44 TheAnglican TheAnglican
COMMENT COMMENT
Raise up your head, listen lives Our Faith-Our Hopelook, is changing
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od is good! It is a privicame across a pastoral letlege and an honour for ter from the Bishop of me to be serving God, Toronto to the clergy and in this time, in this laity proposing a signifiplace. Recently having been cant fundraising effort. In it he called to consider ministry proposed a graduated schedelsewhere, I undertook a proule of offerings to achieve a cess of discernment in which substantial goal and an indiI learned much, both about myself and from vidual appeal to each church family in the wise and experienced stewards of our faith. diocese by a member of their parish “to Wisdom sometimes when sought, knock at arrives, every one’s door and rouse the infrom many places – and an abundance has habitants to devote a small portion of what come mybestowed way in these months. As weso God has uponpast them to promote look bigger picture of what God is up greatata the work.” to That in ourletter lives,came our churches our neighfrom Johnand Strachan, the bourhoods during this global pandemic, first Bishop of Toronto, in January 1854! I thought I’d Faith-Our share some of the gems and inThe Our Hope: Re-imagine sights that we might be idea encouraged Churchgleaned, campaign began with an I first in our larger discernments together. proposed to Synod a decade ago. As it graduTesting, trusting, being open that to the ally took shape, we determined it Spirit would of who calls us forward with abetween missionthe beLife a cooperative program shared and a promise, the words the Prophet diocese and parishes that from responded to the Jeremiah solidly in my heart: “Ito know generosityrest of God’s many gifts to us enthe I have for you, says the Lord, plansof gageplans God’s mission. We identified the goals for a future with a hope.” While what that Strengthening Local Parishes, Building the hope looks varies, Revitalizing we can rest assured Church for like Tomorrow, Our Inthat God remains faithful to us. The process heritance and Giving to Others. of The perceiving, detecting andmany recognizing our Canadian North has clergy and path ahead can disconcerting, aswho it upsets lay catechists inbe charge of parishes work routines increases of anxiouswithout aand stipend. Manyour arelevels isolated in comness. Thisthat is already happening with our munities face traumatic pastoral issues human responses to the pandemic, so adding including, unfortunately, the accumulated extra layers of exploration and decisionpain of dealing with multiple suicides. The making unsettlemade more. Do notofbe afraid! Diocese can of Toronto a grant $500,000 Instead ofFaith-Our becomingHope swamped andtodivided, from Our (OFOH) fund a we can learn gentlyofwith ourselves request from to thelive Council the North and and each other in of this change, these pains, Anglican Council Indigenous Peoples to hold regional circles where clergy and lay leaders could come together for mutual learning, support and refreshment. So far, 276 have participated from half a dozen dioceses. Grants ranged from $500 to $100,000. The Diocese of the Arctic, for instance, brought peo-
BISHOP’S OPINION ARCHBISHOP’S DIARY yRCHBISHOP Bishop Riscylla Shaw BYBA COLIN JOHNSON ple from 48 communities together. The feedthis uncertainty. back has been astounding. It makes a differThere is hard work to be done, and being ence in peoples’ lives. present to listen and respond builds relationThe Anglican Chaplaincy for the Canadian ships. “The kinship of God is where everyone Forces elected its first full-time bishop to promatters,” from Gregory Boyle. Listen to vide episcopal care for regular and reserve God’s call and in your life and learn chaplains their families, andeverything to military you can. God knows you and you personnel across the country.loves It only became already Bean bold in faith and see of possible(really!). because of initial endowment with thefrom eyes OFOH. of your heart. We need to learn $500,000 how to adequately our ministries, Another $500,000resource grant from OFOH to the especially in this time of contracting. How Primate’s World Relief and Development can we collectively discern new ways Fund (PWRDF) supports new work in of materdoing ministry together that will reflect our nal and child health in the developing world current context, rather than cling to models and midwifery services in remote northern that have become dangerously communities in Canada. Ours isunsustainthe largest able? invited to consider singleAre gift we anybeing diocese has ever given to helping local to be responsive PWRDFour in its 50+church year history. Because ofto community needsgovernment through sharing space matching federal grants, that in social enterprise endeavours? In the olden gift created a value of over $2.5 million. Safe days, manyand monasteries andcare churches were deliveries proper health are now the hub ofbecause the community, with honeybees, available of your generosity. gardens, markets, Parishes around community the diocese partnerships have been –made sacred space interacting the secular. physically accessible,with youth work is beHow can weleaders reimagine the contexts our ing funded, are being trained,ofpiosacred to include diversity ofbeen the neeringspaces ministries in newthe contexts have communities which we live? planed and aninamazing array of creative projBoth asbeen humans and ecologically, we are in ects have undertaken locally because of a planetary time of great andofdeep Our Faith-Our Hope – notdisruption just because the grief. Raise up your now head,available, look, listen. financial resources but How also do we find to re-connect with because of ways a reinvigoration of deeply imagination one find space to breathe, see the and another, commitment. joyWe and the succeeded beauty of our Christianity? How have in remarkable ways. While not every parish participated, the vast majority did – and achieved more than many had thought possible. Some of the parishes did not formally join the OFOH project because they were already in the midst of substantial funding efforts. Others added to their
do we learn from other Anglican traditions goals to meet parish capital needs and did around the globe, including differing models spectacularly well. Taking that into account, of clerical ministry, raising up and equipping at least $50 million in new funds has been lay leaders, resource-sharing and shifting contributed to ministry in the diocese and beinto right-sized budgets and programs? What yond in the last seven years, over our regular connections do we have, and what innovations offerings and FaithWorks contributions. can we bring about? What were we “not ready We are a different diocese because of that. for” in March, that now needs our flexibility, Yes, the money has helped us fund new minintentionality and faith-filled creativity? istries, adapt old buildings, engage in new Coming out of COVID-19, we will need to mission, support vulnerable people in re-discover what it is to live, worship and Christ’s name. More than that, though, it has work in the What will be alhelped buildneighbourhood. relationships between people, our new identities as disciples, as Church? lowed people to share personal stories, idenWe need constantly renew ourselves to tified andto trained new leaders, built up confibe responsive and to thrive. are the dence, and assisted people toWho articulate and unexpected new leaders being raised up share their faith. inIour congregations, our youngI have been changedamongst by the experience. people, our larger Where am moreinconfident incommunities? speaking clearly about are the margins, and how have they moved? my faith and my commitment to it. I have disHow canawe widen the circles cooperation covered new capacity to give of generously. I and vision together, reflect,Anglicans, and pray? heard Good have met the most amazing sensestories for figuring out moved who webyare from poet/ their and been their faithwriter Nuar Alsadir: “Move what fulness. I have rejoiced in thetowards creativity and you believe in, andofthe person are steps boldness of vision people andyou parishes through.” pure wisdom from poet and (and yes, toAnd be honest, occasionally disapone of my authors, Walker: pointed by favourite a few). I think our Alice church is in a “Hard times require furious different place because of Ourdancing.” Faith-Our We We are have physical beings, so take care of Hope. begun to re-imagine church. your physical self. grateful Be well. to God isand love,the and I am profoundly you our aim is to like establish a culture of working many people you who have made and are things out together in practice making a difference in our our lifelong world because of of being present to the reign of God and Jesus your faith in Jesus Christ. And I am especialin grateful our lives.toFace theleaders future with gratitude, ly the lay and clergy in courage andwho honesty. Pray. Pray some our diocese took the initiative and more. rose Beitinspired by St. Francis, who prays to the to so graciously. Holy of Blessing: me an instruTheOne campaign is nowmake officially concluded, ment ofallocations your peace.continue Amen. and the mission but the God invites us to share is still on our doorsteps. As my first paragraph noted, this was not the first financial campaign, nor will it be the last – the work of the Church is not over. Let us continue onwards in faith and in hope.
Serving Archbishop Finlay was a privilege
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broad inviting smile, and engaging with persons on the street corBISHOP’S OPINION firm handshake and ner or drop-in centre as he was with persons the word “welcome” serving in public office. BY BISHOP PETER FENTY are the memories we One of the challenges he faced was the have when Angela and I first quickly got to the purpose of our meeting and Church’s position on human sexuality. While met Terence Finlay, Bishop of asked if I was willing to be considered as a in office he upheld the doctrine and discipline Toronto, in the summer of candidate for executive assistant and of the Church. On leaving office, he officiated 1997. I was beginning my minarchdeacon. The position had become vacant in a same-gender marriage, for which he had istry as the incumbent of St. Joseph of when Archdeacon Colin Johnson was elected to be disciplined by his diocesan bishop, who Nazareth, Bramalea. suffragan bishop. I was surprised when he was once his archdeacon, executive assistant When we entered his office, there was a met with me just before the clergy conference and suffragan bishop. In receiving the admoniwarmth and genuineness experienced by both that year and offered me the position. tion, he told his successor in office that he exof us in our first meeting with Bishop Finlay. It was a privilege and distinct honour to pected nothing less from him and that he was He was very interested in getting to know us serve as his executive assistant and archdeaexercising his episcopal ministry responsibly. and our young family. We shared the stories con. I got to know Terry even better and I believe that Archbishop Terence was leadof our Christian journeys and family life. It learned much from him. I witnessed the depth ing the diocese in the direction of being more was a pleasure to engage with him and have a of his faith and his concern for every parish in welcoming to those who were vulnerable, sense of the pastoral care and support he ofthe diocese. He showed compassion, particumarginalized, voiceless and in the minority. fered clergy and their families. I had no idea larly for the marginalized and minorities in He made a very significant difference in the Ordinands enterlater St. James Cathedral for theirclosely ordinationthe service as transitional deacons on Sept. 13. Afterwards,life friends and family members join the Rev. Maria Ling that six years I would be working Church and in the wider community. of the Diocese of Toronto. It is not surpris(bottom left) and the Rev. Gerlyn Henry. PHOTOS BY MICHAEL HUDSON with him as his executive assistant and Archbishop Finlay was very disciplined in ing, therefore, to hear and read the very comArchdeacon of York. his work. He worked long hours and paid atplimentary reflections that many have shared I got to know Terry, as he was affectionatetention to detail, thoroughly reading docuabout their experiences of him. He exercised a ly called, when I became a member of the Posments, letters or any material needed for servant ministry throughout his ordained life, tulancy Committee and a regional dean. He meetings. It was also evident that he cared and for that we give thanks to God for his exgave wise counsel and offered good insight indeeply for the wider Church and appreciated ample. I was privileged and honoured to have to challenging matters facing the Church. His the importance of ecumenical relationships. had the opportunity to know him as my bishwas a calming voice and a non-anxious presOne of the qualities I admired about Terry op, mentor and friend. The Church has been ence. He offered strong episcopal leadership was his willingness to make time for people. blessed to have had him as a faithful bishop. in the diocese, both pastorally and morally. He He made himself available to clergy and laity He will be missed and leaves a legacy of exwas a model of deep faith and prayerful who needed to meet with him. I was often emplary leadership, humility, compassion and thoughtfulness, and was genuinely concerned asked to join him in meetings with others, profound faith. We are grateful to his family about the well-being of the clergy and laity and it was evident that he always listened infor having shared him with the Church and under his episcopal leadership. tently. Terry was a pastor, mentor, friend and assure them of our prayerful support. We give In the spring of 2003 I received a call from confidante. Archbishop Terence Finlay back to his Crethe Archbishop’s office inviting me to meet Another quality I admired in him was his ator God with the same graciousness we exwith him. I thought I was going to be invited humility. He engaged with people in all staperienced of him. May he rest in peace and to sit on another committee of the diocese. He tions of life. He was as comfortable talking rise with Christ in glory.
November 2020 June 2017
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The Anglican Church In the Anglican Communion: A global community of 70 million Anglicans in 64,000 congregations in 164 countries. Archbishop of Canterbury: The Most Rev. and Rt. Hon. Justin Welby, Lambeth Palace, London, England SE1 7JU. In Canada: A community of about 600,000 members in 30 dioceses, stretching from Vancouver Island to Newfoundland and north to the Arctic Ocean. Primate: The Most Rev. Linda Nicholls, Church House, 80 Hayden St. Toronto, ON M4Y 3G2 Tel: 416-924-9192 In the Diocese of Toronto: A community of 254 congregations in 210 parishes covering 26,000 square kilometers. Of the nearly 5 million people who live within the diocesan boundaries, 376,000 claim to be affiliated with the Anglican Church, with about 80,000 people identified on the parish rolls. The diocese is home to many ethnic and languagebased congregations, including African, Caribbean, Chinese, Filipino, French, Hispanic, Japanese, and Tamil. The City of Toronto has a large population of aboriginal peoples. Bishop of Toronto: The Rt. Rev. Andrew Asbil York-Credit Valley: The Rt. Rev. Jenny Andison Trent-Durham: The Rt. Rev. Riscylla Shaw York-Scarborough: The Rt. Rev. Kevin Robertson York-Simcoe: The Rt. Rev. Peter Fenty The Diocese of Toronto: 135 Adelaide St. E., Toronto, Ont., M5C 1L8 1-800-668-8932/416-363-6021 Web site: http://www.toronto.anglican.ca
