4 TheAnglican
NEWS
September 2022
Outreach conference points toward right relationship Bishop keynote speaker THE diocese’s Social Justice and Advocacy Committee will host its annual Outreach & Advocacy Conference on Saturday, Oct. 29 from 9 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. As has been the case in recent years, the conference will be held online, via Zoom, with separate sessions for the opening plenary, morning and afternoon workshops, and the closing plenary discussion. The theme for this year’s conference is “Pointing our Feet Toward Right Relationship,” a phrase that emerged out of a conversation between Elin Goulden, the diocese’s Social Justice and Advocacy consultant, and Bishop Riscylla Shaw, who will be the keynote speaker at the event. “As a Church, we’ve started to make some progress toward reconciliation and right relationship,” says Ms. Goulden. “Between the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and a lot of dedicated work at both the national church and diocesan levels, most Anglicans are now aware of the Church’s role in running residential schools, and a growing number are becoming more deeply aware of other justice issues facing Indigenous peoples in Canada. But we are still just in the beginning stages of what it would look like to walk together in right relationship. There’s a lot more work to do.” Bishop Shaw agrees. “The work of untangling the Church in Canada from the colonial project is complex and requires long-term commitment. Yet our feet have been set on a new path and are pointing in a new direction, toward the shalom God means for all of us. We just need to keep walking on that path.” With Métis family roots, Bishop Riscylla Shaw grew up on a small
Poster for the outreach conference. farm, learning from the land. Her ministry has been inspired and informed by the work of Archbishop Desmond Tutu and South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Before her ordination as bishop, she served as a witness and ambassador for the Anglican Church of Canada at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. She was a member of the Primate’s Commission on Discovery, Reconciliation and Justice, which produced the award-winning documentary Doctrine of Discovery: Stolen Lands, Strong Hearts, and currently serves on the Jubilee Commission to propose a just, sustainable and equitable funding base for the self-determining Indig-
enous Anglican Church in Canada. Bishop Shaw is also a contributor to the publication Decolonizing Discipline – a call to implement TRC Call to Action 6. The theme of moving toward right relationship will be carried into several of the workshops to be offered at the conference. Staff from Toronto Urban Native Ministry will discuss how they confront Canada’s colonial legacies on a daily basis in their ministry with urban Indigenous people. Dawn Maracle, a Mohawk educator and organizer and the interim Reconciliation Animator for the Anglican Church of Canada, will present a workshop on “The Myth of Canada the Good: Why we all need to understand
the Indian Act.” As Ms. Maracle points out, “Residential schools are only a small part of the story: the Indian Act is a piece of colonial legislation that continues to shape Indigenous realities to this day.” Other workshops will explore the concept of right relationship more broadly, taking a deeper look at the systemic injustices that affect prisoners and ex-prisoners, people experiencing homelessness, those who are precariously employed and people with disabilities. As Deacon Claudette Taylor, a member of the Social Justice and Advocacy Committee, points out, “God calls us to shalom – to seek right relationship with all. The theme of ‘pointing our feet’ suggests movement that may be a bit hesitant at first, but has the potential to become dynamic.” As of mid-July, a few workshops had remained to be confirmed, but it was hoped that there would be at least eight options available (at least four in each of the morning and afternoon sessions) when registration opens in September. Since each workshop, as well as the opening and closing plenary sessions, will be offered as a separate Zoom event, registration is required for each separate session. Generous breaks will be built into the day to prevent “Zoom fatigue.” For each session, a moderator will assist with timekeeping, technical assistance and keeping track of participants’ questions. The closing plenary will offer a chance for participants to reflect together on what they have learned, and what they have been challenged or inspired to do differently going forward. Registration will open after Labour Day. There is no cost to attend; however, donations to assist with the cost of honoraria will be gratefully received via the diocese’s website. (Donations over $10 are eligible for a tax receipt.) All are welcome to attend – for the entire day or only a part! Visit www.toronto.anglican. ca/outreachconference for more details and to register. Staff
Vision consultations planned for fall Continued from Page 1
a major diocesan capital campaign. Consultations have already begun with Synod Council and area councils and will continue and expand over the next several months. “We want to hear the voices of not just church leaders but as many Anglicans in the diocese as possible,” says Canon Alexander. The consultations with Synod
Council and area councils have included an evaluation of Growing in Christ, the diocese’s strategic plan that ended in 2021. Feedback is being received and synthesized by Dean Elliott and Canon Alexander and will inform future discussions. They have also spoken to the chairs of the focus area working groups for the previous strategic exercise.
Additional conversations for Cast the Net will take place in the fall, starting with in-person consultations with clergy in September. Active clergy are expected to attend one of two gatherings: on Sept. 14 at St. Mary, Richmond Hill or Sept. 29 at St. James Cathedral’s Snell Hall. In October and November, dean-
ery and parish consultations will start to take place. More information about dates and times will be shared in the late summer and early fall. Updates on the progress of Cast the Net will be provided monthly to Synod Council, and will be shared at the diocese’s next Synod, which will be held online on Nov. 17-19, 2022.
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TheAnglican The Anglican is published under the authority of the Bishop of Toronto and the Incorporated Synod of the Diocese of Toronto. Opinions expressed in The Anglican are not necessarily those of the editor or the publisher. Canon Stuart Mann: Editor __________________________________ Address all editorial material to: The Anglican 135 Adelaide Street East Toronto, Ontario M5C 1L8 Tel: 416-363-6021, ext. 247 Toll free: 1-800-668-8932 Fax: 416-363-7678 Email: editor@toronto.anglican.ca Circulation: For all circulation inquiries, including address changes, new subscriptions and cancellations, call the Circulation Department at 416-924-9199, ext. 259/245, or email circulation@national.anglican.ca. You can also make changes online: visit www.anglicanjournal.com and click Subscription Centre. Annie Fenn: Advertising Address all advertising material to: Fenn Company Inc. P.O. Box 1060 King City, Ontario L7B 1B1 Tel: 905-833-6200, ext. 22 Toll free: 1-800-209- 4810 Fax: 905-833-2116 Email: anglican@churchadvertising.ca
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 __________________________________ National Indigenous Anglican Archbishop The Most Rev. Mark MacDonald 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 language-based 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 __________________________________ Suffragan Bishops: The Rt. Rev. Riscylla Shaw and The Rt. Rev. Kevin Robertson __________________________________ 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
