Annual General Meeting and Covenanting 2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us on March 18, 2026, for CCS’s Annual General Meeting, which included a covenanting service with Principal Marlene Britton. There were about 80 people in attendance, split between in-person at Westminster United Church in Winnipeg and online via zoom from all over the country. (There was also a watch party held in Hamilton with diaconal ministers sharing a meal and participating together, online, but from one location.)

The in-person gathering began with an hour of reception time, allowing those who came to fortify themselves before the meeting as well as connect or reconnect with other attendees. The meeting began with a service marking the covenanting between the Principal, Rev. Marlene Britton and the Centre for Christian Studies and its community. The worship time was marked by prayer, promises and presentation of symbols, with the theme of Ubuntu and Ashe running through.

Students present the symbol of a Bible . Ally Phillips online, Cassandra Golondrina in person
From the fourth century, reading the gospel was seen as a diaconal task.  Sometimes the deacon also preached, and almost always the reading of the gospel was associated with the diaconal role of teacher. Part of the diaconal task is not just to tell the Jesus stories, but to help people tell their own stories of their pain and suffering, of their joys and triumphs, of deaths and resurrections, of God at work among them. 
We give thanks for the personal stories lived with commitment and courage,
with faith and vision,
with passion and compassion,
with joy and blessing.

The business portion of the meeting then proceeded, with riveting reports from the treasurer, the Deeper Partnership Working Group and the Volunteer Recruitment Working Group. There was also a short update on the Lilly grant.

The most impactful update from the meeting was the one received from the Deeper Partnership Working Group. The working group was formed in response to the suggestion in CCS’s 2024 Strategic Plan that partnering with another theological school could provide a boost to CCS’s sustainability and reach by affording access to degree-granting status as well as different grants, funding sources, and efficiencies. Over the past two years, connections have been made between CCS and several theological institutions, testing the waters about potential partnerships. This led to deeper conversations with two potential partners, and then eventually one. The Deeper Partnership Working Group announced at the AGM that there was significant interest in pursuing a deeper partnership and that conversations would continue with the Vancouver School of Theology. Conversations between CCS and VST have been frank, with both parties sharing their needs and interests in partnership, including any “non-negotiables.” (For example, CCS has been clear about the desire to maintain its diaconal identity and pedagogy, and its commitment to an ongoing relationship with the Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre.) There are many items still to be discussed, and the Central Council will be kept apprised along the way. 

Marlene Britton reported to the AGM that funds from the Lilly Grant have been made available for the first part of the Reimagining Theological Education project. (The Lilly Grant is the $9M grant shared collaboratively by a number of United Church of Canada theological schools for projects to revitalize pastoral leadership.) Dr. Esther Guillen has been working with CCS towards the development of a plan outlining how CCS anticipates using its portion of the grant to enable the preparation of ministers for work in congregational ministry. There is a deliberate focus on collaborative efforts with other theological schools involved in this work, as well as collaboration with the Regional Councils in their work amongst the congregations, and collaboration with the General Council Office’s intentional efforts in this at the national level. This plan will be submitted to the Grant’s Implementation Committee by April 30, 2026. It was also reported that Gill Le Fevre has been hired as the project director for the Lilly grant.  She began her appointment on March 16, 2026. 

Thank you to Westminster United Church for their hospitality, to CCS Central Council co-chairs Ian McLean and Karlene Kimber for facilitating the meeting, to the staff of CCS for all their work, and to the CCS community for coming out to support the Centre.

You can find documents for the AGM (agenda, reports, etc.) on the AGM 2026 event page.