Emmanuel is governed by a “Council of the Congregation”. The Council leads, supports and nurtures the congregation in its vision as a Christian faith community. It is the decision-making body of EUC, and as such, it conducts all business of EUC on behalf of the congregation. It implements all congregational policy and decisions and recommends major policy to the congregation.
Council consists of at least 25 members. Below are the council members for 2024:
Minister (non-voting) | Grant Stuckless |
Chair | Keith Jeacle |
Vice-Chair | Rebecca Zahinda |
Past Chair | Christine Hywarren |
Secretary | Val Dowd |
Assistant Envelope Secretary | David Langner |
Envelope Secretary | Keith Jeacle |
Historian | Margaret-Ann Park |
Memorials Coordinator | Sandra Lawson |
Mission & Service Coordinator | Val Lines |
Pastoral Care Team Representative | Malcolm Collins |
Roll Clerk | David Wray |
Treasurer | Lynn Solvason |
Webmaster | Val Dowd |
EOORC Representatives | Colleen Calvert, Phyllis MacRae, Janice Péron |
Members at Large | Dan Perkins, Chikwa Zahinda, Zawadi Zahinda |
Chair of the Board of Trustees | Blake Lines |
Trustees | Isobel Oakley, Ron Squires |
Chairs of the Standing Committees | see below |
Standing Committee Chairs and Descriptions:
| Christian Development | Ellen Brohman |
| The goal of Christian Development is to provide meaningful faith formation to people at each stage of their lives so that they might know God as revealed in Christ and to come to know themselves as god-gifted. Christian Development shall create opportunities to grow and serve God through worship, work, fellowship and witness in the daily life of the world. In order to achieve this goal, it shall be the responsibility of the committee to administer effective, meaningful faith formation programming for the church. This programming will embrace learning and discovering in Christianity, including the youth and adult congregation, Sunday School, church-related groups of all ages and out-reach. | |
| Communications | Russ Pastuch |
| This committee shall be responsible for improving the effectiveness of communication relating to the congregation’s purposes and activities, both within the congregation and in the community. To carry out its mandate, the committee shall be specifically responsible for planning, organizing and delivering a variety of communication media such as social media, media advertising, a web site, video (of church services), slides for projection of church services and narthex TV, sound system, outdoor sign content and management, and the newsletter and other publications. | |
| Finance | Tom Kannemann |
| This committee shall be responsible for collecting, disbursing, investing and recording church funds; recording contributions and issuing receipts; coordinating the preparation of the annual budget in consultation with committee chairpersons, and presenting it to the annual meeting. Additional responsibilities include filing the necessary government Tax/Charitable Status forms; preparing the annual financial statements and presenting them to the annual meeting; facilitating the financial reviewer’s or auditor’s annual review of the annual financial statements; coordinating the Stewardship Program; and administering financially-related aspects of the church office. | |
| Global Partners | Christina Clark-Kazak |
| This committee is responsible for the oversight and management of relations with Emmanuel’s global partners, including Iglesia Bautista Emmanuel of El Salvador and the Chipembi Congregation of the United Church of Zambia. It is responsible for obtaining approval of and maintaining the Covenants between Emmanuel and its Partners. It is also responsible for the management and transfer of donated funds from the Salvadoran Mission Fund to Iglesia Bautista Emmanuel and from the Zambia Mission Fund to the Chipembi Congregation, in accordance with the joint ministry priorities in the respective Covenant Agreements. The committee will endeavor to foster relations between the Partners and the Emmanuel congregation. | |
| Health | Louise Burness, Debbie Meek |
| The Health Committee shall focus on the health and social well-being of older adults within the Emmanuel Congregation. Specifically, it shall be the body responsible to the Congregation through Council for the administration and implementation of various social Ministry programs within Emmanuel such as the seniors Take Time to be Wholey exercise. It will provide support to Bridge Club, Active Artists and the Meditation Group. | |
| Keeping in Touch | Joyce White |
| The objectives of this committee shall be to foster and enhance Emmanuel’s reputation as a welcoming and caring faith community, to encourage church groups to promote a wide representation and participation of the congregation in their activities, and to encourage individuals in the church to keep in touch with one another. Specifically, the committee shall take responsibility for ensuring the congregational address list is up to date and arrange for contact with people for whom a need to keep in touch has been identified (e.g. absence from church activities), and in so doing, liaise with the Pastoral Care Team. The Committee shall provide a personal welcome to newcomers with follow up contact; recruit greeters for Sunday services, with some emphasis on including many different people and families in this function, and provide name tags for members and adherents. The Keeping in Touch Committee will assist in the organization of every family contact and cottage group meetings. The Roll Clerk shall be a member of the Keeping in Touch Committee. | |
| Ministry and Personnel | Val Lines |
| This committee shall maintain an open and supportive employer/employee relationship between the congregation and its staff. Specific areas of responsibility are the employment relationships with ministerial and non-ministerial staff and with the congregation. | |
| Property and Grounds | Blake Lines, Pierre Péron |
| This committee shall be responsible for the maintenance, repair, improvement, security and administration of church building property, equipment and furnishings. The committee shall maintain an inventory of church property, and shall have an appraisal done as necessary to ensure adequate insurance coverage at all times. The committee shall prepare and submit to the Finance Committee a capital budget for inclusion in the Annual Report and shall oversee custodial services of the property. | |
| Recruitment | TBD by a Working Group |
| It shall be the responsibility of this committee to co-ordinate the recruitment of volunteer workers for the congregation. The Committee is responsible for the recruitment of Council members and the Executive and for the co-ordination of all other recruitment in the church. It shall present a full slate of nominations for those to be elected at the annual meeting. | |
| Social Action | Phil English |
| The primary purpose and function of this committee shall be to coordinate, develop and maintain as part of the life of the congregation programs that actively express its Christian faith in outreach, service and action for social justice in response to the needs of persons in our community, nation and world. The committee shall participate fully with other groups in the city, with the object of maintaining a Christian presence in the community of Emmanuel United Church. | |
| Worship | Joan Foster-Jones |
| The Worship Committee is responsible for the planning and coordination of all worship events that take place in Emmanuel United Church (EUC) and those led by representatives of the congregation at other locations (e.g., seniors’ homes, joint services with other communities of faith). It is charged with the oversight of church music, pulpit supply, the order of worship, and the church (i.e., liturgical) calendar, including the administration of the sacraments of Holy Communion and Baptism. The committee is responsible for ensuring worship leadership and providing support to the worship leaders. | |
* A quorum for any meeting (APC, Executive, Full Council, or Standing Committee Meetings) is one third of the members.
The Eastern Ontario Outaouais Regional Council (EOORC)
The Eastern Ontario Outaouais Regional Council (EOORC) is one of 16 administrative groupings in The United Church of Canada, replacing former conferences and presbyteries. This new governance model came into being in 2019. Emmanuel is a member of EOORC. The EOORC consists of 133 pastoral charges and more than 200 communities of faith.
Geographically, the region is large, extending east to Hawkesbury, Ontario and Chelsea in western Quebec, west to Denbigh, south to the St. Lawrence River and north to Nânâdônok. We gratefully acknowledge the traditional unceded lands of Indigenous Peoples on which our buildings and ministries have been built.
The EOORC’s population is diverse, with a mix of rural, urban, and small-town dwellers coming from the far reaches of eastern Ontario and western Quebec, the cosmopolitan city of Ottawa, and many towns along the St. Lawrence River all the way to Gananoque. We proudly serve a sizable population of Francophone speakers and a Chinese United Church in Ottawa. We continue to add to the number of affirming ministries within the region.
The EOORC upholds the beliefs of the United Church of Canada. Following the teachings of Jesus Christ, our mission is to offer compassion and love to those in need, to welcome newcomers into our community, and to help people grow in their relationship with God.
Emmanuel United Church has four lay representatives and one Ministry representative to the EOOR Council.
If you have any questions about the work of EOOR, please contact Phyllis MacRae at pmjmacrae@rogers.com.
For more information about the EOORC, including the various ministries, networks, resources, events, newsletters, and staff, please go to their website at EOORC.
