Home Goals
Alberta and Northwest Conference has adopted the goals of
healthy congregations
effective ministry
strong public witness
as the framework for its activity. Specifically, the Conference’s role is to promote these goals through its governance and operations systems, as well as to carry out specific responsibilities assigned to the Conference by The Manual of The United Church of Canada.
What would healthy congregations, effective ministries, and strong public witness look like? The Conference envisions a church, locally and regionally, where worship life is vital and inviting, where there is concern for the well being of neighbourhoods and communities as well as of individual persons, where ministry personnel are in creative and productive pastoral relationships, and where the connecting links between ministry personnel, Pastoral Charges, and Presbyteries provide sufficient support and encouragement for proclaiming and embodying the mission and gospel of Jesus Christ in the church and the world.
The Conference Executive has overall responsibility for the governance of the Conference’s business. Its members, while named because of their links with Presbyteries or other church bodies, are expected to function collegially for the well being of the whole Conference. The Executive has the responsibility to ensure that the necessary human and material resources are available for empowering the operational elements of the Conference – the Presbyteries and Regions in their work of oversight, and the Conference Standing and Ad Hoc committees in their specific programming and administrative tasks. The goals of the Conference provide the framework and backdrop for the Executive’s work, as well as a guide for considering the desirable outcomes of its decision-making. The Executive, with advice and input from its Committees, determines which specific matters it needs to address and how it will address them, as well as how to encourage the operational parts of the Conference to honour and effect the goals. Information shared by Executive members with their various constituencies will include strategic recommendations related to the Conference goals.
The Conference Staff share with the Executive the responsibility to promote the Conference vision and facilitate its realization. Three regionally-based Regional Resource Personnel work closely with Presbyteries to support and facilitate the ministry and mission of Pastoral Charges and to encourage effective pastoral relationships and healthy congregational life. A Resource Administration Coordinator assists leaders, groups, and congregations within the Conference with human and material resource for ministry, program, and outreach work. A Personnel Minister provides information and administrative support for personnel systems and pastoral relationships within the Conference. An Executive Secretary has responsibility for general oversight and administration of the Conference business, including management of the Conference office and supervision of the staff.