Incorporation

Annual Reporting: Board Approval

Corporations are required to have the majority of the board approved by the regional council annually. Boards are generally elected at the AGM by the members and the updated board list, with contact information, is submitted to the region for approval. To facilitate the process, we have created a Board Approval form that can be submitted with the board list. 

Incorporated Ministries Policy and Guidelines

The Incorporated Ministries Policy (June 2023) replaces Incorporated Ministries (November 2022). At the June 2023 General Council Sub-Executive meeting, the annual reporting clause was revised to reflect the change to the required financial statements for all Category 1 and Category 3 corporations.

Financial Statements: What Level of Review for Your Corporation? is a short document outlining the different levels of financial statements.

Corporations need to ensure that they are current with the provincial or federal legislation under which they are incorporated.

Is a Congregation a Corporation?

A common question from congregations is “Where do we find our letters patent?” or “Are we a corporation?” Congregations themselves are not corporations. Congregations have some independent legal status under the Act of Parliament that created The United Church of Canada in 1925, but they are neither federally nor provincially incorporated.

Congregations may decide to set up a separate legal entity, usually a not-for-profit corporation, when they have programs or projects for which liability needs to be contained. Apply to the appropriate provincial or federal government body to be granted status as a corporation. The United Church has additional requirements that need to be met for those corporations that want to continue to affiliate themselves with the church and use the name of The United Church of Canada. 

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