The Canadian Council of Churches Governing Board Meeting
May 21-23, 2025 – St George and St Anthony Coptic Orthodox Church, Ottawa
The Canadian Council of Churches responds to Christ’s call for unity and peace, seeks Christ’s truth with an affection for diversity, and acts in love through prayer, dialogue, and witness to the gospel.
The Canadian Council of Churches (the Council) is a broad and inclusive ecumenical body. The Council’s Governing Board brings together representatives from Anglican; Eastern and Roman Catholic; Evangelical; Free Church; Eastern and Oriental Orthodox; and Historic Protestant traditions to review ecumenical life in Canada, reflect on its significance, to identifies needs and direct the affairs of the Council to express the unity which member churches desire.
At this semi-annual Governing Board meeting of the Council, we:
- Welcomed new members of the Governing Board, shared current news and challenges, supported one another in prayer, and sang together in one voice.
- Received the membership application from the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church and scheduled a membership vote for the next meeting in November.
- Received updates on organizational transitions at Project Ploughshares from Bruce Adema, Chair of the Project Ploughshares Management Committee.
- Met and connected with young adults from the Ottawa community and participated in intergenerational dialogue at St Mark and St Mary of Egypt Coptic Orthodox Church in Ottawa.
- Listened to Rev. Dr. Jennifer Leath lead a Bible study and reflection on Matthew 5:13 and the question “are we still salty” over breakfast at St George and St Anthony Coptic Orthodox Church with members of the Christian Council of the Capital Area.
- Learned from Julia Beazley, Director, Public Policy for the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada and Penny Rankin, Co-Chair of the Working Group on Ending Sexual Exploitation in Canada in a workshop on Ending Sexual Exploitation and decided to call for the establishment of an independent, non-partisan Children’s Commissioner for Canada.
- Heard from Karen Ridd and Pamela Dillon, Member and Chair of the Corrections and Restorative Justice Working Group on the systems and challenges of restorative justice, and affirmed support for a re-engagement with the National Restorative Justice Symposium.
- Considered the question, “Where now for visible unity for the Church in Canada?” in the President’s Dialogue.
- Attended a session at the Diocesan Centre of the Archdiocese of Gatineau on what effect legislation on secularism and laïcité is having on religious communities and society in Québec and discerned how The Canadian Council of Churches should respond.
- Heard from Vice-President, Fr. Anthony Mourad on the history of the Coptic Orthodox Church, who they are, their identity, their mission, and their ministry in Canada today.
- Reviewed the proposal and a request for approval of plans to host the North America Regional Ecumenical Theology Institute in 2026 and contemplated the challenges of hosting it as a bi-national program.
- Reflected on the Executive Committee’s draft statement in response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and considered the best way to structure, phrase, and publish a statement.
The next meeting of the Governing Board is scheduled to take place at Queen of Apostles Renewal Centre in Mississauga, Ontario, on November 19-21, 2025.