Caledonia Times The
June 2015 - Volume 47, Issue#6 A Diocesan Section of the Anglican Journal
The active clergy in the diocese gathered for a time of prayer, reflection and discussion. Front row (l-r) The Rev. Gwen Andrews (Vanderhoof), Bishop William Anderson, Archdeacon Tim, the Rev. Enid Pow. Fort St. John. Back row (l-r) The Rev. Roy Andrews, Vanderhoof, The Rev. Canon Gary Davis, Aiyansh, Archdeacon Ernest Buchanan, Terrace, The Rev. Luke Anker, Kitimat, The Rev. Jake Worley, Smithers, and leader Bishop Terry Buckle, (Yukon, retired.) Missing from the picture is Dean Jason Haggstrom who was behind the camera for the photo. - Ed.
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Bishop gathers Clergy in Vanderhoof for Clericus
oly Trinity Church Vanderhoof was the site of the recent Diocesan Clericus, May 6th &7th. The Bishop called the clergy to come aside with him to rest, reflect and pray. To assist in this time of reflection, Bishop Terry Buckle (Retired, Yukon) came to lead the Bible Studies and discussion with the Clergy. The Bible Study was focused on Acts 15:1-41. It is about a controversy that arises between the Jews and the Gentiles over the need to follow the law. The debate led to the first Synod of the Church in Jerusalem.
the Spirit. We need to grow the fruits of the Spirit and to see the continuation of Pentecost. The Church needs to come under the authority of God so that in turn, the Church can become people of authority under the Word of God. This was illustrated for the clergy by Bishop Buckle pointing out that the most important word in the chapter was the word “together”. It that God is taking people and making those people into a nation for himself. Those people are “not to use faith to escape and so be holy away
from the world nor to sacrifice their holiness to be able to conform to the world.” There is a whole new creation that God is making and we have to be careful not to allow government and society to define what we believe. God is working to turn the Church inside out so that we can turn this world right side up. The two days had time for study and discussion, for prayer and personal reflection, and were punctuated by a wonderful meal each day, provided by the parish.
The discussion started with talking about the difference between being a “Christian” and being a “follower of the Lord Jesus Christ”. What does it mean to be a Christian in our society? What does it look like, to be a follower of the Lord Jesus in this day and age? A particular comment was noted in that back in the 1950’s, the churches were relatively full and since then, the churches have been emptying. When the question why this was so, it was realized that there is a lack of Sabbath – of rest. The focus has moved from God and from what is sacred to self and societal issues and interests. The key to an effective Church, is the need for obedience; that is to listen to what is that God is saying and then doing what God has asked of us. So how do we move as a Church, into what God is asking of us? We need to recognize the moves of
The Bishop and clergy were hosted by the Regional Parish of Nechacko - Stuart Lakes. The Clericus took place at Holy Trinity Church and Hall in Vanderhoof. The church was used for prayer and quiet while the hall was used for teaching and eating meals.
For your 411 News and Notes
Bishop’s Notes
On being thankful for our clergy In May, clergy from across this diocese had a chance to meet together for a time of Bible Study, prayer, rest and reflection. Leading the Bible Study we had, as our guest, the Rt. Rev. Terry Buckle. He is the retired Bishop of Yukon. As we met, it occurred to me how blest we are in Caledonia. Some of our clergy are stipendiary (paid). Some of our clergy are non-stipendiary (volunteers who serve their parishes). All are equally devoted to serving God and the people of our diocese. Most of the non stipendiary clergy could not be with us because they work secular jobs to enable their service to our parishes. These thoughts did not occur to me out of nowhere as I have been reflecting on my own reality. This year I am celebrating 40 years as a deacon and as a priest. I am also in my 14th year as a bishop. So when I look at the clergy who were gathered, thought of those who could not be with us and those who are no longer with us, I was humbled by how good God has been to us in raising up such committed to minister in our parishes.
None of them are perfect of course... but then neither am I and neither, dear reader, are you. We each have our gifts and our faults. Fortunately God loves us enough to bless us and forgive us the latter! So this summer, when next you enter your church or visit a church as you travel on holidays, take a moment to offer to God a prayer of thanksgiving for the men and women He has raised up to care for us, and who, with their families, sacrifice much on our behalf.
+William: Caledonia Bishop Anderson is the 9th Bishop of the Diocese of Caledonia since the Diocese began in 1879. He was consecrated and installed February 2nd, 2001.
Highlights from the Spring Meeting of Executive The Spring Executive Committee meeting was held at Holy Trinity, Vanderhoof on May 8th2015. It was noted that this would be the last time that this particular group would be together, owing to the fact that Synod takes place in the Fall and the Next meeting will be a new incarnation of the Executive Committee. The Bishop announced that Diocesan Synod will take place September 11th to 13th, 2015 at St. Matthew’s Terrace and at the Terrace (Best Western) Inn. This is the same site that the Executive Committee uses for their regular meetings. The speaker at the Synod will be widely respected and world renowned theologian, Bishop Steven Andrews of the Diocese of Algoma. Delegates to Synod are reminded that they are expected to remain for the entire Synod which includes Sunday morning, as there is often time business to be done on the Sunday morning before worship. The official agenda for Diocesan Synod will be out to the parishes by the end of May. Some of the work will include the Budget for the Diocese (not including the grants, which will have to be done in November), electing members for Provincial and General Synods as well as for Executive Committee. There will also be a review and discussion of Camp Caledonia and its 5 year tenor since restarting in 2010. The Executive Committee approved an application to ask for a grant from the New England Company for $6,000.00. This money is used for running the Caledonian Anglican First Nations Council. The Bishop noted that we can expect a visit from one of the Governors of the Board of the New England Company, as they like to see the places and spaces that their gifts go to. The Bishop also reported on the most recent meeting of the National House of Bishops held in April. In his remarks, Bishop William noted that there was an entire day devoted to the discussion of changes Page 2
to Canon 21 (The Marriage Canon). Normally there is only a half an hour given to a subject, and some times an hour. “To have an entire day from 8am to 9pm given to a single subject is very significant,” said Bishop William. He also said that it was a very good meeting overall. Two subjects took up a majority of the time during the Executive Meeting: (1) The Timothy Program and (2) the ongoing property projects in the diocese. Considerable time and energy was put into talking about how to make the program work and how it might be staffed appropriately. Until now, Both Archdeacon Ernest Buchanan and the Rev. Luke Anker have been serving the Nass Valley Project. There is growing interest from other parts of the diocese and this is something that the diocese has been trying to grow for some years now. With the departure this July of the Ankers, staffing the project becomes greater issue. Second, there was an update on the situations with Fort St. John and with the Cathedral. St. Martin’s has been asked to vacate the current building earlier than expected. They will be sharing space for now with the local Lutheran Church until a path is determined about their future. St, Martin’s will have their final service in the current building in late June. The situation with the Cathedral was also updated. Fundraising for the renovation project is ongoing, and the Parish has raised about $34,000 so far. They are working on a plan for the future and the ministry of the Parish. It was also noted that there is need for work on the deanery and there is a gift of a few thousand dollars for that project. The Bishop commented that, with the deaparture of the Rev. Luke Anker, that he has combined the work of the Property and Finance Committees under the leadership of the Rev. Gwen Andrews and has appointed Dean Jason Haggstrom as the Chair See Highlights on p. 4
The following are news and notes for the good folks of Caledonia to be aware of, keep track of and to pray and give thanks for: St. Martin’s Last Service – will be held at the end of June at which time the Bishop will deconsecrate the building so that it can be turned over to the buyer. The buildings are due to be demolished soon thereafter so that the Credit Union can begin its of expansion. Starting in July, the congregation will be using the local Lutheran Church for worship. For proper dates and times of the last service and for services this summer, please contact the Parish office in Ft. St. John. Congrats to the Reverends Roy and Gwen Andrews of the Regional Parish on the occasion of their 50th Wedding Anniversary, May 22, 2015. They are celebrating the occasion with a trip to Ireland, Scotland and a visit hoe to Newfoundland – something they have waited long to do. Camp Caledonia is still looking for a couple of people for the Camps in July: In particular they need a Sports Director who is at least 17 years old and is familiar with canoeing and archery. There is also a need for nurses and First Aiders, for maintenance and for chaplains. Clergy are reminded that when they go to camp, that this is part of their work and is not counted against their vacation time. The Bishop is calling the Clergy and the Lay Members of Synod to meet September 11th to 13th at St. Matthew’s and at the Terrace (Best Western) Inn. Parishes are reminded that they must have the form into the Synod Office or their delegates may not be seated at the Synod.
The Caledonia Times Publication of the Anglican 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
Caledonia Times — June 2015
Editorial
Becoming a disciple or a follower As I sit to write for the June paper, I am out on the road with the Bishop and the rest of the active clergy in a Clericus or conference for a couple of days. We invited our retired metropolitan, Terry Buckle to lead us in a time of studying the scriptures and looking at priestly ministry. In particular we looked at Acts 15 and the Council of Jerusalem and how things played out around the first real communal controversy and how it was handled by the people involved in a dispute over circumcision. One of the issues that the clergy talked about is how we have allowed the secular society and its culture to define how we live out the Christian life and what we can and cannot preach. In recent years, I have noticed that there is a growing opposition within not only the wider society in general but also within parts of the Church, to even using and hearing the name of Jesus. There is a genuine reluctance to, with grace and power, proclaim the active Lordship of Jesus Christ, even in and over his Church. The early Christians were martyred by the Roman Empire because they refused to acknowledge Caesar as Lord but instead would proclaim “Kurios Iesous” or Jesus is Lord. Understanding the culture is key to reaching out to people and to meet them in their places and spaces, in their needs and their struggles so that we can join with them and be the kind of help that they need so that, when the time
is right share with them how God is transforming the world and taking care of us. God is taking people to be his people, his possession, his nation, his royal priesthood. So what does it mean to be a Christian in this day and age in our society? Sadly, I have come to conclude that it means preciously little except that the society I live in, vilifies me as much as the ancient world disparaged early believers by calling them, “Christians”. But in that, I find some solace and hope. I have the opportunity to be who I am and what I am to tell the world around me who Jesus and what that means for me and for them. Therefore, I think we should learn refer to ourselves with a better word like disciple or call ourselves followers of the Lord Jesus.
In the past few years three of my friends have had grandchildren born with Down’s Syndrome. In each case the families needed a bit of privacy before they told others of the child’s condition. While my friends have gone beyond their initial shock to see their grandchildren as precious, I think they also feel protective. Our society has difficulty valuing individuals who don’t fit its definition of “normal.” One man who advocates for the severely disabled is Jean Vanier. He is best known for founding the L’Arche homes. These are residences where the non-handicapped live in community with the mentally and physically challenged. In a book called Befriending the Stranger Vanier gives us a collection of meditations on valuing people no matter what their abilities. The six meditations which form the core of Befriending the Stranger were originally talks presented at a retreat for L’Arche workers in the Dominican Republic. They were meant to give fresh energy to people working and living with the handiCaledonia Times — June 2015
And in that, we need to remember that the plural form of disciple is not disciples but Church. in a recent meeting, I had a conversation with someone who likened the Church to a collection of rafts that were tied together. I challenged that idea as unworthy of a good understanding and suggested that a better understanding of what it is to be Church looks like a fishing boat with its crew and skipper. The fishermen have to learn to put their trust in the skipper and in each other – their lives and livelihood depend on working to find and catch the fish. To follow that image through, the Church must trust its head and learn to have faith in its fellow sojourners so that we can make disciples and hasten the coming of God’s kingdom. Jason+ Editor, the Caledonia Times
What does it mean for us to be followers of the Lord Jesus in this part of the world? How have we risked ourselves to proclaim our faith? How have worked to serve the people God has put in our care? How have we guided people put in our paths? It becomes clearer each day that what God calls us to is to be servants, his servants in the communities we live and to serve the people we find in the places and spaces
Books on the Way By Ruby McBeth
of our community. We are not to worry about “building churches” we are learning to love the way God loves and to live in the power that God provides so that the world will be drawn into the life that the kingdom offers.
capped. At the beginning of the book Vanier tells the stories of two severely handicapped people who found a home in a L’Arche setting in Latin America. Vanier explains how living in community helped these people, and how they in turn helped the caregivers to be more compassionate. The author draws on the Old and New Testaments of the Bible to show that God can lead us to a fuller life. After the introduction in which Vanier explains his purpose and philosophy, each meditation is a day in the retreat week. Day 1 (Chapter 1 of the book) talks about our call, Day 2 about rekindling our commitment, Day 3 facing our wounds, Day 4 encountering Jesus, Day 5 suffering and learning compassion at the foot of the cross, and Day 6 the importance of patience, gentleness, and tenderness. After the six meditations Vanier sums up his thoughts in a “Conclusion” chapter. While the meditations are addressed to L’Arche workers, they have much to say to people generally. We each struggle to keep up our energy for our unique vocation in the face of our weaknesses and job stress.
The talks, as well as the introduction and conclusion, are written in free verse form. This helps the reader to slow down and take a prayerful approach to the content. A quote from the first lines of Day 3 will give you an idea of Vanier’s style and content: As we take time alone with Jesus, as we listen to his call, we discover his love but we also touch our pain and our sense of loss. (page 51) Recommended for all adults. This book could be used for a retreat. Vanier, Jean. Befriending the Stranger. New York: Paulist Press, 2005. Page 3
Canada in Brief - Wider Church Life by Ben Graves TRC report to be released Numerous events, including a walk for reconciliation, the planting of a heart garden and a public feast, have been planned to mark the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) report at the last national event scheduled in Ottawa May 31 to June 3. The release of the report comes eight years after the TRC was established by the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement in 2007, and signifies the culmination of the seven national TRC events held since. It does not, however, mark the end of the process of reconciliation, according to Justice Murray Sinclair, chair of the TRC. “If you thought the truth was hard, reconciliation will be harder.” Crosstalk Summerland church hosts World Day of Prayer St. Stephen’s Anglican Church in Summerland, B.C., played host to the World Day of Prayer (WDP) in March. WDP describes itself as “a global ecumenical movement of Christian women joined together to observe a common day of prayer each year on the first Friday of March.” It was started by women in the United States and Canada in 1922, and has since grown to span 2,000 different communities across Canada and 170 countries around the world. This year’s ecumenical service materials were written by the WDP committee of The Bahamas. As such, St. Stephen’s immersed itself in Bahamian culture in anticipation of WDP, exploring Bahamian history, music and traditional food. Lynette Lodge, who was born in Grenada, but possesses a wealth of knowledge on the Caribbean and the challenges faced by The Bahamas today, delivered the homily, which was followed by intercessional prayers for the Bahamian community. The Highway Council for Refugees calls on faith leaders to stand with Muslims
The CCR has raised the possibility that the government itself may be engaged in discrimination against Muslim refugees, noting that in 2012, the minister of Citizenship and Immigration rejected Somalia and Afghanistan—both countries with mostly Muslim populations—as priority populations for immigration, despite the recommendation of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The statement notes that further prejudice and discrimination will only “make Muslim young persons question whether they can ever fully belong in Canadian society,” and challenges non-Muslim Canadians to question whether or not the current political climate is truly reflective of “Canadian values of tolerance, non-discrimination, and openness.” Anglican Montreal Toronto youth ministers attend conference in Chicago Eight youth ministers from Toronto were among the 400 youth leaders across more than a dozen Christian denominations who attended the Progressive Youth Ministry Conference at Fourth Presbyterian Church in downtown Chicago this past March. The conference’s tagline was “Fresh Voices, Radical Ideas,” and participants said the content lived up to its billing. Particularly engaging was the Rev. Amy Butler, who pulled no punches in her closing homily when tackling the question of the church’s relevance in the modern world. “In a world that considers our cathedrals—and even the pulpit where Martin Luther King, Jr. preached—irrelevant,” she said, “what is the future of our church? We could be afraid or we could admit our irrelevance and get creative in love.” Rosemary MacAdam, youth minister for St. Margaret’s Anglican Church, New Toronto, who attended and reported on the conference, said she “felt a deep sense of hope” at the end of the conference, knowing that people like Butler are leading the church into the future while actively confronting the challenges that it continues to face. The Anglican
The Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR) have released a statement in response to what it terms “increased prejudice and hostility” toward Muslim immigrants. The statement calls for faith leaders, along with political and community leaders, to take positive action against what it described as a rising tide of prejudice.
Hamilton church’s outreach programs bear fruit
“Highlights” - from Page 2 continued
thwart the acreditation of a law school at Trinity Western University. The Bank is against the university’s Code of Conduct that does not allow for any sexual behaviour outside traditional marriage.
of the Camp Caledonia Board. The Dean and his family have had a long connection with the Camp and he has been there as a camper and on staff many times over the past 35 years. St. Peter’s Hazelton has received a $10,000 grant from the Rufus Gibbs Foundation to assist in the rewiring of the Church because of needed upgrades of the electrical service. There was a conversation around the Diocesan Bank accounts and the desire for better service. Part of the concern was that the current Bank (Bank of Montreal) has been actively trying to Page 4
hoods, the Resurrection actually serves an area that a 2012 study found has the highest poverty rates on Hamilton Mountain. And so in spring of 2014, parishioners at the Resurrection gathered together to discuss how they could better serve their community. One year later, they have reported progress. The church began a seniors’ drop-in program, a support group for local women—spurred by the high percentage of seniors living in poverty and single mothers in the area—and together with local church partners St. Stephen’s on the Mount, Holy Trinity and St. Michael’s raised $60,000 for the 2015 Coldest Night of the Year benefit for the Neighbour to Neighbour food bank. Nor is the Resurrection resting on its laurels: the coming months will see it hosting workshops for those suffering from anxiety and depression, and it will also seek to partner with the Hamilton AIDS Network. Niagara Anglican Canadian Anglicans attend UN Commission on the Status of Women Eight Canadian Anglicans—six women and two men—made the trip to New York City in March to attend the 59th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW). The UNCSW affirmed the Beijing Platform for Action, which was tabled in 1995 and urged governments worldwide to promote gender equality; it called for complete gender equality across the globe by 2030. The Rev. Canon Alice Medcof, one of the Canadian Anglican attendees, said, “The request was that governments…work towards a society where women gain equally with men the good that society has…” She added that it was “thrilling…to have women from parts of the Communion where Anglicanism is perhaps two per cent or eight per cent of the population. The Sower
Comic Life
The Rev. Mike Deed, rector of the Church of the Resurrection in Hamilton, Ont., describes the area in which his church is found as a somewhat “deceptive space.” Although it’s only a short drive away from several wealthy, attractive neighbour-
It was agreed that the Secretary should make a search of a better deal for the diocese and will be subject to her determination, as Audrey is the one who deals with this issue on a daily basis. At the end of the meeting, the Bishop that the Executive for their work over the past triennium and blessed them for their travel home.
Caledonia Times — June 2015