Staff Committee

MANDATE

Policies, regulations and guidelines for the staffing of Conferences are established by the General Council of The United Church of Canada. Flowing from the Conference’s vision, the Toronto Conference staff committee functions within these policies, regulations and guidelines as it fulfills its duties.

In light of the Conference vision, the staff committee resolves to provide a creative space for nurturing ministry.

In consultation, as required, with Executive, Presbyteries, Conference committees, mission units, and other knowledgeable persons, the staff committee is responsible to...

1) propose, review and revise position descriptions for Conference program staff for adoption by the Conference or its Executive, and recommend to Conference the number of staff positions needed to assist the Conference, its Presbyteries and mission units in their mission;

2) participate in the search for persons to be appointed to Conference program positions;

3) advise the executive secretary on guidelines and priorities for the assignment of responsibilities for Conference staff;

4) participate in a ministry reflection process with staff to assist with discerning ministry needs and directions;

5) participate in performance reviews of Conference program staff only.

a) one member of the committee will be selected by the Conference program staff person to sit in on the review with the Conference minister and the executive secretary. The full report of the review will be signed by this member of the committee confirming that the review was conducted according to policy;

b) the staff person and the executive secretary will prepare a summary of the review outlining the issues raised, goals to be achieved, and anything else they wish to share with the staff committee; the staff committee representative who sat in on the review will read the summary to make sure crucial issues have not been missed; the summary will be shared with the staff committee;

c) the staff committee will participate in a review of the position description;

6) evaluate staff positions vis-à-vis the Conference context, emerging needs
and vision;

7) prepare budget allocations for staff development and for the Conference staff committee and propose those allocations to the Conference finance and extra appeals committee;

8) welcome all new staff persons and, with the executive secretary, ensure that an orientation program is offered. An orientation program for new staff committee members will also be offered.

9) provide support to the Conference staff. The staff committee will initiate a
process for identifying the support needs of individuals on staff as well as for
the team as a whole, and will develop with the staff, appropriate means for
meeting these needs;

10) encourage and assist in planning staff development programs for all staff
persons (this may include a process of ministry reflection);

11) present a report to each Conference annual meeting for accountability and
make regular reports, as necessary, to the Conference Executive;

12) undertake other responsibilities as assigned by the Conference or its
Executive.

Membership: chair or co-chairs
vice-chair
8 members

Staff support: executive secretary

Approved by Conference Executive – March 13, 2002

Conference Appointees