To help you get the most out of your churches -- and make it easier to participate and have your voice heard -- we have created the OPC Back Pew Guide (OPC = Oakdale Pastoral Charge). What are our churches all about? How can I make a prayer request? What's a Joint Session meeting? Do we offer activities for children? Who do I call if I need help? If you can't find the answers in our guide, please get in touch with us here.

Adherents:

Adherents are people who participate in a congregation and who contribute regularly to its life while not being a member. With the consent of the members, adherents who contribute regularly to the support of the congregation may vote on many matters of congregational life.¹

Annual Meeting of the Pastoral Charge:

The pastoral charge meets at least once a year to review its mission statement, receive annual reports, elect or remove officers, approve budgets, and conduct other business of the pastoral charge.¹

Children:

Our churches offer several activities for children, including: Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, CGIT, and various other camps and activities. Watch the Announcements for details or contact us here.

Commissioners:

Representatives to General Council, elected from every Conference across the United Church. Commissioners include lay and ministry personnel.¹

Conference:

The Conference encompasses several presbyteries, usually within a specific geographic area. There are 13 Conferences in the United Church of Canada, most of which are based on geographic location. The Oakdale Pastoral Charge is part of the London Conference.¹

Congregational Meeting:

The congregation meets at least once a year to review its mission statement, receive annual reports, elect or remove officers, approve budgets, and conduct other business of the congregation.¹

Elders:

Elders are people who are chosen by the pastoral charge or congregation for their wisdom, caring, spiritual descernment, and other gifts of the Spirit. They are entrusted with leadership among the whole congregation. Elders must be members of the United Church of Canada.¹

Elders, Board of; also called Session:

The Board of Elders, or Session, is responsible for the spiritual leadership of the congregation, including worship, education, pastoral care, and outreach. The ministry personnel of a congregation are members of the Session.¹

Emergency Needs:

Please contact your Clerk of Session in case of emergency or other pastoral needs. Messages can also be left at the Oakdale Church Office at 519-692-9541, or oakdale3@mnsi.net; they are checked daily. For Pastoral Prayers and Visitation contact Dianne Dube at 519-695-3051.

Executive of the General Council:

The Executive of the General Council leads the national church between meetings of the General Council. The Executive usually meets twice per year. The General Secretary of the General Council is the United Church of Canada's chief administrative officer, and oversees the staff of the General Council.¹

Faith Missions:

Faith Missions is a committee of Oakdale Pastoral Charge that directs and disperses funds for Christian outreach, emergency, and social assistance both locally and abroad.

General Council:

The General Council meets every three years. It is a gathering of commissioners (elected representatives)from the 13 Conferences of the church. They make national decisions and elect a Moderator, who serves as the chief elected official of the church for the next three years.¹

General Secretary of the General Council:

See Executive of the General Council.

Joint Session:

The Joint Session is comprised of the Sessions of each church in the Pastoral Charge.

Lambton Presbytery:

See Presbytery.

London Conference:

See Conference.

Members:

The members of a congregation who are entitled to vote at all meetings are persons in full membership whose names are on the roll of that congregation.¹

Ministry and Personnel Committee:

The M&P Committee is a confidential, consultative body that supports the pastoral relationship and normally provides support and accountability for other staff. The committee is responsible for the oversight and support of salaried staff.¹

Moderator:

The chief elected official of the national church, elected at General Council, every three years.¹

Oakdale Pastoral Charge:

The Oakdale Pastoral Charge is comprised of three churches: Edy's Mills United Church, Oakdale United Church, and Shetland United Church.

Official Board:

The Official Board is responsible for policy development and accountability. The Official Board includes: all members of the Board of Elders, also called the Session; all members of the Committee of Stewards; the ministry personnel serving the pastoral charge; representatives from the Ministry and Personnel Committee; representatives from the Board of Trustees; representatives to presbytery; representatives from other committees and groups in the church (such as United Church Women, youth group, etc.).¹

Outreach:

See Faith Missions.

Pastoral Care:

Please contact your Clerk of Session in case of emergency or other pastoral needs. Messages can also be left at the Oakdale Church Office at 519-692-9541, or oakdale3@mnsi.net; they are checked daily. For Pastoral Prayers and Visitation contact Dianne Dube at 519-695-3051.

Pastoral Charge:

A pastoral charge is the basic unit of organization in the United Church of Canada. It may consist of one or more congregations.¹

Prayer Requests:

How can you make a prayer request? For Pastoral Prayers and Visitation contact Dianne Dube at 519-695-3051.

Presbytery:

Presbytery is a court of ministry personnel and representatives of local churches, gathered to provide fellowship and support among congregations in the area. The prebytery is a cluster of several pastoral charges, usually geographically based. Each congregation names at least one layperson as their representative to the presbytery. These representatives must be full members of the congregation. Oakdale Pastoral Charge is part of the Lambton Presbytery.¹

Session:

See Elders, Board of.

Stewards (Committee of):

Stewards are people chosen for their Christian character and ability to transact the temporal and financial business of the pastoral charge or congregation; however, adherents may also be Stewards. The Committee of Stewards is responsible for the stewardship of facilities and finances.¹

Trustees, Board of:

A body of members of the congregation or pastoral charge, elected by the congregation or pastoral charge, who hold, in trust for the entire United Church of Canada, all property (land, buildings, investments) for the purpose of that congregation. This board is responsible for the stewardship of property and the investment of congregational assets.¹

Visitation:

For Pastoral Prayers and Visitation contact Dianne Dube at 519-695-3051.

Youth:

Our churches offer several activities for youth, including: CGIT and various other camps and activities. There are also many volunteer opportunities for youth. Watch the Announcements for details or contact us here.

For More Information:

1. Congregation Organization Handbook. 2006. General Council, United Church of Canada.

http://www.united-church.ca/files/handbooks/congregationorg.pdf