The 84th Annual Meeting of London Conference was held in Aylmer, ON this past weekend. President Bruce Cook presided over the meeting and its theme was "Sing Your Song of Faith" referring to a theological statement of faith recently adopted by The United Church of Canada.
Presentations were made about poverty reduction strategies, the Healing Fund, the incoming centralized payroll system, religious and political unrest in Israel's West Bank, and many new resources available for congregational use on a variety of topics.
The youth initiative against bottled water, which first surfaced a couple years ago, now has T-shirts bearing the slogan/logo: "Tap Water - Suck It Up!"
Business-wise, there were 7 proposals submitted for the Court's consideration:
- establishing an Archive Capital Fund that would accumulate 2% of all Real Property (churches and manses) sold in London Conference. Such a measure prepares for 2015 when a new Archive facility will (likely) be needed. - CARRIED.
- educate and increase awareness of the situation in Darfur. - Referred to Executive (I think, I'm not sure).
- calling on the provincial government to improve and follow through on its Poverty Reduction Strategy - CARRIED.
- calling on the federal and provincial government to sustain current programs that support Affordable Housing - CARRIED.
- create a Church Structures Task Group to examine and review our current Conference/Presbytery governance structure - Referred to Executive.
- ask the provincial government to provide a mandatory ethics course for all elementary schools - Defeated.
- ask all Presbyteries and pastoral charges, and General Council Executive, to register concern and displeasure over uranium mining in Eastern Ontario - CARRIED.
Susan Cameron was installed as President of Conference and introduced her theme for the year: "The Fabric of Prayer".
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