By Leandro Palacios, Director of Communications

I am deeply thankful to all those who took a few minutes to offer feedback about your experience participating in our Organizational Meeting on Saturday, January 17.

Although we have held Canada-wide online gatherings in the past during our All Voices discernment process, this was the first time members from across the country participated in a business meeting with full voice and vote, including those gathered in person at nine remote sites. This is an important step that reflects our commitment to moving onward together in innovative ways.

Your feedback about this milestone matters. Everything we learned—especially how you felt about this experience—will inform how we prepare for future events, particularly our upcoming Canada Mission Centre Conference on November 7.

What are participants saying?

As of January 28, 78 participants had responded to the survey. Almost 82% of respondents indicated they are in the 65+ age range. This reflects the demographic reality of our membership, and it also points to the ongoing need to work together to imagine new ways of engaging younger members and seekers in this important aspect of the life of the church.

Most participants reported that technical aspects of the meeting ran smoothly, including ease of access and audio quality. While 91% of respondents expressed satisfaction with advance communications and the availability of key documents, a small number indicated they had difficulty finding this information. We will continue to refine our communication practices to make them as clear and accessible as possible.

Overall, participants felt the pacing of the meeting was appropriate and that taking additional time for voting was understandable in order to include those participating from remote sites. At the same time, some respondents noted frustration with delays and suggested more clarity when announcing voting results, such as sharing percentages.

Many participants identified the highlight of the day as the sense of connection with members from across Canada. Other aspects that stood out included the clarity of process and leadership roles, the worship service, and the voting and decision-making process.

When asked about future Canada-wide gatherings, most respondents indicated a preference for online or hybrid formats. When in-person participation is possible, respondents most often named shared meals, fellowship, and opportunities for learning and discussion as meaningful experiences.

Thank you for sharing your voice. Please continue to reach out with your feedback. I look forward to the next opportunity to put into practice what we learned from this first Canada-wide meeting, so that each time we gather, technical challenges and great distances do not stand in the way of experiencing the presence of the Spirit leading us onward together.

By Lanette Vawter, Director of Leadership Development

As the newest director for Community of Christ Canada, I am pleased to introduce myself and look forward to our work together. I am committed to fostering inclusive communities where everyone feels they belong and can contribute meaningfully to our shared mission. My role involves connecting with and supporting current leaders, as well as overseeing and implementing a leadership development strategy across Canada.

Growing up in the Prince George Mission of Community of Christ in British Columbia in the 1960s and 1970s, we met primarily in each other’s homes. I learned at a very young age the value of the scripture:

“For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” (Matthew 18:20, NRSVUE)

It was in this small mission that I learned how the Spirit of God infuses even the humblest of gatherings with meaning and purpose. The humility and faithfulness of this congregation continue to inspire and support my own faith development. The knowledge that each life matters and has something to contribute has shaped my approach to leadership.

My values of inclusion and belonging have influenced my work as a director of community services for an organization that supports persons with intellectual disabilities. These values also inform my personal relationships, my work as a spiritual director, and my life in the church as a member and an elder. As we move forward together, I hope we can deepen our engagement and act with greater love to make the peaceable kingdom a reality.

By Leandro Palacios, Director of Communications

This past Saturday, January 17, will be remembered as the day Community of Christ in Canada began a new era as one unified mission centre. We were blessed by the presence of Apostle Shannon McAdam, Apostle Lach Mackay, Janné Grover of the First Presidency, and members from coast to coast, who gathered online to sustain the leadership team, the Mission Centre President of record, other officers, and the new Mission Centre Council, and to approve the unified budget that will support our mission and ministry moving forward.

Thanks to the efforts of our tech team, led by Troy Roach with the assistance of Jeanny Jakobsen and Quinlan Stevenson, we were also able to welcome members who gathered in person at nine remote sites, including groups at the Chilliwack, Edmonton, La Salle Road, Stratford, Thunder Bay, and Woodfield churches, and at members' homes in Barrie, Saskatoon, and Senlac (see photos below). This hybrid approach will be considered as a possible model for future Mission Centre conferences.

Our organizational meeting was also an opportunity to come together for worship. We are thankful to Kat Goheen and Dawn Dawson for coordinating this time of prayer, reflection, and hymn singing, reminding us that even when the occasion is a business meeting, we intentionally invite the presence of the Spirit to guide us and to unite us as the body of Christ, even when disagreement arises.

Together in worship, we reaffirmed our commitment to ministry and mission by responding together, “we will,” to the five invitations read by the leadership team. These followed the five guiding steps for disciples that our Prophet-President Stassi Cramm offered during her sermon at the 2025 World Church Conference:

• “Will you commit to lives of discernment, seeking God’s guidance in all things?”
• “Will you commit to faithful stewardship, bold leadership, and courageous response?”
• “Will you commit to strengthening local witness while celebrating our global identity?”
• “Will you commit to being temples of peace in your own lives and communities?”
• “Will you commit to accountability, reflection, and faithful response to the Spirit’s call?”

To all these invitations, we replied together, “we will!”

We sustained the members of the Canada Leadership Team:

• Vonda DenBoer, Director of Camping and Campground Sustainability
• John Hamer, Director of Outreach and Innovative Mission
• Leandro Palacios, Director of Communications
• Sam Smalldon, Director of Shared Services, CFO, Mission Centre President of Record
• Lanette Vawter, Director of Leadership Development​

This Saturday, January 17, we will gather to bless the framework that will guide and support our shared ministry and mission in Canada. Following a time of worship and prayer—when we will renew our commitment to discipleship as we enter a new era—we will move into the business portion of the meeting. 

​The agenda includes several items, including sustaining the Mission Centre President Team, Financial Officer, Mission Centre Council, and other appointments, along with approving the Canada-wide mission budget that unites the CEM and CWM budgets previously approved in September.

We have gathered here the most common questions and concerns raised during this week’s pre-legislative sessions. Please take a moment to review these responses as we prepare for the Canada Mission Centre Organizational Meeting.

Who can vote at this Organizational Meeting?
All members of Community of Christ in Canada who have completed registration will have voice and vote at the business meeting.

Who will preside, and why?
Because the terms of the previous mission centre presidents concluded on December 31, Apostle Shannon McAdam will preside over this organizational meeting.

Will all members vote to approve the minutes from the CEM and CWM conferences?
Yes. The minutes from the most recent Canada East and Canada West Mission Centre conferences will be considered together in a single motion. This means all members will vote to approve the minutes of both conferences. As with any item, members may choose to abstain if that feels appropriate.

How will quorum and voting work?
Standard Community of Christ conference procedures will apply. No new or special rules are being introduced.

What is the Mission Centre Council, and how were members selected?
The Mission Centre Council will support the Canadian leadership team by offering counsel, providing accountability, and helping guide the mission centre’s direction. The proposed members have been carefully selected to reflect the geographic, age, gender, and experiential diversity of Community of Christ in Canada.

Are there changes to budgets or assessments?
There are no changes to budget amounts for 2026. The Canada East and Canada West budgets, both approved in September, are being combined for administrative purposes only. Existing assessment models will remain in place for 2026. Any future changes would require broad consultation and a mission conference decision, with 2027 being the earliest possible implementation.

Will future mission centre conferences be online or in person?
All future conferences will provide the option to participate online. Congregations may also choose to host local gatherings during conferences using a remote location model. In addition, the Canadian leadership team and the Mission Centre Council will consider opportunities to gather in person when possible. We recognize the importance of maintaining the tradition of in-person Mission Centre conferences.

Join us on Saturday, January 17, 2026, beginning at 12:00 p.m. PT / 1:00 p.m. MT / 2:00 p.m. CT / 3:00 p.m. ET.

We look forward to sharing this historical moment with you as we take this crucial step onward together as one Canada Mission Centre.

The agenda, registration link, and important documents—including budgets, previous conference minutes, and information about the proposed Mission Centre Council—are available on the conference webpage.