TheAnglicanPriest cycles forenvironment

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Women’s creationsgrace churches

Trip to gamea hit with fans

PAGE 11

BY STUART MANN

VALERIEDavis of St. Hugh and St.Edmund, Mississauga, was linedup outside St. James Cathedral inToronto at 7:30 a.m. on June 22—a full three hours before the startof Bishop Peter Fenty’s consecra-tion service.

Ms. Davis was one of hundredsof people who arrived early to geta seat for one of the most antici-pated services of the year. Beforethe doors of the church opened at9 a.m., the lineup stretched half-way down the block.

“We just wanted to be part ofthis day,” said Ms. Davis, whocame with her friend, MarjorieTaylor of Christ Church, Bramp-ton. “It’s so monumental.”

Ms. Davis said Bishop Fenty’selection on April 6 and consecra-tion on June 22 has created ex-citement in Barbados, where hewas born and raised. “My familyin Barbados is going nuts and theisland is going crazy. Everyone isso excited.”

About 50 people flew up fromBarbados and the United Statesfor the service, and others camefrom the Diocese of Montreal,where Bishop Fenty served as aparish priest before coming to theDiocese of Toronto. The Barbadi-an High Commissioner to Canadaand his wife also attended.

When the service started at10:30 a.m., the cathedral was full,with about 800 people, with an-other 250 in nearby Snell Hall andsome listening to the service onthe church lawn.

Several bishops and clergyfrom the Caribbean took part inthe service, including ArchbishopJohn Holder, who is the Bishop ofBarbados and Primate of theWest Indies. “Go forth to plantand water, but never forget thatGod, and God alone, gives thegrowth,” he told Bishop Fentyduring his sermon.

During the service, ArchbishopColin Johnson and the other bish-ops laid their hands on BishopFenty’s head, praying to God to

“send down your Holy Spirit uponyour servant Peter, whom we con-secrate in your name to the officeand work of a bishop in thechurch.”

In a delightful moment, liturgi-cal dancers then presented Bish-op Fenty with his new chasuble,mitre and crosier. The suffraganbishops of the Diocese of Torontopresented him with his pectoral

cross and episcopal ring. After placing the mitre on Bish-

op Fenty’s head and giving himhis pastoral staff, ArchbishopJohnson presented Bishop Fentyto the congregation. The crowdgave him a long, loud round of ap-plause, and some cheered.

“It was really beautiful,” saidDenise Mederick, who watched awebcast of the service in Snell

Hall. “I was so moved. I loved howall the bishops were there andgathered around him. It was anhonour to be here.”

Ms. Mederick, who knew Bish-op Fenty when he was the incum-bent of St. Joseph of Nazareth inBrampton, came with her mother,sister, daughter and others fromSt. Joseph’s. “He’s going to be afantastic bishop,” she said.

One of the high points of theservice for her was seeing him inhis mitre and chasuble. “Icouldn’t believe it. I don’t knowwhat to call him now. For me, he’llalways be Father Peter.”

The Rev. Canon Stephen Fields,the incumbent of Holy Trinity,Thornhill, said he was “over-whelmed” by the occasion. Bish-op Fenty had been his parishpriest in Barbados in 1977, andthey have been close friends eversince.

“Personally, this is fulfilling,”said Canon Fields. “I think thechurch here has made a very im-portant statement: that we affirmall peoples; whatever your back-ground or culture, we arechurch.”

In a sign of their affection forBishop Fenty, many people waitedfor up to an hour after the serviceto greet him.

“This is a very special day, notonly to be called to be a bishop ofthe church, but to be surroundedby the love, prayers and supportof my family and the many, manyfaithful people of God in this dio-cese,” he said. “I look forward tothis new ministry with joy andgreat expectation, and by thegrace of God I will seek to be afaithful pastor to those whom Godhas entrusted to my care.”

Bishop Fenty is now the areabishop of York-Simcoe, one offour episcopal areas of the dio-cese. He said he plans to get start-ed right away. “I am hitting theroad and running as we speak,”he said. “I ask for the prayers andcontinued support of the churchin general, but I also want theclergy and people of York-Simcoeto know that they’re in myprayers and I’m looking forwardto serving them in the days andyears ahead.”

A webcast of the service is post-ed on the diocese’s YouTube chan-nel, www.youtube.com/tordio135.

THE NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF TORONTO A SECTION OF THE ANGLICAN JOURNAL www.toronto.anglican.ca SUMMER ISSUE, 2013

PRIEST REFLECTS ON JEWISH ROOTS – SEE PAGE 5

Clockwise from above: Bishop Peter Fenty (right) leaves St. James Cathedral after his consecration, accompa-nied by Archbishop Colin Johnson; bishops lay their hands on Bishop Fenty’s head; Bishop Fenty hugs his daugh-ter, Peta-Anne, after the service. PHOTOS BY MICHAEL HUDSON

Hundredsattendconsecration

‘This is a very special day’

BISHOP Peter Fenty writes hisfirst column in The Anglican.Learn about his life and journeyas a Christian. See Page 4.

Meet thenew bishop

2 TheAnglican Summer Issue, 2013NEWS

BY SUSAN MCCULLOCH

YOUTH, volunteers and staff fromFaithWorks’ ministry partnerscheered the home team on April17 as the special guests of TDBank Group, a corporate partnerto the diocese’s annual appealsince 2004.

TD generously provided thekeys to its hospitality suite for theBlue Jays game against the Chica-go White Sox at the Rogers Cen-tre. Eighteen guests had a bird’s-eye view of the game from seatson the 300 level, along the firstbase line. TD also provided com-plimentary popcorn and softdrinks throughout the evening.

When asked how he enjoyedthe game, 11-year-old Miles Anto-nio responded, “We’ll get themnext time.” He added, “Thank you,TD, for inviting us to watch thegame. My mom and I had a greattime.”

Bishop Philip Poole, co-chair ofthe FaithWorks Corporate appeal,enjoyed the chance to relax withhis wife, Karen, while getting toknow several of the youth who areinvolved in FaithWorks-fundedprograms. “This was a terrific op-portunity to thank some of thestaff and volunteers who providewelcoming, supportive environ-ments for young people,” he said.“It was heartwarming to see thesheer joy and excitement on thefaces of the young people visitingthe Rogers Centre for the firsttime. We are sincerely grateful toTD for providing such a remark-

able evening, and for the hospital-ity provided by our suite host, An-toinette. The pizza was a real hit.”

The Rev. Helena Houldcroft, ex-ecutive director of FlemingdonPark Ministry, led Team Faith-Works’ cheering section. One ofher guests, Faaiq Ahamat, is the10-year-old son of a staff memberat Flemingdon Park Ministry anda die-hard Blue Jays fan. Ms.Houldcroft described Faaiq’s reac-

tion when he learned he would beattending the game: “Faaiq reallyhoped he might be able to catch agame ball and told me that if hewas successful, he knew he wouldbe too excited to sleep.” AlthoughFaaiq went home without his spe-

cial prize, he will treasure thememory of his first trip to the ma-jors.

Ken Dryfhout, youth program-ming director at The Dam, keptthe crowd entertained betweenpitches by sharing his knowledge

and love of the game. His favouriteplayer is Jays’ third baseman,Brett Lawrie. “Lawrie is an in-credible athlete and one of only 17Canadians on major league ros-ters,” said Mr. Dryfhout. “On astyle note, I think Lawrie really

has something going on.” Mr.Dryfhout, like Mr. Lawrie, proudlydisplays body art underneath thesleeves of his #13 player’s jersey.

Susan McCulloch is theFaithWorks campaign manager.

Trip to gameis a big hit‘Team FaithWorks’ cheers Jays

Youth decorate a sign thanking TD Bank Group for its hospitality. Bishop Philip Poole (middle, front row), the Rev. Helena Houldcroft(standing behind him) and the rest of ‘Team FaithWorks’ support thehome team.

Young people from FaithWorks’ ministry partners have a bird’s eye view of the ballgame from TD Bank Group’scorporate box. PHOTOS BY MICHAEL HUDSON

Summer Issue, 2013 TheAnglican 3NEWS

The Rev. Canon Maurice Francois writes his blog for Toronto’s Spanish-speaking community. PHOTO BY MICHAEL HUDSON

Congregation helpsimmigrants to city

ENID LILLIAN GLOVERJULY 28, 1918 – MARCH 5, 2013

Enid Glover was a lifelong Anglican whose mother was the caretaker of the first St. George, Willowdale, a wooden church that was replaced in the 1920s. As a young girl, Enid and her family took a horse and buggy down Yonge Street to go to church. As an adult, she was an active member of the ACW and sang in the church choir there and later, at St. Patrick, Willowdale. After taking early retirement from Sears, Enid was busier than ever as a member of the Second Mile Club where she enjoyed square dancing, line dancing and needlecrafts. Her close friends, Ken and Ruth Loan, remember Enid as a woman whose faith allowed her to live each day to the fullest. “Although she was a reserved person, Enid truly cared about others and was a generous supporter of FaithWorks. She wanted to leave a legacy to ensure that those who needed her help would receive it for many years to come.”

Enid’s legacy gift to the FaithWorks Endowment Fund at The Anglican Diocese of Toronto Foundation will help ensure that the ministries she cared so deeply about will be funded in perpetuity.

WITH HER GENEROUS LEGACY GIFT,

THE MINISTRIES THAT ENID GLOVER CARED

SO DEEPLY ABOUT WILL BE FUNDED IN PERPETUITY.

For information about making a legacy gift to FaithWorks or another Diocesan ministry or program, contact:

Peter J. Misiaszek, CFRE Director of Stewardship DevelopmentDiocese of Toronto135 Adelaide St. E., Toronto, ON M5C 1L8

tel: 416-363-6021 ext. 246toll-free: 1-800-668-8932 ext. 246pmisiaszek@toronto.anglican.ca

THE ANGLICAN DIOCESE OF TORONTO FOUNDATION

Mexicans thankToronto priest

BY STUART MANN

THE Diocese of Northern Mexicohas made a Toronto priest an hon-orary canon in recognition for hiswork with Mexican immigrants.

The Rev. Maurice Francois, thepriest-in-charge of Parroquia SanEsteban, a Spanish-speaking min-istry in downtown Toronto, hasbeen made on honorary canon ofthe Cathedral Church of the HolyFamily in Monterrey, Mexico.

“We’re a bit surprised but also veryhappy,” said Canon Francois. “Thisgives us even more motivation to car-ry out our work.”

In the past 10 years, his congre-gation has helped about 400 Mex-ican immigrants adjust to a newlife in Toronto. They provide ESLcourses, referrals to legal aid andsocial services, food, clothes andmental health support.

“One hundred per cent of ourcongregation is immigrants, sothey know better than anybodywhat is needed,” says CanonFrancois.

The relationship between Par-roquia San Esteban and the Dio-cese of Northern Mexico wasstarted by a Mexican-Americanpriest, the Rev. Bryant Husted, auniversity professor who teachesin Toronto and Monterrey. It be-gan with a link to a single parish

in Monterrey and has sincegrown into an “informal compan-ionship” between the Torontocongregation and the Mexicandiocese.

Bishop Francisco Moreno, thebishop of the Diocese of NorthernMexico, visited the Diocese ofToronto last year and saw thework being done by ParroquiaSan Esteban for Mexican immi-grants. In total, the congregationhas helped about 900 Spanish-speaking newcomers to Torontoduring the last 10 years.

Canon Francois says the needshave been greater that his con-gregation expected. “In the begin-ning, we provided pastoral care.We didn’t realize it would becomeso complex. A lot of immigrantsexperience employment abusewhen they get here, so we try toadvocate on their behalf. We alsohelp when there is a deportation.”

Parroquia San Esteban has 130families on the parish rolls and isbased at Holy Trinity, TrinitySquare. Canon Francois says thecongregation has grown by wordof mouth and because of its loca-tion in the inner city. “The firstthing immigrants look for whenthey come to a new country is asupportive network, and the firstplace they look for to find that isa church,” he says.

Seafarers amalgamateTHE Toronto and Hamiltonbranches of the Mission to Seafar-ers are amalgamating, under thenew name The Mission to Seafar-ers Southern Ontario. The Rev.David Mulholland will be movingfrom his position as chaplain and

executive director of the Torontobranch to the position of chaplainemeritus, with duties extendingaround the Golden Horseshoe.The amalgamation “will bring to-gether a greater number of staffand volunteers in the task of coop-

erative, ecumenical ministering toseafarers,” he said. The Mission toSeafarers is a world-wide min-istry that provides help and sup-port to 1.3 million men and womenwho work on ships or in the ship-ping industry.

4 TheAnglican Summer Issue, 2013

TheAnglicanThe Anglican is published under the authority of the Bishop of Toronto and the Incorporated Synod of theDiocese of Toronto. Opinions expressed inThe Anglican are not necessarily those ofthe editor or the publisher.

Stuart Mann: Editor

Address all editorial material to:The Anglican 135 Adelaide Street EastToronto, Ontario M5C 1L8Tel: (416) 363-6021, ext. 247Toll free: 1-800-668-8932Fax: (416) 363-7678E-mail: editor@toronto.anglican.ca

Circulation: For all circulation inquiries,including address changes, newsubscriptions and cancellations, call the Circulation Department at (416) 924-9199, ext. 259/245, or emailcirculation@national.anglican.ca. You can also make changes online: visit www.anglicanjournal.com and click Subscription Centre.

Carol McCormick: Advertising

Address all advertising material to:Fenn Company Inc. 2130 King Road, P.O. Box 1060King City, Ontario L7B 1B1Tel: (905) 833-6200, ext. 25Toll free: 1-800-209-4810Fax: (905) 833-2116E-mail: cmccormick@canadads.com

The Anglican ChurchIn the Anglican Communion:A global community of 70million Anglicans in 64,000congregations 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 membersin 30 dioceses, stretching from VancouverIsland to Newfoundland and north to theArctic Ocean.

Primate:The Most Rev. Fred Hiltz, Church House, 80 Hayden St. Toronto, ON M4Y 3G2

In the Diocese of Toronto:A community of 254 congregations in 210parishes covering 26,000 square kilometers.Of the nearly 5 million people who livewithin the diocesan boundaries, 376,000claim to be affiliated with the AnglicanChurch, with about 80,000 peopleidentified on the parish rolls. The dioceseis home to many ethnic and language-based congregations, including African,Caribbean, Chinese, Filipino, French,Hispanic, Japanese, and Tamil. The City ofToronto has the largest population ofaboriginal peoples in the country.

The Archbishop of Toronto:The Most Rev. Colin Johnson

York-Credit Valley:The Rt. Rev. Philip Poole

Trent-Durham:The Rt. Rev. Linda Nicholls

York-Scarborough:The Rt. Rev. Patrick Yu

York-Simcoe:The Rt. Rev. Peter Fenty

The Diocese of Toronto:135 Adelaide St. E., Toronto, Ont., M5C 1L81-800-668-8932/416-363-6021Web site: http://www.toronto.anglican.ca

COMMENT

My wife Ellen and Iwere sitting onstuffed chairs shad-ed by leafy trees.

Sitting on grass mats in frontof us were several dozenwomen, many with children,and a handful of men sittingon wooden benches at the

side. We were visiting a project run by aUgandan diocese for people with HIV/AIDS.We were deep in conversation, some of it inEnglish, most of it in Luganda, and the Rev.Canon Dr. Isaac Kawuki-Mukasa was provid-ing translation. It was an incredible after-noon, as we heard stories and shared wis-dom about issues of life and death, love andloss, coping with hope, and faith in the faceof chronic and terminal illness. We weredeeply changed by the encounter.

At the end of the conversation, a lay cate-chist approached Isaac and asked, “Didn’tyou say this was a bishop from North Ameri-ca?”

“Yes,” replied Isaac in Luganda. The man was confused. “But he can’t be!

We were talking about faith. He prayed withus. We spoke about the scriptures. They lis-tened to us and told us their stories, too.They showed us Christ’s love. Bishops inAmerica don’t do that!”

“Actually, they do. You have just met one,”said Isaac.

“Then I must go home and tell people thatwe have been giving wrong information,” thecatechist replied.

One of the greatest privileges I have as abishop is to travel to different parts of thecountry and the world, representing thechurch of this diocese. I don’t travel as atourist—often I don’t even get to see the

tourist spots. The highlight of all our visits isbeing able to put our knees under a table,share a meal and talk face-to-face with peo-ple who are living out the Gospel of JesusChrist in their daily lives.

It is in those moments that the Gospelcomes alive. Stereotypes are overturned. As-sumptions are challenged and corrected orclarified. You come to see the context of min-istry, how decisions about living faithfullyare forged “on the ground,” and how we areso much more connected to one another thanwe could dream possible.

As I write this, I am just hours away from aflight to Cape Town, South Africa, where Iwill be meeting with 20 or so bishops fromdifferent parts of Africa and Canada. We arecontinuing a dialogue that Isaac and I initiat-ed four years ago in the wake of deep divi-sions and mistrust within the Anglican Com-munion. We have attempted to invest inbuilding relationships that grow on carefullistening, thoughtful inquiry and mutualprayer. We are attentive to the context of theother—who they are, their history, how deci-sions are made and what are their pressingconcerns. Above all, we do it because weshare a common life as brothers and sistersof Jesus Christ, fellow witnesses to the newlife and new possibilities for abundance oflife in his gift of the Spirit.

Bishops have a core ministry of interpret-ing. First and foremost, the bishop is to inter-pret the Good News of Jesus Christ to thepeople of his or her community. As well, thebishop has a representative ministry of inter-

preting the life of the local diocesan commu-nity to the wider church and, reciprocally,the life of the far-flung, diverse churchcatholic to the local church.

We live in an age of instant communica-tion. Can we not just chat with each otherthrough email, Facebook or Twitter? Can wenot just send documents and pictures, ex-change ideas and money and offer prayersupport?

No, we can’t.Yes, the church’s faith can be tweeted:

“Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ willcome again.” But it takes a lifetime in com-munion with God and with other Christiansto begin to comprehend what that implies.

A few months ago, a single, fake tweet(just 140 characters—about the length of thissentence) caused the U.S. stock market tonosedive, dropping in value by more than $1billion in two minutes! Misunderstanding,whether deliberate or, more usually, uninten-tional, can sour relationships, reinforcestereotypes, diminish goodwill and destroytrust. There is enough of that today!

In a world where sound bytes and flashvideos focus laser-like attention on a singleissue without context or nuance, there is arenewed need for those much more labour-intensive, time consuming face-to-face en-counters where relationships can be nur-tured, truths explored from more than onedirection, and cooperative understandingfostered. It is partly what we experience that“when two or three are gathered in myname, I will be in their midst.”

At a basic level, it is one of the reasonsthat it is important to be part of a parishcommunity for worship, study and mission.At a broader level, it is why I travel on behalfof the diocese.

BY ARCHBISHOP COLIN JOHNSON

ARCHBISHOP’S DIARY

When the Gospel comes alive

Iam delighted to write myfirst letter as a suffraganbishop of Toronto. Let mefirst express my profound

gratitude and heartfelt appre-ciation to the many of you—clergy, laity, groups and or-ganizations—for your prayer-ful support and good wishes,

which you offered to my family and methrough your emails, letters, cards, phonecalls and Facebook messages. We are trulygrateful and are reminded that, as believers,we are surrounded by “a great cloud of wit-nesses.”

My personal thanks to the College of Bish-ops for making the transition into my newrole with the bishops as seamless as could beexpected. I am also indebted to the DiocesanCentre staff, whose support through myyears of parish ministry and almost 10 yearsof being the Archdeacon of York and Execu-tive Officer to the Bishop of Toronto, hasbeen wonderful and carried out in a mostprofessional manner.

I thought that I would take this opportuni-ty to share with you a little about myself andmy journey of faith in ordained ministry. Iwas born in Barbados to wonderful, loving,Christian parents. They provided for my sib-lings—a sister, who is the eldest, and fourbrothers (including my twin brother)—themost loving Christian home that any familycould have.

My early childhood was also nurtured byChristian teachers at the Moravian elemen-tary school that I attended. The reinforce-ment of Christian education and values atsuch an early age made a significant differ-ence in my Christian formation and civic

awareness. My leadership gifts were recog-nized by many of my teachers, and I was giv-en the opportunity to use those gifts, whichprepared me for the leadership roles that Ihave had.

My secondary school education was equal-ly exciting and meaningful. Again, I had thegood fortune of being taught by Christianteachers who went beyond the call of duty tooffer advice and encouragement to their stu-dents in preparation for adult living.

In my late teen years, I became involved inthe Anglican Young Peoples’ Association,which played a major role in my spiritual de-velopment and ministry formation. It wasduring this period of my life that my sense ofa priestly vocation was affirmed. The pas-toral care, support and encouragement ofmany clergy during those formative yearsassisted in the eventual offering of myself forordination. On leaving high school, I beganteaching and then worked with a shippingbusiness, while seeking discernment of apriestly vocation. I entered Codrington Theo-logical College in 1972, was ordained to thediaconate on June 11, 1975, and was made apriest on Dec. 2 of that same year. I am also agraduate of Huron College, London, where Ispent two wonderful years.

My ordained ministry has been spirit-filled, enjoyable, and satisfying. I also havehad many grace-filled moments, particularlyduring very difficult times, both personallyand generally in ministry. I have come to be-lieve more and more that we must embrace

all that God in Christ has promised: “I amwith you always.” My life’s motto was takenfrom my mother, who always recited fromone of the Wisdom books, “In all your waysacknowledge him, and he shall direct yourpaths” (Proverbs 3:6).

In my 38 years of ordained ministry, I haveenjoyed serving five parishes, in the diocesesof Barbados, Montreal and Toronto. Each ofthese parishes contributed to my ongoingChristian growth and development. I amgrateful to the lay leadership and clergy inall of these parishes for the support given tome and the responsibilities they exercised,as well as for the prayerful support of theparishioners in each of these parishes. I amvery appreciative of the opportunities tohave been involved at the diocesan, provin-cial and national levels of the church.

I could not complete this letter without ex-pressing how much I value the ongoing sup-port of those friends, clergy and laity, whoseundying moral and prayerful support hasbeen of utmost importance in my ministryand the life of my family. I believe thatfriendships are to be treasured, not taken forgranted, and are God-provided.

My wife Angela has been my constant sup-port, confidante and reader of my scripts. Iam eternally grateful to her for her devotedlove and support of me in ministry throughour 36 years of marriage. She has done sowhile managing equally demanding voca-tions as a mother and a teacher of over 30years.

I am also extremely grateful for the loveand support received from our son Andreand daughter Peta-Anne. Like all clergy chil-dren, they have journeyed with Angela and

BY BISHOP PETER FENTY

BISHOP’S OPINION

Grateful for your support

Continued on Page 6

Summer Issue, 2013 TheAnglican 5COMMENT

We had fished every hole in thecreek many times over, andnow it was time to go fartherafield. “I think I know a place

on Toronto Islands we can go,” I said, andso one day on summer vacation my sonand I caught the early train into the city,sitting beside the commuters with ourfishing rods and tackle boxes. My son wasvery excited. This was his first fishing tripaway from home.

We took the ferry over to Hanlan’sPoint and stood in front of the big map ofToronto Islands. “What does that say?” Iasked, pointing to a little lagoon on themap. The water was painted blue and thegrass green. The colours had faded overthe years, but the map was still the sameas I remembered it as a boy.

“Trout Pond!” he said. “That’s right. Let’s go.”We hiked up Hanlan’s Point, the large

trees rustling in the morning breeze. Itwas still early and the sailboats tied up atthe water’s edge were deep in slumber.The fire pits had fresh ash in them, leftover from the night before. We passed thelittle wading pool and the deserted tenniscourts and the tall grass that led over tothe beach.

Eventually we came to the edge ofTrout Pond. It wasn’t how I rememberedit. It was overgrown with bushes, and lilypads covered almost the entire surface ofit. But it was that much the better for it. Inits disuse, it had become almost semi-wild—a perfect place for adventure.

I tied “weedless” lures onto our linesand we cast them out as far as we could.We stood and waited, the humidity clos-ing in on us. I got the feeling that therewasn’t a single fish out there, and so didHenry. In fact, the lures were probably en-tangled in the lily pads. We needed anoth-er plan.

I looked up the shore and spotted a lit-tle spit of land jutting out into the narrowchannel that connected Trout Pond to themain body of water that flowed throughthe islands. “Let’s try up there,” I said.

It turned out the spit was a series oftiny islands connected by stepping stonesand planks and old picnic tables. Wecrossed these, Indiana Jones-style, andcame to the edge of the last island. Adeep, cool channel of blue and green wa-ter lay before us.

I put a worm on Henry’s hook and hetossed it out into the water. I went over tothe other side of the island and cast out.

“Got one!” he said. I ran over—andthere, wiggling on the end of his line, wasa beautiful smallmouth bass, green andbrown and shimmering in the sun. Wethrew it back and he caught another andanother—10 in total. It was a day wewould never forget.

After a couple of hours, we got hungry,so we packed up our fishing gear andhiked back out and ate our sandwiches onthe steps of the artists’ retreat house onGibraltar Point. Then it was time to headhome. We walked to Centre Island, wherehe had a slice of pizza and played somegames of chance. On the ferry ride backto the city, I gazed at the islands—themost beautiful and precious part ofToronto, in my opinion—and thanked Godfor them.

Summer idle

EDITOR’SCORNER

BYSTUART MANN

BY THE REV. WARRENLEIBOVITCH

It was always a specialtreat to come homefrom school on Fridayto the wonderful aro-

ma of simmering chicken soup. Fridaynight was the beginning of the JewishSabbath, a special time for family—Sab-bath candles, challah bread, the familytable and delicious food. My upbringingand heritage helped shape me into who Iam today as a Christian and a priest inthe Anglican Church.

Born in Montreal and raised inChomedey, Quebec, my Jewish upbring-ing was generally secular. My family ob-served most Jewish traditions and cus-toms, attending a synagogue once in awhile, mostly for Bar Mitzvahs and wed-dings. I attended a Hebrew school twice aweek, where I learned Old TestamentBible stories, Jewish traditions and He-brew, preparing me for my Bar Mitzvahat age 13.

So how did a nice Jewish boy becomean Anglican priest and a candidate in therecent episcopal election? First, I believethat God has a sense of humour. Second,God has a special way of planting seeds offaith in our hearts and calling us to min-istry in the church.

I was fascinated with Jesus. I enjoyedChristmas carols and Easter movies suchas The Robe. In Grade 8, I attended alunch get-together with some friends thatturned out to be a Bible study. Of course, Ididn’t believe any of the stories, but I en-joyed debating with my friends. One even

invited me to a Christmas church service. I was intrigued by the stories about Je-

sus. Who was he? What made him so spe-cial? Were the stories true? Answerswould have to wait for the future. Thenext few years were focused on schooland working as a lifeguard. Religion hadno place in my life, but everything was tochange.

In June 1977, I became an officer cadetat Royal Military College Saint-Jean inRichelain, Quebec. It was at the collegethat I experienced an unknown world ofprejudice, but through the pain of that ex-perience, I found Jesus.

Growing up, I was sheltered from somerealities of life. I had never experiencedprejudice until my fellow cadets discov-ered that I was the only Jew at the col-lege. Immediately my friends turned onme. I was bullied and beaten. Cadetswould get up to move to another tablewhen I joined them. My bed area wouldbe messed up before daily inspection, re-sulting in discipline. I even feared goingto bed for fear of attack.

Through this difficult time, I connectedwith the Protestant padre. He was verywelcoming and understanding. We talkedabout Jesus and he gave me a Bible. Iread prophecies in the Old Testament.Scripture passages such as Isaiah 53 and61 and Psalm 22 touched my heart. Was itpossible that Jesus was the Son of God?

Padre Jackson taught me that the oneswho persecuted me were not Christians.A Christian is one who exhibits the loveand compassion of Christ. I also learnedfrom him that Jesus loved me for who Iwas, and offered me hope and strength in

my struggles.When I left the college, I was not yet a

full believer, but God allowed the Spirit tonurture my faith, laying a foundation thatwould eventually lead to my baptism atGrace Church, Markham on Oct. 12, 1980.

Jesus had called me, but my responsewas not without fear and trembling. Iknew that the reaction of my familywould be bad. When my mother foundout, she called my grandparents in Mon-treal in tears to say that I was dead. Myworld crumbled around me. My fatherconsidered having a funeral, as traditiondictates, but fortunately my grandmotherconvinced him not to.

Like the temptation in the wilderness,an uncle offered me money to speak to arabbi if I admitted that I had made a mis-take. I refused. As a result, I was shunnedby my family. For the next couple ofyears, I had little or no contact with myparents.

Yet God’s love and grace endured. I wasstill their son. In time, a new relationshipbegan. On Nov. 3, 1991, my family attend-ed my ordination to the diaconate at St.James Cathedral in Toronto.

Today, I share my Jewish heritagethrough my sermons, explaining Jewishcustoms experienced by Jesus and Hisdisciples. My past has strengthened me. Ihave learned to face adversity and injus-tice, to be open to the work of God andthe Spirit, to share my faith, and to have ahope for a future when God will fulfill allthe promises made through Jesus Christ.

The Rev. Warren Leibovitch is theincumbent of St. Paul, Lindsay.

www.toronto.anglican.ca

“Remember the Sabbathday, and keep it holy. Forsix days you shall labourand do all your work. Butthe seventh day is a Sab-bath to the Lord your God;you shall not do anywork—you, your son or

your daughter, your male or female slave,your livestock, or the alien resident inyour towns. For in six days the Lord madeheaven and earth, the sea, and all that isin them, but rested the seventh day; there-fore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day andconsecrated it” (Exodus 20:8-11, NRSV).

It is probably the one commandment,out of the 10, which we most consis-tently break: Sabbath. Holy rest. Tak-ing time off.

Your clergy are often told the impor-tance of “self-care,” of ensuring that wetake at least one day a week away fromour work in the church. Most of myfriends and colleagues do so. But that dayaway from work becomes the day we doour laundry, housework and groceryshopping.

It is often the same for laypeople, espe-cially those who own their own business,when “days off” can seem like a foreignconcept and “down time” is used for dif-

ferent kinds of work. Those who are re-tired, stay-at-home parents and those inschool or seeking work, often find that thelack of an externally imposed schedulemeans that they are simply working atone thing or another all the time.

We can come up with all sorts of justifi-cations for this behaviour, the most basicbeing that there doesn’t seem to beenough hours in a day to get everythingdone. The thought of taking a day awayfrom all work seems ludicrous.

MaryAnn McKibben Dana published abook last year titled Sabbath in the Sub-urbs, in which she describes an experi-ment she did with her husband and youngfamily. Her whole family did not work oneday a week for a year. It was hard at first,but they learned how. And, more impor-tantly, they learned why.

Keeping the Sabbath holy isn’t sup-posed to be a punishment or a rule thatwas made to be broken and make us feelguilty. Sabbath was meant to be a giftfrom God to us. Quite simply, our lovingCreator knows we need rest.

As this article is published, I will be in

the middle of a four-month Sabbath time(a three-month Sabbath leave and a one-month vacation). I am deeply grateful tothe churchwardens, members and staff ofSt. Andrew’s who have made this timeaway possible.

I will certainly do work during thistime. I have a list of books on church lead-ership that I’m going to be reading. I willneed to do the work required to keep afamily afloat. Yet summer is, for manyfolks, a time when we may seek Sab-bath— rest, vacation, time away. Holytime.

I sometimes find it difficult to justifytaking time off. I suspect that I am notalone in this. In our culture of busyness,taking time off sometimes seems selfishor irresponsible. Yet study after study hasproven that those who fail to take time off,to rest and rejuvenate, are actually lessproductive than those who do.

As our former Archbishop, Lewis Gar-nsworthy, is purported to have said, “Aperson can do their year’s worth of workin 11 months, but not in 12.”

Make the time for Sabbath. Make thetime for holy rest. It is a commandment,and it is a gift.

The Rev. Heather McCance is theincumbent of St. Andrew, Scarborough.

Jewish heritage shaped me

BY THE REV. HEATHER MCCANCE

MUSINGS

Make time for holy rest

The Diocese is onFacebook, Twitter and YouTube.

To connect, visitwww.toronto.anglican.ca

6 TheAnglican Summer Issue, 2013NEWS

Appointment a firstBY STUART MANN

MARY Conliffe has been appoint-ed Diocesan Executive Assistantto the Archbishop, beginning onJune 15.

Ms. Conliffe, who was the Bish-op’s Office Administrator, suc-ceeded Bishop Peter Fenty, whobecame the area bishop of York-Simcoe on June 22. 

“I am delighted to make this ap-pointment,” said Archbishop Col-in Johnson. “This marks the firsttime that a lay person has heldthis important position, but Maryis uniquely qualified for the role.” 

Ms. Conliffe holds an HonoursMaster of Divinity degree fromTrinity College, University ofToronto, where she was both Headof College and later Head of Divin-ity. The daughter of an illustriousclerical family, she has an intimateknowledge of the life of clergy andtheir families.  She brings over adecade of experience in the Dioce-san Centre and specifically theBishop’s Office.  She is a parish-ioner at St. Martin-in-the-Fields,Toronto, where she serves as sub-deacon and has headed up theparish’s FaithWorks campaigns. 

For the past two years, Ms. Con-liffe has been the first interviewerof applicants for ordination in thediocese and has administered thepostulancy process.  She is an An-glican representative on the na-tional Joint Anglican-LutheranCommission, serves on TrinityCollege’s Corporation and Divini-ty Associates and has been amember of the Diocesan Doctrineand Worship Committee. She ismarried and has a young son.

The Diocesan Executive Assis-tant is responsible for policy andadministrative support for theBishop of Toronto, the oversightof the Bishop’s Office (including

Chaplaincy and Deacons), and theselection process leading to ordi-nation. He or she also acts as sec-retary and consultant to the Col-lege of Bishops and representsthe Bishop as requested.

“I am truly honoured by thisappointment and I am so gratefulto the archbishop for his confi-dence,” said Ms. Conliffe.  “Ideeply love this church and all itsclergy and people, and I am look-ing forward to the new challengesthat this ministry will bring.”

Following Bishop Fenty’s con-secration as a bishop, ArchbishopJohnson conferred the historicaltitle of Archdeacon of York, whichhe had held, on the Rev. CanonElizabeth Hardy as the seniorpriest on diocesan staff. She con-tinues in her role as Secretary ofSynod and Chief AdministrativeOfficer, providing leadership ofthe diocese’s synodical gover-nance.  In order to streamlinestructures, the director of Con-gregational Development now re-ports to the Chief AdministrativeOfficer rather than to the Dioce-san Executive Assistant. 

HONOUREDCanon Dr. Robert Falby, chancellor of the Diocese of Toronto, and the Rev. Canon Dr. Alice Medcof, the firstfemale incumbent of an Anglican parish in the Greater Toronto Area and the former coordinator of the Inter-national Anglican Women’s Network, received honorary Doctor of Divinity degrees from Trinity College, Toron-to, on May 14. Joining them are, from left, the Rev. Sonia Hinds, who received a Doctor of Ministry degree,the Rev. Margaret Rodrigues, Archbishop Colin Johnson and Susan McCulloch, the diocese’s FaithWorks cam-paign manager, who received the Canon Charles Frederick Pashler Prize. PHOTO BY MICHAEL HUDSON

me wherever I have been calledin ministry. They, like Angela,have done so with the personalsacrifice of leaving other familymembers and friends to ventureinto the unfamiliar and un-known. However, we have beenblessed by being welcomed andwonderfully supported in all ofthe parishes and dioceses inwhich we have lived. Angela and

I were extremely happy to wel-come Andre’s wife Jacquelyn in-to our family last July, and weare equally delighted that we al-so will be welcoming into ourfamily Peta-Anne’s fiancéMubarak, as they will be mar-ried this July.

I am very happy to serve asthe area bishop of York-Simcoe. Iam looking forward to my min-istry among the clergy and peo-

ple of the area. My prayers arewith the clergy and people of ourdiocese, and I ask that you keepmy family and me in yourprayers as I begin this new min-istry.

I give thanks to Almighty Godfor Bishop Elliott’s priestly andepiscopal ministry among us andwish him and Linda every bless-ing, good health and many won-derful years of retirement.

Continued from Page 4

LETTERSLessons from fireOn the evening of May 7, St.Paul, Newmarket, had a fire inour sound system, located in thebell tower. The flames were min-utes away from spreading to thewood ceiling 15 feet above and to

wooden cabinets nearby. The firedamage was contained to thebell tower, but the smoke dam-age was throughout the church.

What have we learned fromthis experience? We havelearned that having a good firedetection monitoring system inplace made a huge difference inthe speed with which the fire de-partment responded; it possiblysaved the building. We havelearned that an electronic sys-tem in a metal cabinet will buyus an extra minute or so, andevery minute counts. We havelearned that power bars for elec-trical cords are not necessarilythe best means, and that sepa-

rate outlets would be better. Wehave learned that combustibles(even paper) around electronicsor any source of heat is not agood thing. We have learned thatdespite what we sometimes feelare large insurance premiums,our insurer jumps in and han-dles the matter quickly and pro-fessionally. The diocese’s policyis a must-have.

We are grateful for the sup-port from the diocese, the co-op-eration of our parishioners, thelove of our church and the loveof God. Colleen Keats and Dawn ClaxtonChurchwardensSt. Paul, Newmarket

Friendships are to be treasured

Send your letters toeditor@toronto.anglican.ca

MARY CONLIFFE

Summer Issue, 2013 TheAnglican 7INTERVIEW

The Rev. Canon Alyson Barnett-Cowan, a Canadian priest for-merly based in Toronto, works inthe Anglican Communion Officein London.

I am the director for Unity Faithand Order at the Anglican Com-munion Office. This means thatI staff a commission of 24 Angli-cans from around the worldwhose mandate is to considermatters of doctrine, Anglicanidentity, how the Communionmakes decisions, and ecumenicalrelations. I also staff all the ecu-menical dialogues in which theCommunion is engaged—presently with Lutherans,Methodists, Roman Catholics, Or-thodox and Oriental Orthodox,plus joint work with the OldCatholic churches with which An-glicans are in communion.

While the Anglican Commun-ion Office is in London, mywork is for the whole Commun-ion, not just the Church of Eng-land. My husband, Bruce, worksin a parish in Ealing, a suburb ofLondon, and I often help withservices when I’m here. A lot ofmy life is spent travelling, takingpart in meetings all over theworld. It is odd, though, to see theChurch of England get tangled upover issues relating to the ordina-tion of women; Canada has a long

experience now with female bish-ops.

The most important thing I’mworking on right now?Trying tohelp people think creatively abouthow the churches of the AnglicanCommunion can strengthen theirrelationships with each other anddiscern the calling of the HolySpirit together, in a post-post-colonial world. Who are we be-coming? How can we really learnfrom others’ experiences in a waythat strengthens our life and mis-sion? What shape might the In-struments of Communion (theAnglican Consultative Council,the Lambeth Conference and thePrimates’ Meeting) take in the fu-ture?

The Anglican Communion Of-fice is in west London, near thefamous Portobello Road mar-ket, so it’s fun to have lunch andshop there. We live in Acton, apart of the suburb of Ealing, con-veniently located halfway be-tween the office and Heathrowairport. Both Bruce and I loveopera and history, so it’s wonder-ful to be able to see great produc-tions and explore London and be-yond. What don’t I like? It’s a verydivided society, and I hate howthe gap between rich and poorwidens constantly without, itseems, the government being

concerned. The powerful feelingsthat surfaced with MargaretThatcher’s death were a sign ofserious problems in this society.

I miss the way I feel at home inchurch in Canada—the way wedo liturgy and the ease withwhich we engage with each oth-er. Of course, above all I miss mychildren and grandchildren, butat least I get home a few times ayear.

My favourite part of the job ismeeting and working with peo-

ple from all around the Com-munion. You never know who isgoing to come into the office, orwhat conversations may develop.One of the highlights recentlywas The Week of Two Enthrone-ments, when I got to attend the in-auguration of Pope Francis andArchbishop Welby within 48hours. I often feel quite aston-ished at the places I find myself.And it is a privilege to be the firstfemale priest to be engaged inhigh-level conversations with theVatican and with the EcumenicalPatriarchate.

Travel is my life! I'll be on allcontinents except Antarctica thisyear. I try to build in an extra dayto have some time to explore, butit’s not always possible. We’vebeen enjoying short trips to Scot-land, where Bruce’s roots are, buthe’s also come with me to SouthAfrica and Rome.

Yes, I work with the Archbish-op of Canterbury. I present re-ports to the Standing Committeeand the Anglican ConsultativeCouncil when he is present, but Ialso am asked to provide briefingpapers. I will be part of his visit tothe World Council of ChurchesAssembly in South Korea in thefall, and possibly to Rome. He isvery sharp, wants good and clearcommunication, and expects youto know what you are doing. He isnot easily pigeon-holed, and hisvariety of experience equips himto speak on a wide variety of is-sues.

My contract is for five years,and it ends when I reach re-tirement age, so in Decembernext year we’ll be movinghome. I want to take some timewith family, especially to be amore present granny, but thenI’m open to next possibilities.I’ve never actually planned achange of job — things have justcome along.

The Rev. Canon Alyson Barnett-Cowan makes a presentation to theAnglican Consultative Council in New Zealand last November. PHOTOBY NEIL VIGERS

WORLDBRIEFSApartment project tofund ministryAUSTRALIA – The Diocese ofCanberra and Goulburn is hopingthat the construction of a $30 mil-lion apartment project, which in-cludes three commercial units onthe ground floor, will enable thediocese to plant more churchesand extend its social outreach.The income from the develop-ment, located on the former siteof the diocesan office, will go intoa trust account to support thenew ministry efforts. Bishop Stu-art Robinson hopes to see chap-laincies that would serve thebusiness district, the airport andthe shopping area. Canberra Times

Anglicans gather forpeace conferenceJAPAN – More than 80 clergy, laypeople and bishops from the hostcountries of Japan and Korea, aswell as Australia, Canada, Ire-land, the Philippines, the UnitedKingdom and the United States,gathered for the second world-wide Anglican Peace Conferencein Okinawa in April. In herkeynote address, EpiscopalChurch Presiding BishopKatharine Jefferts Schori askedparticipants to consider “the

roles our respective churchesmight play in reconciliation andpeace-making in the face of vio-lence, military force and war.”Episcopal News Service

Archbishop Tutuawarded prizeSOUTH AFRICA – ArchbishopDesmond Tutu, a Nobel PeacePrize winner, has been honouredwith the Templeton Prize, worthalmost $2 million, for his role inadvancing spiritual liberationthroughout the world. The Tem-pleton Prize is the world’s largestmonetary award for an individ-ual. Archbishop Tutu said he was“bowled over” by the news. Aleader in the struggle againstapartheid in South Africa, he wasthe Archbishop of Cape Townand Primate of the AnglicanChurch of Southern Africa. Hechaired South Africa’s Truth andReconciliation Commission. Anglican CommunionNews Service

Boston Episcopaliansrespond to bombingsUNITED STATES – Vigils,prayer and healing serviceswere the order of the day asBoston Episcopalians respondedto the Boston Marathon bomb-ings. One Episcopal church,which was located inside theblocked off area near the finishline, was able to move its Sundayworship services to Temple Is-rael, a synagogue outside thezone. Another Episcopal churchopened its doors the day afterthe bombing for prayers andcompanionship so people couldshare their experiences. OneEpiscopalian injured by the ex-plosion was Erika Brannock, apre-school teacher from TrinityEpiscopal Children’s Centre inTowson, Maryland. She was nearthe finish line with her sister.Erika lost her left leg below herknee in the explosion. Her sisterbroke both legs. Episcopal News Service

Synod votes fornew cathedralNEW ZEALAND – A special Syn-od of the Diocese of Christ-church has approved the build-ing of a new, contemporary stylecathedral to replace the one thatwas badly damaged in an earth-quake. While the new cathedralis under construction, worship-pers will be using a cardboardcathedral. Synod also heardabout the possibility of a drasticreduction in the number ofparishes in the diocese. The 46parishes in and around the cityof Christchurch could be re-duced by half, as there will be aconsiderable difference betweenthe amount of damage caused bythe earthquake and the amountof money expected in insurancesettlements. Episcopal News Service

Young Anglicansneed trainingZAMBIA – Young Anglicans inthe Church of the Province ofCentral Africa are ready andwilling to work for the church,but they need more training. Thecall for more training came at ayouth executive meeting in Lusa-ka. Most of the church’s youthleaders haven’t received anytraining but must deal with com-plex issues, including childhooddevelopment, HIV and AIDS,and the basics of Anglicanism. Anglican Communion NewsService

Ordinariate a ‘raid,’says ambassadorAUSTRALIA – The former Angli-can Ambassador to the Vatican,the Rev. Canon David Richard-son, has attacked the creation ofthe Anglican Ordinariate underPope Benedict as a “raid” on theAnglican Church which is bothoffensive and embarrassing.Canon Richardson, whose termjust expired, said he and the for-mer Archbishop of Canterbury,Rowan Williams, had only twoweeks’ notice before Pope Bene-dict announced the creation ofthe new order. The ordinariatehas allowed disaffected Angli-cans, including clergy willing tobe re-ordained, to be received in-to the Roman Catholic Churchand continue Anglican patternsof worship. Canon Richardsonmade the remarks in an inter-view on Australian radio. Sydney Morning Herald

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8 TheAnglican Summer Issue, 2013BOOKS

BY STUART MANN

The Muslim Association of Canadarecently opened an office directlyacross the street from the Dioce-san Centre in Toronto. I pass it al-

most every day but never go inside. Why?Because the people inside have a differ-ent religion? Am I afraid of something?Or perhaps I just would not know what tosay.

This is not an unusual experience forthose of us—of all faiths—who live insouthern Ontario. The other day, for ex-ample, I drove past a Pentecostal churchwith an immense cross on the front lawn,a huge mosque, some Roman Catholicand Anglican churches, and a Hindu tem-ple—all within 45 minutes of each other.

In our travels through the GreaterToronto Area, I sometimes point out thenon-Christian places of worship to mykids, in the quintessentially Canadianhope that they will be knowledgeable andtolerant of other faiths. However, I neverstop the car. It’s not our faith, and it’s def-initely not our church, so I keep my footon the gas.

And that’s why I found Bishop PatrickYu’s recent book, Being Christian in aMulti-Faith Context, so refreshing. Final-ly, here was a book, written by a Canadi-an for a Canadian audience, that helps usexplore that most sensitive of subjects—just what do we Christians think aboutother faiths?

The book was originally Bishop Yu’sdoctoral thesis, written back in the late1990s and now issued as a paperback,with an up-to-date introduction and post-script. Although the events and discus-sions described in the book happenedmore than 20 years ago, they are very rel-evant today.

Bishop Yu, who is the area bishop ofYork-Scarborough, is perfectly positionedto write a book like this. Born and raisedin Hong Kong, he converted to Christiani-ty as a young teenager and came to Cana-da at the age of 17.

When he was a boy growing up in HongKong, his family practiced a mixture ofBuddhism and Chinese folk religion. “Mychildhood memories were filled with ritu-als of offering to local deities, the venera-tion of ancestors, as well as colourful sto-ries and art based on legends andmythology,” he writes.

He studied chemistry in university andthen switched to religious studies in histhird year. Although a passionate Chris-tian, he became fascinated by other reli-gions. “I became enchanted with the

problems they tried to tackle, the courageof their adherents, and the contributionsthey made to the quality of life aroundthem. I knew I would never be contentwith facile dismissals of them from sim-plistic Christians.”

He found that the study of other reli-gions helped him to articulate his ownfaith. “It was as if the study of what I wasnot, religiously speaking, helped definewhat I was. Paradoxically, my apprecia-tion of Christianity grew hand in handwith my appreciation of Buddhism, Tao-ism, etc.”

In 1990, he became the incumbent of St.Theodore of Canterbury, a small Angli-can parish located in a predominantlyJewish neighbourhood in north Toronto.Within close proximity were synagogues,a Buddhist temple, a mosque, a Hindutemple and several New Age centres. Thecongregation was multiracial and manymembers were first- or second-genera-tion Christians with non-European roots.There were some interfaith marriages.

As a parish priest, he found that hisparishioners often commented on theirinterfaith experiences. “The issue ofChristian relations with other faiths cameup regularly in my pastoral practice—inbaptism, interfaith marriages, discussionof religious formation of children, teach-ing and spiritual direction. Most of theseinteractions were cordial, but sometimesthere were tensions.”

Responding to the pastoral needs of hisparish and his own interest in the subject,he began a four-year doctoral study thatled to the writing of his Doctor of Ministrythesis, which became this book. The heartof the study took place from November1995 to July 1996, when a small group ofparishioners took part in an educationalprogram that explored their faith andtheir attitudes toward other faiths. Thestudy also looked at how their opinionsand beliefs changed as a result of the pro-gram.

The findings were illuminating. Thestudy revealed that since the AnglicanChurch didn’t teach or talk much aboutother faiths, the parishioners tended toadopt attitudes that were readily avail-able elsewhere.

The study also raised questions aboutCanadians’ cherished ideal of tolerancein a multicultural society. Althougheveryone in the group said they were ac-cepting of other faiths, specific tensionsand conflicts soon started to surface.“The Canadian multicultural ideal is likea soap film—very pervasive but verythin,” said Bishop Yu in an interview af-ter the book’s publication. “You put yourfinger on the top and it’s very easy topenetrate it. When you take your fingerout, it covers right over again.”

Many of the group members were sowilling to be tolerant of other faiths that,rather than risk causing embarrassmentor anger, they simply chose not to talkabout faith at all. Society’s imperative toget along with your neighbour overrodeany desire to talk about their faith in pub-lic, let alone to share Jesus Christ withothers. As one participant wrote, “I be-lieve in respect for people of other faithsand their right to choose their own reli-gious beliefs.”

As the Anglican Church thinks abouthow to invite others to church, it would dowell to consider the societal pressures itsmembers are under to be tolerant. Thisbook would help start that discussion, ei-ther at the parish or diocesan level.

It is important to note that the eventsand discussions described in this booktook place before Sept. 11, 2001, the daythat changed the religious landscape for-ever. Canada has also seen a massive in-flux of immigrants and their faiths overthe past 20 years. But that’s what makesthis book more important than ever. Ifyou’ve ever felt uncomfortable about thelatest non-Christian temple being builtdown the road, it might be a good time to

pick up this book.

To purchase copies ofBeing Christian in aMulti-Faith Context,contact Bishop PatrickYu at 416-363-6021, ext.253 or patyu@toronto.an-glican.ca. The book is ex-pensive but would be avaluable addition toparish libraries.

BY BOB BETTSON

The decline of churches, particularlyof mainline denominations, is welldocumented. However, as JohnBowen points out in Green Shoots

Out of Dry Ground, a useful collection ofessays and stories, there are many signsof hope for the future of the church inCanada.

Dr. Bowen, the director of the Instituteof Evangelism at Wycliffe College, and the16 other authors in this book, frequentlyuse the image of a garden to reflect thereality of the church today. While someparts of the church are withering, greenshoots are emerging—evidence of newgrowth and vitality.

These fresh expressions of parish lifeare documented in short profiles by formerAnglican Journal editor Kristin Jenkinsand Journal writer Diana Swift. They de-scribe examples of the different ways thechurch could look in the future, fromStanding Stones, an aboriginal ministry inEdmonton, to “reconnect,” a ministry forunchurched high-rise residents in Toronto.

These stories are interspersed with per-spectives on the history of the develop-ment of the church in Canada, rural min-istry, aboriginal ministry, and how thechurch responds to Canada’s changing de-mographics. There are also explorationson youth ministry and the role of thechurch in caring for creation.

After exploring the ecumenical missioncontext for the church and laying out anumber of challenges in different areas,Dr. Bowen concludes the collection with alook to the future. What kind of leaderswill we need—both clergy and lay? Whatabout our spirituality? How does that con-nect with our mission?

Bishop Jane Alexander of the Dioceseof Edmonton offers an encouraging lookat how a small western diocese with limit-ed resources has moved to a mission-shaped approach, rather than simply try-ing to survive.

The Rev. Jenny Andison, incumbent ofSt. Clement, Eglinton, and formerly theArchbishop’s Officer for Mission in theDiocese of Toronto, provides a summaryof the many resources available forparishes and individuals wishing to learnmore about what being a missionalchurch means.

The book concludes with an afterwordby Archbishop Colin Johnson, with thefrank admission that while he finds muchhope in what the authors have written, healso finds it is a challenge to rethink “ourlongstanding opinions.” He says the sto-ries and essays “stretch” us and offer “se-rious and uncomfortable questions.”Green Shoots Out of Dry Ground is

clearly aimed at a general audience, not anacademic one. Its strength lies in thestrong quality of writing and the passionof the authors for their subject.

I was left feeling more hope for thechurch’s future after reading it, but alsoconscious that the church in the next 20years will look very different than it didwhen I was confirmed in 1964 at All Souls,Willowdale, now the Church of the Incar-nation, Toronto. Then I was one of 70young candidates. Suburban Toronto inthe 1950s and ’60s was a much differentcontext for the church in almost everyway. But there is no going back.

Green Shoots Out of Dry Ground: Growinga New Future for the Church in Canada, isavailable at Crux, the bookstore of WycliffeCollege, or from Amazon.ca.

New shootspoking up

Bishop Patrick Yu (right) led a small group of Anglicans in Toronto as they struggled withtheir place as Christians in a multi-faith society.

What do we really think?Bishop exploresour attitudes toother faiths

Summer Issue, 2013 TheAnglican 9BISHOP’S COMPANY DINNER

BY STUART MANN

IT’S not often that a hush fallsover the Bishop’s Company Din-ner, but that’s what happened onApril 30 as the Rev. Tim Haughtonand his wife Laurie spoke abouthow the Bishop’s Company helpedtheir son learn to speak and say “Ilove you” to them for the firsttime.

Mr. Haughton, the incumbent ofTrinity East (Little Trinity), Toron-to, and Ms. Haughton told a hushedcrowd of 542 people how their sonJoshua, now five, was born with aheart defect and wasn’t expected tolive. He has had three open-heartsurgeries and is scheduled for an-other this summer.

When Joshua was an infant, hesuffered a massive stroke thatdamaged his brain and impairedhis ability to speak. As he grewolder, his parents were unable topay for the costly therapies need-ed to give him a chance at a nor-mal life.

They enrolled Joshua in a spe-cial centre for kids with develop-mental disabilities but were un-able to pay the $400 monthly fee.“They were holding a spot for usbut we couldn’t afford it,” saidMs. Haughton in an interview af-ter the dinner. “We just prayedthat something would happen.”

Seemingly out of the blue,Archbishop Colin Johnson con-tacted them and offered to paythe tuition with funds raised bythe Bishop’s Company, whichraises money for special causesidentified by the Archbishop. Itgives financial aid to clergy andtheir families facing unexpectedexpenses. It also provides grantsto theological students.

Archbishop Johnson and theBishop’s Company stepped inagain last summer when Joshuaneeded private intensive languagetherapy. “I’d spent four and a halfyears trying to get him this thera-py and I was feeling hopeless,” re-calls Ms. Haughton. “When Timcame home and told me the Arch-bishop had called, I couldn’t be-lieve it.”

The therapy helped Joshuaspeak in sentences and say “I loveyou” to his mom and dad for thefirst time. “The first time he saidit, it was the most amazing and in-tense feeling in the world,” saidMs. Haughton. “I knew he felt it,but to hear him actually say it—itwas incredible.”

She said she wasn’t even awareof what the Bishop’s Company diduntil Archbishop Johnson contact-ed them. “Both times, I cried. I wasin shock. It literally changedJoshua’s life. There’s no way tosay what this has meant to us.”

After the Haughtons’ heart-rending story, the dinner guestslistened to an address by RobertaBondar, Canada’s first female as-tronaut and the first neurologist

in space. Dr. Bondar, who is anAnglican, spoke about her up-bringing in Sault Ste. Marie andhow her parents nurtured her cu-riosity about the world aroundher. She described her flightaboard the space shuttle Discov-ery in 1992 and her work sincethen, including the creation of theRoberta Bondar Foundation,which helps cultivate a sense ofawe, respect and appreciation forother life forms on Earth.

The dinner was held at theToronto Marriott hotel in down-town Toronto, with a reception atnearby Holy Trinity, TrinitySquare. The dinner set a recordfor the largest attendance in theevent’s history. It raised $75,000.

Archbishop Johnson, who wasleaving that night with his wifeEllen to attend a conference inSouth Africa, thanked the crowdfor its support. “There are somany good things going on inyour parishes, and I thank you forthat work. The church is alive andwell, and we’re celebrating thattonight.”

In his last official public func-

tion before he retired, BishopGeorge Elliott sang the blessingat the end of the evening. April 30was his last day as area bishop ofYork-Simcoe.

As in previous years, scholar-ship recipients were announcedat the dinner. Joan Wilson andKevin Wong received the Terenceand Alice Jean Finlay Bursary,

which is given to two students,one each from Trinity andWycliffe colleges, who are en-gaged in studies that celebrateand enhance the understandingof the diversity of the church.Jane Winstanley was awardedthe Kirubai Scholarship, given toa Trinity College divinity studentwho is specializing in liturgy and

worship. Graham McCaffrey andJoan Wilson received the WilliamKay Bursary, which aids studentswho are engaged in theologicaleducation that will lead to ordina-tion. Alana McCord and DavidNey received the George & EileenCarey Bursary, awarded to Angli-cans pursuing post-graduate the-ological studies.

Roberta Bondar, Canada’s first female astronaut, describes her flightinto space.

The Rev. Tim Haughton and his wife Laurie tell how financial assistance from the Bishop’s Company helped their son say ‘I love you’ to them forthe first time. PHOTOS BY MICHAEL HUDSON

Bishop’s Company changes boy’s lifeParentsexpressthanks

Delores Lawrence (centre) with Archbishop Colin Johnson and ShirleyDrayton.

From left: Brenda Valenteyn, the Rev. Maurice Francois, Mary Scarfo, the Rev. Kevin Robertson, Mohan Shar-ma and Mary Conliffe.

10 TheAnglican Summer Issue, 2013NEWS

BY CAROLYN PURDEN

THE central and prophetic role ofcathedrals in cities formed the fo-cus of the North American DeansConference, held in Toronto inApril.

Held annually for more than 60years, the event attracted 94 An-glican deans and their partnersand spouses. The gathering is anoccasion for deans from the Unit-ed States and Canada to get to-gether for theological discussionand reflection about their min-istry.

“It’s one of the nicest of the ec-clesiastical conferences,” saysDean Douglas Stoute of St. JamesCathedral, who hosted the meet-ing. “There is no political agenda.”

Meeting in Toronto for the firsttime, the deans discussed the fu-ture of liberal theology, the city asthe dominant unit in contempo-rary culture, and the relationshipbetween the church and Islam inthe United States and Canada.

One of the speakers was MaryRowe, vice president and manag-ing director of the Municipal ArtSociety of New York City. In an in-terview after the conference, shesaid certain key cities areprophetic because of what theytell us about culture and civiliza-tion.

“The challenges you find in acity—the particular things thatare dominant in the city’s civiclife—are important indicators to

us of what our culture or civiliza-tion should be concerned about,”she said.

Cathedrals are in a unique posi-tion, she added, because they areoften located downtown, in thecentre of the city, and they con-nect with other meeting places.“Cathedrals are to the ecclesiasti-cal community what cities are tocivilization,” she said. “They pro-vide a unique experience of place,a spirituality of place. They giveyou an opportunity to connectwith ‘the other’—folks who aren’tlike you. They’re meeting placesfor diversities of all kinds.”

Another speaker, the Rev.Michael Blair of the UnitedChurch of Canada, talked aboutthe theological underpinnings of

understanding homelessness. Hedescribed how a city becomeshome, and talked about homeless-ness as not merely the lack of aroof, but also a lack of attachmentto the community. An antidote tothis kind of homelessness couldbe membership in a faith commu-nity, he said.

A third speaker, Rosanne Hag-gerty, also talked about homeless-ness. An internationally recog-nized leader in developing innova-tive strategies to end homeless-ness and strengthen communi-ties, she talked about providingthe supports that homeless peopleneed, rather than simply lookingfor shelter.

“What we found was we wereall talking about the sense of be-

longing and attachment and whatcathedrals could do to supportthat,” Ms. Rowe said.

The deans also visited the newbuilding development in nearbyRegent Park. Dean Stoute pointedout that the northern part of theoriginal housing complex wasbuilt on land donated by thecathedral in the 1940s and ’50s.

Another highlight of the confer-ence was a presentation by DeanHosam Naoum of St. George’sCathedral in Jerusalem. An Is-raeli Palestinian Christian, hetalked about what had happenedto the church in Israel from the1950s, when Christians made up28 per cent of the population, to to-day, when they make up only twoper cent.

Dean Naoum said political ges-tures, such as the boycott of Is-raeli fruit, are not helpful. Rather,he called for wisdom in trying tosettle the centuries-old challengesof the Middle East conflict.

Bill Graham, the former Liberalminister of foreign affairs and na-tional defense, gave a presenta-tion on the often tricky relationsbetween Canada and the UnitedStates. In particular, he describedstep by step the reasons whyCanada did not go into Iraq in sup-port of the United States.

“He spoke about U.S.-Canadianrelations in a very personal waythat certainly the Americansfound extremely enlightening,”says Dean Stoute.

Area bidsfarewellto bishopPatience,energyappreciated

Clockwise from top left: the Rev. Canon John Read speaks to the crowd, accompanied by the Rev. Darryl Wright and the Rev. Nicola Skinner; RoseScott from St. Margaret, Barrie, greets Bishop Elliott; Bishop Elliott, his wife Linda, their children and a group from All Saints, Markham, enjoythe festivities; well-wishers tuck into the food; the David Dunlop Trio provides music. PHOTOS BY MICHAEL HUDSON

Anglican deans and their partners and spouses from across NorthAmerica gather outside St. James Cathedral. PHOTO BY MICHAEL HUDSON

BY THE REV. STEPHEN PESSAH

ITwas a day of mixed emotions asboth the clergy and laity of York-Simcoe gathered on April 21 at St.George, Allandale, in Barrie, tocelebrate with Bishop George El-liott and his wife, Linda, 12 yearsof episcopal ministry. Bishop El-liott retired as area bishop onApril 30.

By the start of the event at 3p.m., the church hall was alreadyfull; by the time the event ended,the crowd had swelled to morethan 300 people. This in itself wasa testimony to the impact BishopElliott and Linda had on the livesof those in York-Simcoe and inthe diocese.

The event transpired againstthe backdrop of the David DunlapTrio, which provided music.This, combined with the superbcatering efforts of Beth Huntfrom the Globe Restaurant inRosemont, created a delightfulatmosphere in which people wereable to engage in a time of infor-mal sharing with our belovedbishop.

The sharing culminated in agift presentation made by theRev. Nicola Skinner, the regionaldean of Holland deanery, and aspeech by the Rev. Canon JohnRead, the regional dean of York-Central deanery. Canon Read’sspeech expressed the feelings andsentiments of those gathered. Hehighlighted Bishop Elliott andLinda’s remarkable gift of hospi-tality and Bishop Elliott’s keensense of humour.

On matters of pastoral care, itwas noted that Bishop Elliott ex-ercised great patience and bound-less energy as he sought to pro-vide spiritual care and nurture toboth his clergy and laity. His con-cern for his people has been feltby so many in very real and tangi-ble ways. Whether it was a visit ata difficult time, or simply a wordof encouragement to help us be-lieve in better days ahead, we areall better for his presence in ourlives. We were then reminded ofthat one gift Bishop Elliott hasshared throughout the years toexpress God’s love in ways thatwords simply cannot—his gift ofmusic. I suspect his sung Blessingwill be that one defining featurewe will miss the most! As weraised our glasses in a toast toBishop Elliott and Linda, it be-came clear in the moment that wewere not just sending our bishopinto retirement with our bless-ings, but we were saying farewellto a dear friend.

The Rev. Stephen Pessah is theincumbent of St. Margaret, Barrie.

Deans meet for first time in Toronto

BY STUART MANN

IT was a chance discovery thatopened a window into the past,and planted the seeds for a spe-cial service at St. James Cathe-dral in September.

In 2010, members of the Ecclesi-astical Needleworkers were mov-ing back into their quarters at theDiocesan Centre when they un-packed a picture of hands pray-

ing. Curious, they turned it overand saw an inscription on theback. It read: “Presented to theEcclesiastical Needlework Com-mittee on the Fiftieth Anniver-sary, 1913 to 1963. By the chair-man, Mrs. Philip Tipping.”

To their astonishment, theneedleworkers realized that theirgroup was nearly 100 years old.“It was quite surprising andsomewhat overwhelming,” says

Ruth Briffett, coordinator of thegroup.

The Ecclesiastical Needlework-ers is one of the diocese’s bestkept secrets. Each Monday fromSeptember to June, about 14women gather in the ACW’s of-fice to create beautiful vestments,linens and other hand-madegoods for churches.

Seated around a large table, thewomen chat amicably while they

work with needle and thread.Some work only on linens—altarcloths, purificators (the clothused to clean the chalice), corpo-rals (the small, square cloth onwhich the chalice and host areplaced during the eucharist) andpalls (the cloth used to cover thechalice). The rest create vest-ments, altar frontals, lecternhangings and even bookmarks.They also restore and repair

items. Their creations grace churches

across Canada, the United Statesand overseas. A few years ago,they repaired a century-old silkcope and mitre for the Diocese ofWestern New York. They sentlinens and vestments to an Angli-can church in Biloxi, Mississippi,that was wiped out by HurricaneKatrina. They sent purificators toan Anglican church in Turkeythat was using Kleenex to wipethe chalice.

Closer to home, the group hascreated hundreds of items forchurches in the diocese, includinga set of black vestments for St.Thomas, Huron Street, last year.They’ve also created vestmentsand linens for churches in remoteparts of Canada.

“The original directive of thegroup was to supply small linensand silkwork to missionarychurches free of charge, and thiswould be paid for by selling thesame items to churches thatcould afford to pay,” says Ms. Brif-fett. “That still happens.”

The group has had a colourfulhistory. It was founded in 1913 asa sub-committee of the DorcasDepartment (“dorcas” meanssewing work) to “help meet theneeds of poor branches in themission field for such articles aswill tend to beautify and aid inpromoting the spirit of worship.”The women met at St. JamesCathedral and worked with linenand silk that was imported fromEngland.

An exhibition by the needle-workers in 1962 drew more than500 people. To mark the AnglicanCongress in Toronto in 1963, fivestoles from the cathedral were re-paired and used by priests duringthe congress’s many services.One stole required 253 hours ofwork to complete.

In 1976, a set of eucharisticvestments was given to the Sister-hood of St. John the Divine inmemory of Mae Ricciardelli, amember of the needleworkerswho had taught the art of silk em-broidery to more than 150 womenover the years.

To celebrate their 100th an-niversary, the needleworkers areholding a special service at St.James Cathedral on Sept. 28 at 11a.m. All are invited. The servicewill be followed by a light lunch.A display of their work will beheld at the cathedral beginningSept. 28.

The group is looking for newmembers. “You need to havesome basic sewing skills,” saysMs. Briffett. “If you have that,we’ll teach you the rest.” In addi-tion to their Monday gatherings,the group hosts a Christmas din-ner and a lunch in June. Anyoneinterested in joining the groupshould contact Ms. Briffett at theACW office, 416-363-0018, on Mon-days from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The needleworkers in 1963. Back row, from left: Mrs. Philip Tipping, Mrs. J. B. Moody, Mrs. D. Egles, Mrs. G.Yule, Mrs. G.H. Henstridge and Mrs. O. Gray. From row, from left: Mrs. W. Lenner, Mrs. F. E. Chappell, T. A.Dashwood, Mrs. J. R. Morrison, Mrs. H. Hall and Mrs. E. Monkman. PHOTO BY GILBERT MILNE

Sewing a design.

Summer Issue, 2013 TheAnglican 11FEATURE

Embroidering a veil to cover achalice.

Repairing embroidery for the or-phery band of a cope.

The needleworkers today, seated from left: Shannon Quigley (a visitor for the day), Louise Reid and Jean Newell. Standing from left: Anne Robson,Joyce Connell, Ruth Briffett, Ruth Burritt, Ann Westgate, Peggy Perkins, Ann Klobucar and Sheila Wilgar. PHOTOS BY MICHAEL HUDSON

Made with graceWomen bless churches with a century of needlework

12 TheAnglican Summer Issue, 2013NEWS

PROUD DAYFifty churchwardens in the York-Credit Valley episcopal area, cler-gy and Bishop Philip Poole gatherfor a photo after a churchwardenscommissioning service at St. Pe-ter, Erindale on April 7. At left,Maria Jordan, the rector’s wardenof St. John, Weston, says a fewwords about her church. PHOTOSBY MICHAEL HUDSON

BY MURRAY MACADAM

ADVOCACY work in the diocesetook a dramatic turn at manyparish vestry meetings this yearwhen the agenda included a mo-tion urging the federal govern-ment to repeal its new refugeelaw, the Protecting Canada’s Im-migration System Act, oftenknown as Bill C-31.

The law, passed in June, 2012,has aroused considerable concernamong people who work withrefugee claimants because ittreats people differently accord-ing to where they are from andhow they arrived in Canada. It im-poses short timelines for prepar-ing refugee claims, and bars ac-cess to the appeals process forsome people. Our bishops en-dorsed the vestry motion cam-paign, which was launched by thediocese’s Social Justice and Advo-cacy Committee.

Anne Woolger, who works withrefugee claimants in Toronto atMatthew House Refugee Recep-tion Services, is alarmed at thenew law’s repercussions. The newsystem gives some claimants only15 days to compile their stories ofpersecution and to provide evi-dence. “If someone has docu-ments in a country from whichthey fled and fear to contact, howcan they easily access them with-in 15 days? Or if a woman hasbeen brutally raped or tortured,how likely is she to quickly openup within two weeks of arrival topeople she hardly knows in Cana-da and recount her horrific expe-rience?”

New rules that could place inno-cent refugees in detention for upto a year are both upsetting andviolate international law, sheadds. “I have seen teens whospent just a day or two in our localdetention centres and arrived atour shelter in tears, traumatizedby the experience. I can’t imaginewhat months in a detention centrewould do.”

Some Anglicans asked why thediocese did not suggest changesto the new law, rather than call forits repeal. However, people famil-iar with refugee issues felt thatthe law contains so many negativefeatures that repeal is the bestcourse.

Nearly 70 parishes had passed

the vestry motion by mid-April.While sometimes the motionpassed with little debate, at othertimes discussion was lively. “Wespent more time discussing thismotion than the budget,” says theRev. David Harrison, the incum-bent of St. Mary Magdalene,Toronto. “The discussion was an-imated and passionate. When Iasked for someone to move andsecond the motion, I was met witha flurry of raised hands.”

Elin Goulden from St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Toronto, was alsoencouraged by the number of peo-ple at her parish who spoke oftheir connections to refugees orhow they had seen refugees im-pacted by the new legislation. Alaw clerk offered to volunteer herservices to help refugees submittheir claims.

The campaign led to consider-able learning about the law andrelated refugee process issues.Several educational events wereorganized at parishes. Informa-tion materials were produced andsent to parishes, including a re-flection paper on our Christiancalling to care for the strangerswithin our midst. Nonetheless,some parishes felt they didn’tknow about the new law or relat-ed issues, and chose not to pres-ent the motion.

Archbishop Colin Johnson haswritten to clergy to thank themfor their support of this campaign.He has also written to Jason Ken-ney, minister of Citizenship, Immi-gration and Multiculturalism, toinform him of the depth of Angli-can concern about the new law,and to affirm that Anglicans in thediocese are willing to work withhim and his government on posi-tive alternatives.

The refugee motion campaignis one step in an ongoing effort toexpand awareness about the caus-es that lead people to flee to coun-tries such as Canada, and how An-glicans here can support them.

To learn more about how youcan welcome refugees in yourcommunity and about follow-uprefugee advocacy efforts, visitwww.toronto.anglican.ca/sjac, orcontact Murray MacAdam, thediocese’s Social Justice and Advo-cacy consultant,at mmacadam@toronto.anglican.ca.

Vestry motionsparks actionfor refugees

CANADABRIEFSWest Coast bishopsto retireBishop James Cowan and BishopMichael Ingham are retiring onAug. 31. Bishop Cowan is thebishop of the Diocese of BritishColumbia, which comprises Van-couver Island and several gulf is-lands. Bishop Ingham is the bish-op of the Diocese of New West-minster, which extends fromPowell River and the SunshineCoast through to Hope and in-cludes the major urban and sub-urban areas around Vancouver.The Diocesan Post

Amanda Todd’s motherat cathedral eventFifty adults and young people, in-cluding the mother of AmandaTodd, the British Columbiateenager who committed suicideafter being bullied, gathered atChrist Church Cathedral in Van-couver to watch a movie and takepart in a discussion on bullying.After the event, the Rev. DavidTaylor, the associate priest of St.Mary, Kerrisdale, led a “Walk ofAwareness” to the waterfront,where participants put flowers inthe water, offered prayers ofhope and made a commitment tobe agents of change. Topic

Ashes, blessingsgreet commuters

As train commuters hurriedthrough a station in Edmontonon Ash Wednesday, they were

greeted by three Anglicanpriests in full vestments, includ-ing Bishop Jane Alexander.While many commuters smiledand kept walking, some stoppedto receive a blessing and the signof the cross in ashes on theirforeheads. On her way to theUniversity of Alberta to teach aclass, Wendy Edey said she was“thrilled” to receive a blessingand the sign of the cross fromBishop Alexander, and wonderedwhat her students would think ofit. “I can’t recall anything thatBishop Jane said in her blessing,because the moment she startedto speak, I was overcome withthe impulse to cry,” said Ms.Edey, who is legally blind. The Messenger

Feet washed indrive-throughOn Maundy Thursday, theChurch of the Resurrection inHamilton held a drive-throughfeet washing ceremony in thechurch’s driveway. As the carspulled up and the drivers got outand sat down, the Rev. MikeDeed, assisted by the Rev. LeonBurke, washed their feet. It wasthe fourth year the parish hasheld the event. Niagara Anglican

Fishing fleet blessedTrinity Church in Port Burwell,Ont., held a “blessing of the nets”service in March on the west sideof the harbour, where the com-mercial fishing boats were in drydock until the fishing season be-gan. There has been a commer-cial fishery on Lake Erie formore than 100 years. There was arecord turnout for the service.The priest blessed the fleet “fromthe dangers of wind and rain and

any perils from the deep.” Afterthe service, everyone enjoyedfish-shaped cookies and hotchocolate provided by thechurch. Huron Church News

Padre appointedto top jobColonel the Rev. Canon JohnFletcher, an honorary assistantat All Saints, Westboro, in theDiocese of Ottawa, has been ap-pointed chaplain general of theCanadian Forces. Canon Fletcherjoined the Canadian Forces in1980 and started in full-timechaplaincy there in 1989. Since2008, he has been the director ofChaplaincy Services, responsiblefor recruiting chaplains, training,education and policy. He suc-ceeds Brigadier General the Rev.Karl McLean, also an Anglicanpadre, who is retiring. Crosstalk

Church makesdoughnuts to paveparking lotPaul Skanes, who was baptizedat All Saints church in Kingston,Nova Scotia, more than 50 yearsago, came back to help thechurch in an unusual way. Mr.Skanes, who is the owner and op-erator of Mini Donut Express,agreed to spend the day at thechurch, cooking up doughnuts toraise money to repave the park-ing lot. The church advertisedaround town, and many peoplecame to buy the “warm-from-the-church-kitchen” miniaturedoughnuts. Almost 400 boxeswere sold, giving a much appre-ciated boost to the parking lotfund. The Diocesan Times

Campaign raises awareness

Summer Issue, 2013 TheAnglican 13PARISH NEWSStorytellers makeBible come aliveA small group of people gather ina circle, alert and attentive, as thestoryteller begins the tale. Will itbe about Ruth following her moth-er-in-law to a strange land, orDaniel miraculously surviving anight in a den of lions? Or will itbe a story about Jesus and his fol-lowers as they travel the country-side of Galilee, healing the sickand giving hope to the poor?

People have forgotten that onceupon a time the Bible was not aprinted book but stories faithfullypassed on from generation to gen-eration. In cultures where therewas a strong oral tradition, thestories were carefully nurturedand remembered, and the talesbecame the Living Word.

This tradition has begun togrow again. Seven years ago,members of St. John, Blackstock,were introduced to the disciplineof Biblical storytelling, and nowthey regularly tell the storiesrather than read them from theBible. It has brought the stories tolife and made them easier to un-derstand.

The congregation uses the NewRevised Standard Version of theBible as its source, trying to befaithful both to the words and con-tent. Visits by the storytellers tonursing and retirement homes, lo-cal groups and clericus meetingshave been well received. They re-cently led a workshop at AllSaints, Whitby, which is now inthe process of forming its owngroup of storytellers.

On Oct. 18-19, the 4th AnnualFestival of Biblical Storytellers ofCanada, “Go Tell it on the Moun-tain,” will be held in RichmondHill. For more information on thefestival, visit the website atwww.biblicalstorytellingcan.ca.By Brenda Peever

Music fillscountry chapelNobody ever wants to see theirchurch closed, but it’s an experi-ence shared by many. The peopleof St. John, Tecumseth, experi-enced the closure of their churcha few years ago. But Anglicansare a resurrection people, andsigns of new life at St. John’semerged during Easter last year.

The Church of the Evangelists,New Tecumseth, was formed byamalgamating five congregations,bringing people together fromfour villages and the surroundingcountryside. Today, the parish hasits main church in Tottenham,with St. John’s as a chapel-of-easein the farm country about 10 min-utes away.

While most worship servicesand activities in the parish hap-pen at the Church of the Evangel-ists, the congregation was com-mitted to the faithful maintenanceand use of St. John’s Chapel. St.John’s has always been associatedwith the cemetery which sur-rounds it, located on about fouracres at the top of a gentle hill inthe countryside.

But St. John’s is more than justa focal point for the cemetery. Itwas also recognized that thechurch had wonderful acoustics.By the time the snow melted lastwinter, the seed of an idea hadtaken root. Local musicians band-

ed together to form a new choir,Harmonia. Tickets were sold, withproceeds directed to charities se-lected by the choirmaster, and St.John’s was filled with both musicand music-lovers. Rehearsals be-gan just after Easter, with a per-formance on the afternoon of Pen-tecost. The concert last springwas a great hit, filling the pews fora Sunday afternoon and filling theair with the glorious music of thistalented local choir.

This year, those seeds grew intosomething more. St. John’s hostednot one but three concerts. Thefirst, on April 28, featured the localHometown Bluegrass Band, cele-brating both Gospel and tradition-al bluegrass music. The secondconcert on May 26 saw the Harmo-nia choir return. And the thirdsummer concert on June 23 filledthe chapel with Baroque music.Each concert’s goal was to makebeautiful music accessible to thecommunity. The generosity of theperformers meant that ticketswere only $10, with a portion sup-porting the ministry of the parishand a portion shared with othercharities that do vital work in lo-cal communities.By Larry Moore

Jenny Beal from St. John, Black-stock, tells a story from the Bible.

St. John’s Chapel.

CONFIRMEDArchbishop Colin Johnson, 31 candidates and their sponsoring clergy gather outside St. James Cathedral after the annual Diocesan Confirmationon April 14. Confirmands came from Havergal College; St. Anne, Toronto; St. Bartholomew, Regent Park; St. Christopher, Richmond Hill; St. Columbaand All Hallows, Toronto; St. Cuthbert, Leaside; St. Hilary, Mississauga; St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Toronto and St. Michael and All Angels, Toronto.PHOTO BY MICHAEL HUDSON

NEW HOMEA group of young people and adults from St. Aidan, Toronto, join their hosts in a house they built during a10-day trip to Nicaragua to learn about partnering with others in community development. They spent timein an impoverished Managua barrio called Anexo Dios Proveera—the “God will provide” neighbourhood. To-gether with local leaders, families and agencies, they helped to build three houses and painted a stretch ofmural.

READY TO ROLLThe Rev. Simon Bell blesses bicycles in the courtyard of St. George the Martyr, Toronto, while Dan and JulieBrandsma and their two children and Nathan Klaehn (middle) look on. PHOTO BY MICHAEL HUDSON

Appointments• The Rev. Canon Maurice Fran-

cois, Honorary Canon, Cathe-dral Church of the Holy Family,Northern Mexico, March 30.

• The Rev. Judith Alltree, Inter-im Executive Director, Missionto Seafarers, April 1.

• The Rev. Jim Seagram, Priest-in-Charge, Prince of Peace,Wasaga Beach, April 1.

• The Rev. Andrew Sandilands,Associate Priest, Prince ofPeace, Wasaga Beach, andPriest-in-Charge, Church ofthe Good Shepherd, Stayner,April 1. 

• The Rev. Canon Harold Percy,Honorary Assistant, ChristChurch St. James, Toronto,April 15.

• The Rev. Dr. Peter Robinson,Honorary Assistant, TrinityEast (Little Trinity), Toronto,April 17.

• The Rev. Lee McNaughton (On-tario), Honorary Assistant,Trinity East (Little Trinity),Toronto, April 17.

• The Rev. Canon Paul Robinson(Edmonton), Honorary Assis-tant, Trinity, Aurora, April 18.

• The Rev. David Franks, Hon-orary Assistant, Trinity, Auro-ra, April 18.

• The Rt. Rev. Patrick White(Bermuda), Honorary Assis-tant, St. John, York Mills,Toronto, April 18.

• The Rev. Maggie Helwig, Inter-im Priest-in-Charge, St.Stephen-in-the-Fields, Toronto,May 1.

• The Rev. Margaret Rodrigues,Associate Priest, St. Philip, Eto-

bicoke, May 1.• The Rev. Canon Sister Con-

stance Joanna Gefvert SSJD,Interim Priest-in-Charge,Christ Memorial Church, Os-hawa, May 1.

• The Rev. Rachel Kessler, Asso-ciate Priest, Grace Church on-the-Hill, Toronto, May 1.

• The Rev. Jane Watanabe,Priest-in-Charge, St. John, Har-wood, May 1.

• Following ordination on May 5,the following transitional dea-cons were appointed AssistantCurates as follows:

1. The Rev. Randy Greve OHC– St. Hilary, Cooksville –starting May 15.

2. The Rev. Ian LaFleur – St.Andrew, Scarborough –starting October 1.

3. The Rev. Mark Regis – St.Paul, Bloor Street, Toronto– starting May 5.

4. The Rev. Kevin Wong – St.Luke, East York, Toronto –starting May 5.

• The Rev. Sonia Hinds, Inter-im Priest-in-Charge, St.Columba and All Hallows,Toronto, May 12.

• The Rev. Pam Trondson, Asso-ciate Priest, St. Paul, Newmar-ket, May 15.

• The Rev. Beth Pessah, Incum-bent, Parish of North Essa,May 15.

• The Rev. Allan Kirk, HonoraryAssistant, St. Theodore ofCanterbury, May 27.

• The Rev. Erin Martin, Incum-bent, St. James the Apostle,Sharon, June 1.

• The Rev. Joanna Manning, As-

sociate Priest, All Saints, Sher-bourne Street, Toronto, June 1.

• The Rev. Gus Constantinides,Priest-in-Charge, St. Michaeland All Angels, June 1.

• The Rev. Mary Bell-Plouffe, In-terim Priest-in-Charge, St.Barnabas, Peterborough, July 1.

• The Rev. Vernal Savage, Inter-im Priest-in-Charge, St.Matthew the Apostle, Oriole,July 1.

• The Rev. Philip Der, Incum-bent, St. Christopher, Rich-mond Hill, Sept. 1.

• Ms. Adrienne Clements (to beordained on Sept. 8 in the Dio-cese of Montreal), AssistantCurate, St. Timothy, Agincourt,Sept. 9. 

Vacant Incumbencies Clergy from outside the diocesewith the permission of theirbishop may apply throughMary Conliffe.

First Phase - Parish SelectionCommittee in Formation(not yet receiving names): • Parish of Bobcaygeon,

Dunsford & Burnt River• Christ Memorial Church, Os-

hawa• Holy Spirit, Dixie North, Mis-

sissauga• Holy Family, Heart Lake• Parish of Roche’s Point • St. Matthew, Oriole

Second Phase - Parish Selection Committee Receiving Names (via Area Bishop): • St. John the Evangelist, Port

Hope (Trent-Durham)• St. James, Caledon East

(York-Credit Valley)

Third Phase - Parish Selection Committee Interviewing (not receiving names): • St. George-on-Yonge• All Saints, Collingwood

Retirement• The Rev. Bryan Beveridge has

announced his retirement. Hislast Sunday at St. Peter,Cobourg, will be Aug. 25. 

Conclusions• The Rev. Douglas Jacques con-

cluded his ministry as Hon-orary Assistant at St. Matthew,Oriole, on April 22. 

Ordinations• The Rev. Jo-Anne Billinger was

ordained a priest at St. Mary,Richmond Hill, on July 14.

Deaths• The Rev. Canon Robert Bruce

Mutch died on April 5. Or-dained in 1951 in the Diocese ofMontreal, he came to the Dio-cese of Toronto in 1970 fromNagoya, Japan. He served asRector of St. Theodore of Can-terbury from 1970 to 1980, thenas Incumbent of St. Philip, Eto-bicoke, until his retirement in1990. In retirement he servedas Honorary Assistant at HolyTrinity, Ajax, then St. Thomas,Huron Street, Toronto. His fu-neral was held on April 11 atSt. Thomas, Huron Street,Toronto.

• The Rev. Canon John Fralickdied on April 14. Ordained in1954, he served as AssistantCurate at St. John, West Toron-to, Incumbent of the Parish ofElmvale, then St. John the Di-vine, Scarborough, and was

Rector of St. James, Orillia,from 1969 until his retirementin 1988. In retirement, he wasan Honorary Assistant at St.Andrew, Alliston, and St. Paul,Innisfil. His funeral was held atSt. Paul, Innisfil, on April 19. 

• The Rev. Dr. Michael Lloyddied on April 21. Ordained inthe Diocese of Montreal in1963, he officially came onstrength of the Diocese ofToronto in 2005, although hehad had informal permissionwhile working at ChurchHouse as Director of the An-glican Book Centre from 1968 -1995. Since 1998 he had servedas Associate Priest at AllSaints, Kingsway, Toronto, andlatterly was also Honorary As-sistant at St. George-on-the-Hill, Toronto. His funeral washeld on April 26 at All Saints,Kingsway. 

• The Rev. Owen Robinson (Pat)Orr died on June 2. Ordainedin the Diocese of Huron in1951, he served in the Dioceseof Toronto at the followingparishes: St. Anne, Toronto;St. Mark, Parkdale, Toronto;Redeemer, Toronto; Port Perry& Brooklin; St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Toronto; St. Crispin,Scarborough; St. Paul, Run-nymede; St. Peter, Scarbor-ough; and was chaplain to theScarborough and TorontoWest Nursing Homes prior tohis retirement in 1988. In re-tirement, he made himselfavailable for a number of in-terim ministries, most notablyat St. Mary & St. Cyprian,Toronto. His funeral was heldat Trinity College Chapel onJune 15.

14 TheAnglican Summer Issue, 2013IN MOTION

To submit items for LookingAhead, email hpaukov@toronto.anglican.ca. The deadline for theOctober issue is September 1.Parishes can also promote theirevents on the diocese’s website Cal-endar, at www.toronto.anglican.ca.

WorshipJULY 29 – Patronal Festival at St.Olave, Swansea, 360 WindermereAve., Toronto, with Festive Even-song at 6 p.m., followed by barbe-cue at 6:30 p.m. Bring friends andneighbours. Contributions appre-ciated. For more details, call 416-769-5686 or visit www.stolaves.ca.SEPT. 15 – Christ Church, HollandLanding, invites all to a specialservice of celebration and HolyCommunion to mark its 170 yearsof service  in the community.Archbishop Colin Johnson willpreside. For more details, visitwww.christchurchhollandland-ing.ca or call 905-853-7623.

EducationalJULY 2 – AUG. 30 – All youth aged13 to 18 are invited to a YouthMentorship Program with inFUSEYouth at St. Simon the Apostle,525 Bloor St. E., in Toronto. Partic-

ipate in experiential workshopsdesigned to build leadershipskills, partner with community or-ganizations and conclude thesummer with a camping retreat.Call 416-923-8714, ext. 201 or chil-drensministry@stsimons.ca. Visithttp://infuseyouthtoronto.org/. JULY 29- AUG. 23 – Various sum-mer day camps for kids aged 3 to12 are being offered by St. Simonthe Apostle in Toronto during themonth of August. For details, visithttp://www.stsimons.ca/, call 416-923-8714, ext. 201, or email chil-drensministry@stsimons.ca.

SocialJULY 17 – Mad Hatter’s Tea Partyfrom noon to 2 p.m., served byyoung people from the inFUSEYouth mentorship program at St.Simon the Apostle, 525 Bloor St.E., in Toronto. Bring out your fan-cy hats and tea cups! Suggesteddonation of $5 per person in sup-port of inFUSE Youth Toronto.Call 416-923-8714, ext. 201 or of-fice@stsimons.ca.

Music/ArtJULY 26 – The young people of in-FUSE youth, a mentorship pro-gram at St. Simon the Apostle,

Toronto, will host an open micnight at 7:30 p.m. Come and enjoythe talent in our city; bring an in-strument, a poem or somethingelse to share! A free-will offeringwill be taken in support of inFUSEYouth Toronto. Call 416-923-8714,ext. 201, or email office@stsi-mons.ca.AUG. 1 – All are invited to a concertwith singer/songwriter Steve Bellat 7:30 p.m. at St. Simon the Apos-tle, 525 Bloor St. E., in Toronto.Tickets for $15 may be purchasedat St. Simon’s, Crux bookstore orthrough www.stevebell.com. Pro-ceeds will support inFUSE YouthToronto, a youth mentorship pro-gram at St. Simon’s. Call 416-923-8714, ext. 201, or visit office@stsi-mons.ca.AUG. 25 – St. Hilary (Cooksville),2055 Hurontario St., in Missis-sauga, invites all to a concert andgarden party with the RichardWhiteman Jazz Trio, at 3 p.m. St.Hilary’s garden is under the careof master gardener CharlesBrown and has received awardsfrom Communities in Bloom.Bring a non-perishable food itemor make a donation to Saint Hi-lary’s Food Cupboard. For moreinformation, contact St. Hilary’s at905-279-2304 or sainthilary@bell-net.ca.

Looking Ahead

PLEASE RECYCLE THIS NEWSPAPER. Give it to a friend.

AnglicanClassifiedsSummer Issue, 2013 15

Moses was not allowedby God to enter thePromised Land. Hedied on the east side

of the Jordan River. After a 30-day period of mourning, Joshua,the appointed successor toMoses, led the Israelites acrossthe river. They had finally ar-rived at their destination.

According to the Book ofJoshua, Canaan was quicklyconquered. Other books of theBible, however, do not supportthis view. In the Book of Judges,we read that the cities in thesouth were not captured untilsome years after Joshua’s death.Judges 1 gives a long list ofplaces from which the Canaan-ites were not expelled.

Also, the archaeological evi-dence contradicts the picture inJoshua. When cities were de-stroyed in the ancient world,they were usually levelled andnew cities built on top of therubble. These slowly risingmounds are called “tells,” andeach successive layer representsa destroyed city. However, littleevidence has been found show-ing destruction in Canaan in the13th century BCE. Some of thesites that were recorded as be-ing destroyed by Joshua werenot occupied during this period.The two most important centres,Jericho and Ai, were destroyedsome 200 years before Joshua.These cities were uninhabited in1250 BCE.

During this period of history,there was much upheavalthroughout the Mediterraneanworld. There were the Trojanwars, the Hittites were invadingAsia-Minor, populations weremoving, groups were revoltingagainst their overlords, andsome of the ancient gods werebeing replaced. The Philistines,boat people from Greece, ar-rived in Canaan about this timeand settled on the coast in thesouth, the area now called theGaza Strip. These new arrivalswould encounter the Israelitesduring the next couple of cen-turies, and it is from thePhilistines that we got the namePalestine.

There is evidence suggestingunrest among some of theCanaanite tribes against theirrulers. It is into this land thatthe children of Israel arrivedabout 1250 BCE. I think the Is-raelites settled into the moremountainous central highlands,which were sparsely populated,and may have joined up with

some of the Canaanite tribesthat were in revolt. Again, ar-chaeological evidence has dis-covered a number of new smallCanaanite villages establishedduring the 12th and 13th cen-turies BCE in this area, and, in-terestingly, most contained nopig bones! Many of these placesare mentioned in the HebrewBible.

We also have the MerneptahStele, erected in 1204 BCE,which is the first archaeologicalsign that the Israelites existed.A stele is a large rock with anengraved message on it. On thisstele, Merneptah, the Pharaoh ofEgypt, boasted that he had de-stroyed the Hebrew people. Thiswas only an idle boast, but it didshow that there was an identifi-able people called the Hebrewsin Canaan by 1204 BCE.

We must remember that theseBiblical stories were recordedsome centuries after the eventstook place. The writers were us-ing a number of differentsources, many oral, and thesefolk tales about their past he-roes would be retold and embel-lished over the years. I believethe scriptures were inspired byGod, but not dictated by Him.They were written by human be-ings, with all the foibles we pos-sess.

The story of Rahab, the prosti-tute in Jericho who helped theHebrew spies and later becamea member of the Hebrew people,was probably recorded to ex-plain how some of the Canaanitepeople had joined up with theHebrews when they entered theland. The Israelites in 1250 BCEprobably only numbered a fewthousand people.

As the Israelites joined someof the local Canaanite tribes, thepeople gradually movedthroughout the land and settledinto various areas. These areashelped shape the tribes of Israel.This tribal structure developedbecause of natural divisions inthe land. Their God, Yahweh,who helped the escaped slavesthrough their long sojourn inthe desert, was accepted as theGod of this new nation as itstruggled for identity in Canaan.These are exciting and fascinat-ing stories about the beginningof this holy nation living in obe-dience to their one God.

The Rev. Canon Don Beatty isan honorary assistant at St.Luke, Dixie South, Mississauga.

Israelites enterPromised Land

READING THE BIBLEBY THE REV. CANON DON BEATTY

TO PLACE AN AD CALL CAROL 905.833 .6200 EXT. 25

PRAYER CYCLE

FOR JULY1. North House Shelter, Beaverton

(FaithWorks)2. St. Barnabas, Chester3. St. Columba & All Hallows (Toronto)4. St. David, Donlands5. St. John the Baptist, Norway6. St. Luke, East York7. St. Mathew, First Avenue (Toronto)8. North Peel Deanery9. St. Monica (Toronto)10. St. Saviour, Toronto11. Dunn Avenue Supportive Housing

Services (LOFT).12. Christ Church, Bolton13. Christ Church, Brampton14. Holy Family, Heart Lake (Brampton)15. John Gibson House (LOFT)16. St. James, Caledon East17. St. James the Apostle, Brampton18. St. Joseph of Nazareth, Bramalea19. St. Jude, Bramalea North20. Trinity Church, Campbell’s Cross

21. Church of the Advent (Toronto)22. Toronto West Deanery23. Good Shepherd, Mount Dennis24. St. Chad (Toronto)25. St. Hilda, Fairbank (Toronto)26. St. John, West Toronto28. St. Martin in-the-Fields29. St. James Deanery30. St. Olave, Swansea31. St. Paul, Runnymede (Toronto)

FOR AUGUST 1. All Saints, Sherbourne2. Holy Trinity, Trinity Square3. Redeemer, Bloor St.4. San Lorenzo Ruiz (Toronto)5. St. Anne’s Place (LOFT)6. St. Andrew by-the-Lake (Toronto Island)7. St. Bartholomew (Toronto)8. St. Paul, Bloor Street9. St. Peter, Carlton St. (Toronto)10. St. Simon-the-Apostle (Toronto)11. Trinity East (Little Trinity), Toronto12. Holland Deanery13. All Saints, King City14. Christ Church, Holland Landing15. Christ Church, Kettleby16. Christ Church, Roche’s Point17. St. Alban, Nobleton

18. Parish of Georgina (Summer)19. Mental Health and Justice Initiative

(LOFT)20. Parish of Georgina (Winter)21. St. James the Apostle, Sharon22. St. Mary Magdalene, Schomberg23. St. Paul, Jersey (Keswick)24. St. Paul, Newmarket25. Trinity Church, Aurora26. Victoria and Haliburton Deanery27. St. Peter on-the Rock, Stoney Lake28. Housing Network of Ontario29. Threshold Ministries30. Christ Church, Bobcaygeon31. Christ Church, Coboconk

FOR SEPTEMBER 1. St. George, Haliburton2. Volunteer Workers in Diocesan Ministry3. St. James, Fenelon Falls4. St. James, Kinmount5. Couchiching Jubilee House, Orillia

(FaithWorks)6. St. John, Dunsford7. St. Stephen, Downsview8. St. John, Rosedale9. The Bridge Prison Ministry, Brampton

(FaithWorks)10. St. Luke, Burnt River11. St. Margaret, Wilberforce12. St. Paul, Beaverton13. St. Paul, Lindsay14. St. Paul, Minden15. St. Peter, Maple Lake16. Parkdale Deanery17. Parish Nurses18. St. Thomas, Balsam Lake19. The Order of the Holy Cross20. St. Anne, Toronto21. St. George the Martyr, Parkdale22. St. Mary Magdalene23. Tecumseth Deanery24. St. Matthias, Bellwoods25. St. Stephen-in-the-Fields (Toronto)26. St. Thomas, Huron Street27. St. Andrew, Alliston28. St. David, Everett29. Parish of the Evangelists, New Tecumseth30. The Ecclesiastical Province of Ontario

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ORDAINEDFour candidates are ordained to the Sacred Order of Deacons at St. James Cathedral on May 5. Joining BishopPhilip Poole are, from left, the Rev. Mark Regis, the Rev. Kevin Wong, the Rev. Ian LaFleur and the Rev. RandyGreve OHC. PHOTO BY MICHAEL HUDSON

16 TheAnglican Summer Issue, 2013NEWS

BY HENRIETA PAUKOV

WHEN the Rev. Stephen Kernasked his congregation to walk,carpool or cycle to church onEarth Sunday, April 21, he led byexample. He cycled to St. Philip on-the-Hill in Unionville from hishome in Aurora. “It was great butit was cold!” he says about thehour-long, 29 km ride. “It was mi-nus two degrees Celsius when Ileft at 6:15 a.m. I didn’t get anyfrostbite or anything, so that wasgood. It was lovely to be cycling asthe sun was rising.”

The congregation got into it,too. “A couple of families cycledand walked so I’m encouragedabout that,” says Mr. Kern. “Ipreached on water issues and thesacredness of water.” The sameday, the church banned the use ofStyrofoam in favour of com-

postable cups, cutlery and plates.They have also made more sub-

stantial investments in environ-mental protection. During the re-cent Our Faith-Our Hope fundrais-ing campaign, the congregationmade greening the church one ofthe three focuses of fundraising.“We’ve made a steadfast progresson that,” says Mr. Kern. “We’vespent about $18,000 putting in ther-mal windows, which decrease ourheating costs and our air-condi-tioning costs, but are also helpingto lower our carbon footprint.”

The churchwardens are alsoleading a project to install LEDbulbs in some of the lights in thesanctuary and are investigatingthe costs of installing solar panelson the church’s large south-facingroof. “We feel it would be a wit-ness to the broader communitybecause we have a very busy

street out here, Kennedy Street,”says Mr. Kern. “It would be quite alooming visual on the church.”

Mr. Kern says he is pleased thatthe Diocese of Toronto encouragesparishes to celebrate Earth Sun-day (a bulletin insert for EarthSunday, from the Creation Matterscommittee, has been emailed toparishes for the past few years)and believes the environment is “agrowing and a critical issue for the

whole church. If we don’t take amuch more responsible attitude tohow we live and our relationshipto creation, how can we really wit-ness to our children the impor-tance of their lives and their well-being?”

Mr. Kern’s personal commit-ment to environmental protectionis not limited to Earth Sunday, ei-ther. He and his family recentlysaw the documentary film Revolu-

tion, which focuses on environ-mental degradation, and weredeeply affected by what they saw.They made a list of things theycould change in their daily lives tohelp reduce their impact on theenvironment.

“Cycling more is a part of that,”he says. “I’m going to commit tocycle a couple of times a weekfrom Aurora to Unionville duringthe summer months.”

Priest cyclesto work onEarth SundayChurch makes changesto help environment

The Rev. Stephen Kern stops outside St. Philip-on-the-Hill, Unionville, after cycling from his home in Aurora.PHOTO BY MICHAEL HUDSON

BY MURRAY MACADAM

POVERTY has spread so deeply in-to Canadian society that middle-class people and their childrenare now feeling its bite. Faith tra-ditions, however, can inspire peo-ple to think deeply about the soci-ety they want, and build an econ-omy in that spirit.

Those where the key findings ofa Queen’s Park forum on April 18called “Awakening the MiddleClass,” sponsored by the Inter-faith Social Assistance ReformCoalition. It attracted 100 faithleaders, as well as Premier Kath-leen Wynne and several cabinetministers. Bishop Philip Poole al-so attended, along with 10 otherAnglicans.

In a powerful theological reflec-tion, the Rev. Maggie Helwig,chair of the diocese’s Social Jus-tice and Advocacy Committee,contrasted the envy and fear bywhich so much of society is drivenand which divides us from one an-other, with the vision of solidaritythat underlies not just Christiani-ty but other major faith traditionsas well. “We are all part of one an-

other,” she noted. “When one issuffering, none are well. It is ourresponsibility to find ways ofspeaking and thinking about ourcommon life. We are able to tell adifferent story about ourselves,not a story about the accumula-tion of material goods to acquirestatus or ward off fear, not aboutself-protection as the ultimate val-ue, but a story about solidarity.”That can enable us to welcomeeach other and realize that every-one can have enough, instead ofbeing manipulated into thinkingthat “those people,” such as theundeserving poor and refugees,are the root of our problems, shesaid.

Keynote speaker Armine Yal-nizyan, an economist with theCanadian Centre for Policy Alter-natives and a CBC radio commen-tator, provided statistics to backup this message. More and moreCanadians struggle to pay for ba-sic needs such as housing and ed-ucation. Ontario’s poverty ratehas been growing during the pasttwo decades, and now stands atmore than 12 per cent. We cannotpromise our children that theywill remain in the middle class,she said. “People are worriedabout what’s going to happen tothem and their children.”

“This is not for a lack of mon-ey,” noted Ms. Yalnizyan. “Canada

is the 11th biggest economy in theworld.” The problem is that thebenefits of economic growth arenot being shared widely. The bot-tom 40 per cent of Canadian soci-ety is living on less money than inthe 1970s. Only 27 per cent of job-less workers in Ontario can ac-cess employment insurance bene-fits. Meanwhile low-paid workersnow make up 23 per cent of On-tario’s workforce, and the mini-mum wage has not been raised forthree years.

She zeroed in on the federalgovernment’s Temporary ForeignWorker program as an example ofwhat’s gone wrong. At a timewhen one in five young workers inToronto can’t find work, there arenow 340,000 foreign workers inCanada, many of them doing low-skilled work for highly profitablecorporations such as fast foodchains.

While outlining measures thatcould make a difference for low-income people, such as more af-fordable housing, Ms Yalnizyanalso reminded her listeners thatultimately this comes down totheir values and a vision for thecommon good. “At the end of theday, it’s the promise of abundantlife that we can offer to one anoth-er. The abundant life is in ourmidst. If we’re not committed tothis, we will all pay the price.”

Murray MacAdam is thediocese’s Social Justice andAdvocacy consultant.

Middle class feeling bite, forum toldCanadiansstrugglingto pay forbasic needs

Anglicans gather at Queen’s Park. From left: the Rev. Andrea Budgey,Elin Goulden, the Rev. Maggie Helwig, Bishop Philip Poole, Beth Baskin,Lanadee Lampman, Ruth Schembri, Murray MacAdam, Sue Ann Elite,Sheri Cameron. PHOTO BY MICHAEL HUDSON

BRIEFLYPaper returnsin SeptemberThe Anglican will not be pub-lished in August. It will return inSeptember. To stay informedover the summer, visit the dio-cese’s website, www.toronto.an-glican.ca. The staff and volun-teers of The Anglican wish you apleasant summer.

English bishop to bekeynote speakerBishop Stephen Cottrell of theDiocese of Chelmsford in Eng-land will be the keynote speakerat next year’s Clergy Confer-ence, to be held June 4-6 atBrock University in St.Catharines. He will speak on thetopic of “Making Christians.”

Fund providesvestments for bishopsDid you know that the diocesehas a Vestment Fund? The fundreceives donations from individ-uals and parish groups who areinterested in making donationsto provide vestments for newbishops. Donations by mail canbe made payable to the AnglicanDiocese of Toronto and sent tothe Diocesan Centre, 135 Ade-laide St. E., Toronto, ON, M5C1L8. To make gifts directly bycredit card, call An Tran in theStewardship Office at 416-363-6021, ext. 243.