TheAnglicanGerman studentstays at convent

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Refugee family’sprayers answered

Course teachesChristian basics

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CHURCH CHEERS RUNNERS – SEE PAGE 12

THE NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF TORONTO A SECTION OF THE ANGLICAN JOURNAL www.toronto.anglican.ca JUNE 2016

VOLUNTEERS are still needed tohelp at General Synod, being heldJuly 7-12 in Richmond Hill. Possi-ble tasks include greeting dele-gates, providing on-site hospitali-ty, and staffing the registrationand information desks. Volun-teers will be reimbursed for trav-el to and from the hotel, receivemeals on site, have access to avolunteer lounge and receive theopportunity to observe some ofthe sessions of General Synod.

“I have attended many GeneralSynods and have made manyfriends who I still keep in touchwith,” says Margaret Shawyer, avolunteer. “If you can spare thetime, it is a very worthwhile expe-rience.”

If you’re interested, completethe application form on the dio-cese’s website, www.toronto.an-glican.ca, and return it to CynthiaMajewski at cynthia_majews-ki@hotmail.com or fax to PamelaBoisvert at 416-363-7678.

BY MARTHA HOLMEN

A small piece of Toronto has a fa-miliar new name. A laneway inthe St. Clair West and Bathurstarea is now officially known asBishop Arthur Brown Lane,thanks to the initiative of severallocal Anglicans.

Evelyn and Robert Longworth,long-time members of St. Michaeland All Angels, Toronto, firstheard about the project from DidiErb, the wife of the late Rev.Canon John Erb, a former incum-bent. “She said she was part of agroup getting various lanesnamed in Toronto,” says Mrs.Longworth. “She suggested Bish-op Brown, and I thought that wasperfect.”

Bishop Arthur Brown was theincumbent at St. Michael’s from1963 to 1981, when he was conse-crated suffragan bishop of Toron-to. “We were the first couple hemarried there, 51 years ago,” saysMrs. Longworth. Mr. Longworthwas also one of Bishop Brown’schurchwardens in the 1970s.

After hearing about the project,the Longworths learned that citycouncillor Joe Mihevc was askingWard 21 residents to submitnames that capture the spirit ofthe ward. “He encouraged peopleto submit names from varioustimes and places in the communi-ty,” says Mrs. Longworth.

Ten lanes in Ward 21 are beingnamed in 2016, with another 10 tofollow next year. The project is in-tended both to commemorate lo-cal history and to help first re-sponders and city services navi-gate the streets.

As part of their submission, theLongworths sent letters to every-one whose home backs onto thelane, which starts on WychwoodAvenue just opposite St.Michael’s and continues west al-most to Christie Street. “I musthave printed about 50 or 60 let-ters. Nobody complained,” saysMrs. Longworth.

In fact, she received several let-ters of support from neighbours.“One was from a woman who said

she didn’t go to the church, butshe knew how involved he hadbeen in the community,” she says.

Bishop Brown, his wife Normaand their three daughters lived inthe rectory next door to St.Michael’s and were active mem-bers of the neighbourhood. “Hewasn’t just a minister at thechurch; he got involved morethan someone who just showedup on Sunday morning. I think itwas because he had children inthe community,” says Mrs. Long-worth.

Perhaps his most lasting legacyin the area is the St. Michael andAll Angels Day Care Centre,founded in 1976 and still flourish-ing today. “The daycare wasfounded because there was noth-ing available for kids over twoyears old at that time,” says Mr.Longworth. “There was a privatedaycare in the church, but oncethe kids turned two and a half,they all had to go to different

places.”After he left St. Michael’s, Bish-

op Brown continued to provideadvice and financial support tothe daycare until his death in2011. One of his daughters, CarrieBrown, was the centre’s longest-serving supervisor.

The Longworths also want torecognize Bishop Brown’s advo-cacy around race relations andmulticulturalism, something he isstill known for across the diocese.“He was very active in promotingthe West Indian community, andhe had a strong sense of the of thecivil rights movement in theStates,” says Mr. Longworth.Bishop Brown invited many digni-taries to St. Michael’s over theyears, welcoming guests such asPremier Bill Davis and Archbish-op Desmond Tutu.

That welcome was also extend-ed to newcomers from around theworld, whom he invited to take onleadership roles in the church.

“He appointed our first black war-den and one of the first femalewardens probably in the diocese,”says Mr. Longworth. “St.Michael’s became a socially ac-tive church largely because ofhim.”

A ceremony to celebrate thenew name took place on April 29,with remarks, songs and an offi-cial unveiling of the sign. JoanneBrown, Bishop Brown’s daughter,the Very Rev. Duncan Abraham,dean emeritus of St. James Cathe-dral, and Councillor Mihevc at-tended.

City Councillor Joe Mihevc (kneeling) joins local Anglicans and friendsafter the dedication of Bishop Arthur Brown Lane near St. Michael andAll Angels, Toronto. Standing behind Councillor Mihevc is the Ven. Dun-can Abraham, a former dean of St. James Cathedral who took part in theceremony. At right is the late Bishop Arthur Brown. PHOTOS BY MICHAELHUDSON

Laneway named after bishopSignscelebratelocal history

Volunteersneeded forGeneral Synod

2 TheAnglican June 2016NEWS

BY RYAN WESTON

MORE than 125 people gathered inthe sanctuary of St. John, YorkMills on May 9 to take part in aquestion and answer session onsocial justice and public policywith Premier Kathleen Wynne.

Presented by the FaithWorksand Outreach Committee at St.John’s, along with Voices for aJust Society, a north Toronto ecu-

menical social justice network,the evening offered a unique op-portunity for parishioners andmembers of the wider communityto engage directly with the pre-mier on a number of key issuesfacing her government.

The Rev. Canon Drew MacDon-ald, incumbent of St. John’s,opened the gathering with aprayer and moderated the discus-sion throughout the evening. “The

reason for this event is that weare celebrating our 200th anniver-sary here at St. John’s,” he said,adding that this was just one in aseries of events to commemoratethe long history of the parish.

Premier Wynne began her re-marks by reflecting on a passagefrom St. Paul’s epistle to the Thes-salonians (5:11): “Wherefore com-fort yourselves together and edifyone another, even as also ye do.”

“‘Edify’ is one of the ApostlePaul’s favourite words andmetaphorical concepts, and trans-lated to the modern context itmeans to build up,” she told theaudience. “I started with this be-cause, when I talk about the planwe put in place in Ontario, it isabout building Ontario up. It isabout building us up. Now thatcan mean bridges and hospitals,but it can also be taken metaphor-ically, that our plan is about build-ing each other up. Because in avery basic sense, that’s what Ithink that we are here to do, andwhat all the faiths of the world askof us.”

Ms. Wynne also highlighted theimportant role of faith communi-ties in advocating for policychanges around social justice is-sues. “I think that there are many,many ways in which governmenthas to work with communities,”she said. “Where social justiceand poverty alleviation are con-cerned, the individual and non-government institutions, includ-ing faith groups, play criticalroles.

“We have a responsibility tolead, a responsibility to be alwaysfinding ways to build a provincethat takes care of its most vulner-able and helps everyone to livewith dignity and the independ-ence that they deserve. And thatwork is not done,” she continued.“That’s why you’re here to pushme, and I so appreciate that. It’svery important.”

Following the premier’s re-marks, the floor was opened forquestions, which covered a di-verse range of issues from socialassistance reform to medically as-sisted death, and from seniors’

housing needs to funding forautism therapies.

The premier’s visit was notwithout some controversy. Asmall group gathered at the en-trance to the church propertywith signs and leaflets challeng-ing the Ontario government’s pol-icy of ending the funding of Inten-sive Behavioural Interventiontherapy for children with autismonce they reach the age of five. In-side the sanctuary, representa-tives from Put Food in the Budget,a grassroots organization work-ing to end poverty, presented thepremier with a survey, held up abanner during her presentation,and then walked out in protest atthe beginning of the question andanswer session, encouraging oth-ers to join them.

Scott McDougall, a parishionerat St. John’s and one of the organ-izers of the premier’s visit, wasstill satisfied with the event andemphasized the importance of en-gaging with political representa-

Public engageswith premierat church

Premier Kathleen Wynne speaks at St. John, York Mills during a question and answer session. PHOTO BY MICHAELHUDSON

Faith groups lauded forbuilding up society

Continued on Page 3

June 2016 TheAnglican 3NEWS

New course teaches the basics

BY STUART MANN

THE Rev. Canon Judy Paulsen wason a flight to the Maritimes whenthe idea came to her. For sometime, she had been troubled bythe lack of basic Christian knowl-edge among some of her studentsat Wycliffe College, an Anglicanseminary in Toronto.

“There were students cominginto the college, offering them-selves for leadership in thechurch, who were really missingwhat I think are basic catecheticpieces,” she says. “They may havehad a very spotty understandingof scripture or may not haveknown anything about the spiritu-al disciplines.”

A former parish priest, CanonPaulsen had observed this insome of her parishioners as well.Although they attended churchregularly, they had a very limitedunderstanding of the Christianstory – one of the main reasonswhy they didn’t try to share itwith others.

“There’s more people todaywho don’t have any church back-ground,” she says. “For those whodo, they often feel guilty that theydon’t know the Bible better orthey think everybody knows itbetter than they do. In church, weoften throw words and phrasesaround that are Greek to people.”

On the flight, she started tothink about creating a simplecourse that would teach the basicsof Christianity to lay people. Itwould be designed so that thosewho took the course could laterteach it to others.

Back in Toronto, she shared heridea with some colleagues andwas encouraged to act on it. Onbehalf of Wycliffe College’s Insti-tute of Evangelism, where she isthe director, Canon Paulsen ap-plied for, and received, a $25,000grant from the diocese’s OurFaith-Our Hope campaign to getthe course off the ground. “Thediocese was really generous ingiving us the money to pay for itsdevelopment,” she says.

The course, called ChristianFoundations, will be held at

Wycliffe College on nine Satur-days in 2016 and 2017. At the end,there will be a commissioningservice in the college’s chapel.

The course will give partici-pants a basic introduction to theOld Testament, the Gospels, theBook of Acts and the Epistles, thecreeds and canon of scripture,church history, Christian disci-plines and vocation and service.They will explore these subjectsthrough a series of questions, in-cluding: How can I know God?What is the story of Israel? Whois Jesus? How did the church getstarted? What do Christians be-lieve? Why are there so manysorts of Christians? How can Igrow in my faith? What is my partin the Kingdom of God?

Although anyone can take thecourse, Canon Paulsen hopes thatchurches will send people whowill want to teach it to otherswhen they return to their parish-es. “The material is at a basicenough level that if somebody hasa heart to see people learn moreabout the faith, that’s really allthey need to facilitate it backhome,” she says.

Several churches have already

expressed interest in the course.The Rev. Stephanie Douglas-Bow-man, the incumbent of Christ Me-morial Church in Oshawa, hopesto send two people. “What I likeabout Christian Foundations isthat it’s equipping lay people tolead,” she says.

With a congregation of about150, her time and energy are lim-ited. Lay people who can teach theChristian basics in adult confir-mation classes and other pro-grams means more ministry canhappen in the church, she says.

“What I like is that I can sendthem on this course, they will re-ceive all the training they need,and then they can come and teachin the parish. My hope is to havelay catechists in this teaching rolein the church.”

She adds, “There’s only somuch bandwidth a cleric has, andso you look for courses like this. Idon’t think we have to reinventthe wheel every time. If there’s agood group like Wycliffe who hasput together this program, I’m re-ally happy to use it.”

Canon Paulsen says thatchurches that already have peoplewho can teach the faith and do not

need to attend the course can sim-ply use the course’s workbook.The workbook, which costs $30, isattractively designed and includesmaps, photographs, prayers, short

narratives, interactive exercisesand commentary that links scrip-ture to contemporary issues.

“If churches want to just orderthe workbook and take it and leadit, that’s great,” she says. For peo-ple or parish groups that want totake the course but can’t make thetrip to Wycliffe College, there willbe an option to participate in theclasses via WebEx, an online con-ferencing service.

The course material was writ-ten by Canon Paulsen, her hus-band Pat Paulsen, who is an expe-rienced teacher of the Bible andchurch history, and the Rev.Canon Susan Bell, the diocese’scanon missioner and the chaplainof Havergal College, an independ-ent girls school in Toronto. Theywill be teaching the course aswell.

For those attending the coursein person at Wycliffe College, thecost is $500, which includes theworkbook and lunches. CanonPaulsen says it’s a worthwhile in-vestment for churches. “Our hopeis that it’s not just about informa-tion – it’s about transforming thepeople taking the course,” shesays. “Our goal is that they feelconfident telling the story.”

For more information aboutChristian Foundations, visitwww.wycliffecollege.ca/christian-foundations.

Laity can leadit in churches

Rebecca Hanson-Symes of Christ Memorial, Oshawa plans to take the Christian Foundations course. Withher is the Rev. Stephanie Douglas-Bowman, incumbent. PHOTO BY MICHAEL HUDSON

Church plans to invite other party leadersContinued from Page 2

tives. “We have to reach out, notonly to the premier but to opposi-tion leaders, and let them have anopportunity to hear from grass-roots people who are involved insocial policy issues and can pres-ent alternatives to some of theproblems they are facing,” hesaid.

“I was very pleased with thequestions. We had good, thought-ful people,” he continued. “Themain thing is to try to get straightanswers, and to try to get politi-cians thinking out of the box. Thepremier would like to be the socialjustice premier. Show me. Assomebody said, it’s time to walk

the walk. They need to makestructural changes and not takean incremental approach.”

St. John, York Mills plans tohold similar events with NewDemocratic Party leader AndreaHorwath and Progressive Conser-vative leader Patrick Brown in thecoming months.

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4 TheAnglican June 2016

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.

Canon 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

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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

Which is yourchurch?” It is aquestion I’m askedin almost every

parish I visit, and my answeris almost always a surprise tothe questioner: “This one –and all 200-plus other church-

es in the diocese!”When a new incumbent is appointed, a

service of institution takes place in the chapelat the Diocesan Centre. “Receive this chargewhich is mine and thine,” are the traditionalwords by which the diocesan bishop commis-sions or institutes a priest into the spiritualresponsibilities of the parish. The bishop hasthe spiritual care of all the churches in thediocese, usually exercised through the min-istry of the parish priests, unless the bishopis present.

That is just one of the roles of a bishop. Bishop Linda Nicholls was elected as bish-

op coadjutor of the Diocese of Huron. Thatmeans she will automatically succeed BishopBennett as Bishop of Huron when he retireson Nov. 1. Bishop Philip Poole and BishopPatrick Yu have announced their decisions toretire on Sept. 30 and in January respectively.Diocesan Council authorized the election ofbishops suffragan to be held on Sept. 17, withthe ordination and consecration set for Jan. 7,2017. From the parish hall meetings I heldacross the diocese in April and May, I solicit-ed opinions about whether we continue towant and need four area bishops to servewith me as diocesan bishop in Toronto. Bythe time you read this, the decision will havebeen made about whether two or three peo-ple will be elected in September. As usual, wewill not be electing a bishop or three for anidentified area but a suffragan (assistant)bishop with ministry in the whole diocese,and assigned to a particular episcopal areaafter the election. You can read on the dio-cese’s website about the process of nomina-tion and election, but it’s important to knowwhat a bishop is supposed to be and do.

The Rite of Ordination sets out a number ofresponsibilities: apostolic proclamation; pas-toral care; oversight; governance; and linkageand representation.

Bishops “are one with the apostles in pro-

claiming Christ’s resurrection” as the goodnews for every age (BAS, p. 636). The bishop’sfirst and primary task is not, as is often sup-posed, the pastoral care of clergy or parishesbut rather teaching, preaching and interpret-ing the Christian faith both in parishes and inthe wider community. This is especially criti-cal in a society where our faith is misunder-stood, maligned or ignored. So a bishop hasto be an effective communicator. More cru-cially, a bishop has to be a person of deepfaith in Jesus Christ. This is the content ofthe communication. He or she must be able tolive that faith authentically, understand thenuances of the tradition, and articulate itwinsomely.

As pastor (the reason a bishop carries thecrozier, the shepherd’s staff), much of thebishop’s work is by delegation. The bishop’spastoral task is one of discernment of theleadership gifts of others, so that across alarge array of different places, the church canbe built up through a strong sacramental life,the ministry of word, the visiting of the sick,the catechesis of both seekers and the bap-tized, and the administration that parishesrequire to function well. The bishop must bea leader, a mentor and a team player becauseeach area bishop will be working with morethan 100 exceptionally well-trained, compe-tent priests and deacons, and hundreds ofdedicated and gifted lay leaders. This is notthe usual training for most priests.

The bishop is by definition an “overseer,”which is the meaning of the adjective “episco-pal.” He or she frames the missional strategyfor the area in consultation with the otherleaders and in coordination with the missionof the diocese. The bishop has the “overview”of the needs and the opportunities in thewhole area, and provides the necessary unityand discipline (think focus and discipleship,rather than punishment) to listen to God’scall and marshal the resources of the areaand diocese to respond to God’s call to serv-ice.

The people chosen in the election will be

bishops suffragan of the diocese, with respon-sibility for the well-being of the whole of thediocese, as well as particular accountabilityfor one region. The area bishops use theirown gifts both within their area as well asacross the wider church, and are called by or-dination to participate in the governance ofthe whole church. While appointed for a peri-od of time to one area, they can and do workbeyond those boundaries and can be (andhave been) moved to a different area. Each al-so takes on special ministry assignmentsbased on their skills and passions. So it is im-portant to think of candidates who could pro-vide ministry in more than one area and com-plement the gifts of the other members of theCollege of Bishops.

A bishop is a link person. The Archbishopof Canterbury remarked that the bishop’srole is to interpret the “strangeness of onecommunity to the strangeness of the nextcommunity” so that they may be drawn to-gether and mutually enrich each other andjoin in extending the Kindgom. Bishops linkone parish to another, represent the dioceseto the wider church and the wider church tothe diocese. The bishop becomes the personalface of the church, and specifically the Angli-can Church, to those they meet.

And, of course, they do all the other ordi-nary tasks that bishops do: appoint and su-pervise clergy, baptize and confirm, licenselay ministry, preside at worship, meet withsenior parish leaders, work on committees,develop ecumenical, civic and interfaith net-works, support parish growth and work to re-solve conflicts.

It is an encompassing task, hugely chal-lenging and joyously fulfilling by God’s grace.It is not a promotion or a job. It is, above all, avocation – the offering of oneself for servicein response to God’s call, discerned by thecommunity of faith. An episcopal election isnot a political leadership convention but aprayerful gathering of the clergy and laityrepresenting the church in the diocese to dis-cern whom God has chosen to be the nextbishop in the church.

Pray for those who will test their call tothis vocation, and for us as a diocesan family,as we affirm that call and receive this newministry.

One of the joys of myministry is having theprivilege of being in adifferent parish each

week. I enjoy the opportunityto visit with clergy and peoplein their parishes, to worshipwith them and learn of all that

is happening in their lives. My visits have taught me much about the

faithfulness of clergy and people, and theirdedication to living out their baptismal min-istries in many and varying ways. I have alsocome to appreciate that in some parisheswith limited resources, both human and fi-nancial, creative efforts are made to sustaintheir ministries. This does not mean thatthey are not wrestling with the troublingquestion of viability and the vision requiredto plan for the future.

I am pleased with the enormous amount oftime spent by faithful lay persons carryingout God’s mission in their parishes and com-munities. At the centre of parish life is theprayerful effort made daily by individuals todo what they believe is their baptismal min-istry, in the witnessing of their faith.

The importance of the order of laity is nev-

er to be minimized or regarded as of less sig-nificance than those of the deacons, priestsand bishops. We all share in the royal priest-hood of all believers, but we are equallycalled to be ambassadors for Christ. Therehas been a significant growth of lay volun-teers in our diocese, which is making a dif-ference in how we exercise ministry. Thegood news is that many parishes are beingsupported by volunteers in a variety of waysin how they carry out their ministries. How-ever, we need more volunteers to assist be-cause of the increasing demand for program-ming support. I encourage persons who maybe contemplating other ways they may be in-volved in the life of our diocese to make a callto the Diocesan Centre and explore how theymay volunteer in sharing their gifts andskills.

The many support programs in the diocesethat are led by volunteers helping parishesreflect a significant shift in the way thingsare done. Parishes are encouraged to seekthe resources available to support them.

They may do so when going through a selec-tion process to call a new incumbent. Parish-es that are serious about their own develop-ment and how healthy they are may seek tobe engaged in the Natural Church Develop-ment program, whose purpose is to assessthe strengths and weaknesses of theirparish, so that they may work towards be-coming healthier. Parishes that experienceconflict are assisted with intervention strate-gies, led in most cases by lay volunteers inaddressing their challenges. In some cases,parishes that have found themselves in diffi-culty with non-compliance or managementissues are placed under administration, notas punishment but as an opportunity to re-group, become compliant and, more impor-tantly, to carry on the good work and min-istry that these parishes have been doing.

The bishops are exceedingly grateful forthe wonderful ministries carried out daily byclergy and people of our diocese. We areproud of our diocese and the faithfulness ofmany who do so much to “serve Christ’s mis-sion through compassionate service, intelli-gent faith, and godly worship.” I believe thatthe work done by so many is because of a

Gift of the Spirit empowers us all

Continued on Page 10

The roles of a bishopBY ARCHBISHOP COLIN JOHNSON

ARCHBISHOP’S DIARY“

BY BISHOP PETER FENTY

BISHOP’S OPINION

June 2016 TheAnglican 5NEWS

Newly ordained deacons stand with Archbishop Colin Johnson, bishops and clergy outside St. James Cathedral on May 1. From left are the Rev.Jeffrey Nowers, the Rev. Colin Bowler, the Rev. Ken McClure, the Rev. Don Beyers, the Rev. Jeff Potter, the Rev. Tyler Wigg-Stevenson, the Rev.Monique Taylor, the Rev. Richard Webb, the Rev. Joan Wilson and the Rev. Leigh Kern. PHOTOS BY MICHAEL HUDSON

Big dayfor newlyordaineddeacons

Dean Andrew Asbil gives the ser-mon.

The Rev. Don Beyers stands with family.

Amy Jiang and the Rev. Tyler Wigg-Stevenson take a selfie. The Rev. Leigh Kern hugs her best friend, Noah Kate Zavitz, while her father, the Rev. Stephen Kern, offerscongratulations.

BY STUART MANN

JENNIFER Henry says Canada ishaving a “kairos moment” for In-digenous rights. “It’s a momentwhen I think the country is start-ing to understand the need to ad-dress the colonial legacy and tobegin to put in place justice ac-tions that are going to bringabout reconciliation.”

It’s a moment that Ms. Henry,the executive director of KAIROSand a member of Holy Trinity,Trinity Square, has worked hard

for over thepast 23 years.She is beinggiven the An-glican Awardof Merit, then a t i o n a lchurch’s high-est honour forlay people, inrecognition ofher efforts.

Growing up in the AnglicanChurch and being involved inyouth ministry, Ms. Henry met

people who had a “fire in the bel-ly” for social justice. Inspired bytheir passion, she has dedicatedher life to making the world a bet-ter place.

“I feel very strongly that ourfaith compels us into action forjustice in the world, that we col-laborate with God in bringingabout hopeful transformation,”she says. “That’s my passion,that’s my vocation and it is myprivilege that I’m able to alsomake it my job.”

KAIROS is a non-profit agency

that brings together 11 churchesand religious organizations in acollective commitment to ecolog-ical justice and human rights. Ithas a staff of about 18, with an of-fice in Toronto and another in Ot-tawa. It does research and policydevelopment, education and ad-vocacy. Its priorities are Indige-nous rights, climate justice, mi-grant justice and working withpartners around the world on hu-man rights and gender justice.

Ms. Henry says its top priorityis Indigenous rights, in particular

the implementation of the Truthand Reconciliation Commission’sCalls to Action. It is currentlyrolling out a campaign directedat every provincial legislatureand territorial government aboutCall to Action #62, which calls formandatory curriculum in everyschool that focuses on treaties,the history of residential schoolsand the contributions of First Na-tions, Metis and Inuit people toCanada. In March, church lead-ers, including Primate Fred Hiltz

Justice advocate to receive top award

Jennifer Henry

Continued on Page 7

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changeYOU CAN

a LIFESTORY

6 TheAnglican June 2016NEWS

BY STUART MANN

ON a Wednesday evening in lateApril, Bachir and MahfouzeBrimo and their four youngdaughters sat down to a dinner oflasanga and salad in a comfort-able home in north Toronto. Join-ing them were their hosts,Heather Gilley and Peter Singer,and their translator, Rula Haman.

A few months earlier, thisscene would have been unimagin-able to the Brimos. Members ofthe one of the most persecutedgroups in the Middle East, theywere living in Lebanon, trying tomake ends meet like millions ofother refugees from Syria.

Their situation was precarious.Mr. Brimo’s job in a shoe factoryand a monthly allowance from theUnited Nations office didn’t coverthe cost of rent, food and othernecessities. They had applied tothe UN to come to Canada butwere told that their chances wereremote. They considered makingthe risky trip to Europe viaTurkey and the MediterraneanSea but did not have enough mon-ey to pay the smugglers.

To make matters more difficultand dangerous, they were mem-bers of the Yazidi community, areligious minority that has beentargeted for extermination byISIS in Iraq and Syria. NeitherMuslim nor Christian, the Yazidishave often lived on the margins ofsociety, with few rights.

While living in Lebanon, Mr.and Mrs. Brimo started going toAll Saints Anglican Church inBeirut. They had a lifelong affini-ty with Christianity and were at-tracted by the kindness of thepriest and congregation.

“Every time I went to church, Iheard the people speaking aboutlove and helping each other and

giving without an expectation ofreturn,” says Mr. Brimo throughMs. Haman, the translator. He at-tended church twice a week whileMrs. Brimo went four times aweek.

They wanted to be baptizedand become Christians, as didmany other Yazidis and evensome Muslim refugees, they say.But the hard times got worse. Un-able to meet the rent, they movedout of the city, away from thechurch. They started to accumu-late debt to buy food.

Mr. Brimo began to break downfrom the strain. One day afterwork, wracked by a severeheadache and backache, he satdown alone and spoke to Jesus.“I’ll do anything you want, justplease help my wife and daugh-ters,” he said.

The next day, he received a tele-phone call at work. It was the UNoffice calling, asking if he would

like to take his family to Canada.“I couldn’t believe it,” he said.“When I hung up, I prayed andthanked God.”

The family landed in Canada onApril 7. “We are so lucky to behere – so lucky and grateful,”says Mrs. Brimo, overcome withemotion. “I asked Jesus every dayto help and protect us. It’s onlybecause of him that help came tochange our lives.”

On May 15, the feast of Pente-cost, their dream of being bap-tized came true. Mr. and Mrs.Brimo and their four daughterswere baptized at St. Clement,Eglinton, the church that spon-sored them and where they havebecome members.

The Brimos, who lived with Ms.Gilley and Mr. Singer when theyarrived, have found an apartmentnearby, and their daughters areenrolled in school. Mr. and Mrs.Brimo, who speak Kurdish and

Arabic, are taking English class-es.

Ms. Gilley says providing ahome for the family was a fulfill-ing experience. “To be honest, Iwas a bit nervous beforehand, be-cause there was so much un-known. But it’s love in action, andif you have a lot of love and will-ingness to go outside your com-fort zone, things usually workout. I believe that God looks afterme and I follow Jesus and we’vebeen taught to welcome theweary traveller. I feel very grate-ful for the opportunity to do thisfor this family.”

She says it’s been a positive ex-perience for the parish as well.“It’s been great to see peoplefrom different walks of life work-ing through all the challenges to-gether. It hasn’t always been easy,but it’s wonderful to see a com-munity wrap its arms around thisfamily.”

Family’s prayers answered

The Brimo family sits on a couch in the home of Peter Singer and Heather Gilley, standing behind them. Standingat right is Rula Haman, their translator. PHOTO BY STUART MANN

Refugeesbaptized,join church

BRIEFLYChurches opendoors to publicFour Anglican churches inToronto are taking part in DoorsOpen, the annual opportunity toexplore the city’s architecturalheritage. St. James Cathedral, St.Anne, St. Augustine of Canter-bury and St. John, York Mills willbe open May 28-29. A number ofmosques, synagogues and tem-ples will also be open. For times,visit the City of Toronto’s web-site, www.toronto.ca.

Wycliffe choosesnew principalBishop Stephen Andrews of theDiocese of Algoma has beennamed the new principal ofWycliffe College. He will take uphis new post on Aug. 1. BishopAndrews, who has served asbishop of Algoma since 2009, is aWycliffe alumnus, having re-ceived his MDiv there in 1984. Hewas ordained in Nova Scotia in1986 and served as assistant cu-rate at St. Paul’s AnglicanChurch, Halifax, until 1990. Hethen completed a PhD at Cam-bridge University’s Faculty of Di-vinity in 1995. He succeeds theRt. Rev. George Sumner, who re-signed last year to be becomethe bishop of Diocese of Dallas.

Sailors race forMission to SeafarersA group of sailboat skippers inthe Toronto area is holding arace in support of Mission toSeafarers Southern Ontario’s ef-forts at ports on Lake Ontario.The race will take place on June25 (International Seafarers’ Day)at 11 a.m. in Toronto Harbour,open to any Anglican skipper onthe lake. “This is about friendlycompetition, old-fashioned fel-lowship and, of course, braggingrights,” says Canon Dave Robin-son, one of the organizers.

The format will be a pursuitrace, with each boat assigned astart time based in its PHRF-LO(non-flying sail) rating, so allboats should finish at about thesame time. The course starts inToronto Harbour off Queen CityYacht Club, goes out the easterngap and around one or more ofthe fixed navigational buoys, andcomes back in the gap to finish offat Queen City Yacht Club for re-freshments. An awards ceremonyand fundraising dinner will followat the Mission to Seafarers, 8 Un-win Ave., Toronto. The entry feeis a minimum donation of $75 perboat to Mission to Seafarers. Toregister or for more information,contact Canon Robinson atdrobinson@toronto.anglican.ca.

Cancer support groupwelcomes new membersSt. Paul, Bloor Street is offeringa confidential support group forthose who have cancer, as wellas their loved ones. The sessionswill be guided by a film seriesthat leads viewers through theholy land and the inspiration ofthe 23rd psalm. The sessions willbegin on June 2.

PLEASE RECYCLE

The AnglicanGive it to a friend.

June 2016 TheAnglican 7NEWS

BY MARTHA HOLMEN

THE Sisterhood of St. John the Di-vine has found an enthusiasticadvocate for its new Companionsprogram. Katja Nack, a 23-year-old university student from Ger-many, arrived at St. John’s Con-vent in March for a three-monthinternship as an Alongsider.

“I study English and Protestantreligion to become a teacher. Wehave to go abroad for at least 12weeks to finish our Bachelor inEnglish,” she says. “I was notready to give up one subject justfor the other one. I started tothink, where can I connect both ofthem? Finally I ended up with thethought, what about asking a con-vent if I could stay?”

After a quick Google search,Ms. Nack emailed Sister Con-stance Joanna Gefvert, coordina-tor of both the Alongsiders andthe Companions program. “Italked to Connie a lot on Skype,and we were writing emails backand forth,” she says. “Sometimessisters would drop by her officewhile we were Skyping. It seemedlike everyone was interested.”

Starting in September, the sis-ters will welcome up to 10 womenage 22 to 40 to live at the convent,where they will experience theBenedictine life of prayer, study,recreation and service to others.

Ms. Nack says she thinks theprogram will be a great experi-ence for young women. “It’s atime to step back, to look at the

whole picture you’ve created andsee if it’s really what you want. Tohave some silence to think aboutyourself. To experience placeswhere you can go and help,” shesays.

In particular, she sees the year-long program as a valuable op-portunity for students like her torecharge. “When you’ve just lostsome pieces of yourself betweenthe books and the exams andhomework, you can find yourselfhere again,” she says. “It’s like avery safe bubble you can enter.”

Ms. Nack admits she found itdifficult to adjust to the slower

pace of life at first, but she soonlearned to appreciate the time forsilence and prayer. “I look aftermyself more often, to calm downmore, to not hurry, to not rush toomuch,” she says. “In all the si-lence, I began to think a lot aboutmyself and about home.”

She also understands youngwomen’s fears about how theirfriends and family will react ifthey decide to become Compan-ions. While Ms. Nack was confi-dent in her decision to join theconvent, her friends were skepti-cal at first. “They said I’m crazy.Everyone was expecting that I

would come back like a nun, andsome of my friends were afraidthat I won’t come back at all,” she

says.Sister Debra Johnston, Ms.

Nack’s mentor during her stay, is-n’t surprised. “It’s kind of stan-dard, when you say you’re goingto join a convent. This is verycounter-cultural,” she says.

For women who aren’t surewhether they should join theCompanions program, Ms. Nackrecommends they try staying inthe convent’s Guest House orspeaking with the sisters andAlongsiders. “Make sure that youare ready to live with you andyour faith,” she says. “Whenyou’re struggling, it’s fine. Youdon’t have to be sure. But youhave to be sure that you want towork on your faith and want tothink about your faith.”

As her internship comes to anend, Ms. Nack says what she willmiss most is her shared life withthe sisters. “I really feel like partof this, and I really enjoy beingwith all of them,” she says. “Eachof these women here is wondrousin herself. I will miss all of themvery much.”

The deadline for applications tothe Companions program is June15. For more information, visit theCompanions website www.ssjd-companions.org or contact Sr.Constance Joanna, the Compan-ions coordinator, at compan-ions@ssjd.ca or 416-226-2201, ext.316.

Student lives alongside sisters

Katja Nack stands beside the labyrinth at St. John’s Convent. She says her three-month stay has helped herrecharge. PHOTO BY MICHAEL HUDSON

Germanwoman takesbreak fromstudies

Moment for change, says advocateContinued from Page 5

and National Indigenous BishopMark MacDonald, committed toimplementing Call to Action #48,which calls on churches and faithgroups to “adopt and complywith the principles, norms andstandards” of the UN Declarationof the Rights on Indigenous Peo-ples as a framework for reconcil-iation.

“We have this moment now,and the churches are coming to-gether to support this moment,”says Ms. Henry. “It’s a very im-portant time because if we don’tmake changes in this moment,we’re going to lose some of themomentum that has beengained.”

In addition to its advocacy ef-forts at the federal and provinciallevels, KAIROS works hard toprovide education, advocacy andresources at the grassroots level,she says. One of its most popularand powerful resources is theKAIROS Blanket Exercise, usedby churches and other groupsacross the country to learn aboutthe historic and contemporary

relationship between Indigenousand non-Indigenous people inCanada. Mass Blanket Exercisesare planned at provincial and ter-ritorial capitals across Canadaaround June 2, the one-year an-niversary of the TRC’s release ofits Calls to Action.

“We’ve worked very hard withour communities across thecountry to increase an under-standing of Indigenous rightsand to develop relationships withIndigenous communities,” shesays. “Now what we have is an in-credibly strong network of peo-ple, both Indigenous and non-In-digenous, who are working to seethe rights that we have longsought be realized.”

She says the Anglican Churchis critical to that effort. “In Angli-can churches across the country,people participate in ecumenicalsocial action, lifting up the kindsof resources that KAIROS has tooffer and engaging with people ofother churches in action in theircommunities. The AnglicanChurch is vitally involved at that

level, but it’s also engaged in theboard of KAIROS and in the ecu-menical circles that supportKAIROS, so that when we need todraw upon the high levels of thechurch for their engagement,they respond.”

She says it is a privilege towork at KAIROS at this momentin history, but is quick to givecredit to others across the coun-try. “The energy comes from thepeople who we work with acrossthe country, people who areworking really passionately, whoreally believe there can be a bet-ter world, and are putting theirfaith into action in that way.Those are the people who givehope and keep you inspired.”

As for receiving the AnglicanAward of Merit, she is honouredto be recognized by her peers inthis way. “The real delight comesfrom the fact that the folks whoput my name forward were mycolleagues. I feel very grateful forthat, and it’s an honour to havethe nomination come fromthem,” she says.

8 TheAnglican June 2016NEWS

BY THE REV. MEGAN JULL

ALMOST every day, our newssources draw our attention to thetragic circumstances and abjectpoverty of so many of our Indige-nous brothers and sisters. Thenews is overwhelming, even par-alyzing. How can we help? Wheredo we find hope?

We can look to our young peo-ple. On April 10, 10 teens and theirparents piled into the boardroomat the Church of the Redeemer,Toronto to meet with Bishop Lar-ry Robertson of the Diocese ofYukon. With rapt attention, theylistened to his stories about min-istry in Canada’s north: stories ofGospel and gold rush, isolationand inspiration, heartbreak andhope; and about a whole differentway of being church and engag-ing with our Indigenous brothersand sisters.

Over the last year, our youthgroup has done intentional workto learn about Indigenous historyand culture, particularly the im-pact of residential schools inCanada. This summer, theseyoung people will travel north tothe Yukon and work in the com-munities of Mayo and DawsonCity. They will lead a VacationBible Camp, meet with Indige-nous elders, immerse themselvesin local celebrations and worship,and help complete a number ofservice tasks for the community –even chopping wood for winter!

The Truth and ReconciliationCommission insists that youth en-gagement is central to reconcilia-tion. The purpose of this servicetrip is to learn from the local In-digenous community. The tribesof the Yukon River Valley havesuccessfully resolved their landclaim and are self-governing. We

plan to observe this model ofhealthier relationships betweenchurch, Indigenous communitiesand non-Indigenous communi-ties. We hope this opportunitywill inspire and inform our youngpeople as we continue with thechallenge of healing, reconcilia-tion and right relationships closerto home.

Bishop Robertson’s visit wasthe parish kick-off for this project.After meeting with the teens, hejoined our worship services andspoke to both congregations

about his work in the north. Hedrew our attention to this fact:“Church of the Redeemer hasthree paid clergy on staff. The en-tire Diocese of Yukon has threepaid clergy on staff.” The work ofthe church in the north relies pri-marily on volunteers, non-stipen-diary ministry and support fromchurches in the south.

This is an ambitious trip, but itis also one that will form ouryoung people as Christian disci-ples. We hope to inspire them tobecome agents of hope, healing

and reconciliation with our In-digenous brothers and sisters.Please hold these young people inyour prayers as they continue toprepare and plan for travel to theYukon at the end of June.

The Rev. Megan Jull is theassociate priest at Church of theRedeemer, Bloor Street.Donations to the Yukon youth tripshould be sent to Church of theRedeemer, 162 Bloor St. W.,Toronto, ON M5S 1M4. A taxreceipt will be issued.

Youth teamheading tothe Yukon

FAREWELLBishop Linda Nicholls is presentedwith a canoe paddle from parish-ioners of Church of the Ascension,Port Perry at her farewell celebra-tion at St. Thomas, Brooklin on April23. She also received a paddle fromSt. John the Evangelist, Peterbor-ough and an Inuit sculpture andflowers from the people of Trent-Durham, presented by Heather Bur-ton. Bishop Nicholls, the formerbishop of Trent-Durham, is now thecoadjutor bishop in the Diocese ofHuron. PHOTOS BY MICHAEL HUDSON

Bishop Larry Robertson of the Diocese of Yukon talks to young people about ministry in Canada’s far north. Hewas speaking at the Church of the Redeemer, Bloor Street.

Teens will learn from localIndigenous community

June 2016 TheAnglican 9BISHOP’S COMPANY DINNER

Be courageous, says bishop

BY STUART MANN

MARK MacDonald, the nationalIndigenous bishop, says Angli-cans will need faith, vision andcourage to achieve the kind of fu-ture they want to have, both intheir relations with First Nationspeople and for the church as awhole.

Bishop MacDonald was thekeynote speaker at the 55th annu-al Bishop’s Company Dinner, heldon April 21 in downtown Toronto.The event raised $90,000 to helpclergy and their families in needand to provide scholarships fortheological students.

“We are being called to a timeof faith, vision and courage likenothing you or I have ever seen inour lives,” said Bishop MacDon-ald, speaking to about 330 guests.

He said Anglicans need to havea faith that gives life to a vision.“We have to believe that God isdoing something in this world –that God is not just something tobelieve in to make us feel better,but that the Gospel of JesusChrist speaks of a living Wordthat is active, militant and pres-ent in the world.”

That vision includes “seeingthings where no one sees them,”he said. He gave examples of howpeople of deep faith had taken theGospel to remote and even hostilecommunities or had recruited un-likely candidates for ministry. Hetold the story of the Rev. RobertMcDonald, a missionary in theFar North who spent nearly fourdecades working with theGwich’in people, one of the mostindependent First Nations com-munities in North America.

“He went to that situation andsaw something wonderful,” hesaid. “He believed that he hadsomething that was so great andso wonderful that he wouldchange all of the negative dynam-ics and make it into somethinggreat. He had the faith and the vi-sion to be able to see what no oneelse could see.”

He spoke about how the Rev.Walter Hannon, who was incharge of a mission at Fort Yukonin Alaska, recruited a formertrapper and chief to ordainedministry. The Rev. Chief DavidSalmon became one of the mostinfluential priests in Alaska and ahero to his people.

“I think we are at a positionwhere it is absolutely necessaryfor us to develop that kind of vi-sion – to believe that God hassomething in store for Torontoand the Greater Toronto Area,that God wants to call people toknow and love the Spirit, to un-derstand and hear the GoodNews,” he said. “These peopleprobably will not all look like us

or act like us. But we have to havethe faith that will animate the vi-sion to see people who we cannotsee today.”

He spoke about the high ratesof suicide among young people inFirst Nations communities and ofthe courage they need to trans-form their lives. He said Angli-cans need to be equally coura-geous if they want the church todo more than merely survive.

“You folks are going to have tobe more courageous than any-thing you’ve ever seen,” he said.“If we’re going to look beyond justmerely surviving, we have tohave the faith and the vision, butmost importantly, we have to havethe courage to try and to failsometimes. This is the kind ofcourage that is necessary for usto turn around the situation we’rein, to grab the opportunity that isbefore us. We need to grasp thismoment and live into it with all ofour hearts.”

He said the Diocese of Torontois capable of doing great things.“You’ve got so much here and Ihope, I beg you, to see the possi-bilities, to see what could happen,if we developed the courage tosay, ‘I see what you need, and I’mgoing to make myself responsiblefor it.’ A group like this couldchange not just Toronto but theworld. And I don’t think God isgoing to allow us to ask of eachother anything less.”

After his speech, Bishop Mac-Donald received a standing ova-tion. Among those attending thedinner were the bishops of thediocese, Archbishop ThomasCollins of the Archdiocese ofToronto, and the Rev. Dr. KarenHamilton and the Rev. CanonAlyson Barnett-Cowan of theCanadian Council of Churches.

As in previous years, scholar-ship recipients were announcedat the dinner. Roshni Jayawarde-

na and Philip Stonhouse receivedthe Terence and Alice Jean FinlayBursary, which is given to twostudents, one each from Trinityand Wycliffe colleges, who are en-gaged in studies that celebrateand enhance the understandingof the diversity of the church.Carol Anne King was awardedthe Kirubai Scholarship, given toa Trinity College divinity studentwho is specializing in liturgy and

worship. Ken Johnstone and JoanWilson received the William KayBursary, which aids students whoare engaged in theological educa-tion that will lead to ordination.

Jonathan Lofft and AmandaMacInnes-Hackney received theGeorge & Eileen Carey Bursary,awarded to Anglicans pursuingpost-graduate theological studies.

Dinner raises$90,000

Bishop Peter Fenty, the area bish-op of York-Simcoe, greets Dr. Wil-son and Margaret Loo before din-ner. At top right, the Wayne Gret-zky sweater is a popular item inthe evening’s silent auction. PHO-TOS BY MICHAEL HUDSON

Bishop Mark MacDonald gives thekeynote address, telling Angli-cans they will have to be ‘morecourageous than anything they’veever seen.’ At right, Nadia Smid,John Smid, Ruthia Pak Regis, theRev. Mark Regis, Sean Davidsonand Mandy Davidson enjoy the re-ception at Holy Trinity, TrinitySquare before the dinner.

Visit our website at www.toronto.anglican.ca

10 TheAnglican June 2016LOOKING AHEADTo submit items for LookingAhead, email editor@toronto.an-glican.ca. The Anglican will notbe published in July and August.The deadline for the September is-sue is Aug. 2. Parishes can alsopromote their events on the dio-cese’s website Calendar atwww.toronto.anglican.ca.

Music & WorshipMAY 27-29 – “First Annual Toron-to Bach Festival,” presented andperformed by musicians in FourCenturies of Bach, St. Barnabas,361 Danforth Ave., Toronto. 8 p.m.on May 27 and 2 p.m. on May 28and 29. Location for the May 28concert is the Oratory of St. PhilipNeri, 1372 King St. W., Toronto. JUNE 3 - Organist Sarah Svend-son, 3 p.m., St. Paul, Bloor Street,227 Bloor St. E., Toronto. Admis-sion free.JUNE 3 – “Broadway on Yonge,” anight of song and dance present-ed by The Yorkminstrels ShowChoir, 7:30 p.m., St. George onYonge, 5350 Yonge St. Tickets $15for adults, $10 for children. Call905-881-1465.JUNE 8, 22 - Noon-hour organrecitals at All Saints, Kingsway,2850 Bloor St. W., TorontoJUNE 12, 26 - While St. Philip,Etobicoke is closed for renova-tions, the Jazz Vespers series willbe held at All Saints, Kingsway,2850 Bloor St. W., Toronto, June12 at 4 p.m. and June 26 at 4 p.m.JULY 28 - Patronal Festival for St.Olave’s and celebration of newministry for the Rev. RobertMitchell. Service at 6 p.m., dinnerat 7:30 p.m. on the lawn, weatherpermitting. St. Olave’s is locatedat Bloor and Windermere streets,Toronto.AUG. 7 - The Celestial Voices ofBarbados, 4 p.m., St. Jude, Bra-malea North, 1000 Central ParkDr., Brampton. Tickets are $20 perperson. Call 905-791-2660.

Rummage Sales & FairsJUNE 12 - Church of the Ascen-sion’s community festival, 12-3p.m. Food, fun for kids, music,Scottish dancers, gift shop andmore. The church is located at 33

Overland Dr., Toronto.

Workshops & GatheringsMAY 31 - A screening of theaward-winning documentary“We Call Them Intruders,” a filmabout the impact of Canadianmining projects in Africa, fol-lowed by a panel discussion withexperts from the financial, ac-tivist, humanitarian, church andacademic worlds, to help findpractical steps to address the eth-

ical issues raised in the film, 7p.m., St. Mary Magdalene, 477Manning Ave., Toronto.JUNE 11 - The Royal School ofChurch Music Canada will beholding its annual general meet-ing at St. Aidan, 70 Silver BirchAve., Toronto, preceded by Morn-ing Prayer (BCP) at 10 a.m. All arewelcome. Contact Joy Horswill atjolibays@netrover.com.JUNE 12 - St. Olave’s marks the90th birthday of the Queen with acelebration featuring drama, po-

etry, music and songs, beginningwith a Choral Eucharist at 4 p.m.St. Olave’s is located at Bloor andWindermere streets, Toronto. JUNE 18 - Yard sale, 10 a.m. to 2p.m., St. Barnabas, 361 DanforthAve., Toronto.JUNE 18 - Lawn sale, St. Olave’s,Windermere and Bloor streets,Toronto. AUG. 22-26 - Christ Church, DeerPark’s Amazing TechnicolourBible Camp, an adventure-filledweek with “Joseph,” his 11 broth-

ers and the Pharoah of Egypt.Kids will make their very owntechnicolour clothing, explore thesights, sounds and smells of theEgyptian marketplace and learnall about sibling rivalry. Dailyfrom 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. withan option for extended full-daycare. Camp costs $75 per child (+$50 for extended care). Kids ages4-12 are welcome. To register,email coordinator Hilary Keachieat hkeachie@christchurchdeer-park.org.

ANNIVERSARYThe Rev. Ian LaFleur, priest-in-charge, and parishioners of St. Cuthbert, Leaside wave during the church’s 125th anniversary celebrations, which will cul-minate with a homecoming weekend Oct. 1-2. Former parishioners should email stcuthberts@bellnet.ca to be added to the invitation list. For more infor-mation about festivities, visit www.stcuthbertsleaside.com. PHOTO BY SPENCER WISSELL

CANADABRIEFSGoats help withcemetery maintenanceST. JOHN’S - St. Augustine’s An-glican Church in the small New-foundland community of NewPerlican found an innovative an-swer to the question of how itshould maintain one of its ceme-teries when it invited a neigh-bouring farmer to graze hisgoats on the land. 

The idea arose in 2014, whenvestry member Eileen Matthewssuggested that introducing goatsto the plot of land might be aneasy way to keep the cemeteryclean and the graves accessible.The cemetery features many oldheadstones decorated in a de-tailed ornamental fashion, andwhile it often attracts visitors

who come to the outport commu-nity on Trinity Bay, in recentyears it has become overgrownwith alders and vegetation. 

While some of the othervestry members were hesitantabout the idea, Trudi Martin, thechurch’s treasurer, agreed tojoin Ms. Matthews in speaking toa local man, Ronnie Peddle, whokeeps goats and other animals. 

Mr. Peddle assured Ms.Matthews and Ms. Martin that hisgoats would eat the alders andother plants. However, he cau-tioned that a fence would beneeded keep the goats in. 

Following vestry’s leadership,local Anglicans quickly raised$4,000 – twice as much as wasneeded – and put up a fence.“The goats have been chewingaway since the fall of 2015, and itis amazing the difference al-ready,” said Ms. Matthews andMs. Martin. “Driving by now, onecan see the various headstonesfrom the road. We are excited tosee the finished results.”  Anglican Life

Bishops are exceedingly gratefulContinued from Page 4

healthy spirituality and commit-ment of members of our dioceseto their baptismal covenant.

While there are no expecta-tions of any reward, the dioceseconfers on some of the faithfulnamed by their parishes, and inother instances by the Bishop ofToronto, the Order of the Dio-cese of Toronto in recognition oftheir work and witness in theirparishes and beyond. The recog-nition of these persons is in noway to minimize the value weplace on the many who workfaithfully for the love of God andchurch.

We recently celebrated thefeast of Pentecost, which is a re-minder to us that God has andcontinues to pour out God’s spir-it upon the church and theworld. The gift of the Spirit is toenable believers in exercisingtheir respective callings, and to

empower us all for the work ofministry and the building up ofGod’s reign on earth. It is be-cause of this continuous out-pouring of the Spirit on thechurch that all of us have beengiven opportunity to do wonder-ful and amazing things in thename of and for the sake of theGospel. Pentecost encourages usto continue teaching, preaching,healing, caring for the poor,reaching out to the marginalizedand standing up for justice forall.

The Spirit poured out at Pen-tecost continues to be pouredout upon the church today. Weare experiencing new life beingbreathed into our diocese, whereparishes are facing the chal-lenges before them with courageand willingness to do things dif-ferently. In some parishes, con-gregations are making difficult

decisions to close and distributetheir resources to new forms ofministry. In some places, congre-gations are choosing to repur-pose their buildings, or theirland, to help them reach out innew forms of ministry. Otherparishes are reaching out intotheir neighbourhoods in re-sponding to their needs. Theseare being done by faithful Angli-cans across our diocese, and Iencourage others to join in thisjourney of Christian faith andwitness in whatever manner youare able. We are grateful for allthat is done in the name of JesusChrist in the life and work of ourdiocese.

I encourage us to be open tothe Spirit’s leading and not beafraid to ask, “What is the Spiritsaying to the church today?”May we be open to hearing andresponding to its prompting.

AnglicanClassifiedsJune 2016 11

After his third missionaryjourney around theAegean Sea, Paul re-turned to Jerusalem to

report to James and the otherleaders and to present the col-lected offerings from the missionchurches to help the motherchurch.

Paul continued to face the ac-cusation that he counselledChristian Jews away from thelaws of Judaism. This was nottrue, but widely believed. (Gen-tile converts did not have to fol-low all of the laws of Judaism, butChristian Jews were expected to.)James suggested that Paul attenda Jewish purification rite to helpdispel this accusation.

Paul, with some others, wentthrough the purification rite. Ashe entered the temple to offer hissacrifice, he was recognized bysome visitors to the temple andthey stirred up the crowd againsthim. They accused him of teach-ing against the Law, the templeand the Jews, and they attempt-ed to put him to death. He wasrescued by Roman soldiers.

In Acts 22, Paul addressed thecrowd in their native Aramaic.He gave them his credentials. Hewas born a Jew, he said, educat-ed at the feet of Gamaliel, thegreatest Jewish rabbi of the firstcentury. He had persecuted theChristians until, on the Damas-cus Road, he met the risenChrist. He related to the crowdall the details of his conversion.He told them of his need to leaveJerusalem and take the Gospelmessage to the Gentiles. Thishad been his mission and role inlife for the past few years. Final-ly, he appealed to being a Romancitizen, and the soldiers agreedto bring him before the JewishSanhedrin.

At the Sanhedrin, he again de-fended himself by starting a de-bate between the two ruling bod-ies, the Pharisees and the Sad-ducees, who did not believe inthe resurrection of the body. Thisdebate became so heated thatonce again the Romans had torescue Paul. Later that evening,he had a vision, telling him thathe would indeed preach theGospel in Rome.

The soldiers moved Paul toCaesarea, the local centre of Ro-man authority. Felix was the gov-ernor but not a very good ruler.Kept in protective custody, Paulcontinued to proclaim the Chris-tian faith to Felix and his wife forthe next two years. In 59-60 CE,Felix was recalled to Rome, prob-

ably for his misrule. Not wantingto further alienate the Jews, heleft Paul in prison. Felix’s succes-sor was Festus.

Festus, wanting Roman justiceto prevail, brought a delegationfrom Jerusalem to try Paul onceagain. They did not succeed intheir accusations, and Paul even-tually appealed his case to Rome.He knew that in Jerusalem hewould probably be sentenced todeath, whereas in Rome hewould undoubtedly win his case,which would give the Christianssome standing as a religious or-ganization. (At this time in histo-ry, Christians were seen as a sectof Judaism.)

Thus Paul was to receive hislong-time wish, to preach inRome, albeit in chains. In Acts27, he and a few friends and hissoldier guards set off for Rome.It was quite an adventure, withstorms and shipwreck. Theywere stranded for a time on theisland of Malta. Here they con-sidered Paul a god, as he was bit-ten by a viper and did not die. Healso healed the father of the chiefof the island and many otherswho came to him for laying-on-of-hands and prayer.

After three months on Malta,another ship arrived and tookthem the rest of the way toRome. Here Paul appeared to beunder house arrest. He had acertain amount of freedom, andthe Christians in Rome camefreely to visit him in prison. Paulwas in prison in Rome for abouttwo years, and Luke ends his ac-count of Acts at this point. Thiswas about 61 CE, and Paulwasn’t martyred until 67-68 CE.What happened in the interven-ing years? The epistles suggestthat he revisited some of thechurches in Asia and Europe. Hepossibly went to the island ofCrete. Legend suggests that hewent as far as Spain. Clement ofRome, writing in about 100 CE,seemed to confirm this. A lotcould have happened to Paul inthat six-year period.

During his house arrest inRome, Paul probably wrote theepistles to the Philippians, Eph-esians, Colossians and Philemonand possibly 1 Timothy. We willdiscuss Paul’s possible visit toSpain and the authorship of thepastoral epistles, 1 and 2 Timo-thy and Titus, in our next col-umn.

The Rev. Canon Don Beatty is anhonorary assistant at St. Luke,Dixie South, Mississauga.

Paul arrives inRome – in chains

READING THE BIBLEBY THE REV. CANON DON BEATTY

IN MOTION

Appointments• The Rev. Marg Tandy, Hon-

orary Assistant, St. John theEvangelist, Port Hope, April 17.

• The Rev. Canon BradleyLennon, Interim Priest-Direc-tor, All Saints, SherbourneStreet, April 18.

• The Rev. Jason McKinney, As-sociate Priest, Epiphany andSt. Mark, Parkdale, May 1.

• The Rev. Monique Taylor, As-sistant Curate, St. Andrew,Scarborough, June 1.

• The Rev. Robert Mitchell, In-cumbent, St. Olave, Swansea,July 1.

Vacant Incumbencies Clergy from outside the diocesewith the permission of their bish-op may apply through the Dioce-san Executive Assistant, Mrs.Mary Conliffe.Trent Durham

• Parish of Bobcaygeon,Dunsford & Burnt River

• St. George Memorial, Oshawa

York – Credit Valley• All Saints, Kingsway• Christ Church St. James,

Toronto• St. John the Baptist (Dixie),

Mississauga• St. Paul the Apostle, Rexdale

York – Scarborough• St. Luke, Coxwell• Church of the Redeemer,

Bloor Street

York – Simcoe • St. James, Orillia• Trinity Church, Bradford

Conclusions• The Rev. Rylan Montgomery

concluded his ministry at St.Simon-the-Apostle and SanLorenzo Ruiz, Toronto, on May15. He has taken up an appoint-

ment as chaplain with theCanadian Armed Forces.

Retirement • The Rev. Canon Al Budzin has

announced his retirement. Hislast Sunday at St. Philip, Etobi-coke will be June 26.

Death • The Rev. Canon Walter Dyer

died on April 15. Ordained dea-con in 1954 and priest in 1955,he served as incumbent of St.Luke, Creemore, rector of St.George, Allandale and St. Mar-garet, West Hill, priest-in-charge of St. Edward the Con-fessor, Toronto and incumbentof the Parish of Cavan-Man-vers until his retirement in1985. During his retirement, heserved as honorary assistantof St. John the Evangelist, Pe-terborough. His funeral washeld at St. John the Evangelist,Peterborough on April 19.

PRAYER CYCLE

FOR JUNE1. The Postulancy Committee2. St. Saviour, Toronto3. St. Peter, Maple Lake4. The Chapel of St. James, West Brock5. Theological Colleges of the Anglican Churchof Canada6. Christ Church, Bobcaygeon7. Christ Church, Coboconk8. St. George, Haliburton9. St. James, Fenelon Falls10. St. James, Kinmount11. St. John, Dunsford12. Giving with Grace (formerly Anglican Appeal)13. St. John, Rosedale14. St. Luke, Burnt River15. St. Margaret, Wilberforce16. St. Paul, Beaverton17. St. Paul, Lindsay18. St. Paul, Minden19. Victoria & Haliburton Deanery20. AURA (Anglican United Refugee Alliance)21. Toronto Urban Native Ministry22. The Chapel of St. Thomas, Balsam Lake23. Church of the Evangelists, New Tecumseth24. Parish of Mulmur25. St. Andrew, Alliston26. Tecumseth Deanery

27. St. David, Everett28. St. John, Cookstown29. St. John, East Orangeville30. St. Luke, Rosemont

FOR JULY 1. Archbishop Fred Hiltz and the AnglicanChurch of Canada2. St. Peter, Churchill3. Huronia Deanery4. The Chapel of St. John, New Tecumseth5. Trinity Church, Bradford6. Threshhold Ministries (formerly TheChurch Army)

7. General Synod8. General Synod9. General Synod 10. General Synod11. General Synod12. General Synod13. Clergy Programs of the Diocese

(Momentum & Fresh Start)14. Epiphany and St. Mark, Parkdale15. St Mary and St Martha, Toronto16. The Jeremiah Community, Toronto17. Parkdale-Toronto West Deanery18. The Church of Parroquia San Esteban19. St. Anne, Toronto20. St. Chad, Toronto21. St. George-the-Martyr, Parkdale22. St. Mary Magdalene, Toronto23. St. John, West Toronto24. The Doctrine and Worship Committee25. St. Martin in-the-Fields, Toronto26. St. Hilda, Fairbank27. St. Matthias, Bellwoods28. St. Michael and All Angels, Toronto

29. St. Olave, Swansea30. St. Paul, Runnymede31. The Social Justice and Advocacy Committee

FOR AUGUST 1. Citizens for Public Justice2. St. Thomas, Huron Street3. St. Stephen in-the-Fields, Toronto4. Christ Church, Bolton5. Christ Church, Brampton6. Founders and Benefactors of the Diocese ofToronto

7. North Peel Deanery8. St. James the Apostle, Brampton9. St. James, Caledon East10. St. Joseph of Nazareth, Bramalea11. St. Jude, Bramalea North12. Trinity Church, Campbell’s Cross13. Holy Family, Heart Lake (Brampton)14. Nottawasaga Deanery15. All Saints, Collingwood16. Christ Church-St. Jude, Ivy17. Christ Church, Batteau18. Good Shepherd, Stayner19. Prince of Peace, Wasaga Beach20. Church of the Redeemer, Duntroon21. The Bishop`s Company22. St. George, Allandale23. St. George, Utopia24. St. Giles, Barrie25. St. James, Lisle26. St. John, Craighurst27. St. Luke, Creemore28. Camp Couchiching29. St. Margaret, Barrie30. St. Paul, Innisfil31. St. Paul, Midhurst

TO PLACE AN AD CALL 905.833.6200 ext. 22 OR EMAIL ANGLICAN@CHURCHADVERTISING.CA

COUNSELLING COUNSELLINGBURIAL PLOTS

CHURCH WINDOWS

12 TheAnglican June 2016NEWS

FOR NATECanadian Blood Services hold a bone marrow clinic at St. Peter, Erindale on May 8 for Nate, a young member ofthe church who has fanconi anemia and needs a bone marrow transplant. At left are Nate and his mother JenniferBland in front of roses that were given to people who came out to register. About 36 people between the ages of17 and 35 provided a swab of the inside of their cheek and personal information to become a stem cell donor. Cana-dian Blood Services will determine if there is a match between Nate and a donor. PHOTOS BY GILLIAN FLOYD 

BY JILL MACRAE

WHAT does a church communitydo when a busy race route runspast the front door every year?For the parish of Christ Church,Deer Park (CCDP), the answerwas clear: get out and cheer onthe runners. On Sunday, May 8,some 27,000 participants stamped-ed down Yonge Street in the annu-al Sporting Life 10K run. Walkers,runners and joggers gave theirbest effort to raise funds to givechildren with cancer an opportu-nity to attend summer camp. Asthe racers made their way up thecrest of the hill at Heath Street,they were greeted by an enthusi-astic bunch of supporters in frontof the church clapping, cheeringand offering high-fives and shoutsof encouragement.

For the second year in a row,Barbara Johnston led the parish toorganize and host the “HeathStreet Cheer Station” to show sup-port for the racers, the charity andthe community. “As a YongeStreet church, it's part of ourneighbourhood.� And with allthe runners, walkers, and Fitbitenthusiasts in our congregation,it’s a natural fit.” In addition to set-ting up the cheer station, CCDPwas proud to enter a team of run-ners for the event. Among themwere the Rev. Canon KevinRobertson, incumbent, and AbdiAlkadri, the head of a family ofSyrian refugees sponsored byCCDP who arrived in Toronto ear-lier this year. Mr. Alkadri’s wifeand daughter were at the cheerstation to join the parishionersand volunteers in cheering on theracers.

Radio station 102.1 The Edgecame out to set the beat for themorning, with a music tent, prizesand games, while members fromCCDP added snacks, coffee andspirit. The cheer station was filledwith members from the congrega-tion, the choir and even the Sun-day School. But one member of thecheer station was especially mem-

orable. Cee-Cee the church mousemade his appearance once again,dancing and cheering, offeringhugs and hi-fives and posing forpictures with runners of all ages.

Canon Robertson was able toget a first-hand appreciation ofthe impact of the cheering sectionin front of the church. His verdictwas decisive: “We had the bestcheer section between the startline and the finish line.” He notedthe responses of the racersaround him. “It was great to hearmy fellow runners as we went bythe church. They were both sur-prised and motivated by the en-thusiastic encouragement andhigh-fives from the CCDP frontlawn.”

Canon Robertson himselfdemonstrated that Sunday morn-ing community activities are notnecessarily an alternative tochurch but can be an addition toit. He managed to finish the raceand be back in time for the 10 a.m.service.

Jill MacRae is a member of ChristChurch, Deer Park.

Churchcheers onrunners

Members of Christ Church, DeerPark cheer on runners in the Sport-ing Life 10K Run as they pass thechurch on Yonge Street in Torontoon May 8. At right, the cheeringgroup from Christ Church, includingmascot Cee-Cee the Church Mouse.PHOTOS BY MICHAEL HUDSON