National Alliance of Covenating Congregations within the United Church of Canada

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News Briefs for April 2008

The Reverend Bob Whalls, NACC Annual General Meeting, 2008, “Of the Making of Many Books”

New Briefs for January 2008

Is it Time to Quit?

OMNI TV interview with NACC Chairman, Geoff Wilkins

New Briefs for September 2007

Happy 10th Birthday, News Briefs!, Marriage etc., Some Editorial Thoughts, Update: A Song of Faith, From the General Secretary

Remit Required for "A Song of Faith"?

Last summer’s General Council approved a new faith statement, entitling it “A Song of Faith”. Deeply disturbed by the statement, the NACC has studied it at length and has concluded it represents a very significant doctrinal departure from the “Articles of Faith” in the Basis of Union, the United Church’s “constitution”. The Basis of Union, 8.6.2(1) requires that any change in doctrine be approved by the wider church through a Remit (a vote) before the General Council can approve it. Given this, the NACC has asked the General Secretary of General Council to provide a ruling on the present status of “A Song of Faith”. The NACC’s case Read More..

News Briefs for April 2007

Covenanting? What's That All about?, Voices United

News Briefs for February 2007

Amazing Grace, Moving from Film to Print, .Seminar, NACC Membership, “Speaking Personally” , AGM 2007

News Briefs for October 2006

We’re in White Rabbit Territory!, Christian Leaders Connection (Evangelical Fellowship of Canada), Wigglesworth Update, Snappers, Postscript for Stormy Times

News Flash!!

A NEW OPPORTUNITY TO STAND UP FOR THE UNITED CHURCH’S TRADITIONAL FAITH Until very recently, only those United Church congregations supporting the faith expressed in the Basis of Union could belong to the National Alliance of Covenanting Congregations, a Canada-wide association firmly committed to the need for the United Church to return to its faith roots and to the moral standards flowing from them. But now NACC membership has been broadened! Small congregational groups (of 6 or more persons), and individuals who want to play their part in upholding the Church’s historic understanding of its Christian faith are welcome to join. Find out more about us today and learn how to join! For more information, please contact the NACC Office: PO Box 1022, Barrie ON, L4M 3G1, phone 1-800-678-2607, fax (705) 737-1086, or email nacc@csolve.net. The following may be of interest...

News Briefs for May 2006

Annual General Meeting, Meeting, #2 with the Moderator, Clergy Care

News Briefs for February 2006

What, Me Worry?, Your Prayers are invited, A good year for children and the family?, Speaking of the New Statement of Faith

Considering the Question of Same Sex Marriage

Address given by Rev. J. Raymond Corbett, Nov. 6, 2005, at a Workshop at Edgewood United Church Halifax, NS

News Briefs for December 2005

Thoughts on advent, 2005; Christmas Present Suggestion?; Highlights from the Chairman's Year

News Briefs for September 2005

A Sad Farewell, Set Aside Saturday, November 5, 2005, Faith Today, Archeology, Just an Interesting Biblical Coincidence?

Website Redesign

The NACC website has undergone a redesign in order to bring it up to date, more consistent and more manageable. Also as a suggestion from Art Hiley we have added a discussion forum. More features are in the works.

Sinking Sand - A letter by Rev. Shawn Ketcheson, Manotick United Church

My Dear Friends and Partners in Ministry: Thanks for taking the time to consider this note as I attempt to make myself transparent regarding the present reality in this our United Church. Sometimes I feel as if we are on...

New United Church Statement of Faith

A new faith statement is to be presented to General Council in 2006, and a draft (Faith Talk II) has been issued for comment. However, the draft is, somewhat surprisingly, not being circulated to congregations as a matter of course: to receive a copy one must request it by contacting GC Office or going to the UCC website, http://united-church.ca/ and searching for "Faith Talk II" or "statement of faith". Even though access is obviously not easy for everyone, the NACC hopes that there will be wide interest in commenting on the draft. The deadline for responding is September 30. For its part, the NACC's Steering Committee considers Faith Talk II to be a deeply, indeed fatally, flawed document, which, if adopted, can only do the denomination serious harm. In an attempt to help others as they approach this somewhat complex and confusing document, a package of helpful materials will shortly be posted here. The Committee's own comments have now been forwarded to Church House.

News Briefs for April 2005

After Holy Week, Quo Vadis?, Marriage . . . Again, . . . Still, The Moderator Reports, Fellowship Magazine

NACC Letter to MPs

A response to the Moderator's advice to MPs regarding the coming vote on same-sex marriage.

News Briefs for January 2005

The 2005 General Council will be receiving a draft of a new UCC Statement of Faith, Ted Wigglesworth's Suit, The "Marriage" Debate in Parliament, Setting up an NACC National Office, What Exactly Does the NACC Do?

News Briefs for September 2004

2004 Annual Meeting, Shortage of United Church Ministers, A Child Shall Lead Them: a true story told by Edward K Kazmarek, Bible Verses!, Snappers

News Briefs for February 2004

The Importance of Humpty Dumpty, Caplin or Cod?, "The Passion of Christ"

News Briefs for December 2003

An Apology and an Opening Thought, A Cockeyed Optimist?, The Purpose of News Briefs, The New Moderator, NACC AGM 2004, Closing Thought: Our Present-Giving God.

News Briefs for September 2003

THE 38TH. GENERAL COUNCIL and Prayers For the Uniting Church in Australia

Pending Legislation on Marriage

A letter to the Prime Minster and other federal politicians

Pastoral Charge Statement Re. Same Sex Unions

Sadly, the homosexual issue is once again front and centre. The recent ruling by Ontario's Court of Appeal (bolstered by earlier rulings in BC and Quebec) raised the stakes considerably for congregations which balk at solemnizing same sex unions. Some time ago, prompted by the action of the General Council in authorizing "services of blessing", the NACC recommended language congregations might consider if they wished to make it clear to same sex couples that they would not perform such ceremonies.

News Briefs for June 2003

MORE TEN TON TRUCKS - Redefining "Marriage" - Bill C-250. Plus, The Meaning of the Cross and Snappers

Faith Talk -- An Informed Commentary

This is the substance of a recent letter to the Theology and Faith Committee. The author served on that committee for a number of years, leaving it only fairly recently. The letter strikes us as extremely even handed, while raising a number of serious concerns about this move to develop a new statement of faith for the church. While the author does not put it this way, it strikes us that the product may be less a new statement of faith than a statement of a new faith. Used with permission.

News Briefs for March 2003

TWO TEN TON TRUCKS - Ted Wigglesworth vs. the United Church, and Marriage - Is It? Isn't It?

Faith Talk - A New Statement of Faith for the United Church

The last NACC newsletter (News Briefs, January 2003) advised that the NACC would be asking its member congregations to make sure their voices are heard as the United Church embarks on this (problematic) move to generate a new faith statement for the church.

News Briefs for January 2003

The Alpha Program Helping Churches Grow, That Deadly "E" Word

News Briefs for November 2002

An Upbeat Issue! - Remit 7 Defeated, "Christ Is Our Life" - doubles attendance, "Confessing the Faith!"

News Briefs for September 2002

Development of a new statement of faith, Bill C-145, "God Language"

Remit 7: Reorganization of the United Church

You will remember that about a year ago the NACC Executive offered you some advice on how to respond to this remit. It was to have been dealt with last Fall, but (presumably because much of the initial reaction was negative) the deadline for response was suddenly extended to October 31, 2002. In the interim General Council Office has provided additional explanation.

News Briefs for July 2002

Bob Blackburn degree of Doctor of Laws, Small congregations, Remit 7

Services of Blessing for Same Sex Couples

The New Westminster Diocese of the Aanglican Church of Canada recently voted to permit services of blessing for same sex couples. The Bishop has given his approval and eight dissenting parishes have requested alternative episcopal oversight. The NACC has written as follows to the eight parishes:

News Briefs for April 2002

NACC Annual General Meeting - Remit Skulduggery? - plus more.

News Briefs for February 2002

Welcome Oneida United! - Resources - Report - plus more.

Your Next Minister

From time to time a Pastoral Charge in the United Church will contact the NACC in some distress: they have called a Minister who has turned out to be significantly different from the person they thought they'd interviewed. Not...

New Section of Congregational Resources

The NACC Resources list is material which NACC is recommending or has available for lending....

News Briefs for November 2001

The Congregation - The Basic Building Block

Remits Before the Church, November, 2001

The Executive of the National Alliance of Covenanting Congregations believes that two of the four remits that coming to the Presbyteries this fall need some comment.

September 2001 News Briefs

Sept 11th, Updates, Remit and more.

June 2001 NACC News Briefs

NACC Sunday - June 10th

May 2001 News Briefs

Highlights from the Tenth Annual General Meeting

March 2001 NACC News Briefs

Ted Wigglesworth, Women of Samoa, Same Sex Unions, Care of Clergy and more.

Services of Blessing

As a result of actions at the recent General Council, pastoral charges may wish to make a clear statement of what they expect from their ministers and will permit on their premises. The following motion is offered as a basis for such action.

December 2000 NACC News Briefs

Ted Wigglesworth, General Council and Same Sex Unions, General Council and the Fishery, plus more!

September 2000 NACC News Briefs

News items from General Council 37 concerning the NACC.

Some Current Thoughts on the National Alliance of Covenanting Congregations

The National Alliance of Covenanting Congregations consists of more than 100 congregations, within the United Church of Canada, who have declared their loyalty to the orthodox Christian faith as it is defined in the Basis of Union on which our...

Judicial Committee Ruling on Baptismal Formulae

Because of letters of concern from the NACC, the COC, and three NACC congregations, General Council Executive asked the Judicial Committee of GC for a ruling on whether a remit [ie a vote from the church at large] would be...

December 1999 NACC News Briefs

Special Distribution News Briefs usually goes only to Regional Presidents and Newsletter Editors, but this particular issue is also being sent to our much valued Legal Defence Fund donors. This is partly to bring them up-to-date on how matters stand...

A Prairie Preacher's Quest for Vengence - National Post Article

Ted Wigglesworth seeks justice from a United Church that separated him from his flock BY GEORGE KOCH BASHAW, ALTA. The first sign of trouble came to Rev. Ted Wigglesworth on the July 1 holiday three years ago. That day, a...

Suit Against the United Church

PRESS RELEASE March 26, 1999 A multi-million dollar lawsuit was filed in Calgary today naming Bill Phipps, the Moderator of the United Church of Canada, the United Church of Canada, and others. The lawsuit alleges in part that Bill Phipps...

REGARDING THE MODERATOR OF THE UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA'S COMMENTS TO THE OTTAWA CITIZEN AND CBC RADIO

We, the member congregations of the National Alliance of Covenanting Congregations within The United Church of Canada, hereby reject the comments of the Moderator of our denomination as standing outside Biblical and Historic Christianity. Comments such as "I don't...