Letters to United Church
Follow up - Our Joint Letter to the GCE concerning Gaza and Israel - new letter from The Moderator
Sent: Monday, November 20, 2023 7:10 PM
Subject: Follow up - Our joint letter to the GCE concerning Gaza and Israel - new letter from The Moderator
To: United Church friends and contacts - following up on our joint letter to UCC General Council Executive regarding Gaza and Israel
Hello friends,
This weekend, the General Council Executive, its corresponding members, and the members of the National Indigenous Council issued a plea to Prime Minister Trudeau to advocate for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. See: Dear Prime Minister | The United Church of Canada (united-church.ca)
We are pleased to see this letter from our church and believe it will be important to keep this momentum going:
1. By continuing to press our political representatives.
We invite you to individually forward a copy of the Moderator’s letter to your own MP. Send it as well to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. They have heard from the church formally, now let them hear from church members! Send a copy to the other party leaders if you wish. Invite others to do the same.
The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, justin.trudeau@parl.gc.ca or Pm@pm.gc.ca
The Honourable Mélanie Joly (Minister of Foreign Affairs), melanie.joly@international.gc.ca
The Honourable Pierre Poilievre, pierre.poilievre@parl.gc.ca
Yves-François Blanchet, Yves-Francois.Blanchet@parl.gc.ca
Jagmeet Singh, Jagmeet.Singh@parl.gc.ca
Elizabeth May, elizabeth.may@parl.gc.ca
2. By staying in touch with our church representatives
Write to the Moderator and/or the GCE to acknowledge the actions they have taken and send any feedback you have for further action or comment. We trust that the letter will not be a one-time statement. The General Council Executive may be contacted at gce@united-church.ca
3. By sharing the Moderator’s letter with relevant media. Many of you will have local or community or social media contacts for this.
Finally, just for your information, our original letter to the UCC was posted on the website of the United Network for Justice and Peace in Palestine and Israel (UNJPPI). See below: Letters to UCC - Group Letter to UCC General Council Executive Regarding Gaza and Israel
If there is a reply from the General Council Executive still to come, we will share that with you.
Thank you!
from: P. Butler, B. Jagunos, G. Kenny, E. McAuley, M. Morales, M. Sumadh
Subject: Follow up - Our joint letter to the GCE concerning Gaza and Israel - new letter from The Moderator
To: United Church friends and contacts - following up on our joint letter to UCC General Council Executive regarding Gaza and Israel
Hello friends,
This weekend, the General Council Executive, its corresponding members, and the members of the National Indigenous Council issued a plea to Prime Minister Trudeau to advocate for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. See: Dear Prime Minister | The United Church of Canada (united-church.ca)
We are pleased to see this letter from our church and believe it will be important to keep this momentum going:
1. By continuing to press our political representatives.
We invite you to individually forward a copy of the Moderator’s letter to your own MP. Send it as well to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. They have heard from the church formally, now let them hear from church members! Send a copy to the other party leaders if you wish. Invite others to do the same.
The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, justin.trudeau@parl.gc.ca or Pm@pm.gc.ca
The Honourable Mélanie Joly (Minister of Foreign Affairs), melanie.joly@international.gc.ca
The Honourable Pierre Poilievre, pierre.poilievre@parl.gc.ca
Yves-François Blanchet, Yves-Francois.Blanchet@parl.gc.ca
Jagmeet Singh, Jagmeet.Singh@parl.gc.ca
Elizabeth May, elizabeth.may@parl.gc.ca
2. By staying in touch with our church representatives
Write to the Moderator and/or the GCE to acknowledge the actions they have taken and send any feedback you have for further action or comment. We trust that the letter will not be a one-time statement. The General Council Executive may be contacted at gce@united-church.ca
3. By sharing the Moderator’s letter with relevant media. Many of you will have local or community or social media contacts for this.
Finally, just for your information, our original letter to the UCC was posted on the website of the United Network for Justice and Peace in Palestine and Israel (UNJPPI). See below: Letters to UCC - Group Letter to UCC General Council Executive Regarding Gaza and Israel
If there is a reply from the General Council Executive still to come, we will share that with you.
Thank you!
from: P. Butler, B. Jagunos, G. Kenny, E. McAuley, M. Morales, M. Sumadh
Moderator's Letter to PM with a call to advocate for a Ceasefire in Gaza ( November 18, 2023)
"The people of The United Church of Canada are outraged by and condemn Israel’s ongoing military action in Gaza, and the collective punishment of 2.2 million Gazans. We watch with horror and grief as more and more innocents in one of the world’s most densely populated areas are being killed.
...
We despair that, despite the cries of Canadians across the country, our government has failed to listen and to call for a ceasefire. We, the members of the Executive of the General Council and the National Indigenous Council of The United Church of Canada, add our voices to those cries.
We pray that you show moral courage and conviction and call for an immediate ceasefire in the interests of a just and lasting peace for both Palestinians and Israelis.
May it be so.
Moderator Carmen Lansdowne"
...
We despair that, despite the cries of Canadians across the country, our government has failed to listen and to call for a ceasefire. We, the members of the Executive of the General Council and the National Indigenous Council of The United Church of Canada, add our voices to those cries.
We pray that you show moral courage and conviction and call for an immediate ceasefire in the interests of a just and lasting peace for both Palestinians and Israelis.
May it be so.
Moderator Carmen Lansdowne"
Group Letter to UCC General Council Executive Regarding Gaza and Israel
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Letter of Response to the Just Peace Taskgroup Report
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UNJPPI Letter to Just Peace Task Group - 26 Jan 2021
This letter was sent to the Just Peace Task Group by the chair of UNJPPI. Click the heading above to download and read the PDF letter.
To UCC
2015
Letter from UNJPPI to the Moderator,
Rev. Jordan Cantwell
October 12, 2015
Dear Jordan,
Grace and peace to you in the name of our brother, Jesus.
It is with deep concern that we write to raise the issue of increasing violence directed toward Palestinians in both the West Bank and Gaza. In 12 days of bloodshed, 23 Palestinians and four Israelis have died.
Print and read the letter in PDF
Rev. Jordan Cantwell
October 12, 2015
Dear Jordan,
Grace and peace to you in the name of our brother, Jesus.
It is with deep concern that we write to raise the issue of increasing violence directed toward Palestinians in both the West Bank and Gaza. In 12 days of bloodshed, 23 Palestinians and four Israelis have died.
Print and read the letter in PDF