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The newspaper of the Dioceses of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon and Qu’Appelle • A Section of the Anglican Journal • November 2012
Grant rest, O Lord, to those no longer with us; Who died protecting us and this their land. Bring healing, Lord, to those who, through their service, Bear conflict’s scars on body or in mind. With those who mourn support and comfort share. Give strength to those who for hurt loved ones care. “Remembrance” A hymn by Charles Henrywood
Photo – Nancy A. Thiele
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College of Emmanuel and St. Chad to close By Peter R. Coolen SASKATOON – In early September, Bishop Jim Njegovan of Brandon and president of the council of the College of Emmanuel and St. Chad, announced that the governing council of the College of Emmanuel and St. Chad had decided in May to suspend the operation of the college in 2013. Society and its needs for the education of people for a career in ministry has changed in the past few decades and there is more diversity and competition for students than there was years ago. At the same time, Emmanuel College had been hobbled by both low and declining enrolment and an unattractive and uncompetitive syllabus. As a result of these pressures, the
college had been considering revising its programs to incorporate new, non-traditional approaches to education for ministry that would better meet the changing needs of society and the student market. To help in this process of renewal, in April the college also had been advertising for a new Donor Relations co-ordinator. With this decision to suspend operations, in effect to close, the three faculty members and the three part-time administration personnel have all been given their notice of job termination. The 17 full- and part-time students now attending classes will either be finishing their training by the time the college operations are suspended, or the college will help to make arrangements (Continued on page 8)
New Christians not interested Building a ‘Little Ark on the Prairie’ in old labels of ‘culture wars’ By Jason Antonio REGINA – In this age of “postmodernity”, the old labels of liberal and conservative have lost their meaning for a new generation of younger Christians, who do not wish to be identified with these labels that were used during the “culture wars”. “Postmodernity is making the old Christian labels and ideologies increasingly redundant. The world of modernity is passed, except in the lingering memories of an older generation,” stated Anglican Bishop Michael Ingham (pictured right). “We elders still see ourselves in denominational terms. We still hold our party gatherings. We identify ourselves with labels that mean almost nothing to our children: liberal, catholic, evangelical.” Ingham, bishop of the Diocese of New Westminster in British
Columbia, was in Regina on Sept. 24, where he spoke to 178 people at Luther College, at the University of Regina. His topic was entitled “Finding the Postmodern Balance: Evangelical, Catholic, Liberal.” The topic had the potential to be controversial based on the subject matter – and Ingham himself is no stranger to controversy, having written two controversial books and being the first Anglican Church of Canada bishop to bless same-sex unions – but according to one Diocese of Qu’Appelle priest who attended, Fr. Christopher Snook, Ingham’s presentation was a very “balanced attempt” in discussing the issue. Modernity was defined as a period of Western history from approximately the 1600s to the 1960s. It was a term used by historians for an era when there was a single timeline of truth. Postmodernity is the era from
the 1960s to the present. It is characterized by relativity and a suspicion of claims to real Truth. Bishop Ingham pointed out that the many struggles of older Christians are and were important to them. For example, they struggled with such things as whether to assert or nuance Scriptural authority, convert other religions to Christianity or learn to stand alongside them, or embrace women and men as equals and gay and straight as “fully neutral.” “These are the battles we have fought,” he added. “And behind us, and even among us…there is already a generation of believers unwilling to be identified with these labels. “They are liberals who do not deny the divinity of Christ. They are evangelicals who have no trouble with gay marriage. They are Catholics who believe the unity of Christians lies in our common baptism, not in any adherence to a magisterium.” (Continued on page 7)
By Rev. John Seib SASKATOON – Instead of saying “Oh, we’re too small, we couldn’t do that,” St. Matthew’s modest congregation in the Sutherland neighbourhood of Saskatoon took on a very worthwhile challenge, and successfully launched a massive display for Saskatoon’s first ‘Canstruction’, held Sept. 22-30 at Market Mall. St. Matthew’s, Saskatoon, the-little-church-that-could, carried away all four of the international awards presented at the Canstruction gala ceremony on Sept. 27, with its colourful rendition of the Little Ark on the Prairies. At the awards ceremony, members of St. Matthew’s Canglicans ‘Build Team’ were on hand to receive trophies for the Best Meal (canned foods that could form a nutritious and tasty menu), Structural Integrity, Best Use of Labels (variety and colour) and the Juror’s Favourite.
Other organizations won awards for: Best Use of the Food Bank’s Most-Wanted, People’s Choice, two for Runners’ Up and for Honorable Mentions. Many from St. Matthew’s congregation had been involved since the project began in March. They were particularly impressed to see the amount of support and energy that was generated when a church does something helps the community help those in need. Last spring, members of the congregation decided to enter this first-ever international event, which focuses attention on hunger and local food banks. The Saskatoon portion of the project involved 13 teams which prepared for months, before coming to Market Mall to build displays constructed almost entirely of canned goods. The 12 other teams were made up of engineering, architectural and business firms; stiff competition for a little church with a big idea. (Continued on page 4)