If you are interested in being part of a committee please complete the Committee Volunteer Form and someone will be in touch.

Property Committee

Mandate:

To provide oversight, leadership, and guidance to Communities of Faith regarding property within the bounds of the Region in accordance with United Church of Canada policies.

 Membership:

• Chair
• Secretary (at the discretion of the Chair)
• 7 Designated Individuals
• Executive Minister – Staff Support
• Division Chair (Ex-Officio)

Duties:

• Receiving, reviewing and making decisions on all property related requests from Communities of faith and Incorporated Ministries of the united Church of Canada including:
  • Buying, selling, Mortgaging, renting or leasing: Churches, halls, manses, vacant land, and cemeteries)
  • New construction or major renovations
  • Property Matters that come from Amalgamation, closure or disbanding of communities of Faith
  • Distribution of proceeds from transactions within policy guidelines
  • Processing Hunter Fund grant application
  • Processing other grant applications that involve property related matters.
• Carry out all activities in keeping with the United Church Manual and “the Handbook for Communities of Faith – Property Matters.”
• Provide ongoing oversight of United Church property in the Region including keeping property records up to date.
• Ensure communities of faith have the new Handbook for Communities of faith – Property matters and provide guidance, interpretation, and education relative to this handbook.
• provide guidance to Communities of Faith with respect to professional services around all church properties
• The Chair will represent the committee on the division of Finance and Administration.
• Ensure Cemeteries operate within United Church polity and upon closure/disbanding of an associated community of faith or pastoral charge, the cemetery will continue to operate in compliance with Revenue Canada, Provincial and Municipal Legislation.

Skills/Experiences:

• knowledge of buildings, structures and their maintenance
• consultative and pastoral skills

Accountability/Reporting: Through the Division of Finance and Administration to the Regional Council and Regional Executive on a regular basis. (As often as needed or required.)

Powers:  Must refer policy approval decisions to the Division of Finance and Administration. All other duties are the responsibility of the committee.

 To contact the Property Committee please email rc15propertycom@gmail.com. 

 Property Committee Report

When members came together in 2019, we had a couple of things in common—we were interested in property matters and we didn’t know how it was going to fit into the ‘new’ system. Under guidance from Rev. Faith March-MacCuish over the past 2 years, we all have settled into a format and we feel moving ahead.

The Property committee is under Division of Finances & Administration and the roles and duties are found in the Region 15 Governance Handbook.

Once the Property committee was established, in 2019, in person meetings were held in Sackville, NB or Truro, NS.  However, we soon learned that zoom saved in time and travel but challenges were in hearing and technology. During 2020, emails, email polls, phone calls and zoom meetings became the norm for the eight (8) committee members.

Any policy approvals are forward to Division of Finance & Administration and thru them to the Region 15 executive for final approval.  The Property Chair represents the committee at meetings of this Division.

All Community of Faith transactions valued over $5,000 must come to our committee for approval. We have opened over 100 files regarding requests for approval including:

1. Reviewing and approving grant applications: Technology, Capital Assistance, Faithful Footprints, Hunter Fund, Innovation Fund.
2. Buying, selling, renting, and leasing all property/assets, new construction, renovations, amalgamations, closings and endings.

Our committee has now completed the compilation of an inventory of all Nova Scotia UCC owned property: churches, halls, cemeteries, manses, vacant properties, etc.  Over 250 in total.

The “Handbook for Communities of Faith re: Property Matters” (February 16, 2022) was developed to assist volunteers who are called upon to carry out the often difficult and time consuming tasks around property decisions. This has been a continual updating process as individualized challenges and situations have been received. UCC and CRA polity takes precedence to this handbook.

We have also developed a guide book for cemetery operations.

We have experienced a continual updating process as we face new challenges and situations almost every month.

Fay Smith, Secretary, Region 15 Property Committee

hfay.smith70@gmail.com