Past Annual Conferences and General Meetings

 

2024 Annual General Meeting

The CUC’s 2024 Annual General Meeting was held online on  May 25, 2024.
The items of business conducted included:

– election of the CUC Board of Trustees
– election of the Nominating Committee
– amended CUC By-Law

Related documents: 

The Sunday Worship Service was held on Sunday, May 19 on Zoom and the CUC YouTube channel. View the service on the CUC’s YouTube channel.

2023 Annual General Meeting

The CUC’s 2023 Annual General Meeting was held in Ottawa on  May 19, 2023.
The items of business conducted included:

– election of the CUC Board of Trustees
– election of the Nominating Committee
– amended CUC By-Law

Related documents: 

The Sunday Multigenerational Worship Service was held on Sunday, May 21 in person, on Zoom and the CUC YouTube channel. View the service on the CUC’s YouTube channel.

2022 Annual General Meeting

CUC Online Annual General Meeting May 2022

The CUC’s 2022 Annual General Meeting was held online via Zoom on  May 14, 2022.
The items of business conducted included:

– election of the CUC Board of Trustees
– election of the Nominating Committee

Related documents: 

The Sunday Multigenerational Worship Service was held on Sunday, May 15 on Zoom and the CUC YouTube channel. View the service on the CUC’s YouTube channel.

2021 Annual General Meeting

CUC Online Annual General Meeting May 2021

The CUC’s 2021 Annual General Meeting was held online via Zoom on  May 8, 2020.
The items of business conducted included:

– election of the CUC Board of Trustees
– election of the Nominating Committee
– approval of the proposed resolutions

Related documents: 

The Sunday Multigenerational Worship Service was held on Sunday, May 16 with over 900 participants on Zoom and the CUC YouTube channel. View the service on the CUC’s YouTube channel.

Music from the 2021 CUC Conference

Firefly
Words and music by Steve Koller. Musical direction and arrangement by Susanne Maziarz. Sung by Neighbourhood Spirit Choir. Video creation and editing by Gordon Thorne
Download: Firefly-SATB-all parts

Light of Love
Wendy Luella Perkins © 2021
Light of Love is meant for singing and sharing, so I hope that you sing it in your congregations and communities. It is easy to learn by ear and there is a lead sheet to help you out as well. If you want to sing a four-part version of the song, you are in luck as Elliott Dainow has created one. If you choose to sing this song, please know that my livelihood is centred around creating and sharing music, so contributions (small and large) to support my community ministry are always gratefully received: info@wendyluellaperkins.com
Download: Light of Love © 2021 Wendy Luella Perkins
Download: Light of Love- SATB © 2021 Wendy Luella Perkins, Arrangement Elliott Dainow

Keep It Alight
“Keep It Alight,” written by Rev. Lynn Harrison, made its debut at the CUC’s National Conference in May 2021. With grateful thanks to Susanne Maziarz (Choir Director), Gordon Thorne (video wizardry), and the singers and flame passers.
Download: Keep it Alight-3pt – Full Score

2020 Annual General Meeting

The CUC’s 2020 Annual General Meeting was held online via Zoom on  May 12, 2020.
The items of business conducted included:

– election of the CUC Board of Trustees
– election of the Nominating Committee
– approval of the following resolutions:

  1.  Change to Bylaw 5.4: Terms of Office
  2.  Strategic Priorities 2020-2021

Related documents: 

CUC Annual Report for 2019
2019 Canadian Unitarian Council-Financial Statement
CUC Nominating Committee Report 
CUC Polyamory Task Force Report
AGM 2019 Minutes

The Cross-Canada Sunday Service was held on Sunday, May 17 with over 1000 participants on Zoom and the CUC YouTube channel. View the service on the CUC’s YouTube channel.

2019 Annual General Meeting

AGM voters holding up voting cards in auditoriu, AGM 2018

The CUC’s 2019 Annual General Meeting was held on May 11, 2019, in Toronto ON. The items of business conducted included:

– election of the CUC Board of Trustees
– election of the Nominating Committee
– approval of the following resolutions:

  1. Board of Trustees – Change to Bylaw #5
  2. Participation in Meetings: Change to Bylaw #3.9
  3. “Dismantling Racism” Study Group; Action Plan
  4. CUC Goals and Strategic Priorities
  5. Consumer Price Index Increase to Annual Program Contribution
  6. New Method of Calculation for Annual Program Contribution

Related documents: 

Annual Report for 2018
Truth, Healing and Reconciliation Initiative Report 2018-2019
AGM 2018 Minutes

Congratulations go out to the winners of  Shining Lights, Knight Award, Northern Lights, and Theological Education awards which are announced as part of the AGM.

Congratulations and thanks to those UUs who have joined task forces and committees:

  • Theological Education Funds Committee: Rev. Wendy McNiven, Robbie Brydon, Rev. Arthur Berman, Rev. Debra Thorne | tef@cuc.ca
  • Northern Lights Committee: Rev. Norm Horofker, Susan Ruttan, Rev. Julie Stoneberg | northernlights@cuc.ca
  • Shining Lights Committee: Lynn Sabourin, Scott Donovan, Elena Basford, Joan Carolyn, Rev. Linda Thomson | shininglights@cuc.ca

2018 CUC National Conference: “Invitation to Love and Justice”

Hosted by the First Unitarian Church of Hamilton

“As Canadian Unitarian Universalists, we envision a world in which our interdependence calls us to love and justice.” This vision of our national faith community asks us to live this out through actions of love and justice. We are called to work together from a place of love to bring justice to all beings.

2018 National Conference and Annual General Meeting Re-cap 

Over the weekend of May 18, 2018, more than 280 Canadian Unitarian young adults and adults, and 75 youth and youth advisors gathered in Hamilton ON for the CUC’s National Conference. Together, they explored the conference theme of “Invitation to Love and Justice” through workshops, networking and worship. They also elected a new Board of Trustees, collected over $7,000 for three charities, presented grants and awards, and enjoyed a parody of TV talent shows which was presented by multi-talented members of the First Unitarian Church of Hamilton titled “UUs Got Talent.”

The Annual General Meeting, for the second year, had full online participation and voting capability. There were over 100 delegates, both onsite in Hamilton and online via Zoom web meeting platform. Twelve congregations participated online.

A new member congregation was welcomed into the Canadian Unitarian Universalist community. The Nelson Unitarian Spiritual Centre in British Columbia was affirmed as a full member congregation at the Annual General Meeting.

The 2018 – 2019 CUC Board of Trustees is:

  • President: Jane Ebbern (Calgary AB)
  • Vice-President: Margaret Wanlin (Thunder Bay ON)
  • Treasurer: Tanya Cothran (Toronto ON)
  • Secretary: Kiersten Moore (Vancouver BC)
  • Michael Riess (Victoria BC)
  • Rodrigo Solano-Quesnel (Toronto ON)
  • Carol Cumming Speirs (Montreal QC)
  • Minister Observer: Rev. Debra Thorne (New Westminster BC)

At each National Conference, a collection is taken up at the Sunday morning service for charities that have practices in tune with Unitarian Universalist principles. The First Unitarian Church of Hamilton is involved in the work of the following charities, and chose them as recipients for the 2018 Sunday collection; each charity will receive a third of collection, which totaled more than $7,000:

  • Eva Rothwell Centre: partnering with families living poverty, empowering them to become self-sufficient and fulfill their potential
  • EGALE Canada: advancing equality for Canadian lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their families across Canada
  • Stephen Lewis Foundation: providing care and support to women, orphaned children, grandmothers and people living with HIV&AIDS to turn the tide of HIV&AIDS

Unitarians also honoured other Unitarians with two awards:

  • Knight award 2018

    Betty Donaldson receiving the Knight Award from Ellen Campbell, the 2016 Knight Award recipient

    The Knight Award recognizes a Unitarian who has made notable contributions to furthering liberal religious principles in Canada. In 2018, the Knight Award was presented to E. Lisbeth Donaldson for her pioneering work over many years in advancing women’s rights.

Sharing Our Faith grants for growth and outreach initiatives are awarded annually to congregation which apply and meet the criteria. Funds are gathered by congregations holding Sharing Our Faith Sunday services, and from the Percy Simpson Bailey fund administered by the First Unitarian Congregation of Toronto. Four congregations received grants in 2018:

Theological Education Funds assist students on their path towards professional ministry. The funds are collected from ministers’ ordinations and installations, and from the Rouff Mackie-Jenkins fund administered by the First Unitarian Congregation of Toronto. Two students received $10,000 each in 2018 – Christopher Wulff and Ben Robins.

Northern Lights is a unique fundraising program that enables Canadian UUs to directly support growth projects in UU congregations and communities across the country, by pledging to be “Chalice Lighters.” The funds support innovative projects over $10,000 in growth and outreach. In 2018, the recipient of Northern Lights is Rev. Fulgence Ndagijimana to create an online Francophone ministry based in Saskatoon.

Shining Lights is a new award which celebrates the best of congregations’ initiatives, and was awarded for the first time in 2018 to the First Unitarian Church of Hamilton. The award recognized the congregation’s efforts in moving towards a more focused social justice effort with meaningful community impact in three areas: i) affordable housing; ii) sexual and gender justice; iii) empowering those living in poverty to fulfill their potential. These three areas were selected from more than one hundred suggestions through a selection process led by Rev. Carly Gaylor, previous Assistant Minister.

Shining Lights award 2018 - Hamilton

Ministerial Transitions – 2018

Professional ministers are those who have deepened their relationship with our faith tradition and who serve it, and all of us.  Each year we mark transitions in ministry.  Since May 2017, these are the transitions in ministry:

  • Granted Preliminary Fellowship
    • Christopher Wuff
    • Rosemary Morrison
    • John Adams
  • Granted Final Fellowship
    • Rev. Fiona Heath
  • Leaving positions
    • Rev. Fran Dearman from interim ministry in Olinda,
    • Revs. Emily and Marcus Hartlief from ministry with the North Shore congregation,
    • Rev. Rodrigo Emilio Solano-Quesnel, from his developmental ministry position with the Ottawa Fellowship,
    • Rev. Len DeRoche, from interim ministry with Ottawa First,
    • Rev. Stephen Atkinson has completed his Pastoral Care ministry at St. Joseph’s Healthcare in Hamilton,
    • Rev Carol Strecker completed interim ministry in Kingston,
    • Pat Trudeau completes her internship in Hamilton.
  •  Beginning Ministries
    • Rev. Barbara Wells Ten Hove, will begin a one-year interim ministry at Northshore,
    • Rev. Nicoline Guerrier will begin ministry in Vermont,
    • Rev. Fulgence Ndagijimana is beginning an on-line Francophone ministry, based in Saskatoon,
    • Rev. Meghan Robern has begun ministry in Winnipeg,
    • Danielle Webber will begin ministry in Kelowna,
    • Rev. Carly Gaylor has begun ministry with the UU Congregation of Durham,
    • Rev. Rebecca ‘Beckett’ Coppola as been called and installed in Kingston,
    • John Adams has begun Prison Chaplaincy in Penetanguishene, ON,
    • Rev. Samaya Oakley has been called to ministry and installed in South Fraser.

We also remember, with gratitude, the life and the ministry of Rev. Phillip Hewett, who died on February 24, 2018, at the age of 93.

2013 Calgary AB2014 Montreal, QC2015 Ottawa, ON2016 Vancouver, BC2017 Hamilton ON