Basis of Union of the United Church of Canada
THE BASIS OF UNION
AS PREPARED BY THE JOINT COMMITTEE OF
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN CANADA,
THE METHODIST CHURCH,
AND THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCHES OF CANADA,
AND APPROVED BY THE SUPREME COURTS OF THESE CHURCHES,
AS AMENDED BY THE UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA
GENERAL
1.1 The name of the Church formed by the union of the Presbyterian, Methodist, and Congregational Churches in Canada, shall be "The United Church of Canada."
1.2 It shall be the policy of the United Church to foster the spirit of unity in the hope that this sentiment of unity may in due time, so far as Canada is concerned, take shape in a Church which may fittingly be described as national.
DOCTRINE
2.0 We, the representatives of the Presbyterian, Methodist, and Congregational branches of the Church of Christ in Canada, do hereby set forth the substance of the Christian faith, as commonly held among us. In doing so, we build upon the foundation laid by the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone. We affirm our belief in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the primary source and ultimate standard of Christian faith and life. We acknowledge the teaching of the great creeds of the ancient Church. We further maintain our allegiance to the evangelical doctrines of the Reformation, as set forth in common in the doctrinal standards adopted by the Presbyterian Church in Canada, by the Congregational Union of Ontario and Quebec, and by the Methodist Church. We present the accompanying statement as a brief summary of our common faith and commend it to the studious attention of the members and adherents of the negotiating Churches, as in substance agreeable to the teaching of the Holy Scriptures.
2.1 Article I. Of God.
We believe in the one only living and true God, a Spirit, infinite, eternal and unchangeable, in His being and perfections; the Lord Almighty, who is love, most just in all His ways, most glorious in holiness, unsearchable in wisdom, plenteous in mercy, full of compassion, and abundant in goodness and truth. We worship Him in the unity of the Godhead and the mystery of the Holy Trinity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, three persons of the same substance, equal in power and glory.
2.2 Article II. Of Revelation.
We believe that God has revealed Himself in nature, in history, and in the heart of man; that He has been graciously pleased to make clearer revelation of Himself to men of God who spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit; and that in the fullness of time He has perfectly revealed Himself in Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, who is the brightness of the Father's glory and the express image of His person. We receive the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, given by inspiration of God, as containing the only infallible rule of faith and life, a faithful record of God's gracious revelations, and as the sure witness of Christ.
2.3 Article III. Of the Divine Purpose.
We believe that the eternal, wise, holy and loving purpose of God so embraces all events that, while the freedom of man is not taken away, nor is God the author of sin, yet in His providence He makes all things work together in the fulfilment of His sovereign design and the manifestation of His glory.
2.4 Article IV. Of Creation and Providence.
We believe that God is the creator, upholder and governor of all things; that He is above all His works and in them all; and that He made man in His own image, meet for fellowship with Him, free and able to choose between good and evil and responsible to his Maker and Lord.
2.5 Article V. Of the Sin of Man.
We believe that our first parents, being tempted, chose evil, and so fell away from God and came under the power of sin, the penalty of which is eternal death; and that, by reason of this disobedience, all men are born with a sinful nature, that we have broken God's law and that no man can be saved but by His grace.
2.6 Article VI. Of the Grace of God.
We believe that God, out of His great love for the world, has given His only begotten Son to be the Saviour of sinners, and in the Gospel freely offers His all-sufficient salvation to all men. We believe also that God, in His own good pleasure, gave to his son a people, an innumerable multitude, chosen in Christ unto holiness, service and salvation.
2.7 Article VII. Of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We believe in and confess the Lord Jesus Christ, the only Mediator between God and man, who, being the Eternal Son of God, for us men and for our salvation became truly man, being conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, yet without sin. Unto us He has revealed the Father, by His word and Spirit, making known the perfect will of God. For our redemption, He fulfilled all righteousness, offered Himself a perfect sacrifice on the Cross, satisfied Divine justice and made propitiation for the sins of the whole world. He rose from the dead and ascended into Heaven, where He ever intercedes for us. In the hearts of believers He abides forever as the indwelling Christ; above us and over us all He rules; wherefore, unto Him we render love, obedience and adoration as our Prophet, Priest and King.
2.8 Article VIII. Of the Holy Spirit.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who moves upon the hearts of men to restrain them from evil and to incite them unto good, and whom the Father is ever willing to give unto all who ask Him. We believe that He has spoken by holy men of God in making known His truth to men for their salvation; that, through our exalted Saviour, He was sent forth in power to convict the world of sin, to enlighten men's minds in the knowledge of Christ, and to persuade and enable them to obey the call of the Gospel; and that He abides with the Church, dwelling in every believer as the spirit of truth, of power, of holiness, of comfort and of love.
2.9 Article IX. Of Regeneration.
We believe in the necessity of regeneration, whereby we are made new creatures in Christ Jesus by the Spirit of God, who imparts spiritual life by the gracious and mysterious operation of His power, using as the ordinary means the truths of His word and the ordinances of divine appointment in ways agreeable to the nature of man.
2.10 Article X. Of Faith and Repentance.
We believe that faith in Christ is a saving grace whereby we receive Him, trust in Him and rest upon Him alone for salvation as He is offered to us in the Gospel, and that this saving faith is always accompanied by repentance, wherein we confess and forsake our sins with full purpose of and endeavor after a new obedience to God.
2.11 Article XI. Of Justification and Sonship.
We believe that God, on the sole ground of the perfect obedience and sacrifice of Christ, pardons those who by faith receive Him as their Saviour and Lord, accepts them as righteous and bestows upon them the adoption of sons, with a right to all privileges therein implied, including a conscious assurance of their sonship.
2.12 Article XII. Of Sanctification.
We believe that those who are regenerated and justified grow in the likeness of Christ through fellowship with Him, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and obedience to the truth; that a holy life is the fruit and evidence of saving faith; and that the believer's hope of continuance in such a life is in the preserving grace of God. And we believe that in this growth in grace Christians may attain that maturity and full assurance of faith whereby the love of God is made perfect in us.
2.13 Article XIII. Of Prayer.
We believe that we are encouraged to draw near to God, our Heavenly Father, in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and on our own behalf and that of others to pour out our hearts humbly yet freely before Him, as becomes His beloved children, giving Him the honour and praise due His holy name, asking Him to glorify Himself on earth as in Heaven, confessing unto Him our sins and seeking of Him every gift needful for this life and for our everlasting salvation. We believe also that, inasmuch as all true prayer is prompted by His Spirit, He will in response thereto grant us every blessing according to His unsearchable wisdom and the riches of His grace in Jesus Christ.
2.14 Article XIV. Of the Law of God.
We believe that the moral law of God, summarized in the Ten Commandments, testified to by the prophets and unfolded in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, stands for ever in truth and equity, and is not made void by faith, but on the contrary is established thereby. We believe that God requires of every man to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God; and that only through this harmony with the will of God shall be fulfilled that brotherhood of man wherein the Kingdom of God is to be made manifest.
2.15 Article XV. Of the Church.
We acknowledge one holy Catholic Church, the innumerable company of saints of every age and nation, who being united by the Holy Spirit to Christ their Head are one body in Him and have communion with their Lord and with one another. Further, we receive it as the will of Christ, that His Church on earth should exist as a visible and sacred brotherhood, consisting of those who profess faith in Jesus Christ and obedience to Him, together with their children, and other baptized children, and organized for the confession of His name, for the public worship of God, for the administration of the sacraments, for the upbuilding of the saints, and for the universal propagation of the Gospel; and we acknowledge as a part, more or less pure, of this universal brotherhood, every particular Church throughout the world which professes this faith in Jesus Christ and obedience to Him as divine Lord and Saviour.
2.16 Article XVI. Of the Sacraments.
We acknowledge two sacraments, Baptism and the Lord's Supper, which were instituted by Christ, to be of perpetual obligation as signs and seals of the covenant ratified in His precious blood, as a means of grace, by which, working in us, He doth not only quicken, but also strengthen and comfort our faith in Him, and as ordinances through the observance of which His Church is to confess her Lord and be visibly distinguished from the rest of the world.
2.16.1 Baptism with water into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit is the sacrament by which are signified and sealed our union to Christ and participation in the blessings of the new covenant. The proper subjects of baptism are believers and infants presented by their parents or guardians in the Christian faith. In the latter case the parents or guardians should train up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and should expect that their children will, by the operation of the Holy Spirit, receive the benefits which the sacrament is designed and fitted to convey. The Church is under the most solemn obligation to provide for their Christian instruction.
2.16.2 The Lord's Supper is the sacrament of communion with Christ and with His people, in which bread and wine are given and received in thankful remembrance of Him and His sacrifice on the Cross; and they who in faith receive the same do, after a spiritual manner, partake of the body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ to their comfort, nourishment and growth in grace. All may be admitted to the Lord's supper who make a credible profession of their faith in the Lord Jesus and of obedience to His law.
2.17 Article XVII. Of the Ministry.
We believe that Jesus Christ, as the Supreme Head of the Church, has appointed therein an Ordained Ministry of Word, Sacrament and Pastoral Care and a Diaconal Ministry of Education, Service and Pastoral Care and calls men and women to these ministries; that the Church, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, recognizes and chooses those whom He calls, and should thereupon duly ordain or commission them to the work of the ministry.
2.18 Article XVIII. Of Church Order and Fellowship.
We believe that the Supreme and only Head of the Church is the Lord Jesus Christ; that its worship, teaching, discipline and government should be administered according to His will by persons chosen for their fitness and duly set apart to their office; and that although the visible Church may contain unworthy members and is liable to err, yet believers ought not lightly to separate themselves from its communion, but are to live in fellowship with their brethren, which fellowship is to be extended, as God gives opportunity, to all who in every place call upon the name of the Lord Jesus.
2.19 Article XIX. Of the Resurrection, the Last Judgment and the Future Life.
We believe that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and of the unjust, through the power of the Son of God, who shall come to judge the living and the dead; that the finally impenitent shall go away into eternal punishment and the righteous into life eternal.
2.20 Article XX. Of Christian Service and the Final Triumph.
We believe that it is our duty as disciples and servants of Christ, to further the extension of His Kingdom, to do good unto all men, to maintain the public and private worship of God, to hallow the Lord's Day, to preserve the inviolability of marriage and the sanctity of the family, to uphold the just authority of the State, and so to live in all honesty, purity and charity, that our lives shall testify of Christ. We joyfully receive the word of Christ, bidding His people go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, declaring unto them that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself, and that He will have all men to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth. We confidently believe that by His power and grace all His enemies shall finally be overcome, and the kingdoms of this world be made the Kingdom of our God and of His Christ.
POLITY
3.0 The Joint Committee, after an examination of the forms of Church government of the negotiating Churches and the practical working thereof, is greatly gratified to find:
3.1 That while the officers and courts of the negotiating Churches may bear different names, there is a substantial degree of similarity in the duties and functions of these officers and courts.
3.2 That, engaged in the same work, with the same object in view, and earnestly endeavouring to meet the conditions confronting the Churches in Canada, the negotiating Churches have been steadily approximating more nearly to each other, both in forms of church government and in methods of administration.
3.3 That there are distinctive elements in each which would add to the efficiency of a united Church, and which can be preserved with great advantage in the form of polity to be adopted for the United Church.
3.4 That in this view it is possible to provide for substantial local freedom, and at the same time secure the benefits of a strong connexional tie and co-operative efficiency.
The following recommendations are submitted as setting forth the Polity proposed for The United Church of Canada.
4.1 The members of the United Church shall be the members of the negotiating Churches, and such others as may hereafter become members.
4.2 The unit of organization for the United Church shall be the Pastoral Charge. A Pastoral Charge may consist of more than one local church; a local church is a body of persons meeting for public worship in one place.
4.3 The governing bodies or courts of the Church, higher than those of the Pastoral Charge, shall be: the Presbytery; the Conference; the General Council.
5.1 In the management of their local affairs, the various churches, charges, circuits, or congregations of the negotiating Churches shall be entitled to continue the organization and practices (including those practices relating to membership, church ordinances, Sunday schools, and young people's societies) enjoyed by them at the time of the Union, subject in general affairs to the legislation, principles, and discipline of the United Church. Their representatives in the next higher governing body or court shall be chosen as at present.
5.2 The plan of organization prescribed for Pastoral Charges to be formed subsequent to the Union may at any time be adopted by any church, charge, circuit, or congregation existing at the time of the Union.
5.3 Subject to the provisions of the next succeeding paragraph hereof, all property, real and personal, under the jurisdiction of the Parliament of Canada, held in trust for or to the use of a church, charge, circuit, or congregation of any of the negotiating Churches shall be held by trustees appointed by or on behalf of such church, charge, circuit, or congregation, upon trusts set forth and declared in a Model Trust Deed. This Model Trust Deed should be a schedule to the Act, and should contain, among others, a provision to the following effect: that the property is held for the church, charge, circuit, or congregation as a part of the United Church, and that no property so held shall be sold, exchanged, or in any manner encumbered, unless the Presbytery shall, at the instance of the church, charge, circuit, or congregation, have given its sanction, subject to an appeal, if desired, to the Conference.
5.4 Any property or funds owned by a church, charge, circuit, or congregation at the time of the Union solely for its own benefit, or vested in trustees for the sole benefit of such church, charge, circuit, or congregation, and not for the denomination of which the said church, charge, circuit, or congregation formed a part, shall not be affected by the legislation giving effect to the Union or by any legislation of the United Church without the consent of the church, charge, circuit, or congregation for which such property is held in trust.
5.5 Churches, charges, circuits, or congregations received subsequent to the Union, into the United Church, with the approval of Presbyteries, shall be entitled, if they so desire, to the privileges of sections 5.1, 5.2, and 5.4.
5.6 The liberty of the Pastoral Charge shall be recognized to the fullest extent compatible with:
5.6.1 the oversight of the spiritual interests of the Pastoral Charge by the member(s) of the Order of Ministry settled in the Pastoral Charge, and a body of persons specially chosen and set apart or ordained for that work, who shall jointly constitute the Session;
5.6.2 the efficient co-operation of the representatives of the various departments of the work of the Pastoral Charge by means of a meeting to be held at least quarterly;
5.6.3 the hearty co-operation of the various Pastoral Charges in the general work of the Church; and
5.6.4 the exercise by the higher governing bodies or courts of their powers and functions, hereinafter set forth.
5.7 New Pastoral Charges or local churches shall be formed with the consent of a Presbytery by persons residing within its bounds who declare their adherence to the principles of the United Church, and their desire for the formation of such Pastoral Charge or local church. Missions may be organized as Pastoral Charges by Presbytery of its own motion, or on the suggestion of the Missionary Superintendent or the Minister, under such regulations as the General Council may pass. Before sanctioning the formation of a Pastoral Charge or local church, the Presbytery shall be required to hear and consider the representations of any Pastoral Charge that may be affected by the proposed action.
5.8.1 The members of the Church entitled to all church privileges are those who, on a profession of their faith in Jesus Christ and obedience to Him, have been received into full membership. The children of such persons and all baptized children are members of the Church, and it is their duty and privilege, when they reach the age of discretion, to enter into full membership. Admission to full membership and granting of certificates of transfer or removal shall be: (1) by the action of the Session or by the action of those in full membership when desired by the Pastoral Charge; or (2) by a Chaplain in the Canadian Forces, with the approval of, and in association with, two or more members in full communion with the United Church, for persons under that Chaplain's pastoral care.
5.8.2 The members of a local church who are entitled to vote at all meetings are persons in full membership, whose names are on the roll of that church. With the consent of these, adherents who contribute regularly to the support of the church may vote on temporal matters.
5.8.3 The members of a local church shall meet annually, and more frequently if they deem it advisable.
5.8.4 The Session shall have oversight of the spiritual interests of the Pastoral Charge. The management of its temporal and financial affairs shall be entrusted to a Committee of Stewards. The Official Board, consisting of the Session and Committee of Stewards, with representatives in full church membership of such other departments of church work as may be agreed upon by the General Council, shall meet quarterly, and more frequently if they deem it advisable, for the consideration of matters of joint interest.
5.9 The members of the Session, other than the member(s) of the Order of Ministry settled in the Pastoral Charge, shall be chosen by those in full church membership, and shall hold office under regulations to be passed by the General Council.
5.10.1 It shall be the duty of the Session to have the oversight of: (1) the admission of persons into full membership, their removal, and the granting of certificates of transfer; (2) the conduct of members, with power to exercise discipline; (3) the administration of the sacraments; (4) the religious training of the young, and the organization of meetings for Christian fellowship, instruction, and work; (5) the order of public worship, including the service of praise and the use of the church edifice; and (6) the care of the poor, and the visiting of the sick.
5.10.2 It shall also be its duty: (1) to receive and judge petitions, appeals, etc., from members; (2) to transmit petitions, appeals, etc., to Presbytery; (3) to recommend to Presbytery suitable lay members to be licensed as Lay Preachers; (4) to recognize suitable lay members as Inquirers; (5) to recommend to Presbytery suitable Inquirers to be Candidates.
5.11 The Stewards shall be chosen by the local church, and, wherever practicable, should be persons in full membership. It shall be the duty of the Committee of Stewards to secure contributions for the purposes of the local church, and to disburse the monies received for these purposes.
5.12 It shall be the duty of the Official Board:
5.12.1 to secure contributions for missionary and other general objects of the Church;
5.12.2 to elect representatives, in full church membership, of the Pastoral Charge to the Presbytery;
5.12.3 to submit to the Pastoral Charge or local church for its consideration reports on life and work, including a full statement of receipts and expenditures, of indebtedness, and of estimates for the ensuing year;
5.12.4 to transmit from the Pastoral Charge to the Presbytery representations concerning the pastoral relationship; and
5.12.5 to attend to matters affecting the Pastoral Charge not assigned to any of the other bodies.
5.13 All lands, premises, and property acquired for the use of a local church or a Pastoral Charge of the United Church shall be held, used, and administered under the trusts of the above Model Trust Deed.
6.0 The Presbytery shall consist of:
6.1 members of the Order of Ministry:
6.1.1 who have been settled in Pastoral Charges, Missions, or Outreach Ministries within the bounds of the Presbytery;
6.1.2 who have been appointed to special ministries or other Church appointments by General Council or its Divisions, or by a Conference, Presbytery, or institution of the United Church;
6.1.3 who have been appointed by the Presbytery to serve a Pastoral Charge or Mission within the bounds of the Presbytery;
6.1.4 who are retired;
6.1.5 who at the time of ordination or commissioning have been granted leave for post-graduate studies, until subsequent action by the Transfer Committee;
6.1.6 of another denomination whose credentials have been approved by the General Council Division of Ministry Personnel and Education and who have been appointed by Presbytery to a Pastoral Charge, Mission, or Outreach Ministry within its bounds; or
6.1.7 who have been retained on the rolls of Presbytery and Conference by Decision of the Conference;
6.2 lay members of the United Church:
6.2.1 appointed by the Presbytery as Lay Pastoral Ministers, Lay Pastoral Ministers-in-Training, or Staff Associates to serve a Pastoral Charge, Mission, or Outreach Ministry within the bounds of the Presbytery, including Candidates for the Order of Ministry so appointed;
6.2.2 who at the time of their retirement were serving as Lay Pastoral Ministers or Staff Associates in a Pastoral Charge, Mission, or Outreach Ministry within the bounds of the Presbytery;
6.2.3 appointed to administrative or program staff positions by a court of the church or a Division of the General Council;
6.2.4 appointed by Pastoral Charges and Missions of the United Church, whether or not the Pastoral Charge or Mission is served by a
member of the Order of Ministry. Such representatives are to be appointed on the following basis for each Pastoral Charge or
Mission:
(1)
one representative from each Congregation with 250 or fewer resident members;
(2)
two representatives from each Congregation with between 251 and 500 resident members;
(3)
three representatives from each Congregation with between 501 and 750 resident members;
(4)
four representatives from each Congregation with 751 or more resident members;
6.2.5 appointed, on the same basis as those in section 6.2.4, by an inter-denominational congregation or mission, including Canadian Forces Bases, in which the United Church is one of the participating denominations and which is recognized by Presbytery;
6.2.6 one representative from each of the following: the Presbyterial United Church Women, the Presbytery United Church Men, and the Presbytery Kairos; or from those organizations which are their successors;
6.2.7 one representative from each Outreach Ministry within the bounds of the Presbytery.
6.2.8 Every Presbytery shall have the authority to appoint annually up to ten lay members at large.
6.3 The Presbytery shall include as corresponding members:
6.3.1 lay Overseas Personnel for whom it is their home Presbytery;
6.3.2 Candidates for the Order of Ministry sponsored by the Presbytery who are not appointed to a Pastoral Charge or Mission; and
6.3.3 one representative from the Board, or equivalent administrative body, for each camp or outdoor ministry programme within its bounds which is owned or operated by the United Church.
6.4 It shall be the duty of the Presbytery:
6.4.1 to have the oversight of the Pastoral Charges within its bounds, review their records, and form new Pastoral Charges or local churches;
6.4.2 to receive and dispose of petitions and appeals from the lower governing bodies or courts;
6.4.3 to transmit petitions and appeals to the higher governing bodies or courts;
6.4.4 to license as a Lay Preacher a member of the laity who has been recommended by a Session and who has successfully completed the course of study required by the General Council Division of Ministry Personnel and Education and after examination is approved by the Presbytery;
6.4.5 to examine and where appropriate:
(1)
to receive an Inquirer who has been recommended by a Session (or its equivalent) as a Candidate for the Order of Ministry; and
(2)
to certify each Candidate to a United Church theological school;
6.4.6 to exercise faithful supervision of each Candidate; to enquire each year into the genuine call to ministry, personal character, motives, academic record, doctrinal beliefs, and general fitness for ministry of each Candidate; and to receive annual reports for each Candidate from the theological school;
6.4.7 to make a recommendation to the Conference regarding each Candidate for the Order of Ministry upon completion of the prescribed requirements for ordination or commissioning;
6.4.8 to provide an Act of Covenant through which a new relationship is established between an individual and a Pastoral Charge, the Presbytery itself, or a United Church related ministry accountable to the Presbytery;
6.4.9 to participate in any Act of Covenant provided for by another court (Presbytery, Conference, or General Council) through which a new ministry relationship is established between an individual member of the Presbytery and that other court (or one of its agencies);
6.4.10 to deal with matters sent down by the higher governing bodies or courts;
6.4.11 to adopt measures for promoting the religious life of the Pastoral Charges within its bounds;
6.4.12 to consult at the earliest possible date with a Pastoral Charge or the Official Board when the minister dies, becomes disabled, or is unable to perform their duties due to an emergency. The Presbytery shall ensure that appropriate arrangements for pastoral care are made;
6.4.13 to make a decision on a request from a member of the Order of Ministry or a Pastoral Charge for a change in the pastoral relationship. When the Presbytery acts to declare a vacancy this will be reported promptly to the Settlement Committee;
6.4.14 to elect lay members to the Conference, of whom at least a majority shall have been previously elected by a Pastoral Charge to represent them at Presbytery;
6.4.15 to appoint one member of the Order of Ministry and one lay member to the Conference Settlement Committee; and
6.4.16 to have the oversight of the conduct of members of the Order of Ministry on its roll.
7.0 The Conference shall consist of:
7.1.1 the members of the Order of Ministry who are on the roll of the Presbyteries within its bounds;
7.1.2 the lay persons who are under appointment within its bounds as in sections 6.2.1 and 6.2.3;
7.1.3 the lay members of the United Church who at the time of their retirement were serving as Lay Pastoral Ministers or Staff Associates in a Pastoral Charge, Mission, or Outreach Ministry of a Presbytery within its bounds;
7.2 lay members elected as provided for in section 6.4.14, at least equal in number to the members in sections 7.1.1, 7.1.2, and 7.1.3;
7.3 the Chairpersons of Conference Committees and the President of the Conference United Church Women, who are not members of any Presbytery but who, at the discretion of the Conference, may be added to its membership;
7.4 persons who are corresponding members of Presbytery under sections 6.3.1, 6.3.2, and 6.3.3 shall be corresponding members of the Conference;
7.5 representatives of lay organizations which may be recognized by the Conference from time to time, with the number of representatives to be determined by the Conference or its Executive.
7.6 It shall be the duty of the Conference:
7.6.1
(1)
to meet annually or biennially;
(2)
to appoint an Executive;
7.6.2 to determine the number and boundaries of the Presbyteries within its bounds, have oversight of them, and review their records;
7.6.3 to receive and dispose of appeals and petitions, subject to the usual right to appeal;
7.6.4 to see that, as far as possible, every Pastoral Charge within its bounds shall have a pastorate without interruption, and that every effective member of the Order of Ministry shall have a Pastoral Charge, and to effect this through a Settlement Committee;
7.6.5 to ordain or commission each Candidate for the Order of Ministry as examined and approved who has fulfilled the prescribed requirements and has been recommended by a Presbytery;
7.6.6 to admit to the Order of Ministry of the United Church a diaconal minister or the equivalent or an ordained minister from another denomination, subject to the regulations of the General Council;
7.6.7 to deal with matters referred to it by the General Council;
7.6.8
to elect to the General Council an equal number from each of two groups:
(1)
members of the Order of Ministry, and persons appointed as Lay Pastoral Ministers, Lay Pastoral Ministers-in-Training, or Staff
Associates; and
(2)
lay members other than those appointed as Lay Pastoral Ministers, Lay Pastoral Ministers-in-Training, or Staff Associates; and
7.6.9 to have oversight of the religious life of the Church within its bounds, and to adopt such measures as may be judged necessary for its promotion.
8.0 The General Council shall consist of:
8.1 an equal number, elected by the Conference, from each of two groups:
8.1.1 members of the Order of Ministry, and persons appointed as Lay Pastoral Ministers, Lay Pastoral Ministers-in-Training, or Staff Associates; and
8.1.2 lay members other than those appointed as Lay Pastoral Ministers, Lay Pastoral Ministers-in-Training, or Staff Associates;
8.2 the immediate Past Moderator, the retiring Moderator, and the General Secretary of the General Council, who shall be ex officio commissioners; and
8.3 the Chairperson or alternate of each General Council Division, and three of the General Council Secretaries.
8.4 Overseas Personnel (missionaries) who are appointed by the Division of World Outreach (or by the United Church) shall not be eligible for election as commissioners to the General Council by a Conference, but Overseas Personnel who are members of the United Church shall be entitled to representation at each General Council on the basis of one commissioner for every eighteen such Overseas Personnel, including spouses, chosen as follows:
8.4.1 Normally one-half of such commissioners shall be members of the Order of Ministry and one-half shall be members of the laity, and at least one commissioner shall be from each of the major areas of the work of the Division of World Outreach; and
8.4.2 Such commissioners shall be elected by ballot from the Overseas Personnel (missionaries), including spouses, who will be on furlough in Canada at the time of the meeting of the General Council.
8.5 Its regular meeting shall be held every second year, excepting that the General Council or the Executive of General Council shall have the power, in exceptional circumstances, to defer the date of the regular meeting to the third year. Its presiding officer shall be the chief executive officer of the Church, and for the term of office may be relieved of pastoral or other duties.
8.6 The General Council shall have full power:
8.6.1 to determine the number and boundaries of the Conferences, have oversight of them, and review their records;
8.6.2
(1)
and government of the Church, subject to the following conditions: First, that before any rule or law relative to these matters can
become a permanent law, it must receive the approval of a majority of the Presbyteries, and, if advisable, Pastoral Charges also, the
votes of which are received by the designated date, provided that at least two-thirds of the eligible courts have responded by that
date. Second, that no terms of admission to full membership shall be prescribed other than those laid down in the New Testament.
And third, that the freedom of worship at present enjoyed in the negotiating Churches shall not be interfered with in the United
Church;
(2)
to legislate on all matters respecting property, subject to the limitations elsewhere provided in the Basis of Union, and subject also to
the approval of the Conference in which the property is situated;
8.6.3 to prescribe and regulate the courses of study for Candidates for the Order of Ministry and to regulate the admission of diaconal ministers (or their equivalent) and ordained ministers from other denominations;
8.6.4 to receive and dispose of petitions, memorials, etc.;
8.6.5 to dispose of appeals;
8.6.6 to determine the missionary policy of the Church, and to provide for the conduct of its missions;
8.6.7 to have charge of the colleges of the Church, and to take what measures are deemed advisable for the promotion of Christian education;
8.6.8 to appoint committees or Divisions and officers for the different departments of church work, and to receive their reports and give them instruction and authority;
8.6.9 to correspond with other Churches;
8.6.10 and in general to enact such legislation and adopt such measures as may tend to promote true godliness, repress immorality, preserve the unity and well-being of the Church, and advance the kingdom of Christ throughout the world.
THE ORDER OF MINISTRY
9.0 The Order of Ministry shall be open to both men and women.
9.1 The pastoral relationship, when initiated by call and/or settlement, shall be without time limit.
9.2 The policy of the Church shall be that every Pastoral Charge shall have, as far as possible, a pastorate without interruption, and that every effective member of the Order of Ministry shall have a Pastoral Charge.
9.3 Every member of the Order of Ministry duly settled in a Pastoral Charge shall have the right to conduct services in the church, churches, or other places of worship in connection with the Pastoral Charge; and the right of occupancy of the manse in connection with the Pastoral Charge, subject to the rules and regulations of the United Church.
9.4 There shall be a Settlement Committee for each Conference. On this committee each Presbytery within the bounds of Conference shall be represented by one member of the Order of Ministry and one lay member appointed by the Presbytery.
9.4.1 It shall be the duty of this Committee to consider all applications for settlement from members of the Order of Ministry or from Pastoral Charges within the bounds of the Conference which are transmitted by Presbyteries. For this purpose the Committee shall meet at least annually.
9.4.2 While settlements shall ordinarily be made at the annual meeting, the Settlement Committee shall have authority, through its Executive, to effect settlements during the Pastoral Year.
9.5 A member of the Order of Ministry, or a Pastoral Charge at a meeting properly called to consider the Pastoral Relationship, may decide to apply through the Presbytery to be settled by the Settlement Committee. All such applications shall be in writing.
9.6 A member of the Order of Ministry shall have the right to appear before the Settlement Committee to represent their case in regard to their request for settlement. A Pastoral Charge, or Official Board when authorized by the Pastoral Charge, may appoint no more than two persons, who are members in good standing of that Pastoral Charge, to represent it before the Settlement Committee regarding a request for settlement. Such representatives shall be authorized at a meeting properly called to consider the pastoral relationship and such authorization shall be in writing.
9.6.1 A Pastoral Charge, where a vacancy has been declared by Presbytery, may extend a call to a member of the Order of Ministry who is eligible for call, but the right of settlement shall rest with the Settlement Committee, which shall report to the Conference for information only.
9.6.2 While the right of settlement shall rest with the Settlement Committee, it shall comply as far as possible with the expressed wishes of members of the Order of Ministry and of Pastoral Charges.
9.7 When a Pastoral Charge, with a vacancy declared by Presbytery, fails to extend a call by the end of the Pastoral Year (June 30th), the Settlement Committee may make the settlement.
9.7.1 The Settlement Committee shall have authority to initiate communications with members of the Order of Ministry and with Pastoral Charges in order to effect settlements.
9.7.2 When a member of the Order of Ministry chosen by a Pastoral Charge cannot be settled, the Pastoral Charge or its Official Board, if so authorized by the Pastoral Charge, may place another name before the Settlement Committee.
9.8 There shall be a Transfer Committee on which each Conference shall be represented.
9.8.1 The Transfer Committee shall have authority to transfer members of the Order of Ministry and Candidates for the Order of Ministry from one Conference to another, according to the Basis of Union.
9.9 The Transfer Committee shall have authority to transfer Candidates for the Order of Ministry recommended for ordination or
commissioning to the Conference where, in the judgement of the Transfer Committee, their services are most needed for the
adequate supply of all Pastoral Charges.
This authority of the Transfer Committee will not apply to:
(1)
Diaconal Ministers who having served five years in full-time ministry are recommended for ordination; or
(2)
Ordained Ministers who having served five years in full-time ministry, are recommended for commissioning.
10.1 No person shall be received as a Candidate for the Order of Ministry unless first recommended by a Session, Official Board, or Pastoral Charge.
10.2 The duty of inquiry into the personal character, doctrinal beliefs, and general fitness for ministry of a Candidate for the Order of Ministry recommended by a Session, Official Board, or Pastoral Charge shall be laid upon the Presbytery and such inquiry shall be repeated each year until a recommendation is made to the Conference for ordination or commissioning.
10.3 It shall be left to the General Council to determine, from time to time, the course of study leading to ordination and commissioning.
10.4 Provision shall be made, as far as possible, within the institutions of theological education for instruction in the courses of study in Theology as approved by the General Council.
11.1 The Conference shall make the final inquiry into the personal character, doctrinal beliefs, and general fitness for ministry of Candidates recommended for ordination or commissioning and of those recommended for admission to the Order of Ministry of the United Church.
11.2 The Conference shall examine each Candidate on the Statement of Doctrine of the United Church and shall, before ordination, commissioning, or admission, be satisfied that such Candidate is in essential agreement therewith, and as a member of the Order of Ministry of the United Church accepts the statement as being in substance agreeable to the teaching of the Holy Scriptures.
11.3 In the service to ordain, commission, or receive persons to the Order of Ministry, those presenting themselves shall, after hearing the
following preamble, answer the questions which follow:
"Jesus Christ came into the world to be the servant of God and all people. As servant Lord, Jesus calls his Church to a ministry of
worship, witness, and reconciliation. In baptism we were received as members of his Church and at confirmation we committed
ourselves to its ministry. In order that this ministry of the whole Church may be fulfilled, God has given the ordained ministry of
Word, Sacrament, and Pastoral Care, and the diaconal ministry of Education, Service, and Pastoral Care. It is the responsibility of
the Church to seek, train, and set apart those whom God calls so to serve.
1.
(to each Candidate) Do you believe in God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and do you commit yourself anew to God?
2.
(to each Candidate being ordained) Do you believe that God is calling you to the ordained ministry of Word, Sacrament, and
Pastoral Care, and do you accept this call?
(to each Candidate being commissioned) Do you believe that God is calling you to the diaconal ministry of Education, Service, and
Pastoral Care, and do you accept this call?
3.
(to each Candidate) Are you willing to exercise your ministry in accordance with the scriptures, in continuity with the faith of the
Church, and subject to the oversight and discipline of The United Church of Canada?"
ADMINISTRATION
12.1 In the administration of the mission work of the United Church there shall be two departments: (a) Home, including all the mission work within the Dominion of Canada, Newfoundland, and the Bermudas; (b) Foreign, including the missions already established or that may be established in other countries.
12.2 For the oversight and administration of these two departments there shall be two Boards, to be known as the Board of Home Missions and the Board of Foreign Missions, to be elected in such a manner and endowed with such powers as the General Council may determine.
12.3 In recognition of the very valuable services rendered by the Women's Societies, the union, constitution, and lines of work of these societies shall be determined by the joint action of their Boards, subject to the approval of the General Council.
12.4 There shall be placed under the administration of the Home Mission Board of the United Church the monies now administered under the caption of the Sustentation Fund and Church and Parsonage Aid Fund of the Methodist Church; the Home Mission and Augmentation Funds, French Evangelization Fund, and Church and Manse Fund (except that under the Foreign Mission Board) of the Presbyterian Church; the Home Mission Fund of the Congregational Churches; and such portion of the Mission Fund now raised by the Methodist Church and the Foreign Mission Board of the Presbyterian Church, as is now expended in Canada, Newfoundland, and the Bermudas.
12.5 There shall be placed under the administration of the Foreign Mission Board of the United Church the Foreign Mission Fund of the Congregational Churches and that portion of the Mission Fund of the Methodist Church and of the Foreign Mission Fund of the Presbyterian Church now expended in other lands.
12.6 There shall be placed under the administration of the Board of Evangelism and Social Service and the Board of Sunday Schools and Young People's Societies of the United Church the funds now raised for the work of the Departments of Social Service and Evangelism and the Department of Sunday Schools and Young People's Societies of the negotiating Churches.
12.7 Inasmuch as certain expenses in connection with the various courts of the Church will have to be met, the ways and means of raising these funds shall be left to the General Council.
13.0 It shall be left to the General Council of the United Church to determine how far the publications now issued by the negotiating Churches shall be amalgamated.
14.1 All the educational institutions connected with the three negotiating Churches shall, as far as possible, sustain the same relation to the United Church as, under their charter, they sustained to the respective Churches before Union until the General Council shall determine otherwise and necessary legislation shall give effect to changes made thereby.
14.2 The policy of the Church shall be the maintenance of a limited number of thoroughly equipped theological schools, due regard being paid to the needs of different parts of the country. In furtherance of this policy amalgamation shall be effected as soon as possible in localities where two or more theological schools are doing the same type of work.
14.3 In addition to the Governing Boards of the several theological institutions, the General Council shall appoint the Division of Ministry Personnel and Education which shall have such general oversight of the educational interests of the Church as the General Council may assign to it, and carry out such measures as may be decided in reference thereto.
14.4 The budget of the Division of Ministry Personnel and Education shall include such funds as are needed to supplement the revenues of the several educational institutions; to assist students in their preparation for the ministry of the church, and for such other purposes and under such regulations as the General Council may from time to time determine.
14.5 The several educational institutions shall be encouraged to obtain permanent endowments for their maintenance, may receive contributions for this and other purposes at any time, and, with the consent of the General Council or its Executive, acting upon the advice of both the Division of Ministry Personnel and Education and the Division of Finance, may proceed to appeal for such funds.
15.0 The General Council is empowered to effect from time to time a reorganization of the Boards and Committees of the Church, whether by way of amalgamation, rearrangement, or otherwise howsoever, and to amend the same from time to time; to place under the administration of the Boards, Committees, and Departments established by it the funds appropriate thereto; and to declare that sections 12.1, 12.2, 12.4, 12.5, and 12.6 of the Administration Section of the Basis of Union under the heading Missions and sections 14.3, 14.4, and 14.5 under the heading Colleges be repealed or amended as the case may be to conform with the constitution and powers of the new Boards and Departments so established; and that such repeal or amendment shall come into effect on the dates set by the General Council in such declaration and thereupon the said paragraphs shall stand repealed or amended as set forth in such declaration.
16.0 Whereas there exist, in some form, in all the negotiating Churches funds to aid aged and retired ministers, and widows and orphans of ministers, provision for similar purposes shall be made in the constitution of the United Church by such amalgamation or modification of existing methods as may be found practicable; and such provision shall embrace the following particulars.
16.1 The rights of present and prospective claimants on existing funds in any of the negotiating Churches shall be adequately protected. To this end:
16.1.1 the present capital investments of the various benevolent funds of the negotiating Churches, and the income now contributed to those funds by publishing interests shall be combined into a "common trust," if practicable. The rights of present claimants and of prospective claimants (the latter being computed as of the date of the Union) shall be a first charge on the revenue from this trust. If it be found that differences in the constitution and administration of the several funds are such as to necessitate separate trusts, instead of a common trust, this shall not be a bar to the carrying out of the general plan, because in that case their revenues shall be combined.
16.1.2 the General Council of the United Church shall provide for:
(1)
the assessing of each minister who is a member of any of the existing funds at the date of the Union and of all members of the Order
of Ministry received into, ordained or commissioned in the United Church after the Union, on the basis of stipend or age, or both
stipend and age, as the General Council may determine; and
(2)
the collecting of contributions, which shall be obligatory upon all local churches, based upon an equitable allocation or assessment
under the rules to be formulated by the General Council, the minimum of such allocation or assessment being the amount which,
together with the revenue from said trust or trusts and the foregoing assessment upon members of the Order of Ministry, is requisite
to make good the claims of claimants upon the Superannuation Fund to be instituted by the General Council.
16.2 Claimants on the proposed Fund shall include the following:
16.2.1 all Ministers who, at the time of the Union, are beneficiaries of existing funds;
16.2.2 all Ministers who, at the time of the Union, are regular contributors to existing funds on the scale provided by their respective denominations;
16.2.3 all Ministers' widows and orphans who are now, or may hereafter become, entitled to participate in the proposed Fund;
16.2.4 all Ministers, not members of or contributors to existing funds, who may signify their desire to become members of and contributors to the proposed Fund, on the basis of payments sanctioned by the General Council of the United Church. Provision shall be made whereby Ministers so applying may, by a certain scale of payments, be entitled to have their claim upon the proposed Fund date from the time of their reception into the ministry of any of the negotiating Churches instead of from the date of the Union;
16.2.5 all members of the Order of Ministry received into, ordained, or commissioned in the Church after the Union inasmuch as they shall be required at the time of their reception, ordination, or commissioning, to become members of and contributors to the proposed Fund;
16.2.6 lay missionaries appointed by the Board of Overseas Missions and such persons employed by the General Council, the Divisions, or Departments, as the General Council may designate; and
16.2.7 diaconal ministers, i.e., those members of the Order of Ministry who have been commissioned or formerly designated or set apart as Deaconesses and Certified Churchmen.
16.3 The sources of revenue of the proposed Fund shall be the following:
16.3.1 contributions of ministers who are members of said Fund at its inception, and those who afterward become members, on a scale to be adopted by the General Council of the Church;
16.3.2 offerings in all local churches based upon an equitable allocation to be made by the Board of Management of said Fund, under regulations sanctioned by the General Council;
16.3.3 legacies and donations given for the purpose;
16.3.4 such grants from the profits of the publishing interests of the Church as may from time to time be determined under regulations to be framed by the General Council; and
16.3.5 proceeds of any investments that may be made in the interests of the said Fund.
16.4 The General Council shall have power to use such part of the Pension Fund of the United Church as it may deem necessary for the purchase of annuities from the Dominion of Canada for such beneficiaries of the said Fund as the General Council may deem expedient.