REPORT
OF
REPRESENTATIVE
TO
VANCOUVER BURRARD
PRESBYTERY
Our presbytery
reflects as wide a diversity of congregations as might be found
anywhere in the United Church of Canada. Included within our
boundaries are the churches in the city of Vancouver from Burrard Inlet
to 16th Ave. and east to Boundary Road; North and West Vancouver,
Squamish, Pemberton, the Sunshine Coast and Bowen Island.
The congregations of Vancouver Burrard Presbytery have been organized
into five groupings. Squamish United Church is grouped with Camp
Fircom, North Lonsdale, St. Andrews (North Vancouver) and St. John’s
(Sunshine Coast). This organization is to facilitate mutual care and
support amongst congregations within our presbytery.
Some highlights of issues discussed and actions taken by presbytery
this year were:
1. Strategies to facilitate increased attendance and
participation at presbytery
meetings:
It was proposed by the Executive and approved by presbytery in
September to hold fewer meetings. In 2007/08 presbytery will meet
four times, in September and October 2007 and January and April
2008. Each meeting will have a major theme or focus. There
will be an evaluation of the process at the May Vancouver-Burrard
Presbytery meeting, held during Conference. Some examples of
possible themes could be: Global Cities, Environment, Intercultural
Issues, Homelessness and Empire. This is being proposed to make the
meetings more meaningful.
2. A covenanting service was held for Rick Matthews,
newly appointed Superintendent for First United Mission. The
Search Committee Chair highlighted Rev. Matthew’s background and
training, with particular emphasis on his experience in urban
ministries.
3. A covenanting service was held for Rev. Carmen Lansdowne, who
was
appointed
to Campus Ministry, which is supervised jointly by presbytery and University Hill
Congregation.
4, Congregation Oversight Visits:
Part of every presbytery’s mandate is to exercise care and support for
each pastoral charge within its bounds. One way of doing this is
through scheduled visits of the Pastoral Charge Oversight Committee of
presbytery. This year our congregation is scheduled for a visit
sometime in the spring. Rev. Robin Jacobson, North Lonsdale
United, is the chair of the three or four member team making the
visit.
In closing, the 2007 year has been a busy one for presbytery. I
continue to find participation in presbytery activities to be rewarding
and would be pleased to remain as our congregation’s lay member to
presbytery.