General News and Announcements

June 15, 2010

The Sub-Executive of the General Council has approved changes to United Church funding for theological schools.

The Sub-Executive met by conference call on Friday, June 11, 2010, to consider funding recommendations that were shared last month with the deans and principals of the 11 United Church–affiliated theological schools. After extensive information-gathering, careful consideration of submissions from people across the church who are concerned about theological education, and prayerful discernment, the Sub-Executive unanimously adopted those recommendations, with some amendments.

As a result of the Sub-Executive’s decision, The United Church of Canada will cease, as of June 30, 2011, annual grant funding to the Queen’s School of Religion, the Faculty of Theology of the University of Winnipeg, St. Stephen’s College, and the Vancouver School of Theology. A significant portion of the released annual grants will be distributed among the seven schools that will continue to receive annual grant funding, after allowing for the reduction in overall grants to theological schools mandated by the Executive of the General Council at its May meeting.

Consultations will be held in the fall of 2010 with the deans and principals of the schools that will retain annual funding to review the distribution of those grants. Those schools are St. Andrew’s College, the Centre for Christian Studies, the Francis Sandy Theological Centre, the Dr. Jessie Saulteaux Resource Centre, Emmanuel College, United Theological College, and the Atlantic School of Theology.

All 11 United Church–affiliated theological schools will continue to have access to other sources of United Church funding.

The Sub-Executive also approved a recommendation that the Francis Sandy Theological Centre, the Dr. Jessie Saulteaux Resource Centre, and their respective communities begin conversations around consolidating the two freestanding theological education programs, with the participation of various constituencies.

The Sub-Executive’s decision and the recommendations that informed it flow from long-standing conversations around theological education, a recent report on theological school funding, and Planning for a Future Grounded in Faith and Action, a plan for the next three years and beyond that the Executive approved at its May meeting. In that plan, the Executive approved a direction to the General Secretary to reduce overall grants to theological schools by 10 percent from 2010 levels using an approach that reduces or eliminates funding for some theological schools while increasing funding for others.

This Sub-Executive’s decision is not a statement about the performance of or quality of education offered by any of the theological schools. Rather, it expresses a broad consensus that, as the church comes to terms with new financial realities, across-the-board funding reductions would have diminished the effectiveness of United Church funding for theological education. It is also important to note that this decision does not affect the role of the schools in preparing candidates for ministry in the United Church.

The United Church affirms the importance of continuing strong ties and constructive relationships with all 11 United Church–affiliated theological schools. Consultations will be held with the deans and principals of all of the theological schools to discuss important aspects of our cooperative and supportive relationships. These consultations could include discussions around identifying existing and potential sources of United Church funding that would demonstrate the church’s continuing support of all of the affiliated theological schools. These discussions could also include reconsideration of the policy restricting special financial appeals.

All 11 theological schools will continue to play an important role in preparing and training emerging leaders for ministry in the United Church. The United Church looks forward to continuing conversations with the deans and principals of the theological schools about this new phase of our relationship.

Read the motion [PDF: 1 p/24 KB] adopted by the Sub-Executive of the General Council.