Women as Elders Committee Update

July 5, 2020

In August 2019, the Women as Elders (WAE) Committee set milestones including collecting information from congregants, and facilitate education such as sermons, Sunday school, study materials, etc. The final milestone and mandate for this Committee is to submit a report with recommendations to the Board of Elders for their final consideration and decision/action. Although the pandemic is happening in our midst and the Townhall meeting in May had been cancelled, the Committee has tried different ways of engaging congregants and /or soliciting as much feedback as possible. The advisory process was fruitful.

 

On behalf of the WAE Committee, we would like to thank all brothers and sisters who continue to pray for the Committee, who had attended the Townhall meeting in March, and who participated and submitted their response in the questionnaires to voice their opinion in the matter of women as elders.

 

All your feedback, comments, concerns, and recommendations are valued. Each of the responses were carefully reviewed, considered and discussed during our Committee meetings.

 

The Committee is in the midst of preparing a report to the Board of Elders, summarizing all the feedback that was received from the Townhall and questionnaires. Although some of the recommendations, comments and concerns received may be outside of the Committee’s mandate, they will certainly be noted in the report to be brought forward to the Board of Elders for their consideration and follow up.

 

Please continue to pray for the Committee, for the completion of the report, for the Board of Elders to make a decision that is pleasing to God, and pray that, no matter the circumstances, RCAC congregants will remain always united.

Women as Elders - Questionnaire #2

In February, a questionnaire was sent out to gather feedback on the topic of women as elders. Town Hall Meeting #1 was subsequently held on March 8. A summary of the meeting can be found here: click here.

In place of the cancelled Town Hall Meeting #2 due to social distancing, a new questionnaire has been prepared to hear your further thoughts and comments. We also invite you to connect with the committee directly if you would like to engage in continued conversation.

Summary of Town Hall #1


On Sunday, March 8, 2020, a Town Hall was held at RCAC to discuss the topic of Women as Elders.


Read Summary of Town Hall #1

Info on RCAC “Women as Elders” for Discussion

As we “Launch Out into the Deep” for 2020, we as a church family are  re-visiting the topic of women as elders. From a national standpoint, we

as a denomination are open to both positions of leadership (egalitarian &  complementarian), and leave the decision to the local church. As a

church of 43 years, the question becomes, who is God calling us to be  moving forward? 


Along with the preaching series for 2020, the framework that we’ll use to  discuss this question will be laid out as follows: 

  1. Questionnaire on February 1/2 (due February 23, 2020)
  2. Town Hall #1 (Sunday March 8)
  3. Town Hall #2 (Sunday May 31 June 14)
  4. Special AGM (Call by the Board when necessary)
  5. RCAC Annual General Meeting: Sunday October 18

“The Roles of Men & Women in Ministry” adopted at the 2016 General Assembly for The Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada, as well

as its Chinese translation, is available on our website.


Paper copies of the above documents will also be distributed with the  questionnaire on Feb 1/2. Extra copies of the document will be available

in the foyer and in the office beginning Feb 1.


Pray with us as we go deeper in this time of discernment as a church  family. We desire to hear, listen, understand and communicate with the

utmost respect for the Spirit’s leading.


Committee Members: Erik Mak (Chair), Julian Chow, Pastor Simon, Pastor Karen, Elaine Au, Charlene Tang & Salina Tse

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