The following is part of an ongoing monthly series on congregational development, which features reflections from Anglicans on how they are responding to the challenges facing churches today. Whether at the local level or higher, the notion that the church faces a crisis today is a commonly held belief across many Christian denominations. As congregational … Continued
The epidemic of suicide casts a shadow over many Indigenous communities across Canada. Young people are particularly at risk, with First Nations youth being five to seven times more likely to take their own lives than non-Indigenous youth, according to Health Canada. The need to prevent future suicides and to heal grieving communities prompted the … Continued
The Occupy Wall Street movement in 2011 brought economic inequality and its attendant social ills to the forefront of public conversation, marked by its language of the ‘99 per cent’ and the wealthiest one per cent. Five years later, the questions raised by the movement continue to resonate. Within the Anglican Church of Canada, the … Continued
Unique challenges face many Indigenous people seeking access to health-care services in Canada. Systemic racism and other forms of discrimination form a poisonous cocktail that creates barriers to treatment including a disregard of Indigenous voices and lived experiences. This can impact the quality of care and discourage many Aboriginal people from pursuing care at all. … Continued
“I am praying, in fact I am screaming at God to send his holy angels to protect the city. I rail at Him to please intervene”[1]. So read an urgent appeal for prayer for the people of Aleppo, which I received yesterday. How timely as the Church keeps the Feast of St. Michael and All … Continued
The following is part of an ongoing monthly series on congregational development, which features reflections from Anglicans on how they are responding to the challenges facing churches today. More than any other factor, the Ven. Christopher Pappas sees effective leadership as the single most vital quality of developing parishes and congregations. “We need good clergy … Continued
Five young women are blazing a new path forward as inaugural participants in the Companions on the Way program. They have officially commenced a year in residence living alongside members of the Sisterhood of St. John the Divine (SSJD) at their convent in Toronto, Ont. On Sunday, Sept. 11, the sisters, joined by Bishop Linda … Continued
As British Columbia and Quebec join the growing list of locations hosting the Deepening Understanding for Intercultural Ministry (DUIM) program, Anglicans across Canada are invited to broaden their horizons and perspectives of ministry. Organized by the Canadian Churches Forum for Global Ministries (CCFGM), DUIM is a five-day ecumenical gathering that offers clergy and lay leaders … Continued
In February 2015, the Anglican Diocese of Montreal hired a diocesan-sponsored clergyperson to focus exclusively on Indigenous ministries. Originally from the northern Quebec community of Kuujjuarapik in the Diocese of the Arctic, the Rev. Annie Ittoshat brings a strong cultural and professional background to her position as Aboriginal Community Minister. Her newly-created position offers a … Continued
As summer turns to autumn, Christians worldwide will unite in prayer and commit to the ministry of healing the earth during the Season of Creation, an annual initiative spearheaded by global Anglican, Roman Catholic, ecumenical, and interfaith organizations. The Season of Creation runs from Sept. 1—proclaimed as the World Day of Prayer for the Care … Continued
Water is sacred and one of the four primal elements that sustain life on Mother Earth. We have not respected water and consequently many lakes, streams, rivers and creeks are polluted. It is an element on the verge of scarcity. We must protect water.
A group of budding young environmental leaders immersed themselves in the eco-justice issues of the lower Fraser Watershed from July 31 to August 13, publicly expressing their opposition to the proposed Kinder Morgan Pipeline expansion project as the first Sacred Earth Camp unfolded in the Anglican Diocese of New Westminster. Taking place at A Rocha’s … Continued
One of the gifts of the full communion relationship between the Anglican Church of Canada (ACoC) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) is the opportunity to share in each other’s liturgies. The relationship between worship and ministry was a major focus of the 2016 National Worship Conference (NWC), which took place from July … Continued
The following is part of an ongoing monthly series on congregational development, which features reflections from Anglicans on how they are responding to the challenges facing churches today. Decades of building congregations in the Anglican Church of Canada and The Episcopal Church (in the United States) have left Bishop Melissa Skelton with some expansive views … Continued
The events leading to the passage, at first reading, of a motion to amend the Canon on Marriage so as to provide for the solemnization in the church of same-sex marriages are complex. On July 11, the motion was declared defeated in the order of clergy, where it appeared not to have achieved the necessary … Continued