The Body of Christ is made of many parts, and people experience their understanding of God in many different ways. On this blog, we'll consider the beliefs and activities of congregations, denominations and different religions.
Tuesday, May 12, 2026
E-ssentials: Honouring Survivors, Guaranteed Livable Income, and more
May 14 Is Moose Hide Campaign Day
[Image credit: Moose Hide Campaign Day]
The time is now. From the sunrise ceremony to the rally at Queen’s Park (12:00 PM - 1:30 PM), we are mobilizing together against the national crisis of violence.
If you are in Southern Ontario, we encourage your community of faith to join us on the grounds of the Ontario Legislature from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. for the national rally. The United Church of Canada contingent will be meeting at the southeast corner of the park, near Queen’s Park Crescent East and Wellesley Street West at 11:45 a.m. If you are elsewhere across the country, join in local marches or organize your own!
Choose your way to participate:
In person: Join us at Queen's Park, Toronto!
Local: Join a march in your home community.
Virtual: Watch the livestream workshops and plenary.
To help us share the collective witness for Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit people, please take 60 seconds to let us know how your community is participating in the Moose Hide Campaign. Report your event.
Use these hashtags on social media to share events #MooseHideDay, #MMIWG2S, #FaithIntoAction, #TorontoEvents, and #UCCAN
Across the country, people are struggling to afford basic necessities. That’s why we’re calling on the federal government to create a Guaranteed Livable Income program.
Since 1972, we have been persistently calling for a Guaranteed Livable Income. Today, real progress is being made. Proposals and national legislation are being discussed in Parliament and in some provinces. A Guaranteed Livable Income would help ensure that, regardless of employment status, no one’s income falls below the poverty line. This consistent income floor would reduce poverty, improve health outcomes, and give people the stability they need to thrive.
You can help make this change happen.
We’ve made it easy to contact the Senate Committee who is reviewing Bill S-206 for the creation of a Guaranteed Livable Income program with just a few clicks. Add your voice today.
Together, let’s act for the well-being of all Canadians.
United Church Visits Mohawk Institute to Honour Residential School Survivors
[Image credit: Ronda Parkes]
Content warning: This information may be traumatic for residential school survivors, families, and community.
Staff from The United Church of Canada’s General Council Office, along with Shining Waters Regional Council staff and members of communities of faith, recently visited the former site of the Mohawk Institute Residential School in Brantford, Ontario, now operated as a museum by the Woodland Cultural Centre.
Opened as a museum on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in 2025, the Mohawk Institute preserves the evidence of the residential school system through immersive displays and survivor testimony. Visitors learned about the experiences of Indigenous children who attended the school, and the lasting impacts of the residential school system on Indigenous Peoples and communities.
The visit was organized as part of the church’s ongoing work on anti-racism, decolonization, and reconciliation, with participants encouraged to bring learnings back to their own communities and contexts.
United Church Archives Makes Headlines Following Upsurge in Genealogy Requests
[Image credit:The United Church of Canada Archives]
United Church archivists are receiving a growing number of requests for historical records following recent changes to Canada’s Citizenship Act that make it easier for people to claim citizenship by descent. In a recent Toronto Star article, Kyle Pugh of the United Church Ontario Regional Councils Archives shared that genealogy requests have quadrupled since January, with most coming from Americans seeking records such as baptismal and marriage certificates.
The archive has helped issue certified documents for some requests despite the challenges of researching records across generations, changing names, and church amalgamations.
Despite these changing citizenship laws, the government has also recently enacted Bill C-12, which limits access to refugee hearings for claimants, including families with young children. Many face deportation to countries where they are at risk of violence or persecution. Act now by raising your voice to your Member of Parliament and within your communities about the issue.
International Ecumenical Delegation Visits Partners in Cuba
[Image credit: Consejo de Iglesias de Cuba]
An international ecumenical delegation—including General Secretary Rev. Michael Blair—visited Cuban churches during Holy Week (March 28–31) in a pastoral show of solidarity amid worsening shortages caused by long-standing U.S. sanctions and recent economic measures. Hosted by Cuban and global church partners, the visit highlighted both the resilience of the Cuban people and growing humanitarian concerns, particularly in healthcare, where power shortages are affecting access to treatment and medications.
Delegation members called for peaceful dialogue and urged global leaders to reconsider policies contributing to hardship. They also invited Canadians to advocate for increased humanitarian support and to uphold Cuba’s self-determination.
The visit reaffirmed longstanding relationships between The United Church of Canada and Cuban partners, with discussions underway to strengthen global ecumenical collaboration and awareness of the situation.
On May 13 at 6:00 p.m. ET, spend some time with members of the General Council Executive, the decision-making body for the United Church between meetings of the General Council, in an informal, thoughtful town hall.
Whether you're a listener or a caller, this check-in is where people in the United Church across the country can have a conversation with leaders in real time, reflect and embrace the richness in our diversity and difference. Everyone is welcome.
The United Church Bookstore: New to the Collection—Radical Trust
[Image credit: The United Church of Canada]
New to our catalogue, Radical Trust: Basic Income for Complicated Lives explores the notion that a basic income is a compassionate and dignified response to poverty and income inequality in Canada.
By approaching the subject of basic income through the voices of the unhoused, disabled, formerly incarcerated, and other marginalized people, Radical Trust makes a unique and convincing case for an economic policy that represents a huge step toward decent and dignified living for all.
Continue the conversation this June with a four week book study on Radical Trust: Basic Income for Complicated Lives hosted by Pacific Mountain region GLI working group.
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