Special Congregational Meeting - May 31

Please join us for a short congregational meeting on Sunday, May 31 after the service. The search team and the board will update us on the search process and bring forward a candidate for a vote. Read the letter below for some background and helpful info to prepare for this meeting and process.

----- Dear Church Family,

As we prepare for our upcoming congregational meeting and vote regarding a new minister, we wanted to help explain a bit about the process within the The United Church of Canada, as it will feel different from what many people expect when they hear the word “vote.”

In some settings, people imagine a process where several candidates are presented, résumés are reviewed publicly, or a candidate comes to preach or meet the congregation.  The United Church process works differently.

As you know, prior to the Search Committee interviewing candidates, significant work had already been done in partnership with church leadership, staff, and the Board. This included prayer, discernment, conversations about the identity and needs of our congregation, and careful consideration of the gifts and leadership qualities needed for this next season of ministry.The hiring work has been done by the delegated Search Committee who were voted in by the board and approved by the congregation. They have reviewed resumes, watched preaching videos, done interviews, conducted reference checks, and have made an offer of employment - contingent on the congregational vote.  Their role is not simply administrative; it is a process of spiritual discernment and due diligence.

Because of this process, the congregational vote is less about “interviewing” a candidate - as this work has been completed by the Search Committee - and more about approving the report and recommendation brought forward by the Search Committee after thorough and careful work.  Once the vote is confirmed, the candidate’s name will be forwarded to Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council for approval of the call.  When this is approved and the candidate accepts the call on ChurchHub, the process is complete.

For confidentiality reasons, the candidate’s name and key information will only be shared at the congregational meeting itself. This is standard practice and is done to honour and protect the candidate’s current pastoral relationship and congregation, who may not yet know they are considering a transition.

For the same reason, the meeting will not be livestreamed or recorded.

We recognize that this can feel unusual — especially when you are being asked to vote shortly after learning the candidate’s identity. But this is the established process within the United Church, and it is the same process our congregation followed in calling Drew. There will be an opportunity to ask questions of the Search Committee at the congregational meeting.

The meeting itself will feel somewhat like an AGM - with some more formalities in terms of motions and procedure.  Anyone who calls Calvary their home church will be permitted to vote and it will be a majority vote.  Arrangements for childcare are being developed. 

We look forward to meeting with you on May 31 following the regular service!