Saskatchewan anglican
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Successes across the Diocese of Qu’Appelle noted during 79th Synod By Joanne Shurvin-Martin
Meeting the family Majdleen Moussa (left) was introduced to delegates at the Diocese of Qu’Appelle’s 79th Synod by Archdeacon Malcolm French. She and her mother, Marleen (right), and father Safaa, were refugees sponsored by the diocese in 2011 and are now active at St. James the Apostle, Regina. This year the diocese is sponsoring five members of Marleen’s family, who were in Turkey awaiting final paperwork before coming to Regina. It was stressed to delegates that although more than half the required money had been raised, $16,000 was still needed to sponsor the family. Donations were accepted and the open collection during the closing Eucharist was given to the refugee fund, resulting in more than $2,000. Photo by Joanne Shurvin-Martin
Signs of hope: Conversations on Aboriginal ministry By Frank Flegel REGINA – It’s the first time Anglican and Roman Catholic groups have come together to talk about Aboriginal ministry in Regina. About 30 Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people attended what was called Signs of Hope: Conversations on First Nations Ministry, Oct. 17, at St. Paul Cathedral’s Community Centre. It was organized under the auspices of the Anglican Roman Catholic Covenant Implementation Committee and is one of the goals and activities that are part of the Covenant signed between the Archdiocese of Regina and the Diocese of Qu’Appelle in 2011. “It is important to educate each other about First Nations and what is going on in their lives. It’s important to hear
the stories of the people,” said Susan Klein, Roman Catholic co-chair of the Implementation Committee, in conversation with the Prairie Messenger. Anglican co-chair Deacon Michael Jackson said it is a continuation of the process of reconciliation and healing between First Nations people and the rest of society. “This workshop we have been considering for some time. I think it is God’s will that it should happen now and at this very time in our history.” Sister ReAnne Létourneau, Sisters of the Presentation of Mary, heads up the Roman Catholic Aboriginal non-Aboriginal Relations Community, while Rev. Dale Gillman is an Anglican priest who is chair of the Anglican First Nations Ministry. The two were the major
presenters; their presentations were followed by discussion periods that encouraged audience participation. Létourneau talked mostly about the importance of building relations between Aboriginals and non-Aboriginals. “Our vision is relationships and our mission is to facilitate relationships and to journey together interculturally rooted in truth, justice, love and humility.” As part of that process, her group even changed their name from Aboriginal Ministry to Relations Community. “We were seen as always doing something for people.” Gillman is incumbent of a church in Nokomis. She described her life and her five siblings with a mother who had attended a residential school. See ABORIGINAL on page 7
REGINA – After many years of holding synods in conference centres and other locations, the 79th Synod of the Diocese of Qu’Appelle was held at St. Paul’s Cathedral. Fifty-four elected lay delegates and 33 clergy attended, from Oct. 23 to 25. The weekend event was inspiring and uplifting and two of the business sessions ended slightly ahead of schedule, prompting one attendee to comment, “The Age of Miracles is not yet passed!” Most business sessions as well as worship were held in the cathedral, with meals, coffee breaks and fellowship in the adjoining Bagnall Hall. St. Paul’s catering group ensured that all delegates were well fed. The final business session was held in the hall on Sunday morning. All delegates received printed copies of the Bishop’s Charge to Synod, while Bishop Rob Hardwick presented highlights from that document as the sermon in the opening Eucharist on Friday night (see article on page 8). Business that evening included calling the roll; establishing committees such as scrutineers and nominating committees; memorials of former members of synod who had died since the last synod meeting; and approving the minutes of the 78th synod. The first sitting ended with compline and was followed by a wine and cheese reception hosted by St. Aidan, Moose Jaw. The second sitting began with Morning Prayer on Saturday. Diocesan reports, which had been distributed in advance, were received. The diocesan Mission Action Plan for 2016-17 was presented to delegates, in a printed version and by presentations from Bishop Hardwick, Deacon Arleen Champion, Julie Moser and Archdeacon Catherine Harper. Hardwick first outlined the main parts of the diocesan mission: The Great Commandment to love God and our neighbours; The
Great Commission to bring others to the knowledge of Christ; The Great Transformation to be able to discern the will of God; and The Great Purpose of evangelism, to proclaim God’s love and saving grace to the world. Church at Buffalo Pound Provincial Park Champion described how services were held this summer at St. Columba near Buffalo Pound Provincial Park, east of Moose Jaw. Champion was conducting a wedding in the little church and noticed the church guest book had been signed by more visitors than many parishes would see in many years. Later, at a funeral at St. Columba, people expressed the interest in having regular services. St. Aidan lay people and Rev. Dean Pinter agreed to conduct a service on Saturday evenings. “Before the first service, we prayed for ‘even one person to come’,” recalls Champion. “Be careful what you pray for!” Only one visitor did come to the first service, but the last two services had 10 visitors each. Four services of Celtic evening prayer were offered and one holy Eucharist. The parish plans to have more advertising for campers and cottage residents for next summer. Children’s and youth ministry Moser spoke about ministry for children and youth in the diocese. She described travelling with the bishop to Big Country parish, in the northwest of the diocese. Suddenly, for no apparent reason, the bishop beeped the car horn. She asked if there had been a bird on the highway, and he replied, no, he had beeped at the tree. It is a local tradition to beep at “the lonely tree” on the bald prairie. “Seeing youth in our churches can be rather like seeing a tree in southern Saskatchewan,” she noted. Moser highlighted the successful youth program at St. Aidan, Moose Jaw, and offered free materials on youth ministry. See SUCCESSES on page 7
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The Saskatchewan Anglican
December 2015
‘For the believer, death is the ultimate healing’
Saskatchewan The newspaper of the Dioceses of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon and Qu’Appelle • A Section of the Anglican Journal • January 2013
Why doesn’t God cure everyone who prays fervently for healing? By Rev. Brian Woods I am a big believer in healing prayer. I have experienced God’s healing in my own life, while I have witnessed God healing people. I have had people ask me why God doesn’t heal everyone. Why doesn’t God always cure what we want cured? If God desires our well-being, why doesn’t He always grant prayers for healing? It’s a good question to ask and perhaps an even harder question to answer. If you find yourself wondering why God seems to be ignoring you, you’re not alone. People whose thoughts are recorded in the Bible have thought God was ignoring their prayer. Job, in the 42 chapters of the Book of Job. Paul failed to see a response to his prayers in Philippians 2:25-27 and 2
Timothy 4:20. The disciples found similar frustration in Matthew 17. Author C.S. Lewis felt this way at times as well. We are not alone in this. What is healing? Is it always a miraculous cure? While I have seen miraculous cures as a result of healing prayer, there are more times that I have experienced healing without a miraculous cure, and what might not be considered a cure. Trust me when I say God isn’t ignoring you. Sometimes the answer to our prayer is different than what we expected, so we fail to see that our prayer has been answered. The problem I have with “I prayed really hard to be cured, to be healed, and God didn’t answer my prayer,” is it can lead to the belief God somehow wants us to endure sickness to give him glory. But contrary to that belief, not once in Scripture is there any evidence this is the case.
So why doesn’t God heal everyone? I believe God is willing to heal everyone and does heal everyone, but not everyone is willing to accept it. I believe at times people, myself included, don’t accept God’s answer to our prayers. We refuse God’s answer because it isn’t what we expected; the answer isn’t what we desired. What we imagine healing should look like, the miraculous cure, isn’t necessarily how God envisions healing. For example: When C.S. Lewis’ wife was diagnosed with cancer, Lewis prayed fervently that she would be healed. What he was praying for was a cure. When his wife was not cured and Lewis lost his wife to cancer, he at first failed to see the answer to his prayer and the healing that occurred. Eventually he realized healing had occurred. In the final entry of the journal he wrote during the grieving process, Lewis wrote, “How
wicked it would be, if we could call the dead back. [Joy] said not to me but to the chaplain, ‘I am at peace with God.’ She smiled, but not at me.” Lewis knew his wife was smiling at God. The cancer had not been healed, but his wife was born into eternal life. Was that really such a bad answer to prayer? Was this not a cure? Truthfully I don’t know why some people are miraculously cured while others aren’t, why some people receive healing and others don’t. However, if we were to begin seeing God’s healing power at work like Lewis did, even though it is different than he expected, instead of lamenting that God hasn’t heard and answered our prayer, we can rejoice that God has answered our prayer. For the believer, death is the ultimate healing. Rev. Brian Woods is rector of All Saints, Weyburn.
God co-operatively works to heal the world Why doesn’t God cure everyone who prays fervently for healing? By the Rev. Shawn Sanford Beck As a priest and pastor, I’m often faced with the question of why fervent healing prayer sometimes “works” and sometimes doesn’t. I think it is safe to widen the scope of our discussion to include all types of intercession and not just healing prayer. The same problems and principles are involved. Traditionally, there have been many different types of answers to the question of why some prayers are answered to our satisfaction and some our not. Most of these responses rest on the conviction that God’s answer to our prayer is either “yes”, “no”, or “not yet”. The problem with this type of thinking is it assumes God is omnipotent, and if a prayer is not answered, then it is not God’s will.
Conversely, if a prayer is answered, then it is God’s will and God causes it directly. All of this assumes God can do whatever S/He wants in the universe. However, I’m not really sure this is a safe assumption (no matter how traditionally orthodox it sounds!). A more process-oriented theology of intercession reminds us that God, by nature or by choice, is at least somewhat limited in power, in relation to the creation. Or another way of putting it is God’s power IS love, and that love, even divine love, never works through coercion, but rather through persuasion. For whatever reason, God has chosen to share power with the rest of creation. In intercessory prayer, from this perspective, our conscious and “fervent” prayers, actions and desires open up options for God’s Spirit to work in the world that would not have been available to God had we not
prayed. Or, in other words, God works through our prayers, as our prayers become available to her. For some people, this idea of God’s power being limited is simply too much to bear. Who wants to worship a God who is not all-powerful, but rather suffers and waits, and shares limitations in a way similar to ourselves? But if we take the teaching of the Incarnation and the mystery of the Cross seriously, we find revealed a God whose “power is made perfect in weakness.” In this view of prayer, God is not “in control” in the way we typically think of omnipotence, but rather offers His Spirit to us in a co-operative way, for the healing of the world. As a side note, from an interfaith perspective, other religions also struggle with this same issue. An example with which I’m familiar comes from the world of neo-paganism. My own process-oriented
theology of intercession corresponds to some extent with certain progressive understandings of magic (for instance, in eco-feminist forms of Wiccan practice). It doesn’t fit with the image of the mage speaking words of power, commanding the spirit world to do his bidding (and thus taking the place of the omnipotent god). But rather it resonates with Pagan teachings that view magic primarily as energy and consciousness, weaving and working with the patterns of life and healing within a living, interconnected world. When the power of Love is invoked and drawn upon, this seems to me to be actually quite close to the reality of intercessory prayer previously described. It is an intimate cooperation with the Divine Spirit for the benefit and healing of all creation. Rev. Shawn Sanford Beck is a priest in the Diocese of Saskatoon.
Diocese of Toronto earmarks $500,000 for refugee assistance
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PUBLISHING DETAILS
The Diocese of Toronto will give $500,000 from its Ministry Allocation Fund to give aid for refugee sponsorship and foreign aid. “It’s important for us to make a statement that we’re willing to make a substantial commitment that will make a difference,” said Archbishop Colin Johnson.
While details of how the money will be spent have not been worked out, Johnson said the diocese would not directly sponsor refugees. Instead, he would like the money to be made available in the form of matching grants to parishes that want to spon-
sor refugees or work with other churches and outside groups. He suggested some of the money could be used to support agencies in Canada and overseas that are working directly with refugees. He expressed hope that the funds will be used to assist refu-
gees not only from the Middle East but from Africa and Asia as well. “We are doing this out of our faith commitment, that God has created all of us and that all people have dignity. That’s part of our baptismal vows,” he said. The Anglican
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The Saskatchewan Anglican
December 2015
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Mercy triumphs over judgement By Bishop Michael Hawkins Diocese of Saskatchewan PRINCE ALBERT — Advent is a time when the Church focuses on the Four Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell. We are reminded of the shortness and uncertainty of human life and called upon to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. We believe Jesus Christ will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead. At His coming all people must rise again with their bodies and shall give account for their own deeds. The proclamation of the Gospel always contains this within it, for “Jesus commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead” (Acts 10:42). We consider Christ’s coming to judge with three things in mind: 1) The world is unjust, life is not fair. Though we hunger, thirst, work and pray for justice, in the end we either accept the murder and torture of innocents and the ease and prosperity of
the wicked, or we believe the eternal justice of God is not fully actualized in this life. The Old Testament does not argue so much for life after death but comes to believe in justice after death, in a reward and punishment beyond these years. This stems from a profound desire for and faith in God’s justice. So the last judgment answers our God-given desire for meaning, truth and justice that this world and our best efforts can never satisfy. 2) The last judgment is brought before us as a call to repentance and amendment of
life. On that day He will say, “Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire” (Matthew 25:41), for inasmuch as we have failed to love our neighbour, we have failed to love Christ Himself. On that day all our haughtiness, all our backbiting, all our neglect, all our little lies, all our abuse, spite, hatred, pride and pettiness will be accounted against Him who is our Judge. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10). 3) The return and judgment of Christ should also fill us with hope. He who comes is our Saviour. The Judge is our Advocate, Brother, Redeemer and Friend. St. Paul refers to the second coming as “our salvation” that is “nearer than when we believed.” Jesus promises, “He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but
is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24). “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). His coming again ought to fill us with joy and praise, “look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28). In the light of that judgment, ours must be suspended. “Why dost thou judge thy brother? … for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ” (Romans 14:10). Saint Paul lays out four reasons to suspend our judgment. “He that judgeth me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the heart” (1 Cor. 4:4-5). Our judgment is precluded on four bases: 1) we are not the Judge; 2) this is not the time; 3) we never have the complete picture; and 4) we cannot know the motives of others. He that judgeth me is the Lord. It is helpful and hopeful
to remember our judgment of others and even ourselves is not what finally matters, but the one who judges us is the one whose property is always to have mercy, the one who chose to be condemned rather than to condemn. I suspect we are harder on each other and on ourselves than He will be. His plea and His sentence is this: “Father forgive them, I do not condemn thee.” The Judge is our Saviour as He comes to us in Bethlehem, on the Cross, in clouds of glory, in the Eucharist, in our fellowship and in the least and weakest and neediest. As we prepare for Christmas, our own death and the last judgment let us not forget the criterion St. James argues will be applied on the last day: “Judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy; yet mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13). Have mercy! That is both our prayer and his command. May we all know anew and be renewed in the compassion and mercy of our Lord this Advent and Christmas.
The stark reality of Jesus’ birth By Rev. William Portman REGINA — A few years ago, an English bishop suggested adding a bucket of fresh manure to the traditional Christmas decorations in churches, to remind people what the first Christmas was really like. Predictably, there were cries of protest that this would ruin the “beauty” of the season. The “beauty” of course shows in stained glass and Christmas cards and Sunday school pageants: radiant mother dressed all in blue, gazing adoringly at her baby boy sleeping angelically in a box of straw…solid, upright husband standing guard over his new family…friendly animals looking on in wonder. A pretty picture, sentimentally enhanced by the great star overhead, shepherds and wise men—just like those manger scenes we set up in church. Beautiful, yes, but look again. There’s not much beauty being a young mother, near her time, riding a balky donkey, then delivering in a smelly cave because nobody had room for a pregnant girl whose first-born had a cattle feeding trough for his first cradle. Neither is there much lovely in a 21st-century Iraqi refugee mother, living with 20 others in a refugee tent, who delivered her baby with no medical help, wrapping the child in a shirt literally off someone’s back.
The idyllic manger depiction doesn’t reflect the first Christmas in Bethlehem, argues the author. Photo of artist Gerard von Honthorst’s The Adoration of the Shepherds/Wikimedia Commons Nor is there anything lovely of a Palestinian family in Gaza displaced from their ancestral land by an expansionist state. There’s nothing romantic in Matthew’s account of the massacre of the children of Bethlehem, nothing much sentimental in the gospel’s portrayal of the Holy Family becoming refugees in Egypt to escape a murderous King Herod, or the lot of Coptic Christians in today’s Egypt who must pay protection money to Islamic overlords if they want to live. None of this would seem out
of place in today’s Middle East with its seemingly endless cycle of hatred and suspicion, violence and revenge. It is an especially dangerous situation for Christian communities in the Middle East and parts of Asia as they become more and more the target of fundamentalist Muslim violence. The Christmas story becomes very contemporary when we think of the millions of people uprooted by war, the homeless or poor in our own country, the many who through flood or famine will die of starvation—
some on Christmas day itself. The Incarnation, the earthly life of Jesus, took place in the heart of those realities. The son of God entered this world not in glory and comfort as a guest of the upper classes, but as the child of a peasant couple, born in a barn behind a fourthrate hotel, in a third-rate town, in a second-rate country that was a backwater of the Roman Empire. Christmas is God coming to live among us as an ordinary person with no special privileges. Were this not so, it would not be real, and we would not be
celebrating it as the source of our hope all these centuries later. Christmas points us beyond the baby to the man Jesus. His self-emptying of glory to become incarnate, to become human, was only the beginning: it carries through Good Friday and Easter, the cross and resurrection, showing the same love for humankind. It promised victory of light over darkness, of good over evil, and the vision of what the world could be like. We need to be alert to receive the life-giving, liberating good news of Christmas: that the love of God—God’s own son—came into the world “for us [everyone] and for our salvation in body, mind, and spirit.” Maybe the idea of manure in church isn’t such a bad idea—the aroma might remind people that Jesus gave his life to clearing up the mess men and women had made, and are still making. It is ironic that the lands where originated the world’s best-ever plan for peace on earth, goodwill among people, is today the scene of so much suffering and hatred. It reminds us that there are two sides to Christmas—the stark reality and the hope it brings: that the crib and the cross were both made of wood. Rev. William Portman was a former book review editor for the Anglican Journal. He wrote this piece in December 2014.
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The Saskatchewan Anglican
December 2015
Portman ‘one of the church’s great characters’ Remembering the life and ministry of Rev. Bill Portman By Joanne Shurvin-Martin REGINA – Rev. Bill Portman was remembered in a service of thanksgiving at All Saints on Oct. 31. Portman, long-time priest in the Diocese of Qu’Appelle and former managing editor of this paper, died peacefully on Oct. 26, with his family at his side. He was 85. Eighteen clergy, including three bishops, were robed for the service. Bishop Rob Hardwick was celebrant and preacher. Bishop of Rupert’s Land, Don Phillips, and retired Bishop David Ashdown were concelebrants. The funeral was a diocesan service, with Deacon Michael Jackson acting as master of ceremonies. Three retired priests: John Gardner, David Nevett and Don Wells; and Canon Claude Schroeder, served as pall bearers. The casket was draped in a purple pall, loaned from All Saints, Weyburn, and topped with a stole, Bible and prayer books. Portmans’ daughter, Shelley Portman-Secuur, read from the Book of Lamentations, and his son, Gordon Portman, read from Revelation. The All Saints’ choir had many former members who returned for the funeral service,
Rev. William (Bill) Portman, 1930 to 2015 along with recently retired organist Margaret Hatton. In the homily, Bishop Hardwick said, “Bill’s death is a great loss to all of us. He was one of the church’s great characters.” He said Portman was “passionate about the Gospel, passionate about justice and passionate about the church.” Hardwick said when he looked through Portman’s file at the Synod Office, he found a poem which began “The editor stood at the Pearly Gates… .” In the poem, when St. Peter
asks what the newly-arrived man had done in his life, he was told “I ran the Saskatchewan Anglican for many a year….” St. Peter replies, “Come in and choose your harp, you’ve done your time in hell.” Hardwick said through his many journalistic endeavours, Portman had touched many lives. “What an influential ministry was wrought through this one man.” Portman was born in Prince Albert and, after working in print and broadcast journalism,
received his theological education at St. Chad’s College, Regina. He was ordained deacon in 1955 and priest the following year. While on a work-study program in England, he met his future wife, Barbara. He served parishes of Hazenmore-Vanguard, Milden, Mortlach, Lumsden, Good Shepherd (Avonlea and Ogema), Weyburn, and was executive secretary of the diocese from 1983 until his retirement in 1995. He was instrumental in establishing companion diocese relationships and the tridenominational partnership for St. Michael’s Retreat. After he retired he was secretary of the Regina Council of Churches. He was honorary assistant at All Saints, Regina, for 32 years. Throughout his ministry, Portman combined his interests in journalism and the church. He was editor of the Qu’Appelle Crusader and later The Saskatchewan Anglican, and wrote regularly for the Canadian Churchman, later Anglican Journal. He continued to write for both newspapers in retirement and won a Canadian Church Press award for an article for the Saskatchewan Anglican in 2014. He was known outside Anglican circles through two radio programs of spiritual commentary, “Family Worship” on CBC, and “In Touch with
In his homily, Bishop Hardwick said, “Bill’s death is a great loss to all of us. He was one of the church’s great characters.” Portman was “passionate about the Gospel, passionate about justice and passionate about the church.” Hardwick said through his journalistic endeavours, Portman had touched many lives. “What an influential ministry was wrought through this one man.” Today” on CKCK. Portman is survived by his brother Jamie; wife, Barbara; son Gordon; daughter Shelley; and two grandchildren. On a personal note, many years ago, not long after I graduated from university, I was asked to be the diocesan editor for the Saskatchewan Anglican. Bill taught me almost everything I know of church journalism, and continued to be a wonderful mentor, as well as regular contributor to our paper. He kept in touch with regular phone calls of news and advice, which I always welcomed. I will miss him.
DIOCESE OF SASKATOON
Announcements for December 2015 Saskatchewan Anglican Online! You can read current and past issues of the Saskatchewan Anglican online on the Diocese of Saskatoon website or on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/ saskatchewananglican g The Parish of St. George’s, Saskatoon, Community Coffee House every Thursday from 9 to 11 a.m. Join them for a warm social time with coffee, tea, toast and some type of baked goods at no charge. The coffee time is followed by a weekly Bible Study from 11 a.m. to noon. All events are in the Parish Hall, 624 Avenue I South. g Integrity/Saskatoon: Integrity/Saskatoon is a group of the GLBTT community and friends. For information please
phone 306-491-3315, or visit the Facebook page at “Integrity/ Saskatoon” or check out the Integrity/Saskatoon web site at www.integritysaskatoon. blogspot.com. g Seniors’ Lunch in Battleford: The Friendship Committee of St. George’s, Battleford invites all seniors to join them for lunch the first Monday of each month until June. Each Seniors’ Lunch begins at noon. g Is history your thing? Weekly guided public tours of the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Saskatoon are conducted every Thursday at 1 p.m. Also, a guided tour of the cathedral and columbarium is now available directly after the 10:30 a.m. Sunday service. If you are interested in a Sunday tour, please make this
known to one of the sidespersons at the Sunday service, who will direct you to the person or persons who will be conducting the tour. g A mid-week Celebration of the Holy Eucharist is held in the Lady Chapel at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist at 12:10 pm every Wednesday. Consider making this service part of your week. Several people who attend this service bring a bag lunch and enjoy sharing a meal with each other in the Cathedral Hall. All are warmly welcome. g Volunteers needed for Rainbow 50+ Program: This program is looking for volunteers who would enjoy being part of a meal preparation team, creating a hot, nutritious lunch for 30 to 40 isolated seniors who attend The Rainbow 50+ program.
The program operates weekly from September to June out of St. Thomas Wesley United Church, 20th Street and Avenue H. Volunteers could expect to spend up to four to six hours on Tuesdays. For more information about Rainbow 50+ and/or volunteer opportunities, please call Sheila at 306-373-1418. You are welcome to come and meet the organizers between 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. at the program, any Tuesday. g Volunteers training and opportunities by the Prairie Hospice Society: Volunteer training will be offered Dec. 5 and 6 for the Hospice Without Walls program. This provides support and services to individuals and families who are facing advancing illness, death and
bereavement. These support services are provided within the individuals’ homes. For more information, phone 306-249-5554 or visit www.prairiehospice.org. DEADLINES: To be included in a timely manner, brief notices should be sent to the Associate Editor by fax, e-mail or “snail mail” by the last week of the month, two months before the month in which the insertion is desired (for example, December submissions will be in the February issue). Detailed and longer texts of upcoming events will not be included in this section, but should space allow, could be the subject of article and notices elsewhere in the Saskatchewan Anglican.
The Saskatchewan Anglican
December 2015
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Allan Higgs retires By Sherry Sproule
Fred Payton (right) hands over a winter coat to workers at Our House, a shelter in Prince Albert. Photo by Mary Brown
Donations from St. Alban’s in P.A. By Fred Payton PRINCE ALBERT – Members of St. Alban’s Cathedral congregation displayed their thankfulness for the manner in which God has blessed them, by collecting warm clothing on Oct. 11 that will be distributed to those who need it by the staff of the nearby shelter, Our House. The rector’s warden at the cathedral indicated that members of the congregation realize just how fortunate they are. “All of us have warm clothing to ensure that we do not freeze during the winter months. Unfortunately, there are too many in our community who cannot say the same thing.” Everything from socks to
sweaters, jackets and coats were contributed by the members of the congregation. There was even one very warm dressing gown for one lucky recipient. Another parish had leftover soup and sandwiches and brought them into the shelter. The congregation of St. Alban’s has been supporting Our House for the past five years. Our house is an adult shelter for women and men. Crisis shelter, transitional shelter, cold weather shelter and walk-in services are all available. It is accessible 24 hours a day, for emergency accommodation to men and women in crisis. No referral is necessary. Walk-in services include clothing, snacks, laundry, showers, blankets,
water, coffee and telephone. Other services include emergency hygiene supplies, access to education and learning, AA and Narcotics Anonymous meeting information, assistance accessing income support and housing, 24-hour client support staff, crafts and activities, addictions and domestic violence information and referrals, plus SMART career and employment program. They are grateful for monetary donations, household item donations, clothing donations and toiletries donations. These donations enable those in need access to items that help them feel good about themselves. For more information contact 306763-8571.
REGINA – Rev. Allan Higgs recently retired as honorary assistant at All Saints. The parish held a cake and coffee reception following the 9 a.m. service on Oct. 18, to pay tribute to him for his many years of service. Judy McCuskee was master of ceremonies at the event and several of those in attendance recalled how Higgs’ wisdom and spiritual guidance had positively influenced them. Higgs spoke briefly and shone the spotlight on Shirley, his lovely wife of 54 years. During his career, he enjoyed an interesting and rewarding 35 years as RCMP chaplain before joining the All Saints family and serving as honorary assistant. Allan warmly thanked Shirley for her unwavering support throughout his years of service. Shirley was presented with flowers to acknowledge her support of Allan’s ministry and Allan was presented with a card and gift from the congregation. Higgs always began a service with a joke or anecdote to relax people and open their hearts and minds. His quick wit, compelling presence and thoughtful words will be missed by all those who attended his services. It was with much gratitude that All Saints warmly wished Rev. Allan Higgs a happy retirement.
Rev. Allan Higgs recently retired as honorary assistant at All Saints, Regina. Photo by Bruce McCuskee
Abbeyfield: A concept in shared senior living Contributed SASKATOON – Editor’s note: An article in the Saskatchewan Anglican last year presented information on one of the lesser known outreach programs the Anglican Church is active in: The Missions to Seamen. The following provides a brief glimpse into another lesserknown area of our involvement in outreach: the Abbeyfield House Societies. The first Abbeyfield house was established in 1956, in Great Britain, by ex-army officer Richard Carr-Gomm OBE (1922 to 2008), who saw a need to provide a system of housing where healthy and active seniors could live independently in a supportive community of peers. Over the past 60 years the Abbeyfield concept has spread across the world to encompass over 1,000 Abbeyfield homes, of which 21 are located in Canada. Most Abbeyfield houses in Canada are located in either
British Columbia or Ontario. Abbeyfield communities are independently run non-profit charities managed by volunteer boards of directors. In Canada the individual Abbeyfield Societies belong to a national non-profit organization, Abbeyfield Canada, which acts to promote and support the growth and spread of the Abbeyfield concept. How are Abbeyfields tied to the Anglican Church? From the start, the Church of England, then the worldwide Anglican Communion, then the Anglican Church of Canada, were involved in initiating, coordinating and supporting the spread of the Abbeyfield concept, organizationally, financially and as a facilitator. Many Abbeyfields are tied directly to local Anglican parishes and share in parish activities and parish life, receive spiritual care, and sometimes are provided scheduled church services by the associated parish.
Throughout the world, Abbeyfield communities have been established by Anglican parishes on their own or in a variety of working relationships with various organizations. Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales and Rowen Williams, the retired Archbishop of Canterbury, are both patrons of Abbeyfield in the U.K. In Canada, the first Abbeyfield house, St. Andrew’s, Abbeyfield in Sidney, British Columbia was built in 1987 with the support of St. Andrew’s Anglican Church. Elsewhere, other Abbeyfields in Canada not only have had organizing support and financial assistance from our church, but several are also located on church land, such as St. Paul’s, Golden, which opened in 1999, with a 60-year renewable lease of land from the church. Abbeyfield Houses are usually small, 10- to 20-units residences for seniors who are competent mentally and physically to live on their own but who find living
in a shared community enriches their lives and provides them with a supportive environment. Abbeyfield residents share their meals, which are prepared for them, in common and have small wheelchair accessible one-bedroom apartments or bed-sitting rooms with private washrooms and kitchenettes. Monthly fees usually cover room rental, utilities, basic laundry service, building maintenance and cleaning and meals. Fees sometimes include medic alert pagers, cable and Internet service. Laundry facilities are also available for personnel items. All Abbeyfield residents share in communal dining plus living room, rec areas, and craft and meeting rooms; usually low cost guest suites are available for visiting family members, friends or short-term visitors. Rental rates at Abbeyfields are kept reasonable by keeping overhead costs down, paid staff numbers low (often only kitchen
and cleaning staffs are paid) and by doing as much a possible with volunteers and by fundraising. Depending on the location, rental subsidies may also be available for those with lower incomes. In Saskatchewan there are currently two Abbeyfield houses: one in Prince Albert in the Diocese of Saskatchewan and the second in Saskatoon in the Diocese of Saskatoon. The Abbeyfield Houses Society of Prince Albert was the first Abbeyfield Society on the prairies and was founded in 1995; its residence opened in 2001. Abbeyfield Saskatoon opened in 2005. The Anglican Church has a long and established supportive relationship with Abbeyfield Societies and their concept of independent senior living in Canada and abroad. The Abbeyfield concept provides one proven vehicle for the Anglican Church, working alone or with a variety of partners, to help to address this human need.
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The Saskatchewan Anglican
December 2015
Qu’Appelle gives toward Muyinga hospital at synod By Joanne Shurvin-Martin REGINA – The Diocese of Qu’Appelle held its 79th Synod from Oct. 23 to 25 at St. Paul’s Cathedral in Regina. The following are highlights from the last two days of the synod. On Saturday morning, synod voted unanimously to approve in principle the Responsible Ministry Protocol and to affirm the work of Safe From Harm Committee. The protocol, which was explained in detail at the presynod regional meetings, is designed to protect all volunteers and participants involved in church ministry, particularly those who work with vulnerable individuals and/or church finances. The diocese will appoint a Safe from Harm officer, and if any concerns are raised, that officer will be the person to contact and report. The diocese will print and distribute a binder of the protocol to be displayed in all parishes. The same document will be posted on the diocesan website. Training will be offered at regional days. The importance of police record checks and references for all individuals who work with vulnerable people, and with church funds, was stressed, along with proper record-keeping. New confirmation program A proposal regarding confirmation was introduced by a skit, in which Rev. Kim Salo and youth delegate Matthew Gobbett re-enacted a confirmation preparation class, circa 1950, based on a true story told by Patricia Bays. The priest was working through the 39 Articles, while the student yawned and stretched and eventually fell off his chair, sound asleep. The Doctrine and Worship Committee proposed that confirmation preparation be a two-year discipleship model, focusing on spiritual, biblical and practical growth as Christian disciples, with greater congregational involvement. Several curricula and courses were recommended. Many clergy and lay people spoke about their experiences with confirmation preparation, with many saying they had not been well prepared. Some endorsed the type of model being proposed. The recent trend towards minimal preparation was likened to “speed-dating with Jesus” rather than preparing for a longterm relationship with Christ. Rev. Brian Woods described using a two-year program in his previous parish, where he “saw kids turn into disciples.”
During synod, Bishop Jim Waggoner, of the Diocese of Spokane, Episopal Church USA, gave a series of theological talks on the importance of stories. He described Jesus as “the storyteller” and said telling stories is a way to bring people in, to engage their interest. He also preached at the closing Eucharist on Sunday.
Rev. Nathaniel Mayen of the Episcopal Church of Sudan and South Sudan was a guest at synod. He told how he converted to Christianity in 1995. “My people knew God, ‘the one above,’ but they did not know His Son,” he said. “I had to evangelize to my parents.” Mayen lived in Kakkuma Refugee Camp in Kenya (supported by PWRDF), and was ordained in Kenya. He came to Canada as a refugee in 2010, sponsored by World University Service of Canada. He studied at University of Saskatchewan and is currently working in Regina. All pictures by Joanne Shurvin-Martin
A silent auction of art and craft items, organized by Kate Berringer, raised more than $3,350, which will be given to the companion Diocese of Muyinga, to help build a 100-bed health clinic/hospital. Health care is a priority of the diocese in Burundi, the third-poorest country in the world. Decades of ethnic conflict and mass genocide have resulted in very poor, or non-existent, infrastructure. Nationally there is one hospital per 675,000 population; 16 to 20 per cent of pregnant women have HIV; maternal death is 100 times higher than in Canada; and infant mortality is more than 70 per cent. The initial motion had included the phrase “in parishes that are willing to try it.” An amendment was passed to remove “that are willing to try it,” so it is clear that synod encourages all parishes to adopt this new approach. The amended motion passed unanimously. Changes to diocesan regulations and canons After lunch, ballots were distributed, and changes to the diocesan Regulations and Canons were discussed and voted upon. Amendments were passed to fix small details, and clarify the wording in the constitution, including one which provides that retired clergy are not eligible to vote in synod.
Another amendment changed the way youth delegates are appointed, but the total number remains at eight. Constitutional amendments must be passed by a two-thirds vote of members “present and voting” (not total members). The formula to calculate the number of delegates for each parish was adjusted and now uses as similar approach as General Synod. Starting in 2017, Diocesan Synods will be held every three years (rather than two), which will mean General Synod will be one year, Provincial Synod the next, followed by Diocesan Synod the year after. (This does not preclude the possibility of electoral or special
synods.) The final amendment gives the bishop discretion to appoint a deacon as a regional dean. Anglican Foundation of Canada Delegates heard a short presentation about the work of the Anglican Foundation. Canon Dr. Judy Rois said the foundation is like “finding out your family has a secret bank account and you have access to it.” The bank account is The Anglican Foundation of Canada and it has disbursed well over $30 million to date. When the foundation was established in 1957, the intent was every parish across the country would contribute $50 per year. Recently, parish donations have dwindled, but despite this, the foundation is still strong and generous. The list of recent grants is impressive, with recipients ranging from theological students, church building renovations and upgrades, youth camps and choir schools, programs for seniors, and emergency responses, including for the wildfires in northern Saskatchewan this summer. At the end of Rois’ presentation, Bishop Harwick encouraged all parishes to reinstate the annual $50 contribution to the foundation. Trip to Diocese of Muyinga On Saturday evening, Rev. Blair and Karen Dixon gave a presentation on their time in the Diocese of Muyinga, in Burundi. There are 16 parishes in the diocese, with 80 sub-parishes; in
2013 there were only 18 parish priests. In these sub-parishes, 100 to 200 attend Sunday services. Burundi is the third-poorest in the world, where the average income is 44 cents a day. AIDS has taken a severe toll and many children are orphans, with 45 per cent of the population under 14. There have been ethnic genocides in 1965, 1972, 1988 and 1993. In the absence of social services, churches provide much-needed support. Muyinga serves 5,600 orphans, HIV positive and disabled children, and operates several schools, though nationally only half of children attend school. The diocese intends to build a health clinic on the diocesan grounds, while Qu’Appelle has supported the cost of medical training for Deacon Alexis, who will head the clinic. Bishop Hardwick spoke about the feasibility study for the clinic and thanked Laura French for translating the lengthy document into English. The plan calls for three storeys, with the ground floor being 600 square metres. It will be equipped to handle general medicine, surgery, maternal health and obstetrics, anesthesiology, a laboratory, dental services and more. Expertise will have to be brought from overseas to train local people, while the plan is to be self-sufficient in 10 years. The cost is estimated at $43,000 (Canadian funds, or 50 million Burundian francs). A silent auction on Saturday raised more than $3,350, while funding is included in the diocesan Living the Mission budget. Fair Shares contributions continue growing Finances were handled in the final session on Sunday morning. Finance officer Biljana Grujic presented the financial reports, and Bryan Sigurdson, chair of the finance committee spoke of the diocese’s 10-year plan. He said while business may operate with a two- or three-year plan, “we have a longer horizon; we’re in the eternity business.” He said healthy parishes equal a healthy diocese, not the reverse. The diocese is to equip and enable parishes for success. “To succeed we need to work hard and we need to pray hard,” he added. Grujic reported that Fair Share acceptance has been 98 per cent, and asked, “What do you say about a student who gets 98 per cent? Wonderful!” She also pointed out the increase in Fair Share requests for 2016 is only 1.94 per cent, while the cost-of-living has increased 1.9 per cent.
The Saskatchewan Anglican
December 2015
7
Canterbury morning By Joan Irving
The interior of Canterbury Cathedral.
Photo by Wikimedia Commons
ABORIGINAL Continued from page 1 “She always believed that white people were better than we were,” said Gillman. “She never knew how to parent and didn’t show love, but she became better at it and was a better mother to her grandchildren.” Gillman said her own grandparents, although they
too had attended a residential school, retained their culture and traditions and were much better parents to her and her siblings. Gillman is often called to Regina’s North Central district, which has a high Aboriginal population. “I see the impact of residential schools there when parents need
to attend parenting school,” because they did not receive those skills from their own parents. Klein and Jackson hope this first “conversation” will lead to other opportunities where Aboriginal and nonAboriginals can come together in understanding.
D I O C E S E O F Q U ’A P P E L L E Qu’Appelle Synod election results Diocesan Council (The following were acclaimed, with one clerical member and three lay members to be appointed by council after consultation with the archdeacons) Clergy: Rev. Michael Bruce Rev. Warren Huestis Deacon Winna Martin Deacon Canon Susan Page Rev. Ian Payne Rev. Cheryl Toth Rev. Brian Woods Laity: Jason Antonio Tom Beckett Anne Gibbens Susan Haacke Pat Hall Debbie Hubic
Linda Kapasky Malcolm Tait Donald Ward Additional lay members appointed by the bishop include Bryan Sigurdson and Laura French. (Diocesan Council also includes as ex-officio members: bishop, dean, archdeacons, chancellor, registrar, executive officer, director of finance. Courtesies of Council are given to Diocesan First Nations Elders, Rev. Arthur Anderson and Rev. Dale Gilman, and to executive assistant Shelley Baron.) Provincial Synod delegates Clergy: Archdeacon Peter Boote Rev. Michael Bruce Archdeacon Malcolm French Rev. Brian Woods Laity: (acclaimed)
Jason Antonio Tom Beckett Anne Howell Donald Ward Youth: Matthew Gobbett General Synod delegates Clergy: Archdeacon Peter Boote Archdeacon Dell Bornowsky Laity: Jason Antonio Tom Irvine Youth: Matthew Gobbett Ecclesiastical Court Clergy: Archdeacon Peter Boote Archdeacon Wilma Woods Laity: Tom Beckett One additional lay person will be appointed by Diocesan Council
56 years of music and ministry By Sherry Sproule REGINA – Margaret Hatton has retired after serving as organist at All Saints for a remarkable 56 years! A celebration for her took place at All Saints on Oct. 4. After the 10:30 a.m. service, people gathered in the hall to pay tribute to the dedicated musician.
Judy McCuskee was MC for the event; after introductions, Rev. Trish McCarthy asked the blessing; lunch then followed. Tributes from a distance were read and several in attendance shared remembrances and anecdotes from over the years. It was noted that through the years, aside from her duties at regular
and special services and related work, Margaret was particularly encouraging to young musicians. After cake and a rousing chorus of “For She’s A Jolly Good Organist,” Margaret was presented with flowers and a gift. She shared some of her own thoughts on her time serving at All Saints and thanked everyone.
Editor’s note: During his threemonth sabbatical, the Right Rev. David Irving, Bishop of Saskatoon, and his wife Joan have visited a number of religious and historic sites including Oxford University and Canterbury Cathedral in the United Kingdom, and Rome and Jerusalem. Bishop Irving has provided periodic updates of his travels while away (for example the article on Skillig Michael, Ireland in the November Issue of the Sask. Anglican). In September, Bishop David and Joan visited Canterbury Cathedral. Canterbury Cathedral or The Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Christ at Canterbury, is located in Canterbury, Kent, and is one of the oldest and most famous religious structures in the world. It is here the Archbishop of Canterbury, the senior bishop of the Worldwide Anglican Communion, has his cathedra, or throne. The cathedral was founded in 597 A.D. and was completely rebuilt from 1070 to 1077 with additions, extensions to the east and alterations continuing up until 1834. The cathedral’s shrine has been a site of pilgrimage since the murder of Archbishop Thomas a Becket, in the cathedral, in 1170; the cathedral figures prominently in literature including as the destination of the pilgrims in Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales” and as the site of T. S. Elliot’s “Murder in the Cathedral.” CANTERBURY, England – It is Sunday morning and we are attending the third of
six services, five in English and one in French held at Canterbury Cathedral each Sunday. We are sitting in what at one time would have been where the canons and archdeacons sat many years ago. The main part of the cathedral is only used for special services like Christmas, Easter, large weddings and funerals. As we sit and look around, the history of the place is evident in everything we see. Canterbury cathedral must be in the top five for the largest churches in the world and may even be the largest in the Anglican Communion. It is not filled with lots of tapestry and gold ornaments, but it has many wood and stones carvings, beautiful stained glass windows and many tombs of archbishops and kings. Other than the main body of the cathedral, the crypt has six smaller chapels that are used for morning and evening prayer in the week. I was pleased to see how similar the service here is to ours back home. It is a nice feeling to know that as Anglicans we can travel the world and attended a service in a church that is part of the Anglican Communion. That could be in England, Ireland, America, Africa, New Zealand or any other of the many countries we are in communion with and feel at home with the service that provides us a feeling of belonging. There may have been church services held in this holy place for over 1,400 years, but the service last Sunday was the same as if we had been at church in our own cathedral; isn’t that just wonderful.
SUCCESSESS Continued from page 1 Moser also spoke of the success of Camp Harding, of Cross-Talk conducting summer programs in the diocese, and of Saskatchewan Gateway Parish’s Christmas pageant in Moosomin, involving 51 children and made into a 45-minute video. Qu’Appelle School for Mission and Ministry Archdeacon Canon Catherine Harper spoke about the Qu’Appelle School for Mission and Ministry. She mentioned two QSMM programs: formation for diaconal and priestly ministry. Those programs are “transformational so we have a deeper connection with God and better understanding of ourselves and our ministry.”
Successes across the diocese Bishop Hardwick reported on many positive events in the diocese, including re-opening All Saints, Pense; strengthening ecumenical links with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Regina and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada. Also, of a clothing store in Kamsack that is operated by the church and whose funds support dozens of local and international organizations; of a meeting with the acting chief and band council of Key First Nation, who have asked to have regular services resumed at St. Andrew’s; and other examples of “amazing things happening” in the diocese. The resolution to adopt the 2016-17 MAP was unanimously approved.
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The Saskatchewan Anglican
December 2015
James (Rusty) Brown dead at age 81 Contributed
Bishop Rob Hardwick presides at the opening Eucharist during the Diocese of Qu’Appelle’s 79th Synod, held at St. Paul’s Cathedral in Regina from Oct. 23 to 25. Photo by Jason Antonio
‘Your labours are indeed building God’s kingdom’ REGINA – Bishop Rob Hardwick gave the “Bishop’s Charge to Synod” both orally at the opening session and in a printed copy given to all delegates, during the 79th Diocese of Qu’Appelle Synod, from Oct. 23 to 25. He spoke about the history of the diocese and compared the “journey onward” to travelling on the Churchill River. He said the church “has come out of the vast and comfortable lake of Christendom and entered the rapids… Many of us yearn to stay in safe waters and not risk the journey onward. But journey onward, compelled by the Holy Spirit, we must.” Hardwick highlighted some examples of “new life emerging:” — Seven parishes that now have Sunday Schools — In two years, recorded youth increased from 19 to 80 in the diocese, while youth groups have been formed — CrossTalk events, Camp Harding and Q-Event have drawn many people — Men’s groups and women’s groups are on the rise — Feed My Sheep at the cathedral cares for up to 200 people every second week — Long queues of people ringing bells for missing and murdered Aboriginal women, an idea from our dean that caught the attention of churches and news media across Canada 37 people who tested a sense of call at recent vocations weekends; numerous students at QSMM courses and certificate in Christian Studies. The bishop talked about how he recently met the owner of the Habitat for Humanity house that
the diocese built in Regina. “She was just full of appreciation and glowing with praise of the Anglican Church. ‘Thank you so much,’ she said, ‘what a difference this house has made to our lives. I have been able to put both my children through college…’.” “Even though we have few resources and a number of churches and communities in our diocese are still struggling financially, congregationally and numerically, God is moving amongst us, stirring and waking us from our slumber and calling His church to grow and be about His business,” said Hardwick. Hardwick spoke of the ongoing Living the Mission campaign and importance of stewardship in all its forms. “We need everyone and every congregation to be sacrificial in their giving and become stakeholders in a vibrant enterprise, that of building up faithful, loving, giving and proclaiming churches in this diocese.” He also pointed out that, unlike other dioceses doing similar campaigns, not one cent of Living the Mission funds will go to the diocesan office. “There continues to be considerable involvement in the Truth and Reconciliation process. My thanks to our First Nations priests and peoples for their Christian witness during such a difficult and emotional time of remembrance and sharing on this healing journey. “I also thank all the clergy and laity who have attended TRC days, for their prayerful commitment to the ongoing journey towards truth and reconciliation. I especially thank
our Registrar and Archivist Canon Trevor Powell for his tireless commitment to finding the records the commission requested.” At the conclusion of his Charge, Hardwick appointed two new canons and two archdeacons: Rev. Claude Schroeder as Canon of St. Luke the Apostle, who will advise the diocese and the cathedral on theology and mission matters. Deacon Susan Page was made Canon of St. Stephen the Martyr, who will be a diocesan advisor on diaconal vocations and mission; Rev. Peter Boote as regional Archdeacon of the Western Archdeaconry of St. Chad; Canon Catherine Harper as Archdeacon with Portfolio. All four were installed during the opening eucharist. At the end of Synod, Hardwick briefly recapped the events of the busy weekend. He thanked Bishop Jim Waggoner for his inspiring messages, and said, “This has been an amazing synod. Amazing because you have been here and God has been in our midst.” He also thanked all the people who worked on the synod. “I know how much behind-thescenes work is needed both in preparation but also during a synod. “God bless you. Your labours are indeed building a kingdom, not an institution, God’s kingdom in this place. “Finally I have to say whether I concur with any or all of the decisions made at this synod. Unreservedly I concur with all the decisions and actions of this synod. So let us journey onward and journey together, living the mission God has called us to.”
VICTORIA, B.C. – It is with sadness we inform you of the death in Victoria, British Columbia, of the Venerable Dr. James Russell (Rusty) Brown. Rusty was 81. Rusty was a graduate, in 1959, of Emmanuel College, Saskatoon. After graduation, he served parishes in the Diocese of Edmonton, becoming Dean of Edmonton and rector of All Saints Cathedral in 1974. In 1981, he returned to Saskatoon when he was appointed the principal of the College of Emmanuel & St. Chad. He served as principal for 11 years. As principal of Emmanuel he had a major impact on the education of students for the priesthood for all three dioceses in Saskatchewan and throughout Western Canada. In 1992, he moved to Vancouver Island where he served as rector of St. Michael & All Angels, Royal Oak and archdeacon of Haro until his retirement in 2002. Following his retirement, he continued his ministry, wherever he was asked to fillin, when there were vacancies
in parishes. He also served in various capacities overseas and as a locum in parishes in New Zealand. He served many years on the board of the Leonard Foundation, which provided grants to young people going to college and as a chaplain in the naval reserve. Rusty was always happy to sing in choirs and was an accomplished pianist/organist. He was well known and well loved and will be fondly remembered by many people throughout the Anglican Church of Canada for his faithful service and priestly ministry, for his jovial nature and always optimistic spirit. A service giving thanks to God and celebrating Rusty’s life took place at St. Mary’s Anglican Church, Saanichton, B.C. on Nov. 1, All Saints’ Day. Almost 300 people, clerical and lay, attended the celebration of life for Rusty, which was a wonderful affirmation of him as a person and as a priest. His ashes were interred in the graveyard of his last parish, St. Michael and All Angels, Royal Oak. Prayers are requested for his wife, Ruth and for all of his family.
D I O C E S E O F Q U ’A P P E L L E
Reg Thompson-Gillard celebrates 60 years as priest By Joanne Shurvin-Martin NORTH BAY, Ont. – Rev. Reg Thompson-Gillard observed his 60th anniversary of ordination on May 1, at the Church of St. John the Divine in North Bay, Ont., where he lives in retirement. In his 60 years as priest, he served several parishes in the Diocese of Qu’Appelle, while also was a padre in the Canadian Forces. In Qu’Appelle he served parishes in Wawota, Assiniboia, Oxbow and Rosetown, with
Kyle. He left the diocese in 1986. Thompson-Gillard was born in Watrous and grew up on his family’s farm at Amazon. He attended Glenridge School, near Simpson, and high school in Watrous, graduating in 1950. He studied arts and theology at the University of Saskatchewan and Emmanuel College, Saskatoon. He was ordained to the diaconate in 1954, and the priesthood in 1955, by Bishop Stanley Steer.
DIOCESE OF SASKATCHEWAN g Congratulations to Jeremy and Jane Boehr on the birth of their son Soren Samuel on Oct. 20. When someone asked Jeremy if he had a cigar, he answered no one had given him one yet. Then he found out he was supposed to give them out. g Good news! Linda and Munden Coates will be the new Saskatchewan Anglican editors for the diocese.
They belong to the Church of the Ascension in Arborfield. They can be reached at Box 208, Arborfield, Sask., S0E 0A0, 306-769-8339, e-mail at linda.munden@sasktel.net or saskanglican@sasktel.net. g Dec. 3 – 4:00 p.m. is executive committee meeting g Dec. 13 – 10:30 a.m. Lessons & Carols at St. Alban’s g Dec. 28 to Jan. 1 – Synod Office will be closed