TORONTO DON VALLEY PRESBYTERY

REPORT TO TORONTO CONFERENCE ANNUAL MEETING

2004-2005

The church calendar year began with celebrating the dedication of the new church building of Jubilee United.  It is the visible fruit of the church’s uniting spirit that started conversations in 1994 with six neighbouring churches in the so called Toronto Don Valley Corridor and concluded in June of 2000 when three of the six churches joined together and set a landmark of the body of Christ in community.

The Presbytery kept up the celebrative mode covenanting with the ministerial staff in the new pastoral charge.  In this process some of the presbyters raised a question, “What does it mean to say ‘welcoming Presbytery’ to new members?”.  The Presbytery sensed the need to develop an efficient communication tool that enables the whole membership of this Presbytery to appreciate welcoming and venturing together with a trusting relationship through mutual respect. This will enhance the connectedness among presbyters and congregations.

We, the Presbytery, have been building the trusting relationship through visitation of the Conference staff at the Presbytery meetings with messages and information in the areas of vision, justice, faith formation.  We also confirmed our close relationship with Emmanuel College by inviting the principal, the Rev. Dr. Peter Wyatt, to preach at the 50th Anniversary of the Dedication of Willowdale United Church in November, 2004; and in March, 2005 he also introduced the school programs for lay members at the Presbytery meeting.

The Presbytery added its energy through the events, promoted by congregations, presbytery committees and the mission strategist, with faith provoking themes such as conflict mediation, outreach, same-sex marriage, mission and service, pastoral care, interfaith trust building, musical concerts, congregational development, and much more.  Outreach programs within the Presbytery include the NUC-TUCT (Newtonbrook United Church-Taiwanese United Church in Toronto) housing project and the Oriole-York Mills United Church/Ewart Angus Homes for those suffering from Alzheimer’s that has now started construction.  Also, many churches began a process of renewing their visions and launched the Willowdale Corridor project to realize a greater vision together with seven neighbouring churches.

The Presbytery also experienced conflicts within congregations in many forms and realized that these drain energy from Presbytery, Congregations and individual members. The Presbytery Executive searched for clues for resolution and the Executive decided to invite the Presbytery to rethink its mission statement that was formulated a decade ago and to create a website to promote efficient means of communication.  The website is now in the process of expanding its structure and its address is:  www.uccpeople.com/tc/tdvp.htm.

As we, the Presbytery, search for a multifaceted approach to building a trusting community of faith and, with the life-giving Spirit, venture into the future in new ways with appreciation of our valuable traditions, we will continually celebrate God’s presence who brings hope in despair.  Thanks be to God.

Respectfully submitted,

John Lee