AGM 2024 Nominations: PMR Commissioners to General Council 45

General Council (GC) is the decision-making body of our denomination, The United Church of Canada, as a whole. It brings together Commissioners (those elected to be members of this meeting of the General Council) to help set the course for the future of The United Church of Canada.

GC45 Commissioners should make themselves available to attend the pre-General Council online education sessions in June 2025. The 45th General Council will meet over 6 days, in-person in Calgary AB, from August 7-12, 2025.

What is being a Commissioner?

This message from Moderator Right Rev. Dr. Carmen Lansdowne shares information about being a Commissioner to General Council. She invites you to consider becoming a nominee for 45th General Council Commissioner!

English: https://youtu.be/0Zfpxtgva80 French: https://youtu.be/4bRACsa_VMU

Electing PMR Commissioners

(The Manual Section D.1.1.e)

Criteria

According to The Manual, Pacific Mountain region is able to elect fourteen (14) Commissioners to attend General Council 45, along with our Regional Leading Elder / Presiding Officer (President), for a total of 15 Commissioners from our regional council.

Additionally, the Pacific Mountain Regional Council Executive has affirmed these criteria for the election of Commissioners from our region:

  • at least 10% of PM Commissioners be Youth and Young Adult (under 30 years old);
  • at least 1 Commissioner be from a visible minority, preferably from an migrating ministry congregation; and
  • at least 1 Commissioner be Indigenous.

Commissioners who have been nominated for Moderator and the Youth Forum Pilgrim will be acclaimed.

Process

In order to achieve a group of Commissioners who reflect all of these values and commitments, process has been established.

  • We are calling for nominations now, and nominations can come to the floor of the 6th Annual General Meeting of Pacific Mountain Regional Council (May 30-June 2, 2024 in Vancouver BC).
  • At our 2024 AGM, a poll shall be taken: Each Council member can indicate up to seven (7) preferred nominees.
  • The results will be tabulated by a group of “elders” (three or four most recent former presidents of BC Conference) working with the Nominations Committee, to form a slate to bring to the AGM for consideration and election as the 14 Commissioners from Pacific Mountain region.  The rest of the nominees will be included in alternates.

Considerations

  • The in-person meeting of the 45th General Council (GC45) will take place over 6 days from August 7 – 12, 2025.
  • Almost all of the listening and learning about proposals will happen before (online) gathering together for GC45.

Therefore Commissioners are expected to come to Calgary prepared to discuss the items before them, and without having time during the 6 days of GC 45 to learn about the themes and proposals.

Every effort will be made to provide Commissioners with the proposals and the background material as early as possible so that they have as much time as possible to ask questions and discuss them with each other and with other colleagues. There will also be pre-Council webinars. All Commissioners are strongly encouraged to attend them or watch the recordings afterwards to be as prepared as possible. While not mandatory, the webinars are to be a part of the General Council experience: missing them might be considered comparable to not showing up at a session.

Making a nomination

As you consider General Council 45 Commissioner nominations, remember the importance of reflecting the diversity of our denomination. Also, consider the diversity we as a church need as we seek to live out God’s mission.

  • Whose voices need to be heard in this decision-making body of our church?
  • Who’s missing from the table?
  • Whose wisdom, insights and experience can best contribute to the conversations and actions at GC45?

Let these questions – and others that the Spirit brings – aid you in your decision-making.

 

AMG 2024
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