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“It changes you in ways you can’t put into words.” This was Jeffery Hooper’s response to the three months he and his wife Michelle Taylor spent in Uganda with General Synod’s Theological Students International Internship Program (TSIIP). The Hooper-Taylors were in Toronto for a debriefing at the Canadian Churches Forum for Global Ministries from Oct. 15 to 18, along with TSIIP participant Nicolas Alexandre, who visited the Philippines.
In the single year since his appointment as executive director of philanthropy, Dr. Holland Hendrix has criss-crossed Canada, met many Anglicans, and laid a solid groundwork for new fundraising initiatives at parish, diocesan, and national levels. Also hard at work are a team of seven staff in the Department of Philanthropy, who are supporting the long-term plan to achieve sustained financial equilibrium for the whole church.
The following is a statement from Archbishop Fred Hiltz, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, in response to the Vatican’s announcement of an Apostolic Constitution earlier this week.
Today’s announcement of the Apostolic Constitution is a response by Pope Benedict XVI to a number of requests over the past few years to the Holy See from groups of Anglicans who wish to enter into full visible communion with the Roman Catholic Church, and are willing to declare that they share a common Catholic faith and accept the Petrine ministry as willed by Christ for his Church.
General Synod offices in Toronto have been experiencing email problems since late last week which might have delayed reception of emails sent to employees and departments. The sources of the problems were multiple and complex—in the words of IT manager Mariana Bell “a perfect storm.” We are hopeful that these email issues have now been resolved, although there will be another shorter outage on the weekend to put the finishing touches on the fixes.
We sincerely apologize for any inconveniences.
If two women—one in Yellowknife, one in Regina—hear the call to be priests in the Anglican Church of Canada, the steps they will take to become ordained are quite different. Although both will wear collars and be “the Rev.” in the end, their assessment and education will depend on their diocese’s unique program, which could range from an informal mentoring relationship to specific course requirements.
Just five months ago, the Rev. Canon Alyson Barnett-Cowan, General Synod’s director of Faith, Worship, and Ministry was considering a major life and ministry change. “I was taking a sabbatical, thinking, ‘maybe it’s time to leave and take a quiet parish. Or maybe take an early retirement, and put my feet up,’” she said in a recent interview.
Tomorrow, Oct. 1, is the last day on which you can respond to Vision 2019 and help plan the Anglican Church of Canada’s future priorities. Everyone is asked to answer the question, “Where is your church now, and where do you want the Anglican Church of Canada to be by 2019?” All responses will be heard and analyzed by a consultant and then a report will be presented at General Synod 2010.
The clock is ticking. Canadian Anglicans have until October 1 to send in their answers to the two-part Vision 2019 question, “Where is your church now, and where do you want the Anglican Church of Canada to be in 2019?” All responses will be heard and analyzed by an external consultant and then a report will be presented at General Synod 2010. This report will help shape the church’s future.
MinistryMatters, the magazine for Canadian Anglican leaders, has transformed into an online publication. The first fully online edition, Fall 2009, features the same assortment of ministry reflections and practical resources as the print version did, but with new elements of weekly columnists, a video feature, and the opportunity for readers to comment.
Canadian Anglicans have less than two weeks left to contribute to Vision 2019 before the Oct. 1 deadline. Already hundreds of people have sent in videos, emails, letters, and voice mails responding to the two-part question “Where is your church now, and where do you want the Anglican Church of Canada to be in 2019?”
In a kind of high-level pen pal relationship, theologians from five African dioceses are now exchanging essays about sexuality with theologians from three Canadian dioceses. Dr. Kawuki (Isaac) Mukasa, General Synod’s coordinator for dialogue, paired up dioceses during two trips to Africa, including visits to South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda from July 31 to Aug. 21.
In a ground-breaking event featuring Lutheran and Anglican youth from across the country, the National Planning Committee (NPC) for the 2010 gathering announces “Hands On” as the theme of next year’s gathering which is taking place August 19-22, 2010 in London, Ontario. Drawing from the text in Isaiah 64:8, “Yet, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand”, the gathering will explore how God calls us to use our hands to help shape the world around us.
The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has elected Nicholas Orogodo Okoh as its fourth Primate in succession to the Most Revd Peter Akinola.
Vision 2019 Sunday, Sept. 13, is the next big push to get Canadian Anglicans weighing in on the future of the church before the Oct. 1 deadline. Churches across Canada are gathering responses to the question, “Where is your church now, and where do you want the Anglican Church of Canada to be in 2019?” Already hundreds of thoughts have poured in: affirming, critical, in emails or in art—it’s been a healthy variety.