09 ct 2015 november synods editions b e edition

Caledonia Times The

November 2015 - Volume 47, Issue#8 A Diocesan Section of the Anglican Journal

The Diocese gathers in Terrace for 57th Synod

The Bishop and the Synod chart the way forward around General Synod, the finances and the ongoing needs for ministry

The Diocesan Secretary - Treasurer Audrey Wagner and Bishop William Anderson await the start of the evening business session on the Friday night of Synod. The Synod went through many of the proceedural motions and work to be ready for the rest of the weekend. Some of this includes thngs like asking people to sit on the Sessional Committees like the resolutions committee, count votes and ballots, and so on. - Ed.

T

he 57th Session of Synod for the Diocese of Caledonia was held in Terrace, BC., September 11th to 13th. The Opening Service was held at St. Matthew’s, Terrace, with Bishop William Anderson celebrating and preaching, assisted by a number of clergy and laity. If you would like to read the sermon that the Bishop preached at that service, you can find the full text of his sermon online at the Diocesan website: caledoniaanglican.ca.

All of the business sessions where held at the Best Western (Terrace) Inn. Business started with all of the usual things that a Synod has to do, including Roll Call and the declaration of a quorum (A statement that there is sufficient membership for the Synod to be held), the adoption of the Minutes of the last meeting of the Synod and the setting up of the Sessional Committees which help the Synod to do its works and for the work to flow smoothly.

St. Matthew’s, Terrace). Rest eternal, grant unto these Lord, and let light perpetual be upon them.

May their souls and the souls of all the departed, through the mercies of God, rest in peace.

Memorials

The balloting for the members for the Next General Synod in Toronto, July 7th – 13th went as follows: for the clergy The Very Rev. Jason Haggstrom (Prince Rupert) and the Rev. Jake Worley (Bulkley Valley) with the Rev. Gwen Andrews (StuartNechako Lakes Regional Parish) and the Rev. Lily Bell (St. John’s Old Masset) elected as alternates.

From the Laity, Kelly Worley (Bulkley Valley) and Margo Hearn (St. Paul’s Masset) were elected as members while Grace Janze (St. Peter’s, Hazelton) and Desiree Read (St. John the Divine, Quick) were elected to be alternates. Our Youth Member will

During the Friday evening session, a few moments were taken to reflect on the lives of those who have, since the Synod last met, died and entered into the Master’s rest. The following people were remembered at the Synod and thanksgiving was offered for their service to the Church: Jim Davidson (St. James’ Smithers), the Rev. Canon John Martinson (Retired, Prince Rupert), the Rev. Katherine Lewis and the Rev. Benjamin Hill (Christ the King, Port Edward), the Rev. Daphne Moser (Bulkley Valley) and the Rev. Jim Cain (Retired,

Elections for General and Provincial Synods

For the Provincial Synod, the following people were acclaimed to represent the Diocese at the 37th Provincial Synod of the Province of BC-Yukon in Sorrento, BC September 18th to 20th : From the Laity, Joshua Haggstrom (St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Prince Rupert) and Randall Dering, (Holy Trinity, Vanderhoof) and from the clergy, The Rev. Roy Andrews (Stuart-Nechako Lakes Regional Parish) and the Very Rev. Jason Haggstrom (St. Andrew’s Cathedral Prince Rupert). There were no alternates elected and there was one lay position that was left unfilled.

be Asher Worley (St. James, Smithers). He was elected by acclamation.

Ex-officio Members and the Elections to the Diocesan Executive Committee

There is a certain group of the Diocese that are automatically on the Diocesan Executive Committee because of the work they perform in the Diocese. The List of these Ex-officio Officers for the Executive Committee looks like this: Bishop William Anderson (Chair), The Very Rev. Jason Haggstrom, Dean of Caledonia; The Venerable Ernest Buchanan, Archdeacon of Caledonia West; The Venerable Tim Johnson, Archdeacon of Caledonia East; Audrey Wagner, Secretary-Treasurer and the Rev. Canon Gary Davis, Anglican Council of Indigenous People Diocesan Representative and The Rev. Gwen Andrews (Finance and Property Committees). Elected to the Executive Committee are: The Rev. Enid Pow (North Peace) Grace Janze (St. Peter’s Hazelton) The Bishop also appointed the Rev. Harry Moore (Kincolith) as one of his appointees.

The Saturday Sessions

After Morning Prayer, led by the Rev. Roy Andrews, Saturday morning was taken up with the Bishop For more - Please See Watershed on Page

Bishop’s Notes

On facing the challenges ahead It is sometimes said that we live in a “feel-good” age. People are encouraged to follow their heart, or to pursue their bliss. A common justification for some actions is the much quoted phrase, “The heart wants what the heart wants.” These sentiments are common across age groups.

I thought of this the other day when saying Morning Prayer. One of the readings was from Ezekiel 13: Woe to those who prophesy from their hearts, but who see nothing at all! ...

They say, ‘The Lord says,’ but the Lord did not send them; …

It has always been too easy for people who have strong feelings about something to want to claim Divine justification for enacting their desires. This is true in virtually all aspects of life, and for all people. After all, if we invoke the name of God as justification for pursuing our desires or our ideas, how can we be criticized?

This is not to say that emotions or feelings are bad. The fact that we have emotions is part of God’s design, so they are not to be shunned. But emotions are not a substitute for our intellect. I believe that God gave us both so that they can be used in harmony.

Neither is the heart a substitute for God. We say, in the Creeds, “I believe in God…” For this profession to make any sense we must be prepared to submit our wishes and desires to God, not the other way around.

Many years ago I read an essay by the theologian Clark Pinnock in which he argued for the importance of maintaining the balance between emotion and intellect. For example, we fall in love with Our Lord. But the day inevitably comes when we feel discouraged, or less enthusiastic about our faith. Perhaps something bad happens to us, or those we love, and we begin to feel anger and resentment towards God, or our neighbours. At that point emotions without an intellectual foundation are like a house built on shifting sand – they cannot stand. Without a solid foundation, we leave the parish fellowship in anger, or we stop going to church, disappointed with God for letting us down.

This is why Our Lord not only called His disciples to follow Him, but then spent three years teaching them. They needed to understand more than emotional awareness to get them through the hard times of the arrest and crucifixion of their Master, and the persecution they themselves would endure. They had to have a bedrock of ideas – of teachings, in order to not only endure their suffering, but also in order to share their faith with others.

That Ezekiel passage was, for me, a reminder that we must all be careful when invoking God’s name as an authority for our thoughts and feelings, because although we may convince people into believing what we want, if it isn’t truly of God, we will be judged harshly. We must also be careful when we are the listeners – when speakers are trying to sway us to their point of view. We must have the discipline to go beyond our emotional response to what we hear, and search for why what we are hearing causes us to react as we do.

So how do we discern whether something is truly from God? A good place to start is always with prayer – but prayer in which we honestly hold the issue we are concerned about up before God and ask that His will be done. A second step is to study what God has said and done through the ages. In both of these we simply are following the model of how Jesus acted. He would constantly study and teach from the Scriptures of the Hebrew Bible as well as the commentaries of how the prophets had carried out the Work of God. All this was done within a context of daily prayer.

Finally, we must be disciplined in humility. The greatest teachers of our faith have always understood the importance of humility – that they were constantly coming back before God and asking His guidance and seeking correction if they got it wrong.

As we begin a new Church year I know that we will face challenges in the year ahead; there will be challenges in each of our lives. There will be challenges in our parish lives, as well as throughout the Anglican Communion. There will also be unexpected challenges that we haven’t even thought of that arise.

And we will all have emotional reactions to whatever happens. But I urge you to keep yourselves grounded in prayer and Holy Scripture. Trust God and walk humbly on whatever path He sets you to follow and all will be well because God never forsakes His people.

+William

Caledonia

The Diocese of Oregon and recent shootings

By Diocese of Oregon Press Office This morning [1 October] at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg an unknown shooter killed perhaps 13 and injured as many as 20 others before being stopped. Michael Hanley, (pictured) Bishop of the Diocese of Oregon, extends our prayers for the victims, their families, as well as all the

the blood of innocents. We know this will never end until our faith in the risen Christ has overthrown the voices of violence and fear that seemingly compel us to stock our lives with firearms.

Let us respond with the transformative power of love and again dedicate our lives to ending all of these expressions of

students and faculty of the college.

hatred and self-loathing. To the people of Roseburg, Umpqua

Gun violence has intruded into too many places where people

that we are with you in your sorrow, loss and fear and of-

have always felt safe. As people of God we struggle with how to respond. We call for more vigilance, fewer guns, tighter controls, and all the other responses our hearts and our faith call us to. But, in the end, we find ourselves again faced with

This monument, (at the right) which resides at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Prince Rupert, was entrusted to the Cathedral congregation by the men of the Northern BC and 102nd Battlion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force.

It was made by soldiers who fought on Vimy Ridge in Flanders Fields in April, 1917 from bread tins of fallen commardes on the battle field itself.

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Community College, and the community as a whole: Know fer healing prayers for your tomorrow. St. George’s Episcopal Church in Roseburg has opened its doors as a place of prayer and healing for all the community.

This November, let us take the time to actually go to a local service where we will as family frineds and neighbours, gather to be silent, to pray and to give thanks as we remember those who gave their lives to protect ours and serve our country and to pray for those who continue to do so. Lest we forget, Lest, we forget.

“Anzac poppies” by Nankai - Own work. Licensed

Lest we forget

The Caledonia Times Publication of the Diocese of Caledonia

Publisher: The Bishop of Caledonia Editor: The Very Rev. Jason Haggstrom Associate Editor: Audrey Wagner Published monthly, except July and August by: Diocese of Caledonia, 200 – 4th Ave. W. Prince Rupert, BC V8J 1P3 (250) 627-1143 or (250) 600-7143 Address correspondence and copy to the address above or to caledoniatimes@gmail.com Submissions must be received by the 1st day of the month for the following month’s issue.

Send subscription orders, address changes Diocese of Caledonia c/o Anglican Journal 80 Hayden St. Toronto, Ontario M4Y 3G2 Printed and mailed by: Webnews Inc., North York, Ontario

under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https:// commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anzac_poppies.

Caledonia Times — November 2015

Skypilot Moments Tending to our work while God grows the Church In the days since our most recent Diocesan Synod, I have been thinking about what the Bishop had to say in his charge concerning the lack of growth in the churches of our Diocese. The question that was asked was, How do we make the Church grow? We are at the national average of attendance where only 3.9% of the self identified Anglicans actually going to worship. Great. We are average as the Church goes... Oh, we are average as the Church goes. So I have taken this time to consider all that and then to look at my own situation here at the Cathedral and figure out some things and share them with everyone else. Please understand, It is not that I think I am an expert.

I am a fellow sojourner with my brother and sister clergy and with all who are members of this diocese. So these are observations from what is going on here, in hopes of encouraging all of us to keep at it and keep going.

My first resort was to Scripture, in looking at the problem. How do we make the Church go? The answer to that was shocking simple. We don’t make the Church grow, God does! Remember what Jesus said? He said to Simon, And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock (in Greek, petra) I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (Mt. 16.18 ESV). And in remembering this, I find some relief. God has designed the Church to grow. The efforts that we might make, are to assist in the growth but that we are not responsible for making the Church to

grow. How does God do that? He accomplish this through us telling our families, friends and neighbour about Jesus Christ and who he is for us and for them. Ministry in general and evangelism in particular is not about us and our opinions. Ministry, evangelism and witness are about Jesus Christ and what God has done for people and their lives; in the here and now for a start, but also for the forever part too. And there is nothing that the world with its governments, dominions, princedoms and powers can do about that. God has established his Church and nothing is going to prevail over God and his community. God’s community grows as it was designed and meant to.

To help out we can look at these other things as a kind of checklist or lens to help us focus: 1. We must remember that all ministry begins and ends with knowing Jesus Christ. All ministry flows from showing and sharing the person of Jesus Christ with others. In all that we do and say in our everyday lives, we are presenting and representing Jesus and the kingdom of God. Things we do, we do them for people and for the purposes of bringing home to them the kingdom.

2. We must remember that evangelism and discipleship are processes and that God is responsible for the results. The weight

of having to be productive around numbers is removed from us. We need to produce spiritual fruit not spiritual people. If you have ten people in your congregation, then at least one of them is going to have the gift of evangelism and the ability to draw other into the Church so that they can begin to mature as believers and grow in their various sacred callings.

3. It is important to invite people to come to church, and to help them get to the front door. Here at the Cathedral we are working on that one because we have a sign up list for drivers and riders, so that those who need to get to church can call on a driver to help them get there. And just as important, we need to invite people to come and join us at Church. Doing so communicates the value we put on public worship and that there is something good going on that is worth being a part of.

4. When they walk in the door, please don’t smother them or worse, offer them a job to do within the congregation. Chances are, the people coming in the door who questions, or some pain or fear that they are dealing with and the first time you see them in the building is not the best For the rest of this article, please see “Charting the Course” on Page 7

Books on the Way

By Ruby McBeth “A newborn changes everything.” This was a heading on the front page of the Vancouver Sun as I was working on this review. Pete McMartin, the Sun columnist, was becoming a grandfather. He has a right to show his pride; but, of course, the biggest change is for the couple having the baby.

While the woman will never feel so needed, the hormone changes involved in giving birth mean she is emotionally vulnerable. The husband may feel left out with a baby taking so much of his wife’s time. This month I have two books to recommend: one for Mom and one for Dad. The book 100 Favorite Bible Verses for Mommy and Me connects the new mom to carefully selected Bible texts meant to open her up to God’s help at this special time. Although there are 100 Bible verses, they are paired up. The verse on the left is for mom and the one on the right for baby.

The verse is followed by a paragraph connecting the thought to the themes of God’s guidance and love, and our need to trust and accept that God sees us as precious. There is also a theme running through the book of accepting responsibility for our lives.

100 Favorite Bible Verses for Mommy and Me is a small, pretty book. It is about the size of your hand. The front cover and each two page spread has a picture of an adult owl and an owlet - obviously mom and baby. They are standing on a twig which has small hearts for leaves. This book could be supportive to new moms but also could begin a faith-sharing journey of mother and child. For Anglicans who may need a hand bringing their faith home from church, this book could point the mother in the right direction.

Now the book for Dads. My Very First Bible Stories is a large board book which includes 12 Bible stories: The Creation, Joseph, The Story of Moses, Daniel in the Lions’ Den, Jesus’ Birth, The Feeding of the 5000, The Good Samaritan, The Lost Sheep, Jesus’ Death and Resurrection, and Heaven. In most of these stories the main character is a man.

The illustrations are colourful, cheerful cartoons.

Each story is written in six rhyming verses. (Some of these poems are quite good, others are just cute.) There are four illustrations on each corner of the story and on the opposite page a large illustration retells the story. The cover is padded but

pages can be wiped clean with a damp cloth.

Both books are recommended for parents and for parish libraries. Excellent choices for a baby shower.

Boon, Fiona. Illustrated by Lara Ede. My Very first Bible Stories. Nashville, Tennessee: We Believe, 2011.

Countryman, Jack. 100 Favorite Bible Verses for Mommy & Me. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2011.

the inside pages are stiff cardboard. Cover and

Caledonia Times — November 2015

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The Bishop’s Charge to the 2015 (57th) Session of Synod From Bishop William Anderson

sibly twice, on a proposed change to the Marriage Canon.

As we gather this weekend for this synod, I am grateful and give thanks to Almighty God that he has blessed us with the opportunity to gather together. When one considers the terrible plight of the refugees in the Middle East and the violent suppression of the Christian churches of that region, it should be obvious how fortunate we are to live in a country with a stable form of democratic government, and with the blessings of hearth and kin.

I am also grateful for my friend and colleague, the Rt. Rev. Stephen Andrews, for agreeing to join us this weekend. Bishop Stephen is a respected theologian throughout the Anglican Communion, as well as the Bishop of the Diocese of Algoma which, for those of you unfamiliar with our geography, is a large northern Ontario diocese.

Well, why this synod? As some of you know next summer General Synod will meet in Toronto. At that time, in response to direction from the last General Synod in Ottawa, the Marriage Commission’s work will be presented to the General Synod for their consideration.

So my primary reason for calling this Synod is to ensure that the Diocese has the opportunity to select delegates who are able to be in Toronto for General Synod from July 7 – 13.

As you know, the Marriage Commission was charged with preparing a motion enabling the changing of the Marriage Canon (XXI) so as to allow the marriage of same-gender people within the Church. They were also charged with preparing a theological rationale in support of such a change.

It is important to explain how this process works in order to understand the principle reason I have called for this most important Diocesan Synod.

On the first point, the preparation of a motion to change the Marriage Canon; insofar as the Marriage Commission was directed by General Synod to draft an amendment to the Marriage Canon so as to permit same-sex marriage, it should be no surprise that the Marriage Commission will present wording for an amended marriage Canon that will allow same-sex marriage within the Church. This is what they were asked to prepare. We do not yet know the details because they are not scheduled for release until later this month when it will be presented to COGS. That motion will presumably be put to the General Synod, and will likely be debated and voted upon next summer. Notwithstanding amendments that might be introduced from the floor of Synod during the debate, at the end, the motion will either be defeated or passed. The voting will likely take place by orders (i.e., the laity, the clergy, and the bishops).

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This matter arises within the context of two ongoing debates: 1. The role of General Synod delegates 2. The mind of our own Diocesan Synods over the past 14 years There has long been some debate regarding whether General Synod delegates ought to simply follow their own conscience when voting on matters, or whether they ought to be guided by the wishes of their home dioceses.

In the event that the motion is defeated, the matter will end there. However, in the event that the motion passes, the rules of General Synod provide for a possible vote by Diocese.

The Handbook of General Synod stipulates that: Upon any question being carried in the affirmative on a vote by Orders, and before proceeding to the next order of business, any six members (two from each of three different dioceses) may require that a vote on the question be taken by dioceses.

The vote of each diocese shall be determined by the majority of the members of all Orders of that diocese and in the case of equality in the votes of the members from any diocese, that diocese shall not be counted.

If a majority of the dioceses vote in the negative, the question shall be declared in the negative.

A tied vote shall be declared to be in the affirmative on the basis of the previous affirmation vote by Orders.

In short, our delegates to General Synod will be called upon to vote at least once, and pos-

Clearly delegates are selected by their Diocesan Synods, but there are no formal guidelines that bind delegates either way. The assumption is that they will act for the good of the whole Church, but insofar as delegates’ experience of the “whole Church” is usually expressed within a diocesan context, the tension remains to be resolved.

Our delegates will face the same challenge as is faced by our members of Parliament when voting on issues – do they vote according to how their constituents might wish, or do they follow personal/party convictions? It is not for me to tell you which school of thought to follow. My duty is simply to make you aware of this question – how you resolve it is yours to decide.

On the second point, our Diocesan Synods have expressed their mind at least twice in the last decade after discussing and weighing this matter. In 2005 our Synod passed the following motion: Be it resolved that the Synod of the Diocese of Caledonia laments General Synod’s 2004 motion which affirms the sanctity of same-sex relationships, and that any steps taken by General Synod to “walk apart” from the Anglican Communion could jeopardize the relationship between the Diocese of Caledonia and General Synod…

In 2012 our Synod passed this motion after presentations and consideration of the issue of same-sex marriage:

The Bishop delivers his Charge to the 57th Session of the Dioscesan Synod of the Diocese of Caledonia. - Ed.

Caledonia Times — November 2015

That we confirm that we as a Diocese recommit ourselves to the principles that are set out in our Solemn Declaration. [“We receive the Doctrine, Sacraments, and Discipline of Christ as the same is contained and commanded in Holy Scripture, …We further acknowledge ourselves bound by all acts that may be passed by the General Synod… so far as such act shall not interfere with this Diocese as part of the church Catholic.”]

(Results: House of Laity 19 in favour, 7 opposed; House of Clergy 14 in favour, 1 opposed.)

We must acknowledge that, although these motions were passed by significant majorities, there are differing views concerning same-sex marriage within virtually all of our congregations across the diocese.

This raises the question of whether this Synod wishes to continue in the path of the earlier diocesan synods as it considers whom to send to General Synod and whether you wish to give any direction to your delegates.

So to state the obvious, as you consider whom to send to General Synod 2016 you must be at least aware of this background information.

This then leads to the three questions that I wish this Synod to consider.

The first is this: Do you wish to give delegates any direction as to how they should vote on amending the Marriage Canon?

If you decide “No”, then the subsequent questions are moot. But if you decide “Yes”, then the second question you must decide is what direction do you wish to give delegates? It is important though to understand that whatever direction you might choose to give delegates cannot be enforced. But it may influence whom you elect to send to General Synod. This is your decision to make.

The third question you must consider, assuming you decide that you wish to provide any direction, is how you would like to see delegates vote if there is a call for a vote by Diocese. Again, this is not enforceable, but it does carry some moral weight.

In order to help you deal with these questions I have invited the Rt. Rev. Stephen In In order to help you answer these questions, I have invited Bishop Stephen Andrews to help us understand the implications of the decision General Synod must make about the marriage canon, especially as it relates to relationships with other parts of the Anglican Communion.

This will include an update on what is happening around the Communion on this issue.

As in the past I would encourage people to ask questions and to express their thoughts. In the past we have always striven to treat one another with courtesy and respect, even when deeply disagreeing with one another. I know that you will continue to do so this weekend.

A further issue I wish to touch on in this charge is my ongoing concern regarding the vitality of our life in Caledonia.

Caledonia Times — November 2015

Most of our congregations continue to age and to struggle to maintain numbers. This is in part a reflection of general trends in our cultures. On an average Sunday there are only about 460 Anglicans actively worshipping across the whole of our diocese. This represents approximately 3.9% of people who self- identify as Anglicans within our diocese.

Sadly, that percentage is in line with the national average.

These numbers are a concern in part because our ability to provide sacramental and pastoral ministry whilst maintaining the church buildings we have is a constant challenge.

Notwithstanding the freeze in reductions to our Grant from the Council of the North over the past two years, we have lost ground financially. We receive approximately $60,000 less in grants than we did five years ago. I worry that the downward trend in revenue will resume after next summer’s General Synod regardless of what is decided there.

This means that we must find ways to reduce our costs further. To that end I have asked the Finance Committee, chaired by the Rev. Gwen Andrews, to review all major capital projects that we are currently facing, or that we will face in the year ahead. This is to ensure that good project planning is in place for each project, and that long range implications are being considered when undertaking projects.

Our Diocesan Executive has also decided that, for the coming year, parishes that wish to apply for a grant must be prepared to have a lay person meet with members of the Executive to explain and defend their grant request. This reflects a concern we have that some parishes have found the process of applying for a grant an easier path to follow than raising the money needed to be as financially self-sufficient as possible.

In each parish we must face the reality that we have to reduce our dependency on people outside our Diocese funding what we wish to have locally. As I have said before, Ministry costs money and to pretend it doesn’t is to live in a lie.

I am also going to be looking at further ways to reduce the administrative costs of running the diocese and will present these to Diocesan Executive when we meet in the Fall and the Spring.

But reducing budget expenditures and trying to increase income, while a reality we must face, isn’t the sum total of why we exist. As a church we exist to go into the world to“… make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that [Jesus] …commanded …”

I know that we live in a time when our culture’s response to the Christian faith ranges from indifference to hostility. Young people often have no idea what the church is, let alone what it does. Notwithstanding that this is a common trend throughout North America and Europe, it weighs heavily on me that we have not been able to reverse this trend within the diocese.

It is so easy for us to be preoccupied with buildings and budget problems rather than the more challenging aspects of presenting a compelling witness to Christ to those around us. I urge you, both here and back home in your parishes, not to let this happen. Instead I would urge you to focus on how better to reach out to those who are not disciples of Christ, those who do not follow His teaching.

I urge you, in how you live your lives, and in what you teach, to be faithful to Our Lord’s teaching.

I also want to commend to you our clergy.

They are not perfect – each of them (of us) has their faults. But let me suggest to you that they are one of the great gifts that we have benefitted from in this diocese. People such as the Rev. Canon Gary Davis, and the Rev. Enid Pow, Rev. Roy & Gwen Andrews and Rev. Jake Worley, exemplify the dedication that all our clergy bring to the work God has called them to. They do so much more than simply turn up for services – they are there when folks are dying, when people are grieving, when people are searching for God. They are the face of our Church in their communities in ways that buildings can never be. They shoulder a far heavier emotional and spiritual load than most of us will ever understand. So I want to thank them all for their service, and ask you to treasure them as the gift they are to us. Uphold them in prayer and support them in their work within your parish.

Finally, I want to speak about something of a more personal nature. As you know I was elected as your bishop in October 2001. Next February I will begin my 15th year of episcopal ministry, and I will be 66 in November of 2016. I wish to advise you that it is currently my intention, barring the unforeseen, to retire in the fall of 2016. When I settle on a specific date I will formally write to the Archbishop as well as notifying the diocese.

As I have worked this decision out in my heart and in my mind over the past several months, I have realized what a privilege it has been to be involved in this ministry. My model for my ministry has always been St. Paul who in his own life experienced both the heights and the depths of emotions and spiritual joys. My greatest joy has been the clergy and people of this diocese. My greatest regret has been that the growth I hoped for has not happened, though not for lack of effort by so many of our clergy...

The Bishop finished his charge with some extempore remarks about the joy of being our Bishop and in serving with the clergy. - Ed.

The Secretaries, Mr. Ken Ponsford (Lay) and the Rev. Henry Dunbar (Clerical) listen and record the actions at Synod. - Ed.

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Synod Speaker: The Rt. Rev. Stephen Andrews of Algoma The majority of the Saturday afternoon at Synod was given over the theme speaker, The Right Reverend Doctor Stephen Andrews, Bishop of Algoma.

Bishop Andrews was introduced to the Synod by Bishop Anderson, who noted that Bishop Andrews is world renowned theologian, well respected throughout the Anglican Communion. He has been engaged in the issue of recognizing samesex unions since 1997. He is a past member of Council of General Synod, the Faith, Worship and Ministry Committee, The St. Michael Report, The Galilee Report, The Anglican Consultative Council.

He also served as the Prolocutor of General Synod prior to his election and ordination as Bishop of Algoma. For Bishop Andrews, the issue of samesex unions in the Church is very important but it is not a core issue to the extent that he is prepared to sever his relationship to the Anglican Church in response to the Church’s decision on the matter.

Bishop Andrews started his presentation by extending greetings to our Synod from the Diocese of Algoma. He then proceeded to offer an overview of the debate of sexual ethics in the church, followed by an exploration of what it means to be the Church in broad perspective.

Bishop Andrews began by pointing out that the Anglican Church began the discussion of the ethics of human sexuality in 1888 with questions at that year’s Lambeth Conference about the church’s relationship with divorced persons and the struggle of the Church in Africa over the issues around polygamy.

From 1888 through 2004 the Church’s deliberation has come to focus on the pastoral responsibility to changing patterns of family dynamics and the devolution of power to more local levels. The bulk of his presentation was to draw a timeline from the Lambeth Conference in 1888 to present day, showing how the conversation, first of the Bishops and then of the Canadian Church has evolved. In particular the discussions of allow the “innocent” partner in a marriage to remarry and allowing the “innocent’ party to have communion leading up to the General Synod of 1934 in Montreal were hotly contested. It was at that General Synod in 1934 where Marriage and Divorce were discussed.

Same sex marriage has been discussed by the Anglican Church of Canada since 1976. In 1977, the National House of Bishops set guidelines for the care of gay and lesbian members of the Church.

These have been reviewed and updated over time. In 2004, the General Synod considered the idea of same sex blessings but the motion from the Faith, Worship and Ministry Committee failed to be supported and was withdrawn.

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Bishop Stephen Andrews with wife Fawn and dauthers, Clare and Ellen.

In the present, approximately 16 of 30 dioceses in Canada bless same-sex unions in some manner. In 2013 General Synod directed the Marriage Commission to prepare an amendment to the Marriage Canon to allow the marriage of same-sex couples in the same way as opposite-sex couples and to accompany the proposed amendment with, among other considerations, the theological justification of such an amendment. Bishop Andrews suggested to the Synod that there had not been enough time to consider the motion C003 and the impending implications prior to General Synod.

The proposed amendment for changes to Canon XXI (21) will be presented to Council of General Synod and the whole church at the September 2223, 2015 meeting of CoGS. The motion will then have to be brought to General Synod in July, 2016

to be voted upon. The vote will require two-thirds majority in each order (Laity, Clergy and Bishops) if the motion is defeated. The matter cannot be raised again at that Synod. If the motion passes, then a second vote by diocese can be called for.

This can be triggered by 6 people from three different dioceses (2 people from three different dioceses) calling for this vote. In that case, the motion would be put for a vote and the majority vote in each diocese would be a yes or no vote.

The submissions to the Marriage Commission in preparation for the amendment are available online at www.anglican.ca, using ‘marriage commission submissions’ as a search term.

In concluding his presentation, Bishop Andrews fielded questions from the Synod.

Caledonia Times — November 2015

Tending to our work while God grows the Church - continued from Page 3 time to ask them if they want to join the Church Committee. These people are coming in to see if there is some answer, some help and some comfort for their questions and/or afflictions. We must be prepared to care for them and look after them, taking time to minister to their needs and walk with them in their afflictions. Then we will have a stronger brother and sister who can come alongside and minister rather than be weighed down and possibly driven away.

5. In getting to know new people, their giftings need to be discerned. This is important because first, in know what gifts they have, you can direct them into the places and spaces that you need them to fulfil the ministry of the Church. Second, by giving people tasks that allow them

to use their gifts, they grow and flourish because they are being useful and productive. The purpose of the Church as a whole then becomes gathering for worship, teaching towards transformation and sending for proclamation and apostolic ministry. Remember also to regularly recognize and celebrate successes in ministry and find time to learn from and reflect upon mistakes and failures.

6. Remember that the times for preparation are important and are great opportunities to do some teaching and evangelism. I have had a number of people come for baptism and marriage prep, who cannot identify a picture of Jesus in the stain glass windows of the Church and who know the name only as a curse word. The examination is a great “in” to

talk about Jesus and the life of a disciple and they ought not to be missed.

If there is to be growth, then we need to remember to keep on taking care for those who are already there. Remember what Jesus said? He told the disciples, that night at the Table: “By this (sign), all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13.35) What we are discovering is that as we care for those we already have, others are being added.

The additions are coming, slowly but that allows us to build relationships and community. We need to show a genuine love for each other. We need to have the kind of love that puts God on display. The world may not know what it is but they will know that they want more of what we have.

Jason+

Charting the Course - Contiued from Page 1 reading his charge and small groups talking about and responding to it. To read it, you can find the Bishop’s Charge on page..........

The rest of the morning was taken up with various reports from different groups. Dean Jason Haggstrom, as the Chair of the Camp Caledonia Advisory Board, reported to the Synod on the work and life of the Camp. In particular, he noted that there has been a steady growth in the Camp Program that has been lead by Amanda Veillette for the past five years. Amanda step down from her position as the Camp Director at the end of August and so the Camp Board will be looking for a new Program Director for the 2016 Season. He also noted that the Board has created a new position of Camp Administrator and that the Camp has appointed Sharon McIntosh to that role. Dean Haggstrom said that Sharon has been a dynamic force for the Camp this past year, doing many of the things that the Camp Director was not able to attend to.

Dean Haggstrom also noted that there are some challenges for the Camp to meet, in particular in terms of a) the physical structures and b) finding the needed staff and volunteers to get the Camp program to where it needs to be. He spoke in particular of the need for Chaplains to do devotional times and to teach others how to lead in spiritual matters. He appealed to the Synod for the Camp to be supported by everyone, reminding them that the Camp was restarted to help the next generation of the Church in the Diocese.

The Rev. Gwen Andrews reported on the work of the Finance Committee and of the Property Committee of the Diocese as she chairs both those Committees. Time was taken to go over the financial reports and to consider the Diocesan Budget for 2016. All of this was approved by the Synod.

The one thing that should be noted about the Budget for the next year is that final approval has to wait until after the meeting of Council of the

Caledonia Times — November 2015

North in Late September. This means that the Executive Committee will look at the Grant requests from the parishes and will make some final decisions about the Finances for the next year(s).

Parish questing grants were interviewed by the Finance Committee so that the interviews can be considered when the Executive Committee meets later in November.

The Property Committee is taking on the task of overseeing the work that is being done in different parishes to look at how those projects are being led and to make sure that best practices are used.

This is to ensure that we are getting the most for every dollar spent and to avoid some of the difficulties of past large projects.

Following lunch, it was the turn of our speaker, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Stephen Andrews of the Diocese of Algoma to talk to us about the issues that the delegates who go from our Synod to General Synod in Toronto next July. The theme talk covered the entire history of the Anglican Church and its struggle over the institution of Marriage, going back to the Lambeth Conference in 1888. If you would like to know more about his address, the talk is outlined on page.... in this issue of the Cal Times.

After a break, the Synod was asked to consider whether it wished to give direction (flowing from the questions that the Bishop put to the Synod in his Charge) to those who are elected to go to General Synod and what that direction might be.

There were a couple of motions put to the floor for consideration in this regard. The first vote was about whether the Synod wished to recommend a course of action to the General Synod delegates.

In the vote, (17 for, 14 against) the Synod said yes it would like to pass on some direction in how the Synod would like the delegates to vote. At this point the Bishop reminded the Synod that the House could only make a recommendation and cannot force a vote one way or another.

The second motion was then put to the Synod, “That: our delegates attend General Synod with an open mind on every question, and vote after prayerful consideration of all information available to them including their discussions in the Diocese.” An attempt was made to amend this motion to restrict the direction to only the vote on Canon XXI (21) – the Marriage Canon. This amendment was defeated. When the motion was put, this also was defeated.

A third and final motion was then put to the Synod on this matter which read, “that this Synod by secret ballot (vote) oppose changing the Marriage Canon to allow the marriage of same-sex couples in the same way as opposite-sex couples.” This motion was carried (21 for and 11 opposed).

Other Synod Business

The Synod chose to send its love and greetings to Mrs. Lorna Martinson. Mrs. Martinson, who alongside her late husband the Rev. John C. Martinson, laboured in both Kitkatla and Port Edward for almost 30 years and then spent another 27 years in retirement in their little apartment in Prince Rupert. Recently, due to a health incident in June, It became necessary for Mrs. Martinson to be in care full time and so she moved back to her home in Nova Scotia to be close to family. The Synod sent her greetings to recognize her service to us all over many years.

The Synod also approved the renewal of the Covenant that exists between Caledonia and the Council of the North. The relationship is there to assist us in our ongoing work across the diocese, enable parish clergy to do the many things they do within the Church and in the wider community. The renewal of the Covenant goes from 2016 to 2019.

Page 7

About the 37th Session of the Provincal Synod of BC-Yukon The Dioceses of the Ecclesiastical Province of British Columbia and Yukon met together for the 37th Session of the Provincial Synod at Sorrento Centre September 18th to September 20th 2015.

The theme of the Synod was “Gather, Transform, Send”. It was from this theme, that Bishop Melissa Skelton (of New Westminster) spoke asking the members of the Synod to focus on how we do each of these things in our own contexts.

The Eucharist that opened the Synod on Friday night was presided over by the Metropolitan, Archbishop John Privett while the Primate, the Most Rev. Fred Hiltz preached. The Primate spoke at length about the great history the Anglican Church of Canada has had with its founders, benefactors, and missioners. Archbishop Hiltz spoke of many of the clergy who came to the north and taught the catechists who in turn taught the people how to pray and to worship God. When the second wave of missionaries arrived in the North, they found the people moving across the plains and tundra, following the caribou and using their Books of Common Prayer to pray morning noon and night in their skin tents. Archbishop Hiltz also spoke of the signs of hopefulness and the many grand opportunities to witness to Christ in our modern country and society, noting from Archbishop Robert Machray’s address to the first General Synod in 1893 when he said, Fear not! The Lord goes before (the Church). He was encouraged to see that in many places and spaces to see the Church is moving from a model of membership to a model of discipleship.

The Primate also acknowledged the tensions within the Canadian Church over many things, not the least of the matters around human sexuality. He offered that it is important to live into and with the tensions that we are experiencing. He also has started to refer to the wider Church in Canada as the “Church National” because of the negative connotations put on the National Offices and the National level of the Church, while pointing out the axiom, “We all belong to one another.”

There were a number of procedural motions that were dealt with before the work was finished for the night. A time of gather and fellowship amongst the members of the Synod so that people could meet and share within one another on a personal level.

The text of the Metropolitan’s Address on Saturday morning was 1 Peter 1.3 which says, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead... (ESV). The Metropolitan noted that we, as a province were working hard to find clergy for rural parishes. He mentioned in his remarks on the subject that the Rt. Rev. Larry Robertson, Bishop of Yukon has been asked by the Diocesan Synod to consider taking a parish to increase the coverage that the clergy can offer in Yukon. Currently there are only three stipendiary clergy in parishes in the Diocese. The Rev. Sarah Usher, the Diocesan Administrator also looks after the Parish of Teslin in addition to her work load at the Synod Office. There are limits to where Bishop Robertson can go, including that the parish has a strong lay ministry team and he needs to be close to an airport because of the amount of Page 8

flying to meetings and to parishes the Bishop has to do. The Archbishop said that the Church needs to name, acknowledge and confront the challenges before us. “We as leaders, he held, “must be ready to offer practical help to the Resurrection communities across the Province.”

The Metropolitan went on to talk about the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that he and the Bishop Suffragan have sign in defining what the role of the Bishops are with regards to the leadership of the Anglican Parishes of the Central Interior (APCI). The MOU helps each to understand what the roles of the Bishops are so that each can be as effective as they can be. There were a considerable number of motions to work on the relationship between APCI and the wider Church in terms of its membership and to provide for the election of the next Bishop for the area. Much time was given to working these issues out, including a method for allowing APCI to become a Territory instead of reviving the old Diocese of Cariboo or creating a new diocese. The new territory will as operate with policy and not within its own set of canons as each of the rest of the dioceses in the Province do now.

The Archbishop then went on to cover in some detail, a Consultation was held with the Bishops and the Executive or Financial Officers in Kelowna in March of this year. It was done to a) build relationships between the leaders, b) to grow trust between the dioceses, and c) to identify areas of work that can be done because they are matters the dioceses hold in common.

There were a number of other issues that the Synod looked at including choosing to make the BCYAYM and its annual Fall Conference a ministry of the Province and the disincorporation of the Society that has run the Conference for more than 100 years. The Province also acknowledged the change in the leadership of the Sorrento Centre as the Executive Director the Rev. Christopher Lind became ill and died. The new Director is the Rev. Louise Peters, who was serving as the Dean of APCI and as Rector of St. Paul’s Cathedral in Kamloops.

The Archbishop in addition to all this, spoke of the need to ask for Canada and the United States to look at and renegotiate the Columbia River Treaty to redress the scores of concerns raised about the current treaty.

are my Witnesses” and will be held in the Diocese of Toronto from July 7th to 13th. The Bishop of Jerusalem and the Bishop of Cuba will be amongst the guests at the Synod.

Lastly the Primate spoke of the impending meeting of the Primates in England in January and the work to see where the Communion can work together in terms of restructuring the Communion and the Instruments of Unity. Hiltz said that the first day will be spent with Archbishop Foley Beach who is the Primate of the Anglican Church in North America. Archbishop Foley has been invited to come and sit down for a day with the other primates by Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury.

There was session time given for members of the Provincial Synod to share their memories of the Truth and Reconciliation Events that they attended over the past while.

There were a good many reports and motions considered, including hearing from our National Indigenous Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Mark McDonald about the Sacred Circle and the work around the potential raising of a fifth province that would encompass First Nations ministry. The Synod heard from members of the New England Company which is the oldest English Missionary Society still in existence and who still supports work amongst the Canadian Dioceses and First Nations.

Bishop Melissa spoke three different times on the Synod Theme “Gather. Transform, Send.” The question the Bishop asked of the members, for them to consider is: How can dioceses and parishes stay focused and keep the main thing, the main thing because people want to participate in meaningful Church life at the parish, diocesan, provincial and national levels. The key to starting to focus, is to learn to take the first step in each thing. The teaching that was offered in the sessions was based on the work of Russ Crabtree and his Book, “A Fly in the Ointment: why denominations are not helping their churches.” Crabtree is a colleague and a friend of Bishop Skelton.

Caledonia Diocese was represented by Joshua Haggstrom and Randall Dering from the Order of the Laity and The Rev. Roy Andrews and the Very Rev. Jason Haggstrom from the Clergy as well as Bishop Anderson. If you would like to know more about the Synod, you can contact them.

The Primate was given opportunity to speak about his ministry at the National and International levels of the Anglican Church. He spoke at length of his nine days visit to Yukon and covering 3,000 kilometres of road. He has committed to returning to make another visit to Yukon and to visiting Old Crow because he was unable to do so this time.

The Primate went on to talk about the new Bishops in the House: Bishop Melissa Skelton of New Westminster and Bishop Logan McMenamie of British Columbia and of the work that Bishop Melissa and Bishop William Anderson of Caledonia have done in facilitating within the House of Bishops around the matters of human sexuality. Archbishop Hiltz noted that the Report that is due out from the Commission on the Marriage Canon and will be available on the National Church’s website (www.anglican.ca) on September 22nd 2015.

The theme for the next General Synod will be “You

Bishop Larry Robertson of Yukon talks to his friend Wally during the sermon at the Provincial Synod Sunday morning Eucharist. Wally has just received his PhD (Phenomenal Hot Dog).

Caledonia Times — November 2015

Bishop Melissa Skelton of New Westminster was the theme speaker at the Provincial Synod. Time was taken to understand what the Church’s mission is through the Synod’s Theme: Gather, Transform, Send.

Members of the Synod stand for a quick break at their tables to allow for some discussion and for a stretch.

The 37th Session of the Provincial Synod of British Columbia - Yukon was held in the beautiful setting at Sorrento Centre in Sorrento, BC. The Centre is about 50 Kilometres East of Kamloops and is located in the Diocese of Kootenay. - Ed.

Members of the Synod stand for a quick break at their tables to allow for some discussion and for a stretch.

It is all finished! Bishop William, Lay Delegate Joshua Haggstrom and Dean Jason Haggstrom pose for a picture as they await the flight that returns them home to Caledonia. Along with the Rev. Roy Andrews and Randall Dering (not pictured as they were driving) the group formed Caledonia’s group at Provincial Synod. - Ed. Photo thanks to Betty Davidson of St. Paul’s Dawson City!

Caledonia Times — November 2015

Bishop Melissa here addresses the Syond for the third and final time on Gather, Transform, Send on Sunday morning before the Eucharist. - Ed.

Page 9

Church Life: from the rest of the Canadian Church After fire and the rebuild, historic N.B. church reopens its doors Less than a year after being ravaged by fire, Edmundston, N.B.’s oldest church, reopened with a dedication service on August 30.

Within two weeks in fall 2014, the Church of St. John the Baptist and its nearby church hall were severely damaged by fire. Both were victims of arson, committed possibly by the same person.

The 140-year-old church’s roof and interior were destroyed, and virtually nothing from the inside could be salvaged.

“We lost everything in the fire—all our records, our vestments and holy vessels,” said the church’s deacon, the Rev. Fran Bedell.

Its foundation and walls, however, still stood.

“The walls survived,” the diocesan bishop of Fredericton, David Edwards, told the congregation during the dedication. “This was God’s grace, his intention to say, ‘God’s word is to be proclaimed in this place!’ ” The same church building is also home to St. Pauls’ United Church. Over the following year, St. Paul’s leadership committee met in the basement of a parishioner, planning the new church. They decided that the new building would keep the 19th-century appearance of its predecessor, and that as much of the reconstruction work as possible would be done by local people.

The rebuilt church occupies the same space as the old building, using the same walls and foundation.

Its interior has been substantially redone, with a new meeting room behind the altar and seats instead of pews.

The New Brunswick Anglican In Ontario’s ‘Chemical Valley,’ hundreds march against pollution An estimated 500 people, including representatives from Anglican, United Church, Mennonite and Roman Catholic congregations, took part in a march to raise awareness of environmental issues near Sarnia, Ont., September 5.

Dubbed the “Toxic Tour” by its organizers, the protest involved a walk through Canada’s “Chemical Valley”—which is home to 40% of Ontario’s petrochemical industry. Chemical Valley also abuts Aamjiwnaang First Nation Reserve, and the Toxic Tour was spearheaded by youth of the reserve. According to one organizer, Lindsay Beze Gray, residents of the reserve consider chemical spills and warning sirens part of everyday life: children have been sent home from daycares with rashes and burning eyes, and people frequently die from rare forms of cancer.

“We have a very big crisis. We have a very big change to make,” Aamjiwnaang resident Kelly Kiyoshk told participants. “I don’t know what’s going to happen [to] these kids if we don’t. “We not only have to learn to stand up, we have to learn to be kind to each other, to share with each other. That’s what the Creator gave us.”

Activists are also planning tests of the soil and water in the area and working to oppose plans by energy company Enbridge Inc. to carry diluted bitumen from the tar sands through its Line 9, which Page 10

runs through the area.

Last February, a group from the reserve launched a lawsuit against Shell Canada over a 2013 chemical spill involving toxins the reserve alleged made local children sick and potentially caused other long-term health problems.

The Anglican The Diocese of Montreal consecrates their first female Diocesan Bishop Mary Irwin-Gibson was consecrated bishop of the diocese of Montreal at a ceremony on September 29, becoming the first woman to hold the position.

Elected to the position last June, Irwin-Gibson had spent about a month before the consecration preparing for her new role, working as “commissary,” or representative, of the former bishop, Barry Clarke, who retired in late August. The work involved, among other things, preparing for the consecration and for the diocesan synod slated for October16-17, and going over the diocese’s finances and property.

Irwin-Gibson, 59, was born in Sarnia, Ont., and grew up in a family of six children. Her family moved to the Montreal area when she was three, and she attended mostly French-language classes at a school affiliated with the United Church of Canada. She considered a career in social work, but decided she wanted to help people worship God. She was ordained as a deacon in 1981 and a priest in 1982—the third woman to be ordained in the diocese. After serving three years in the parish of Vaudreuil, she moved on to the parish of Dunham-Frelighsburg, where she served seven years.

She was then priest at Holy Trinity in Ste Agathe for 18 years before moving on to Kingston, Ont., where she served as dean of St. George’s Cathedral.

She also received a master’s degree in business administration from the Université du Québec à Montréal in 2005.

FAMSAC, which originated in 1969, now supports up to 80 families per month. Since a flood earlier this year at its permanent location at St. Martin de Porres, a Nepean Catholic church, FAMSAC has been renting storage space at a nearby strip mall.

To stay in this temporary space, the food bank has had to divert almost its entire monthly operating budget from food purchases to rent payments.

Crosstalk The Diocese of British Columbia are among new owners of Vancouver Island retreat centre A financially troubled Vancouver Island spiritual retreat centre will continue operating, thanks to a deal struck over the summer involving the The Synod of the Diocese of British Columbia.

On July 15, the Bethlehem Retreat Centre, previously operated by the Benedictine Sisters of Nanaimo, was handed over to the Friends of the Bethlehem Retreat Centre Society. The society is leasing the centre from a newly-formed corporation, which is 25% owned by the diocese. The Benedictine Sisters founded the centre in the 1980s, but had put it up for sale for $2.18 million in 2014, most of the sisters having retired by that time.

Under its agreement with the corporation, the not-for-profit society is undertaking a long-term lease of the centre and continuing the legacy of its original owners. The society’s plans for the centre include increasing its annual occupancy by marketing it to faith groups and ecumenical users.

The facility can host gatherings of various sizes and has room for up to 65 overnight guests. It features a chapel, main building with dining and meeting rooms, a library, offices and residences. Its buildings are spread over a 2.4-ha wooded site on the shores of Vancouver Island’s Westwood Lake, and the site connects with 6.4 km of hiking and bicycling trails.

The Diocesan Post

Anglican Montreal

St. John’s-area parish starts community garden

Thousands attend fundraiser for Nepean food bank

A community garden in Mount Pearl, Nfld., was blessed by Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador Bishop Geoffrey Peddle at a special ceremony August 16. The garden was established by Mount Pearl’s Parish of the Good Shepherd and sits behind the church. It includes 14 garden plots, some of which are raised to make them more accessible.

Two of the plots will be used to grow vegetables for the church’s weekly café ministry; another is reserved for children, since one of the goals of the garden is for it to involve people of all ages working and growing together. One plot is for parish or community groups, and the others are available to local families or individuals to use on a first-come, first-served basis. There is currently a waiting list to use these plots.

Nearly 3,500 people took part in the inaugural “West End Food Truck Rally” in Nepean, Ont., this summer, to raise awareness and money for a local food bank.

The rally, which featured food from 10 local food trucks, was in support of Family Service Association of Churches (FAMSAC), an emergency food assistance program that services West Nepean.

Participating food trucks donated 15% of the proceeds of their sales from the rally to FAMSAC. “I wanted to help a local food bank, since it’s easy to forget that not everyone has the luxury to go to bed on a full stomach each night,” said Sifa Kalinda, a food truck owner.

Participants were also encouraged to bring one non-perishable food item to donate to FAMSAC. By the end of the day, event volunteers had collected and delivered about 4,000 food items to FAMSAC, and organizers passed on to the food bank nearly $6,000 in donations given by the food truck owners, a local community association and members of the public.

The garden was launched with financial help in the form of a grant from Newfoundland and Labrador’s Department of Seniors, Wellness and Social Development. The City of Mount Pearl also supplied the services of its “Green Team” staff at the beginning of the project. The garden sits next to the church’s Labyrinth Park, an area intended for meditation and prayer. Both garden and park abut the Mount Pearl walking trail system.

Anglican Life Caledonia Times — November 2015

Diocese of Edmonton, Canadian Blood Services launch blood drive The Diocese of Edmonton and Canadian Blood Services have launched a partnership encouraging Anglicans in central Alberta to donate blood.

Under the program “Partners for Life,” the diocese has pledged to donate 100 units of blood by the end of 2015. Bishop Jane Alexander has challenged members to take part both through donating blood and prayer.

Blood and blood products are used not only in major surgeries but also in other medical procedures, cancer treatments and the management of disease. Donors can give blood as often as every 56 days—the time the body needs to replace its red blood cells. The body replaces its plasma and platelets much more quickly.

The Messenger

Comic Life

How do we engage people for the sake of the kingdom?

By Father Jake Worley, Parish of the Bulkley Valley In 2007, a survey by the Barna Group revealed that about one hundred million U.S. Americans have no contact with church. That is a full 1/3 of the population. According to Gallup, in 2005, the percentage of “unchurched” in Canada and Britain was more than that of the United States. Gallup reported that 2/3 of Canadians fit into that “unchurched” category. And that was ten years ago.

I wonder if it has gotten any better. I doubt that it has.

We see in our congregations fewer and fewer young people and we can see how those statistics can be true. It has been argued that Western society is clearly existing in a post-Christian world. To put a slightly different nuance to it, we are living in a post-Christendom world. Stuart Murray, who wrote the book After Christendom, shows us how we have shifted.

He writes: • In Christendom the Christian story and the churches were central, but in post-Christendom the churches and the Christian story are marginal in the culture.

• In Christendom Christians were the overwhelming majority in the population, in post-Christendom Christians are the minority.

• In Christendom Christians felt at home and our story shaped the culture, in post-Christendom Christians feel more as exiles and pilgrims.

• In Christendom churches had a strong influence over society, in post-Christendom we have influence only through our testimony and the implications it has on individuals.

• In Christendom Christians had many privileges, in post-Christendom those privileges are far diminished.

• In Christendom the emphasis was on maintaining a Christian status-quo, in post-Christendom the emphasis has shifted (necessarily) to mission.

• In Christendom churches operated in an institutional mode, in post-Christendom we are a Christian movement.

Perhaps these shifts ring true in your experiences.

I know they do with me. We see more and more among our contemporaries not just people who claim that there is no God (atheists), or that God is there and we just don’t know him or can know him (agnostics), but interestingly and more troubling are those who just don’t care (apatheists).

We believe that there is a God, that He is good and loving, and has the essential qualities of omnipotence, omniscience, self-existence (aseity), and immutability (among other attributes), and because of who He is, He has condescended to be one of us and to reveal Himself to us through His Word. We stand in stark contrast to the culture we see around us.

Jesus tells us we have to engage the world for His glory (Matthew 28.18-20). How do we do this?

How do I talk to the person who just doesn’t care that there is a God? How do I engage with the person who doesn’t believe that God exists, the person who is actually very antagonistic toward anyone who does believe? How do we engage?

Where do we start? We have to start at the beginning, and that beginning is in our own foundational assumptions. We need to be rooted in Christ.

We need to have our minds renewed in Christ. We need to hold fast to what He has said in the Word, and take Him at His Word.

I appreciate what Cornelius Van Til said, “The Bible does not appeal to human reason as ultimate in order to justify what it says. It comes to [us] with absolute authority. Its claim is that human reason must itself be taken in the sense which Scripture takes it, namely, as created by God and as therefore properly subject to the authority of God.” How can we be effective in our communication of the Christian story to a world that doesn’t believe or care if we ourselves don’t take God at His word? If we don’t, then we are in agreement with the world that Christianity doesn’t matter. Jesus said, in Matthew 5.13-15, “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.”

There were many lighter moments of laughter and fellowship during the Diocesan Synod: Above the Rev. Enid Pow of the North Peace (FSJ) is having a laugh with Mr. E. Adams, the Rev. Harry Moore of Kincolith, and the Rev. Canon Clyde Gary Davis of Ayiansh. - Ed.

Caledonia Times — November 2015

Page 11

The Diocesan 30 Day Prayer Cycle updated November 2015

Every Day THE BISHOP: William (Margaret) Anderson

12) HAZELTON: The Congregation of St. Peter.

For the Wardens and Lay Readers and leaders.

23) HONORARY CANONS: Lance Stephens, Peter Hamel, James Nuzzo, Gary Davis;

Day 2) PRINCE RUPERT: The Congregation of the Cathedral Church of St. Andrew. The Very Rev. Jason (Nova) Haggstrom, Rector and Dean of Caledonia, the Rev. Dr. Canon James Nuzzo, Honourary Assistant; The Wardens, Lay Readers, and Church Committee.

13) BULKELY VALLEY PARISH: The Congregations of St. James, Smithers, St. Clements, Houston and St. John the Divine, Quick. The Rev. Jake (Kelly) Worley, Priest in charge; for the Wardens and Lay Readers.

HONORARY LAY CANONS: Jennifer Davies, Camilla Haines, Eleanor Kustas, Audrey Bennett.

3) PORT EDWARD: The Congregation of Christ The King. The Rev. Sam (The Rev. Bertha, Deacon) Lewis, Priest in Charge, The Rev. Canon John (Lorna) Martinson, Rector Emeritus, The Revs. Thelma Hill, Yvonne Hill, Anthony Adams, Peter Nelson, Associate Priests; for the Wardens, Lay Readers, Catechists and Church Army Officers.

4) KITKATLA: The Congregation of St. Peter’s; for The Rev. Matthew Hill (Joanne), Priest in charge, the Wardens, for the Lay Readers and Church Army Officers.

5) OLD MASSETT, HAIDA GWAII: The Congregation of St. John. The Rev. Lily Bell, Priest in Charge; for the Wardens, Lay Readers and Church Army Officers.

ST. PAUL, MASSET INLET MISSION: The Congregation of St. Paul. For the Wardens and Lay Readers.

6) KINCOLITH: The Congregation of Christ Church. The Rev. Harry Moore, Priest; for the Wardens, Lay Readers and Church Army Officers.

7) TERRACE: The Congregation of St. Matthew.

The Ven. Ernest (Corrina) Buchanan, Priest in charge and Archdeacon of Caledonia West; for the Wardens and Lay Readers.

8) STEWART: The Congregation of St. Mark’s.

For the Wardens and Lay Readers.

9) AIYANSH: The Congregation of Holy Trinity.

The Rev. Gary (Colleen) Davis, Priest in charge and for the Wardens and Lay Readers.

10) GREENVILLE: The Congregation of St. Andrew. The Rev. James Moore, Priest; for the Wardens, Lay Readers and Church Army Officers.

11) KITIMAT: The Congregation of Christ Church. for the Ven. Ernest Buchanan Priest, pro tem ; for the Wardens and Lay Leaders.

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14) STUART NECHAKO LAKES REGIONAL PARISH: The Congregations of Holy Trinity, Vanderhoof, St. Patrick’s, Fort St James and St. Wilfrid’s, Fraser Lake. the Rev. Roy Andrews, Priest in Charge; the Rev. Gwen Andrews, Associate Priest; for the Wardens and Lay Readers.

15) MACKENZIE: The Congregation of HopeTrinity. The Rev. Henry Dunbar, Priest; for the Wardens and Lay Readers.

16) HUDSON’S HOPE: The Congregation of St. Peter. The Rev. Fay Lavallee, Deacon; for the Wardens and Lay Readers.

17) CHETWYND: The Congregation of Chetwynd Shared Ministry. Marlene Peck, Lay Missionary; for the Wardens and Lay Readers.

18) NORTH PEACE PARISH: The Congregations of St. Martin, Fort St. John, St. Mathias, Cecil Lake and Church of the Good Shepherd, Taylor. The Rev. Enid Powe, Priest in charge; for the Wardens and Lay Readers.

19) SOUTH PEACE PARISH: The Congregations of St. Mark, Dawson Creek and Christ Church, Pouce Coupe. The Venerable Timothy (Bev) Johnson, Priest in Charge and Archdeacon of Caledonia East; for the Wardens and Lay Readers.

20) Diocesan OFFICERS AND SYNOD OFFICE STAFF: Michelle Tanguay, Secretary-Treasurer (Kevin); Donna Demers Accountant; Cliff Armstrong, Diocesan Archivist; CHANCELLOR: Deborah O’Leary; A.C.W. PRESIDENT: Susan Kinney.

21) DIOCESAN EXECUTIVE AND ALL OTHER DIOCESAN COMMITTEES 22) RETIRED CLERGY: Lance Stephens, Mike Monkman, Lorna Janze, Peter Hamel, Mary Parslow, Charlie Parslow, Fay Lavallee, Ray Fletcher. SPECIAL MINISTRIES: Brent Neumann,

24) For those discerning calls to various kinds of ministry, especially those considering ordination and those who will discern them; for the Bishop, the Examining Chaplain, and local clergy.

25) CAMP CALEDONIA: The Camp Board, Camp Director and and the Camp Administrator Staff, Volunteers and Campers.

26) BENEFACTORS AND CONTRIBUTORS OF THE DIOCESE. 27) BISHOPS OF THE PROVINCE OF BC & YUKON The Rt. Rev. Melissa Skelton New Westminster The Rt. Rev. Larry Robertson Yukon The Rt. Rev. Logan McMenamie British Columbia The Most Rev. John Privett Kootenay & Metropolitan of BC-Yukon The Rt. Rev. Barbara Andrews, Bishop Suffragan For APCI 28) THE PRIMATE & METROPOLITANS of other Canadian Provinces:

The Most Rev. Gregory Kerr-Wilson Rupert’s Land (Calgary) The Most Rev. Colin Johnson Ontario (Toronto) The Most Rev. Percy Coffin Canada (Western Newfoundland) The Most Rev. Fred Hiltz Primate of All Canada 29) ALL THEOLOGICAL COLLEGES AND TRAINING CENTERS – especially Wycliffe College, Trinity School for Ministry, Nashotah House and Regent College.

30) The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (pwrdf)

Caledonia Times — November 2015