The
Caledonia Times
May 2015 - Volume 47 - Issue 5 A Diocesan Section of the Anglican Journal
Caledonia participates in BC-Yukon Consulation date on restructuring how the provincial of the Church has worked. In particular, there was a review of the reports of the Task Force on Restructuring (2006) and how that Task Force is to become the Provincial Co-operation/Partnerships Group.
File Picture - The current members of the BC-Yukon House of Bishops - Ed.
March 23rd and 24th, the Bishop and the Dean traveled to Kelowna to participate in a consultation of provincial bishops, executive officers and financial officers. There were some stated goals put out for the participants by Archbishop John Privett, our Metropolitan: (1) build relationships, (2) foster trust and (3) try to define ways in which we can work together and move forward. In his opening comments, Archbishop Privett noted that the group had come together to take council which was a fulfillment of the vows that many of the participants took at the time of their ordinations. The first morning of the consultation was spent taking about the ministry in each of the dioceses and the episcopal area in the province. Each participant was asked to share three things that they want the rest of the group to know about their geographical area of ministry; about two things that they are celebrating in the life and ministry of the area; and share one major challenge that the diocese is facing or is about to face. The sharing was followed by a presentation from the Archbishop and from retired Bishop James Cowan (BC) on the work that has been done to
There was a listing of all the ministries that the dioceses and the Anglican Parishes of the Central Interior (APCI) hold in common. For example, one of the longest standing relationships is
that of Caledonia and Yukon and the agreement made in the late 1960’s for Yukon to take care of Fort Nelson, Atlin and Telegraph Creek Parishes. Princeton, BC., is looked after by Kootenay but is in the New Westminster Diocese. Additionally, Kingcome Inlet Parish is in the Diocese of British Columbia but is cared for by New Westminster because in all these cases, it is easier for someone else to care for the congregation because of transport routes and costs. It was also point out that the pay roll of APCI is being done in Kootenay as is the treasurer’s work for the BC-Yukon Anglican Youth Movement. It was noted during the meeting that there has been a lot of changes and different ways of doing things and of getting things done. Buildings and geography are increasingly less relevant and the language of ministry is changing. The Church tends to think of itself more and more as a “Missional Community”. Such a community has to find new, missional type language to describe what it is and what it does.
cerning people for ministries – lay and ordained. Participants noticed that many of he dioceses are moving to having their own schools of ministry and training programs outside the normal way of doing things. In the days ahead, it may be that the dioceses will come together to work on making the training compatible which would go a long ways in making a locally trained ordain person transferable from one diocese to another within the province. It was also clear that there was going to have to be work done at the provincial level, to help prepare the provincial Advisory Committee on Postulants for Ordination for changes and providing outcomes from the interview process. There was some talk about how to identify people for the ordained mnistry, and in particular about understand the call and examining the character of potential postulants: (1) is the person a gatherer/of community? (2) is there a pattern of the spiritual life and a commitment to regualr study of scripture and to prayer? (3) Hpow does the inquirer deal and act where power and authority are concerned? (4) What is the inquirer’s emotional state and what kind of realtionships does theperson keep? (5) Is the person a learner and have the ability to continually learn? (6) How is the person deal with his/her stewardship: how is he/she at givign and how do does one deal with sacrifice? Diocesan Camps and the Camps as a tool for Christian Education was also discussed. Only Kootenay and Caledonia continue to run a summertime residential youth camping experience. The other jurisdictions have shuttered or have completely removed themselves from the residential camping type ministry. And as a consquence, they have moved on to other tyoes of ministry, both as a diocese and as parishes in the diocese. The Consultation took place at St. Michael and All Angels Cathedral in Kelowna.
There was much time spent talking about dis-
Diocesan Synod to Take Place this Fall The Bishop has set the date for our next Diocesan Synod! Synod is scheduled to take place in Terrace, BC September 11-13th. Our theme speaker this year will be the Rt. Rev. Stephen Andrews, Bishop of Algoma. This announcement is to make the diocese aware of the coming Synod. More details will be available soon! The Caledonia Times (1905 - 2015) - Celebrating 110 years of informing and inspiring the Faithful in Northern BC