Report of Uniting General Council

1. Report of Uniting General Council World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) Grand Rapids, Michigan June 17 – 27, 2010

2. What is the WCRC? • Merger between World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) and Reformed Ecumenical Alliance (REC) • Launched at the Uniting General Council in June 2010 in Grand Rapids • Brings together 80 million Reformed Christians worldwide • United to be a stronger voice on the big issues of our day - climate change, human rights, economic justice and helping our neighbours of all faiths.

3. What is the WCRC? • Its 230 member churches in 108 countries are Congregational, Presbyterian, Reformed, Uniting and United churches with roots in the 16th-century Reformation led by John Calvin, John Knox and others. WCRC has its secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland.

4. Historic Communion • In 2005, the REC Assembly resolved to approach the World Alliance of Reformed Churches to propose a much closer relationship, that the REC become an "entity within" the WARC. • In January 2006, a joint committee of eight delegates proposed that the two organizations each disband and that the member churches together for a new organization.

5. Uniting General Council • New body will meet every seven years • General council elects new executive and new president • Makes decisions on major issues facing the world and member churches • Gathering of some 600 delegates from more than 100 countries plus guests, observers, staff, volunteers and presenters, all totalling about 1000

6. United Church of Canada • A member of the former WARC and the new WCRC • Shares the same interest in social justice issues, such as peace, poverty, racism, environment and empire • Benefits from the dialogue with people from around the world • Informs our decision making on these issues • We are ahead of many of the Reformed movement in some issues such as gender justice

7. UCC Delegates • UCC has six “voting” delegates selected through the Nomination process, based on expressions of interest. • Delegates included two from Saskatchewan (Moses Kanhai and Vic Weibe), two from Alberta, one from New Brunswick, one from Nova Scotia

8. Other UCC Participants • Co-opted staff, committee members, stewards, observers, presenters, ecumenical guest, theological students • One UCC participant (Peter Wyatt) was dean of the Global Institute of Theology that took part in the council as part of their theological studies • One key UCC staff worked on the planning team and one is a member of the communication staff.

9. Format of UGC • Opening parade and service • Plenary sessions in gym - main hall • Worship in college chapel • Bible studies, section meetings, committee meetings, region meetings, in buildings around campus • Meals in two dining halls • Accommodation in dormitories

10. Format of UGC • Morning and evening worship services • Daily Bible studies – delegates assigned a group of about eight or 10 people • Delegates pre-selected Sections at time of registration by choosing from a list of topics.

11. UGC theme • Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace • Primary focus on unity and justice • (Ephesians 4) “I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling tow which you have been called, with all munility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, amking every effort to aintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.”

12. Peace • True peace should be based on justice and equality for all, regardless of ethnicity, intellect, educational qualifications, social status, age, or gender. • It entails an acknowledgement and recognition of not only our own worth, but also that of others.

13. Issues • Some of the issues were based on past councils as articulated in reports such as the Accra Confession • Some issues were raised in plenary • Sections were opportunities for all to explore issues in depth • Provided brief report to Policy committee • These were reviewed along with all reports and included in a report to the plenary from the Policy committee

14. Decision Making • Policy committee reported to the plenary • The full body had the opportunity to comment and debate, amend as necessary • Vote on report of Policy committee • Report becomes policy and part of the message from the council • Message committee prepare a statement for public distribution

15. Attendance • Participants from numerous countries, e.g. Ghana, Nigeria, Madagascar, Cameroon, Togo, Philippines, South Africa, Uganda, Kenya, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mauritius, Congo, Senegal, France, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Sudan, Mozambique, Lesotho, Rwanda, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Botswana, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand, Japan, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Cuba, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Jamaica, Grenada, Costa Rica, Grand Cayman, Switzerland, Germany, Romania, Lithuania, Denmark, United Kingdom, Hungary, Greece, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Spain, Serbia, Portugal, Croatia, Sweden, Slovakia, Austria, Bulgaria, Poland, Luxemburg, Italy, Republic of Ireland, Belgium, Ukraine, Columbia, Brazil, Guatemala, Chile, Honduras, Venezuela, El Savador, Argentina, Dominican Republic, Uruguay, Mexico, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Egypt, Morocco, Canada, USA, Australia, Samoa, Tuvalu, New Caledonia, French Polynesia, New Zealand, Niue Island, Kiribati, Vanuatu.

16. Worship • Morning and evening worship, generally led by different cultural groups, e.g. Middle Eastern, Hispanic, Caribbean. • Often energetic, with new hymns composed for the event • Liturgical dancing • Excellent music leadership

17. Bible Study • Bible Study booklet with five subthemes from the Unity theme of the council • Best opportunity to bond with a small group representing different countries and denominations • My group represented India, UK, Lithuania, Nigeria, Taiwan, South Africa, Australia and Canada

18. Sections • Sections covered a range of issues oriented topics • I joined Leadership Development and Nurturing • Group discussed importance of Formal Training, Youth Leadership Development and Lay Leadership Development

19. Workshops • Covered instructional topics such as Using Volunteers in the Fight Against AIDS, People with Disabilities, Water – Gift of God and Human Right, Economic Globalization and the Struggle for Justice, When Children Matter, Food Justice, Pursuing Justice for Indigenous People and Caste in the Context of Empire.

20. Workshops • I attended workshops on Mission in the Context of Empire, Emerging Christianity, Truth Telling, Healing and Reconciliation, and Leadership and Congregational Sustainability.

21. Committees • Some delegates were pre-selected to participate in committees such as Policy, Issues and Messages. • These represented a very important aspect of the work and consumed long hours in order to have reports ready for presentation to the plenary

22. First Nations Involvement • Very important aspect of the whole experience, including the opening parade, theme speaker, pow wow and worship • Native American leader donated a family medallion to the WCRC • Proposal passed to use medallion as a symbol of the presidency to be passed on to future presidents

23. Local Community • Numerous ways that local Reformed churches shared in the experience – attending closing worship and communion, hosting delegates, inviting groups of delegates to worship in local churches and join local families for lunch • Local church sponsors hosted tables at the banquet held in a hall in the city

24. Hospitality • Evident from first arriving at the airport, registration, all forms of support throughout the event • Bonding of delegates with local church members – house guests, outings, etc.

25. Ecumenical Guests • Throughout the gathering ecumenical guests, representing major friends of the WCRC brought greetings • Included World Council of Churches, Vatican, other faith communities

26. Theme Speakers • Several theme speakers, including … • A significant speaker was Richard Twiss …

27. Visa Denials • A cloud that hung over the event was the reminder that 73 delegates were denied Visas by American Authorities • Special prayers were said and a proposal for a letter of protest to the American government

28. Loss of a Delegate • On the last day of the event, the pianist and organist and worship leader at worship services, Christina Mandang, of Indonesia, died in a traffic accident.

29. Weather • There were also real, literal clouds hanging over the council • At 1:05 a.m. on one night of the time, the tornado siren in the city sounded and many delegates had to retreat to the basements of the dorms until the tornado warning was lifted • The tornado damaged places near the city but missed the campus.