44th General Council of The United Church of Canada

The United Church of Canada's General Council 44: February 13 to August 7, 2022

The 44th General Council (GC44) will take place in 2022 fully online, commencing Sunday, February 13, and ending on August 7 with the installation of the new Moderator.
 
On February 13 the session will run from 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m. ET, with opening worship and the formal constituting of the GC44 commissioners.

What is General Council?

The General Council is the decision-making body for The United Church of Canada as a whole, from coast to coast to coast, both as a denomination and a legal corporation. 

In general terms, the General Council has the responsibility to set policy and take action for The United Church on doctrine, worship, membership, governance, property, pastoral relations, and the entrance to paid accountable ministry.  The General Council is also responsible for making decisions on denomination-shaping issues related to public witness. 

In doing this work, the General Council seeks to join our collective hearts, voices, and resources to witness to the gospel and vision of Jesus for a compassionate and just society, both in Canada and around the world, by:  enabling denominational-level ministry and mission; resourcing regional councils and local communities of faith; engaging in and encouraging partnerships and ecumenical/interfaith relationships; honouring and living into intercultural mission and ministry; living in covenant with Mother Earth and All My Relations in the Earth community; and ensuring that The United Church is equipped to fulfill its purpose.

Under normal circumstances, the General Council meets every three years, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 44th General Council meeting originally scheduled for 2021 was delayed by a year.  A typical General Council meeting brings together the 260 voting members, who are all members of The United Church of Canada, both lay persons and ministry personnel -- 204 elected as commissioners from the 16 regional councils, 15 chosen by the National Indigenous Circle, plus some additional members that include certain national officers and others chosen to ensure the diversity of the membership -- along with some hundreds of other attendees who come to participate as non-voting members in the various activities that happen during a General Council meeting to complement the business sessions.

Following General Council 44

We recommend those who are keenly interested in following GC44 register as a guest on PheedLoop, the online platform for the meeting. This will give you full access to all the public sessions, the ability to chat with other participants, easy access to the workbook and agenda, and more. Guest registration is free, but limited spots are available, so sign up now!
 
All the public sessions will also be livestreamed on The United Church of Canada YouTube channel. Log in using your Google account to share comments and discuss the proceedings in real time with the community of followers.
 
We will be sharing GC44 news and information on The United Church of Canada Facebook page throughout the meeting. You can also join a discussion on the work of the council on Facebook in the GC44 Conversations group.

Check out this article to learn about all the ways you can connect with the proceedings.

For the latest news, information, and draft agenda please visit the 44th General Council website.