Council of Twelve updates
The World Church Leadership Council has reorganized the Council of Twelve into two teams to meet the evolving needs of the worldwide church. Since October 9, 2025, Apostle Catherine Mambwe has led Team A, which includes fields 1, 2, and 3. Team B brings together fields 4 and 5 under the leadership of Apostle Lach Mackay, grouping Canada, the USA, Australia, and Western Europe as areas of contextual overlap. Additional updates include:

• Apostle Art Smith elected Secretary of the Council of Twelve
• Apostle Matt Frizzell assigned to Field 3 alongside Apostle Mambwe
• Apostle Joey Williams now serving in Field 5 with Apostles Carrie Welch, Kat Hnatyshyn, and Richard James, supported by Apostles Mackay and Shannon McAdam

Policy updates: Priesthood and Personal Relationships
New policies on Priesthood and Personal Relationships have been implemented in Canada, the USA, and the British Isles Mission Centre. These updates were developed in response to World Conference Resolution 1327 (2023), which authorized apostles—working with the Council of Twelve and the First Presidency—to create policies that align with local laws and cultural contexts.

• Canada – New Priesthood and Personal Relationships Policy
• USA – Policy Announcement on Priesthood
• British Isles – Priesthood and Cohabitation Policy

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Church Bylaws Survey  closes November 14
Please review the current bylaws and share your feedback.

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​Jamaica and Philippines Relief
The Presiding Bishopric is sending funds to local leaders in Jamaica where church members and property were affected by Hurricane Melissa. Also, a donation was sent to members in the Philippines in areas greatly affected by Typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi).

​The Generosity Cycle concludes November 23
The 2025 Generosity Cycle wraps up on November 23. There’s still time to participate through worship, study, and daily expressions of generosity. Resources and ideas for closing celebrations are available online. 

Imagine lives being changed as people grow in faith, develop new skills, and build communities of peace. Your generosity helps strengthen congregations, empower leaders, and support ministries that nurture learning, connection, and hope in practical, life-giving ways.

​As Apostle Joey Williams reminds us, “We… are better together, forming communities where we not only grow, but where we thrive.” One U.S. congregation lived out that vision by welcoming Congolese refugees and creating a thriving community of belonging and peace—an inspiring example of what generosity can make possible.

On December 2, join us for Giving Tuesday, a global day of generosity that supports ministries of compassion, justice, and peace. A generous $250,000 USD matching contribution will double every gift—amplifying your impact. Visit our Giving Tuesday page to learn more about this year’s theme and how your gift makes a difference:

By Leandro Palacios, Director of Communications

How do we keep members connected across great distances? To what extent should we embrace new technologies and trends in our efforts to spread the Gospel? How far should we go in adapting our places of worship to new tools? Although we might think these questions belong to the modern age, they have a long history in Community of Christ.

​A century ago, as the church was re-establishing its presence in Independence, Missouri, while maintaining strong roots in Lamoni, Iowa, President Fred M. Smith saw the need to reach out to members scattered across the world. Travelling often between the two cities, he envisioned a new way to connect them: through the airwaves. Radio was still new and exciting, and very few Christian denominations had dared to use it. That didn’t stop our church leaders from setting up a radio station, authorized by the U.S. government under the call sign KFIX (later KLDS). This made the RLDS church one of the first denominations in the United States to own a licensed station. The first broadcast took place in January 1925 from Lamoni and reached members in several nearby states. Later, a radio antenna was installed on the tower of the Stone Church in Independence, and the broadcasts began reaching listeners as far as Canada and beyond.

A hundred years later, these same questions still echo — perhaps louder than ever. Many members today wonder how we can stay connected across great distances while still honouring regional traditions as we move onward together as one mission centre. The internet and social media give us powerful ways to reach each other, but they also bring new challenges. Is TikTok an appropriate way to share the Gospel? How do we communicate effectively on Facebook? How do we keep our online spaces safe and inclusive?

The choices we make today are as significant as those made by our pioneers who once raised an antenna over one of our most sacred spaces. And because what we do today is history, we are called to tell the story — so that 100 years from now, someone else might be inspired to boldly try something new, something we cannot yet imagine!

Where to start?

We will consider how to tell the story at our first Communications Town Hall. Everything we do when we gather can become part of our shared story of community and discipleship if we remember that these moments belong to a greater story that reaches all the way back to the first disciples. Storytelling can transform the way we live and share our mission. Join us as we learn how to tell the story of Community of Christ in Canada—together!

Communications Town Hall
📅 Saturday, November 22
 ⌚ 10 am PT / 11 am MT / 12 pm CT / 1 pm ET
 🖥️ On Zoom – open to members and seekers

Meeting ID: 878 5553 5695
Passcode: 081015

As we continue to move Onward Together, we are committed to strengthening our current and emerging programs across the country. Community of Christ in Canada invites talented and passionate individuals to join the team!

A new posting for Camping and Events Specialist has just been added to our Opportunities page. This is a one-year, full-time position within the Camping and Campgrounds Team, with the possibility of renewal. The person filling this role will help coordinate and support camping programs across Canada—bringing together young people, families, and leaders in experiences that teach us to love one another. From staff recruitment and training to ensuring safe and inclusive programming, this position will help build the foundation that makes our summer camps and retreats thrive.

We’re also still accepting proposals for the Graphic Designer contract, a role that will work closely with the Communications Team to create visual content for web, email, and social media—helping tell the story of Community of Christ in Canada in ways that inspire and connect.

These and other opportunities represent the first steps of our Onward Together implementation as we begin to nurture the teams that will sustain our shared mission in the years ahead. In the coming weeks, directors will continue to identify new opportunities and areas where additional support is needed.

Please take a moment to visit our Opportunities page to learn more about these roles and others to come. Share the link with your congregation, friends, and networks—you might know someone who has been waiting for the chance to bring their skills, creativity, and calling into the work we are doing together across Canada.

By Susan Scott, co-author of the Spiritual Life Writing Workbook

Storytelling is a human universal, done by every culture and every society ever known. Writing, however, is not. Though widespread today, we had to learn to write...

Writing changes us.

Writing does not merely express what’s already inside us. Rather, it generates a kind of internal work that leads us to reflect, to turn things over, to hone in, and sometimes to reorient.”

Storytelling is peacemaking that builds empathy and understanding—and that work deepens when you harness the power of writing.

Spiritual life writing is ministry.

And if that ministry is calling you, then this retreat is the place to gather.

Early bird pricing: $60 until November 29, 2025 - Includes an electronic version of the Spiritual Life Writing Workbook.

Members and friends of Community of Christ are invited to take part in the Organizational Meeting of the Canada Mission Centre on Saturday, January 17. This online gathering will bring us together from across the country to affirm the bold step we took in September to move onward together. As we enter this new era, it’s time to bless the framework that will guide and support our shared ministry and mission in Canada.

When: Saturday, January 17 at 12 p.m. PT / 1 p.m. MT / 2 p.m. CT / 3 p.m. ET

Where: Zoom — Please register here

What to expect:

We’ll meet for about two hours. Business items will include 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.

This will also be a time to share in brief worship, hymn singing, prayer, and reflection with friends old and new—from coast to coast—as we share hope and celebrate mission in the heart of winter.

If your congregation would like to gather locally, please let us know in advance so we can arrange voice and vote for everyone participating. Stay tuned for further updates in the coming weeks, including information about pre-legislative and technology preparation sessions.

Save the date and join us on Saturday, January 17. Let’s begin walking onward together!

On December 2, join us for Giving Tuesday 2025 and help imagine a world filled with compassion, justice, and peace. This year’s theme, Imagine, invites us to live into God’s abundance and share boldly through gifts that bring hope and transformation around the world.

Your generosity will sustain ministries that build faith, develop leaders, support climate justice, and empower people and communities worldwide. A generous $250,000 USD matching contribution will double every gift—amplifying your impact and extending Christ’s mission across the globe.

Together, we can make a difference:
Give: Every gift, no matter the size, extends our reach and strengthens Christ’s mission.
Volunteer: Offer your time and talents to support local ministries, community projects, or international efforts.
Share: Spread the word and invite others to join in this global day of giving.
Pray: Hold our shared mission of compassion, justice, and peace in your prayers.

Join us on December 2 as we imagine the impact we can make together as a community of faith and generosity.

By John Hamer, President of Sionito

When faced with the scale of seemingly intractable problems in our country and our world, we sometimes can’t help but ask the question, what can a little church like ours do in the face of human suffering?  Wherever we live in Canada, we cannot help but be aware of the housing crisis: from basic affordability to lack of sufficient housing and ultimately the problem of homelessness.  

But for the past half century church members in Toronto and London have worked to be a part of the solution in their communities, founding our social housing charitable affiliates, Sionito and Zerin.  The Sionito Group of Charities broke ground earlier this year on a new development located on Finch Avenue in Toronto that will provide affordable housing to 158 people who might otherwise be in danger of homelessness.

Last month, the Federal government recognized the project as a model and singled out Sionito as a trusted partner.  At a media event held at the construction site, two members of the Federal Parliament announced the launch of the government’s new “Build Canada Homes” program.  Adam van Koeverden, MP for Burlington North/Milton West, and Ali Ehsassi, MP for Willowdale, also share the news that the government would devote an additional $1.5 billion to support projects like the one Sionito is currently building.  The event illustrated the trust and goodwill church members like Bryce Taylor, CEO of Sionito, have built over the years with all levels of government partners, as we have fought together for housing justice.  

The teams at Sionito and Zerin are to be congratulated for continuing to build on the good work started decades ago, addressing one of the greatest challenges our country faces.  When we ask ourselves, “what can a little church like ours do in the face of human suffering?”  Let’s always answer, “we can do our part!”

This Sunday, members and friends of Community of Christ will gather to partake in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, also known as Communion. When we think of this sacred meal, we immediately recall the scene of the Last Supper. In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus offers bread and wine to the disciples, saying, "This is my body," and, "This is my blood" (Mark 14:22–24). In Luke, he adds, "Do this in remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19).

Christians continue to share in this meal in remembrance of Jesus—but why? Is it simply a symbolic ritual that keeps the church connected as we reenact what Christians have done for two millennia? Or does something miraculous happen when the minister speaks those familiar words over the emblems?

What really happens during the Lord's Supper—and, consequently, the meaning of this sacrament—became a source of bitter controversy during the Protestant Reformation. The Catholic Church maintained that the bread and wine, while retaining their material appearance, become in substance the body and blood of Christ. This is transubstantiation: the outward form remains bread and wine, but their inner reality is changed. In the Eucharist, these simple elements participate in divine reality, just as Jesus—though fully human—shared the same divine substance with God.

Protestant reformers rejected this doctrine. Ulrich Zwingli went so far as to say that the Lord’s Supper is purely symbolic—a remembrance of the Last Supper. Martin Luther, on the other hand, taught that the body and blood of Christ are truly present in the bread and wine, not because the elements are transformed, but because God is omnipresent. John Calvin proposed a more moderate view: Christ is not bodily present in the elements, but through the Holy Spirit, believers are lifted up to participate in Christ’s divine life.

In Community of Christ, we bless the emblems, saying that we will “eat and drink in remembrance of the body and blood” of Christ, so that we may keep the commandments Jesus gave us and that the Spirit may be with us. Our Communion prayers express a theology of spiritual presence and transformation through remembrance—not transformation of the elements themselves. It is therefore Calvinian in character, emphasizing communion with Christ through the Spirit—not a merely symbolic act, nor a bodily presence. Communion is not about the metaphysics of the emblems; it’s about the real presence of Christ, recognized by the Spirit when the community gathers, remembers, and is nourished together.

Interestingly, our church’s understanding of the Lord’s Supper is reflected not in the scene of the Last Supper, but in a miraculous story from the final chapter of the Gospel of John. After the Resurrection, the disciples are back at the Sea of Galilee. They go fishing at night, “but that night they caught nothing.” How often do we embark on our ministry, struggling to see through the darkness of our own challenges? We sail at night without direction, casting our nets in the wrong places. We try hard, yet we haul in empty nets—our sanctuaries remain empty.

At sunrise, a stranger stands on the shore and calls out, asking if they have any food. They have nothing to offer. Then the stranger tells them to try once more, and a miracle happens. The catch is so abundant that they can hardly believe the net is not torn. The stranger invites them to eat and they share a meal. They recognize they are in the presence of the Lord.

This is an epiphany—a moment of sudden revelation—and it happens as they gather at the table. The Spirit fills their hearts with remembrance: the feeding of the five thousand had taken place on these same shores. The meal reveals that Christ is present in mission—when the impossible becomes possible, when abundance arises from scarcity, when souls are nourished through forgiveness and reconciliation, when the worth of all is affirmed.

The shared meal reveals a Christ who is here and now, not an elusive figure from a distant past. Christ is the Light of the World, piercing the darkness of uncertainty and guiding us toward new waters where we can cast our nets once more. Through the Spirit, we find the courage to keep inviting others to Christ even after failure, and the strength to gather the blessings of a heavy catch, even when we feel overwhelmed by the demands of discipleship.

As we partake in the Lord’s Supper this Sunday, let us open ourselves to the presence of the Spirit, so that the body and blood are not merely remembered, but that Christ may be revealed among us as we share this sacred meal. Where is the Christ who asks for food—the one we so often fail to recognize? Where is the Spirit inviting us to cast the net? And how are we preparing to haul the heavy catch that will follow?

By Leandro Palacios, Master of Arts in Religion, Community of Christ Seminary at Graceland University

Each fall, the Community of Christ Historic Sites Foundation invites members and friends to gather online and learn from historians, storytellers, and guest speakers. This year’s Autumn Lecture Series spans five fascinating sessions exploring the church’s global growth, diverse voices, and lesser-known moments of faith and history.

All lectures are free and open to the public, though donations are welcome to support student internships, new educational resources, and the preservation of historic sites.

Lecture Schedule

Thursday, November 6 – 7:00pm CT / 5:00pm PT / 6:00pm MT / 8:00pm ET

Nauvoo Polygamy and the RLDS Church with Lachlan Mackay

Explore the diverse perspectives and challenges behind understanding the origins of Nauvoo polygamy within RLDS history.

​Thursday, November 13 – 7:00pm CT / 5:00pm PT / 6:00pm MT / 8:00pm ET

A Peculiar People, Politically: The Saints and Politics in 1830s Ohio with Seth Bryant

Learn how early Saints navigated disenfranchisement and political tension in 1830s Kirtland, discovering how faith and civic life often collided.

​Thursday, November 20 – 1:00pm CT / 11:00am PT/ 12:00pm MT / 2:00pm ET

From War and Poverty to Questing for Peaceable Zion: Andrew Bolton’s Story with Andrew Bolton

Hear Apostle Andrew Bolton share his story of faith, peace, and calling—from his early life in England to his ministry and passion for Zion.

Register for November 20 (button)