From November 17-19, 2021, the Council held its twice-annual Governing Board meeting virtually.
At this semi-annual Governing Board meeting of the Council, we:
- Shared current news and challenges, and supported one another in prayer.
- Received the governance and program reports from all bodies of the Council.
- Adopted the 2022 budgets for the Council including its peace research institute Project Ploughshares.
- Accepted a new Sponsor of Project Ploughshares, the Community of Christ.
- Worshipped together using the new 2022 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity resources “We saw the star in the East, and we came to worship him” (www.weekofprayer.ca).
- Were challenged and inspired by Professor Rima Nasrallah from the Near East School of Theology in Beirut, Lebanon, who spoke on the experience of Christians in the East past and present, and how this informed the work of the international writing team for the 2022 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.
- Gleaned insight from the Commission on Faith and Witness resource on the Theology of the Human Person and Mental Health (working title).
- Prayed together in Coptic Orthodox, Lutheran, and Presbyterian traditions.
- Approved as a resource and publication of the Council the Theological and Ethical Reflections on Life Sciences and Biotechnologies: Guidelines for Churches, Researchers, and Civil Society from the Faith and Life Sciences Reference Group of The Canadian Council of Churches.
- Examined the current landscape of commercial sexual exploitation in Canada and the frontline work being done by members of the Working Group on Sexual Exploitation of the Commission on Justice and Peace.
- Shared recent developments for the church in Canada, how we will stand together to listen, learn and respond, and assessed the most pressing challenges related to shared Christian presence in Canada today.
- Explored with leaders of the Welcome Church Project on how they are responding to current and future newcomers to Canada from Hong Kong and how member churches of the Council can be prepared to also welcome newcomers from Hong Kong.
- Renewed and continued our commitment to prioritize the International Decade for People of African Descent during the 2021-24 Triennium.
- Acknowledged the Council’s new memberships in the Living Wage Network, SHARE, and Imagine Canada, which indicate the Council’s ongoing commitment to organizational integrity, equity, and best practices.
The next meeting of the Governing Board is scheduled to take place on May 18-20, 2022, and is tentatively planned to be held at Saint Paul University in Ottawa, pending government health advice.