Remit Number 6 Ministry Personnel in Associate Relationships in Migrant Church Communities Frequently Asked Questions In 2012, the 41st General Council of The United Church of Canada adopted two policies relating to migrant church communities. The first policy adopted by the 41 st General Council is about Associate Members. These are individual congregations or ministries. General Council gave its executive the responsibility to set policies that will govern Associate Members, and no remit is necessary for this new policy. The second policy adopted by the 41 st General Council is about Ministry Personnel in Associate Relationships. This policy proposes to give full presbytery membership to individual people who are in formal ministry leadership in Associate Member congregations or ministries. The General Council authorized a remit for this second policy because it would require a change to section 6.0 of the Basis of Union: the membership of the presbytery. This document is a resource for frequently asked questions related to this remit about the membership of the presbytery for Ministry Personnel in Associate Relationships. 1. What exactly are presbyteries being asked to vote on? Presbyteries are being asked to respond to a question of individual membership in presbytery for Ministry Personnel in Associate Relationships. The question that presbyteries will be asked to respond to is this one: Does the presbytery agree that: (a) (b) a person who is in formal ministry leadership in a congregation or ministry with Associate Membership in the United Church shall be entitled to full membership in the Presbytery in which the congregation or ministry is located; and the Basis of Union shall be amended to reflect this policy, as follows: The United Church of Canada 1 L Église Unie du Canada
6.0 The Presbytery shall consist of: 6.1 members of the Order of Ministry:.. 6.2 lay members of the United Church:.. 6.3 people in formal ministry leadership in congregations or ministries: (1) of other denominations: (2) that have been granted associate membership status in the United Church in accordance with policies adopted by the Executive of the General Council; and (3) that are located within the bounds of the Presbytery. 6.4 The Presbytery shall include as corresponding members:.. [sections 6.3.1 to 6.4.15 to be renumbered accordingly as 6.4.1 to 6.5.15]. 2. What does the term Associate Member mean? Associate Member identifies a covenanted relationship between two denominations: The United Church of Canada and the denomination of a migrant community congregation or ministry. Associate Member status may also in exceptional circumstances be established with individual migrant congregations or ministries. The policies and guidelines for establishing Associate Member agreements will be determined from time to time by the Executive of General Council. The United Church of Canada 2 L Église Unie du Canada
3. What does the term Ministry Personnel in Associate Relationship mean? Ministry Personnel in Associate Relationship identifies individuals who are in formal ministry leadership in Associate Member congregations or ministries. Ministry Personnel in Associate Relationships could be given full membership in the presbytery in which the Associate Member ministry is located. This recognition for membership will be separate from formal processes of admission. Membership in presbytery will also be dependent upon the assignment of a Ministry Personnel in Associate Relationship to an Associate Member ministry. If the Ministry Personnel in Associate Relationship ends their relationship with the Associate Member congregation or ministry, the individual would also end their membership in the presbytery to which they have been assigned. 4. What are migrant churches? Migrant church communities are ones that belong to denominations outside of Canada that are associated with the World Methodist Council, the World Communion of Reformed Churches or a partner denomination through the United Church s global partnership program. 5. What policies would a Ministry Personnel in Associate Relationship follow ones of The United Church of Canada, or ones of their home denominations? Ministry Personnel in Associate Relationship will be subject to other policies and guidelines as from time to time adopted by the Executive of the General Council of The United Church of Canada. Some such requirements might include that the ministry personnel be in good standing with their home denomination, and that they provide a police records check. In addition, Ministry Personnel in Associate Relationships will be: accorded full membership as ministry personnel within their presbytery, subject to the Pastoral Relations ethics and standards of The United Church of Canada, in a disciplinary review or judicial process, remain under the jurisdiction of the home denomination, recognizing that the presbytery of The United Church of Canada may need to participate as required. The United Church of Canada 3 L Église Unie du Canada
The ministry leadership will be subject to other terms as from time to time adopted by the Executive of the General Council. 6. If Ministry Personnel in Associate Relationship are required to comply with the pastoral relations ethics and standards of The United Church of Canada, how would that be enforced if the person s home denomination is responsible for the disciplining? What happens if a Ministry Personnel in Associate Relationship does something contrary to the United Church s ethical standards? The Ministry Personnel in Associate Relationship would be required to meet the standards of conduct that all ministry personnel are held to in The United Church of Canada. Any disciplinary action that The United Church of Canada might take in regards to a breach of conduct would impact the eligibility of the ministry personnel to continue to serve in association with the United Church; however, this would not impact the ministry personnel s standing with their home denomination. Their standing in their home denomination remains the responsibility of the home denomination to oversee. 7. Could a Ministry Personnel in Associate Relationship also become a member of Conference, or become a Commissioner at General Council? No. The proposal adopted by the 41 st General Council referred to membership in presbytery only. The proposal did not refer to Conference membership, or to commissioner status at General Council. This remit, therefore, is only asking about membership in presbytery. For a Ministry Personnel in Associate Relationship to become a member of Conference, or to become a Commissioner at General Council, it would require an additional remit to be sent to a subsequent General Council. The United Church of Canada 4 L Église Unie du Canada
8. Could a Ministry Personnel in Associate Relationship become the Moderator of The United Church of Canada? No. To become the Moderator of The United Church of Canada, one would need to be a Commissioner to General Council. Ministry Personnel will not be eligible to become Commissioners at General Council. 9. What is the difference between Associate Members, Ministry Personnel in Associate Relationships, and an Ecumenical Shared Ministry? The description of Associate Members and of Ministry Personnel in Associate Relationships are outlined in questions #2 and #3. The Manual (2010, section 348) names the following about Ecumenical Shared Ministries: Ecumenical Shared Ministries. (2007) (a) The settlement or appointment of Ministry Personnel of the United Church to an Ecumenical Shared Ministry shall be in accordance with the Polity of the United Church and subject to the policies established from time to time by the General Council or its Executive in relation to ecumenical shared ministry. (2007) (b) The appointment of ministry personnel of another participating denomination to an Ecumenical Shared Ministry shall be in accordance with the procedures of that denomination and subject to the policies established from time to time by the General Council or its Executive in relation to ecumenical shared ministry. (2007) (c) Ministry Personnel of the United Church settled in or appointed to an Ecumenical Shared Ministry shall be secure in their own denominational identity. They shall be respectful of the practices, needs, and traditions of the other denomination(s) participating in that Ecumenical Shared Ministry. (2010) (d) It is expected that ministry personnel of another participating denomination appointed to an Ecumenical Shared Ministry be secure in their own denominational identity. They shall be respectful of the practices, needs, and traditions of the United Church. (2007) (e) Ministry personnel of another participating denomination appointed to an Ecumenical Shared Ministry who seek admission to the Order of Ministry of the United Church are governed by the provisions of section 031. The United Church of Canada 5 L Église Unie du Canada
10. Does The United Church of Canada currently have any Associate Members or Ministry Personnel in Associate Relationships? Yes. The United Church of Canada now has one Associate Member. An Associate Membership has been formed with the Methodist Church of Ghana. The first congregation in that relationship is the Ghana Calvary Methodist United Church in Toronto Conference, through negotiations with the Ghana Methodist Church. The Ghana Methodist Church supports and relates to Ghanaian Methodist Churches in Europe, the UK, Canada and the United States and establishes covenants of agreements with the Methodist church or its successor in each country. This Associate Membership was formalized at the meeting of the Executive of General Council, on Sunday, May 5, 2013. 11. Where did the work on migrant churches emerge from, and why did it come to the 41 st General Council? The proposal Associate Relationship with Migrant Church Communities was developed by the Migrant Church Working Group of the Permanent Committee, Programs for Mission and Ministry (PC-PMM). The working group also included representatives from the Permanent Committee, Ministry and Employment Policies and Services (PC-MEPS) and the Theology, Inter-Church Inter-Faith Committee. The proposal came with the support of all three bodies. The Working Group realizes that Canada s demographic make-up is shifting, and with it increasing numbers of migrant church communities are establishing themselves in Canada. Many of these congregations have a strong desire to root themselves in the Canadian context, and at the same time maintain close connections with their home denominations. Some denominations have established clear policies of supporting and maintaining churches (missions) wherever in the world significant numbers of their people migrate. Some of these denominations maintain expectations that these migrant congregations will establish relationships with local denominations. This objective is in particular reflected in the Methodist world community and is expressed in a communion-wide agreement. Similar understandings exist among the reformed churches of the world. The United Church of Canada 6 L Église Unie du Canada