Kootenay Presbytery Peace and Justice Group

Motions for Kootenay Presbytery Spring Meeting
March 27-29, 2015
Castlegar, BC

1. Motion to General Council

Kootenay Presbytery of BC Conference proposes that:

The United Church of Canada General Council lobby the federal government and provincial governments to implement an economy-wide carbon tax where currently there is no carbon tax.

2. Motion to General Council

Kootenay Presbytery of BC Conference proposes that:

Travel claims for business related to The United Church of Canada be subject to a carbon tax to be determined by General Council Executive with revenues directed to The United Church of Canada's Mission and Service Fund. The court receiving the claim pays the carbon tax.

3. Motion: That Kootenay Presbytery publicly endorse the proposal from Trinity-St. Paul’s in Toronto, ON that:

“The 42nd General Council (2015) direct the United Church of Canada Foundation and the United Church of Canada Treasury to take active steps to sell their holdings in the 200 largest fossil fuel companies.”

4. Motion: That Kootenay Presbytery request BC Conference to publicly endorse the proposal from Trinity-St. Paul’s in Toronto, ON that:

5. Motion: That Kootenay Presbytery publicly endorse the proposal from the pastoral charge of Trinity-St. Paul’s United in Toronto, ON that:

“The 42nd General Council (2015) request the United Church of Canada Pension Board to report publicly to pension plan members and General Council on

(i) the Board’s assessment of whether investing in fossil fuels aligns with the Christian imperatives of seeking justice, resisting evil, and living with respect in Creation;

(ii) the Board’s assessment of whether investing in fossil fuels aligns with the report entitled, Socially Responsible Investment and Resource Extraction, dated June 28, 2013, and prepared by the working group of the Permanent Committee on Programs for Mission and Ministry;

(iii) the Pension Fund’s exposure to investments in fossil fuels; and

(iv) the Board’s rationale for investing in the 200 largest fossil fuel companies given (a) the risks of stranded assets, and (b) the possibility of equal or better returns on divesting these stocks.”

6. Motion: That Kootenay Presbytery request BC Conference to publicly endorse the proposal from Trinity-St. Paul’s in Toronto, ON that:

“The 42nd General Council (2015) request the United Church of Canada Pension Board to report publicly to pension plan members and General Council on

(i) the Board’s assessment of whether investing in fossil fuels aligns with the Christian imperatives of seeking justice, resisting evil, and living with respect in Creation;

(iii) the Pension Fund’s exposure to investments in fossil fuels; and

7. Motion to General Council

Kootenay Presbytery of BC Conference proposes that:

The United Church of Canada Treasury and United Church Foundation take active steps to use assets made available by divesting from fossil fuel companies to invest in green renewable energy co-operatives.

8. Motion to General Council

Kootenay Presbytery of BC Conference proposes that:

The Church in Mission Unit create online and print resources for the creation of climate justice discussion circles, and further publicize and make these resources available to congregations and groups in Canada, based on models used within Kootenay Presbytery at Castlegar and Nelson United Churches.

9. Motion to General Council

Kootenay Presbytery proposes that:

The 42nd General Council 2015, responding to the ethical imperative of our faith as expressed in the Social Policies of The United Church of Canada, and commitments to Partnership and Right Relations including support for free, prior and informed consent, instructs the General Secretary to communicate to The United Church of Canada Pension Board (UCCPB) that the will of the church is to divest of its shares in Goldcorp and make public that divestment.

10. Motion: That Kootenay Presbytery endorse Recommendation #2 on Aboriginal Ministries from the Comprehensive Review Task Group’s report, United in God’s Work.

11. Motion to General Council

Kootenay Presbytery of BC Conference proposes that:

A. The United Church of Canada General Council publicly endorse the campaign led by Fair Vote Canada to

(1.) conduct a citizen-led consultation process to determine the best model of proportional representation immediately following the next federal election, and

(2.) implement the model in time for the following federal election.

Kootenay Presbytery of BC Conference further proposes that:

B. The United Church of Canada General Council develop resources for congregations to understand and advocate for a proportionally representative parliament.

Each of these motions passed. (Contact the Secretary () for minutes of the meeting.)