Restructuring Newsletter - Issue #1

March 17, 2008

New Presbytery Meetings

The meetings of the new presbyteries are intended to ease the transition from the current nine Presbyteries to the new four. The purpose of the first meeting on March 29 is to begin to build relationships and a sense of identity as a Presbytery. It will be an opportunity to become acquainted with gifts that others have to offer. It will also include reflection and explorations of the feelings that the participants are experiencing around this time of change and about the future. Participants will be asked to share what they hope for their new Presbytery.

In the subsequent meetings at the Annual Meeting and in October, the facilitators will work through the following:

• Obtain feedback on priorities - who's interested in what areas of ministry?
• Mandated Committees
• Committees that the new Presbyteries would like to establish
• Governance - what does the new Presbytery Executive look like?
• When and how are the Presbyteries going to meet in the future?
• The Presbyteries' relationship with camps
• Names for the new Presbyteries

Detailed agendas for the May and October meetings are not planned yet but as more information becomes available, it will be shared in the newsletter. Upcoming meeting locations and times are included in the invitation posted on the Conference website. The facilitators for the new presbytery meetings are: Bob Jackson from Manitou Conference, Grant Kerr, Reverend Karen Hilfman-Millson and Patti Evans.

The Assets and Funding Task Group

Another task group that was formed by the project Steering Group is the Assets and Funding Task Group. This group was established to work with the current Presbyteries and some corporations holding Presbytery assets, in determining how the assets held by these Presbyteries and Corporations are to be shared and managed in the new Conference structure. Specifically, the Task Group has been directed to

i) develop an inventory of all financial assets in the current Presbyteries, Corporations holding Presbytery assets and Toronto Conference;

ii) identify commitments that are dependent on these assets and

iii) recommend how these assets should be managed, including a recommendation on the most appropriate investment, management and oversight structure and policies.

Guiding Principles

In all the work that it is being called to do, the Task Group will be guided by the fact that this work is being carried out on behalf of a court of the church, and for the good of the church as a whole. To meet this important standard, the Task Group believes it should also be guided by the following principles and considerations:

• there must be clear, transparent and effective consultations with the existing Presbyteries and Corporations.
• The final recommendations of the Task Group must create maximum benefits for the work of our congregations and the Toronto Conference.
• Simplicity and transparency. We must create an administrative and oversight structure that is cost-effective and easy to manage and has clear lines of responsibility and accountability.

The assets and Funding Task Group will be holding its meetings during the month of April with Presbytery Chairs and other members of the Presbytery Executives. Meetings will also be held with the Toronto West Presbytery and Tri-Presbytery Corporations.

The members of the Assets and Funding task group include: Michael Scott (Chair), Royal York Road United Church; Suzanne Abbot, Anna-Woodford Pastoral Charge; Bruce Curtis, St. Matthew's United Church; Kay Johnstone, Aurora United Church and Don MacInnes, Kingsway-Lambton United Church.

Communications Task Group

The Project team continues its efforts to implement effective project communications. Further, a high priority for the project is the development of long-term communications strategies involving the General Council office, the Conference and the Presbyteries. The Steering Group is in the process of establishing a Communications Task Group. This team, led by a communications professional, will develop overall strategies and recommend necessary communications infrastructure and mechanisms.

An interim goal is to ensure that all members of the Conference are kept abreast of project progress, project events and project decisions. If you have a question regarding the Restructuring Project you may forward it to cpaniccia@torontoconference.ca.

Carol Paniccia is the project manager.

The Restructuring Steering Group

We often make reference to the project steering group. This is the team that is overseeing the project. The Steering Group members are: Reverend Carol Gierak (Chair), Toronto Conference President-Elect, Rick McKinley, Toronto Conference President, Reverend Fran Ota, Past President, Toronto Conference, David Allen, Toronto Conference Executive Secretary, Reverend Thelma Arnott.