Highlights of meetings of the Executive of Toronto Conference
January 12 and April 5, 2008
and meetings of the sub-Executive February 13 and April 16, 2008

The Executive of Toronto Conference met in regular session on January 12 and April 5, 2008; the sub-Executive met on two occasions, once by conference call and once face-to-face.

1.  Conference/Presbytery restructuring:  The pattern of this year has been that the Executive has spent more than half of its time dealing with the restructuring of the Conference and its Presbyteries, to be effective July 1, 2009.  Most of the Decisions have been reported through a new Restructuring Newsletter which can be found on the Conference’s website www.torontoconference.ca.  The newsletters have also been distributed by e-mail.

Some of the highlights:

• the Executive spent part of its January meeting in a retreat format led by the Conference’s program staff; the membership was expanded to include representatives of all committees and task groups of the Conference;  participants examined how they were feeling about the restructuring to date, and reflected biblically and theologically on the changes that are happening
• the Boundaries Commission has completed its work by naming the boundaries and Pastoral Charges which will be part of the four new Presbyteries; at the April 5 meeting the Executive disbanded the Commission with thanks
• the Assessments Commission will offer a new method of calculating the Conference’s assessment of Presbyteries and Pastoral Charges
• the Commission on the role and composition of the Conference Executive has determined that the new Conference Executive will consist of 15 persons with three persons elected by each of the four Presbyteries; the Commission continues to work on the multitude of responsibilities which will be part of the new Executive’s mandate
• the Commission on Staffing has determined the staff complement to be located in the central Conference office – the executive secretary, a financial and property administrator, an information technology person, and an administrative assistant to the executive secretary; all positions will help lighten the load of the new Presbyteries
• the four new Presbyteries have had an opportunity to meet once to get to know each other with further meetings scheduled for May 31 and October 18 where the Presbyteries will provide increasingly-detailed shape to their priorities and structures
• a task group is working with all current Presbyteries, the Conference, the Tri-Presbytery Corporation, Toronto West Presbytery Corporation and Toronto United Church Council to make plans for the disposition of any assets held by the current Presbyteries
• locations for three of the Presbytery offices have been approved in property which the Conference already administers; the Pastoral Charges of the new Northwest Presbytery will be canvassed to seek a location for the office within that Presbytery
• the Executive directed that the restructuring costs will be covered by the WoodGreen Trust.

Much has been done, with much more to be done. 

3.  Other Executive actions:  The Executive took a number of other actions:

• approved a reduction of the Conference’s General Council grant to provide $4,000 of assistance to Manitou Conference;
• approved boards of directors and loan agreements regarding Incorporated Ministries and approved appointments suggested by the nominations committee;
• appointed an Appeal committee regarding a Decision made by a Presbytery;
• approved the 2007 audited financial statements and considered the 2009 budget as prepared by the finance and extra appeals committee;
• authorized support for Bay of Quinte’s opposition to uranium mining in the Sharbot Lake area and support for the First Nations people and those who are engaged in this struggle
• authorized the executive secretary to sign Minutes of Settlement in a Formal Hearing.

The Executive will meet again on June 11.

2. Sub-Executive actions – February 13, 2008:  The sub-Executive a) gave its consent to the transfer of Dunbarton-Fairport United Church from Toronto Scarborough Presbytery to Oshawa Presbytery in Bay of Quinte Conference effective May 1, 2008; b) authorized the executive secretary to sign Minutes of Settlement in a Formal Hearing; and c) gave its support to the transfer of trusteeship of the Beverley Hills United Church property to the Ghana Calvary Methodist United Church effective July 1, 2008