Sample Wording:

The General Council or the Region Could:

A.      Study/discuss the issue:

• The General Council/Region could be asked to have a conversation about a particular issue as an end in itself without making a policy decision or taking other action.

B.      Act on the issue, which could include:

• General Council/Region directing a policy/strategy be developed based on specified principles and parameters
• General Council/Region adopting a policy position/strategy
• General Council/Region encouraging/suggesting action by congregations and other communities of faith on the issue

Suggestions for wording of a policy/strategy could be offered as possibilities for consideration in the decision-making process but not as expectations of a particular outcome

Over the course of several years, General Council has made numerous commitments on equity such as the following:

• adopting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as the framework for reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples; 
• adopting the Calls to the Church from the Caretakers of our Indigenous Circle as the basis for a new relationship; 
• welcoming people of all sexual orientations and gender identities into full membership and ministry in the church; 
• committing to becoming an intercultural church; 
• committing to becoming an open, accessible, and barrier-free church, where there is full participation of people with disabilities; 
• working towards functional bilingualism and ensuring that Francophone ministries are an integral part of the church’s identity, mission, and vision;
• opposing discrimination of any kind on the basis of identity; and,
• developing an anti-racism policy and committing to becoming an anti-racist denomination.

Who has been consulted in the development of the proposal? Was the proposal developed “with” people, or “on behalf of” people? What might be the impact of this proposal on people and communities? Who is advantaged and who is disadvantaged by this approach?