessings,

Susan Reed, on behalf of the Nominations Committee of the Living Skies Regional Council:

Yvonne Terry

Jeanette Warrian

Susan Reed, Convenor