What Is a Remit and Why Should I Care?
Remits are here! Our General Secretary, Nora Sanders, has sent letters to United Church
presbyteries and pastoral charges across Canada asking that they read, study, and vote on these
important questions regarding the future of our denomination. So what is a remit and why is it
significant? Let's do a quick overview of the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the remits that
are coming out of the work of General Council 42.
Who's Asking?
Out of the Comprehensive Review process the Comprehensive Review Team made
recommendations to the forty-second General Council in Corner Brook, Newfoundland—proposals
that would make significant changes to the United Church of Canada. (For a great Comprehensive
Review recap see Lorna MacQueen's PREZI presentation: https://prezi.com/puhgr7bjksou/re-capcomprehensive-review-and-gc-42/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy.) General Council
authorized five remits to be considered by pastoral charges and presbyteries (remits 1–4 and 6), and
three by presbyteries only (remits 5, 7, 8). See http://www.gc42.ca/remits.
What are They?
From The Manual:
The Presbyterian Church in Canada, The Methodist Church, and the Congregational
Churches of Canada united in 1925 to form The United Church of Canada. Their agreement
was set out in a document called the Basis of Union. This document was part of the federal
and provincial legislation that created the United Church. It contains a statement of faith and
an outline of the structure and basic policies of the United Church. (The Manual 2013, 125)
A remit is a vote that gives permission to the General Council to change the Basis of Union. Category
1 remits involve wording or editorial changes; category 2 remits concern changes that are significant
but not denomination-shaping; and category 3 remits concern substantive changes that affect who
we are as a denomination, such as changes that affect the Articles of Faith, alter significantly the
structures of the United Church, redefine our understanding of ministry, or alter our understanding of
who is a member of the church.
Who Votes?
Category 2 remits are voted on by presbyteries; category 3 remits are voted on by presbyteries and
pastoral charges. What does it mean for a pastoral charge to vote on a remit? It means the pastoral
charge session or council (or its equivalent) votes. Each pastoral charge gets only one vote, meaning
if there is more than one session, a joint meeting of all the sessions must be held and the vote taken
at the joint meeting. The session votes on remits on behalf of the pastoral charge and this
responsibility may not be delegated to the congregation, although the session may want to consult
with the congregation. However, even if a straw vote is taken with the congregation, the session
must still make the actual decision and is not obligated to vote according to the wishes of the
congregation. (For more information see the Comprehensive Study Guide for Remit 6, "Frequently
Asked Questions," http://bit.ly/1RnzJWk, p. 17.)
(Continued over)
When Does this Have to be Done?
 Remits 1, 2, 3, and 4: votes must be received by June 30, 2017
 Remits 5, 7, 8: votes must be received by February 17, 2017
 Remit 6: votes must be received by February 28, 2018
If the remits are passed they will go to General Council 43, in Oshawa, Ontario in 2018, for approval.
Where Can I Find the Remits and Study Material?
All the information is available on the General Council 42 website: http://www.gc42.ca/remits. As
Nora Sanders notes in her letter, "Paper copies are being sent only to those lacking electronic
access. For the sake of the environment, and in recognition of modern communications practice, the
majority of the remit material will be online." Nora's letter includes the mailing address for Alison
Jordan, who will collect the marked ballots.
I'm Not Involved in Presbytery, Conference, or General Council. Why Should I
Care about Remits?
The proposed changes, especially the category 3 remits, will directly impact congregations! Remit 1,
"The Three Council Model," redefines congregations as "communities of faith" and outlines many
aspects of how the communities will function, including membership, authority and responsibility,
governance, spiritual life, and ministry and other leadership. Remit 2, "Elimination of Transfer and
Settlement," eliminates the option currently open to congregations to request a minister through the
transfer and settlement process, and means each community of faith will be responsible for finding
their own ministers through needs assessments and search committees. Remit 3, "The Office of
Vocation," affects the standards of accreditation, oversight, and discipline of the ministers serving
our congregations. Remit 4, "Funding the New Model," directly impacts how our donations to the
United Church Mission and Service fund will be spent and how resources will be shared across the
United Church. Remit 6, "One Order of Ministry," impacts the education and training ministers in our
pulpits will receive.
How Will the Votes be Counted?
For a remit to pass it must be approved by a majority of all pastoral charges and a majority of all
presbyteries before being sent to the next meeting of General Council for final approval. A failure to
vote counts as a "no" vote. Therefore, as noted by Nora Sanders in her letter, "It is vitally important
that every pastoral charge cast a vote on all five remits, as an absolute majority is needed for them
to pass, not just a majority of those who vote."
Visit http://www.gc42.ca/remits today, read the study guides available there, and help shape the
United Church's Future!
By Barbara Hampson
Note: Since the release of eight remits in February, staff at General Council Office have been fielded
some recurring questions about the 8 remits that could transform our church. The responses given
by senior staff may be helpful to your understanding of the changes that are being proposed:
http://bit.ly/1V9bY8y.
If there are additional questions, please send them to [email protected].