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Connection
“A Moral Imperative”
Church Leaders Call for Clarity and Honesty in Defence of International Law and Human Rights in Palestine-Israel
presbyterian.ca
SUMMER 2023
By Callie Long Communications Office
The present complex geo-political crisis in Palestine-Israel results from fixed, deep-rooted and his- torically political, social and reli- gious apprehensions, which con- tinue to be a grave concern for the faith-based community.
Given the significant influ- ence of religion in the region andpressingconcernsaboutthe state-perpetrated and oppres- sive acts of intolerance enacted
against Palestinians by the pre- sent Israeli government, a del- egation of leaders representing several Canadian churches, in- cluding The Presbyterian Church in Canada, met with Members of Parliament (MPs) in Ottawa at the end of April to discuss the role of faith institutions in the ongoing conflict. Calling for action and fo- cused on raising awareness and building consensus, the Rev. Dr. DorcasGordon,principalemerita of Knox College; Bishop Susan Johnson, national bishop of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada; the Rt. Rev. Carmen Lansdowne, moderator of the United Church of Canada; and Archbishop Linda Nicholls, pri- mate of the Anglican Church of Canada, first met with MPs on April 26 and then par ticipated in an in-person and live-streamed panel discussion hosted by St. Paul’s University on April 27.
After an encouraging interac- tion with several parliamentar- iansoverthecourseofthevisit, some of the leaders were sur- prised and somewhat discour-
aged by an exchange with one MP, who was quoted during the panel discussion as saying that “Canada has no voice” because, as a country, we have little eco- nomic or military clout. To this, the Rev. Dr. Dorcas Gordon’s rejoinder was: “We have a moral imperative.”
Not speaking up is not an op- tion in Dorcas’s and the other leaders’ books, “Regardless of whether we have a solution.” Dorcasadded:“Thereisareason to speak up, and the reason is [that] it’s morally right to speak
up,” given the dire human rights violations Palestinians face daily. As Bishop Johnson noted: “This is [also] one of the mo- ments that we learn that we are stronger together. We are stronger when we speak with one voice. We are stronger when we work
together.”
Watch the whole panel dis- cussion between the four church leaders and other ex- perts, including the co-founder of Al-Haq, Jonathan Kuttab, on YouTube at youtube.com/ watch?v=-cZARZ8R2f8&t=204s.
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A barrier in Palestine. PHOTO CREDIT: WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES
Congregational Records in the Digital Age
By Kim Arnold and Nicole D’Angela, Presbyterian Church Archives
In the digital age, many of us have switched to keeping records elec- tronically. We type up minutes, upload photographs online and work through finances on Excel. This is appealing as digital re- cords save space in the office, can be accessed remotely, are searchable, and can easily be copied and shared. Additionally, file names can help you locate a document quickly and passwords can be used to add an extra layer of protection on your most sen- sitive documents. While enjoying all the perks of digital records, it is important to also consider how to organize and manage them ef- ficiently and effectively.
Structuring Digital Records
Files can be organized using fold- ers and sub-folders to group relat- ed records. You may arrange your records by congregational bodies (Board of Managers, Board of Trustees, Session, etc.). When structuring your records this way, you can include sub-folders to further separate the files into the years that they were created and/ or the type of records within the
committee. For example, a Ses- sion folder may have the sub- folder labeled with the year 2021 and then further sub-folders for minutes, correspondences, and reports. Organizing documents by year is important because it helps implement a retention schedule (presbyterian.ca/congregation- records). Overall, this structure assists in quickly locating and recognizing digital records.
File naming, specifically the use of naming conventions, can also help manage documents and provide a preview of their content. A naming convention is an agreed upon structure and standardiza- tion to ensure all who accesses them can quickly and easily iden-
tify the content of the document. When formulating a naming con- vention, consider the following: ensure all users understand the same terms and short forms; use names that reflect the content of the document; include a creation date (i.e., Session Minutes—De- cember 2020); and, if your docu- ment has a draft of a final version, include that in the file name (i.e., Annual Report, 2021—DRAFT; Annual Report, 2021—FINAL).
Backing Up
Digital Records
Accidents happen and some- times important files can be lost or damaged. With digital records, it is easy to back them up by making a copy and storing them in a separate location. It is recom- mended that a USB or external hard drive is purchased to per- form regular backups. This device should be stored away from your computer, in a secure and ideally offsite location. It is important to consider durability, reliability and storage capacity when shopping for a suitable device.
Printing Out
Digital Records
Many people are more comfort-
able working with paper records, so they opt to print out their digital files. Although this will ultimately take up more office space and may lead to record duplication, there are steps to avoid these dilemmas. To begin with, delete any digital records that no longer serve a purpose once printed. You may choose to maintain both a physical and digital copy of the record. To ensure that the contents reflect one another, if changes are made to the physical copy, they should also be made on the digital copy. Similarly, if changes are made to the digital copy, a new printed copy should replace the previous version.
Preserving Emails
Emails are a heavily used form of communication that are often forgotten about when applying records management. It is recom- mended that any impor tant attach- ments that come in via email are saved onto your computer or print- ed and properly filed. This should also be applied to any significant correspondence, especially if it re- lates to policy or procedure.
Transferring Digital Records to the
Archives (dissolved congregations only)
If your congregation is clos- ing, it is important to remember to deposit your digital records along with the hardcopies. This includes any hard drives, USBs, CDs or floppy disks that contain documents or photographs that are listed in the dissolved congre- gation guide (see presbyterian.ca/ dissolving-congregation) and do not exist in paper form. The Ar- chives should have the most up- dated version of your documents; duplicates are not required.
As per the Assembly Council’s report to General Assembly 2022, it is recommended: That congregations be urged to review their digital files (e.g., typed min- utes, photos) and apply records management standards to them as they would physical records and frequently back them up to an external hard drive or USB, which should be stored in a se- cure location (Recommendation ASC-004, A&P 2022).
Questions?
For more information, contact the Archives at 1-800-619-7301 or email archives@presbyterian.ca.