Exploring Amalgamation

Wesley and Sunset United Churches are currently exploring amalgamation. At this time in this exploration, amalgamation is not a certainty - it may result after a complex and lengthy process likely to take many months.

A group named the Joint Amalgamation Team (JAT) began to meet in April 2023 to support the Wesley United Church Council and the Sunset United Church Board in the many tasks required on this journey. Both churches and JAT are guided by United Church of Canada policies and Living Skies Regional Council. 

At key decision points along the way, members of each faith community will be invited to ask questions or to have their say by voting.

What is the purpose of the Joint Amalgamation Team? 

  1. to create a framework (a memorandum of understanding and a partnership plan) for amalgamation decisions as they evolve
  2. to work out how we will begin to worship as one faith community in September 2023

What decisions has JAT made so far?

1. We are making most of our decisions by consensus, but when motions are required, we ensure equal representation from each church community. 

2. Naming our future community of faith formally is a long way down the road. However, for now, our team quickly reached consensus on an interim name. We will start referring to ourselves as the “South Regina United Community”, rather than falling back on a version of Sunset-Wesley or Wesley-Sunset in our name. We expect this will feel awkward for a time!

Why this name, and why not ask more people to contribute ideas?

We want to support a future focus and an inclusive mindset (not “us” and “them”), and so we decided an interim name for our joint faith community would be helpful.

We won’t be a formal new entity as an amalgamated church for some time yet – likely at least a year or more. This is why the term “United Church” is not in the interim name.

When we know more about decisions and required formalities prior to amalgamation, we will include all community members in a naming process.

3. We have initiated short-term work to prepare for September 2023, when Wesley people will attend worship and participate in community activities at the Sunset building. We reached out to various individuals to be part of this readiness work. Some examples of work areas for those task teams include:

  • Affirming Committee
  • Building Contents - such as kitchens, banners, worship furnishings
  • Community Service Committee/Social Justice
  • House Groups
  • Ministry and Personnel Committee
  • Worship Committee and Christian Education

The longer-term work to prepare for amalgamation will include the more complex decisions around finances and governance of the council/board.

These are the members of the Joint Amalgamation Team:

 
  • Rev. Carolyn Woodall (chair until July 9)
  • Bryan Tudor (Sunset & Wesley Transition)
  • Carol Chernishenko (W)
  • Dave Towers (S) -Vice-Chair Sunset Board
  • Lenore Bewcyk (W) -Vice-Chair Wesley Council
  • Linda Gunningham (W)
  • Marina Jeffery (S)
  • Nancy McBean (S)
  • Pam Thomas (W)
  • Sheila Roske (W)

 Please find updates from the Joint Amalgamation Team (JAT) below.