Filmed at the recent House of Bishops meeting in Niagara Falls, Ont.
Review responses from other Canadian Anglicans below (most recent responses are at the top). You can also view responses by diocese, and add your own story.
Message from The Rt. Rev. Rodney Andrews, Diocese of Saskatoon
Sent to us on May 6th, 2009Message from Brian J, Toronto Ontario
Sent to us on April 27th, 2009Seems to me that it might be useful to look at previous church wide efforts to see how they got on.
I remember that the 1990′s were “The Decade of Evangelism.” I can’t ever remember a wrap up report or celebration of the events, activities or programs. I guess the plan never had really strong support at the beginning, or from the senior church leadership. A halfway there article in the Anglican journal reported on activities.
They had one meeting two years after the decade began. One video was created. At my church an all-day Saturday workshop was held on how to share your faith.
The first mark of mission is to evangelize. Looks like we could revisit that one again.
Message from Eric M., Abbotsford, BC
Sent to us on April 26th, 2009The Anglican Church of Canada appears to be in a state of upheaval. My church, St Matthews Anglican Church of Abbotsford is in the middle of this turmoil. The reason seems to be that we insist on being fully true to the Holy Scriptures and to our rejecting the authority of those church leaders who have denied the orthodox faith in word or deed. We pray for them and call on them to repent and return to the Lord.
In “2019″ I would hope to see; The Anglican Church of Canada be a fully united church who believes the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the word of God written and to contain all things necessary for salvation. The Bible is to be translated, read, preached,t aught and obeyed in its plain and canonical sense, respectful of the church’s historic and consensual reading.
We uphold The Thirty-nine Articles as containing the true doctrine of the Church agreeing with God’s Word and as authoritative for Anglicans today.
I trust that this is the type of “input” which you can use.
Respectfully submitted
Eric Myrholm
Abbotsford, BC
Message from Emerge Montreal
Sent to us on April 21st, 2009Message from Lent Study Group, St. John the Divine, Victoria BC
Sent to us on April 5th, 2009Stop spending time on same-sex issues, move on to social justice issues. Please God, by 2019!
Weekends are now full-time working days, we don’t have a time to rest, as God did on the seventh day – other faiths are more committed to their sabbaths.
We do not yet live a sufficiently alternate life-style so that we can be any kind of example. By 2019 we should not have as many large church buildings as now.
To become good stewards of energy such as heat pumps and solar panels in churches. We are well involved in local initiatives in Christ’s name, but we don’t focus much on the millennial goals internationally. We focus on homelessness locally. We may be entering another significant change in Christian history as has happened before.
The church could be the agent that brings to people’s attention the need for justice rather than self-interest – rather than expecting that we will solve the problems the church become the symbol of that justice basic to solving the problems of economics and climate change.
Our thanks to the Primate for having put this program in place.
Message from Allan K., Regina, Saskatchewan
Sent to us on March 31st, 2009There is an old theory which says that one finds love when one stops looking for it. Well, I think the Church should stop its frantic efforts to become “relevant” and do good. Nothing good will come of it. The only thing that has ever worked is to look deep into one’s own heart and decide what God we really want to worship. Remember, He is a lot more than a warm, fuzzy feeling; He is also a judge, THE Judge.
Message from Bob E., St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador
Sent to us on March 26th, 2009I became a church organist at the age of 18, and it was the first time I had been to church since I had been confirmed. At the time, I was the only person within my group of friends who went to church, and I consider myself extremely fortunate that I was given this opportunity to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ. I’m now 39, and I can still say that the vast majority of my friends do not attend church. I’ve watched the weekly attendance at my current parish dwindle from 140-150 a week to 90-110 a week over the past 13 years.
I don’t think this is a problem with our parish, as many parishes are experiencing the same problem. Instead, I think it is a problem with Christian education. As I mentioned, most of my friends don’t go to church. They consider themselves atheist. We are confirming (or “graduating”) children from Sunday School at the age of 12, at which point, we lose them. We are telling them they know everything they need to know, and we hope that that’s enough to keep their interest – and their parent’s interest. It’s not – they’re 12 years old!!! They reach an age where they learn to question things, and religion doesn’t make sense to them. It’s easier to deny a greater power than to try and develop a relationship with God.
As a result, we have given birth to a nation of unbelievers. Because people have been born into Christianity, they feel they have a right to tear it down when they don’t understand it.
We have to revamp how we educate children (and maybe even adults) in the church, so that when they are ready to question what they have been taught in Sunday school, there is a support system to help them find their way. Maybe this means delaying confirmation to an age at which they are asking questions for themselves, and they are better informed to make decisions.
Message from Murray S., Winnipeg Manitoba
Sent to us on March 21st, 2009Within the Aboriginal community, it is easy to identity with and agree to the five marks of mission. With the assistance of our bishop, Donald Phillips, and the Diocesan Council, we formed Rupert’s Land Wechetowin Inc., an arms-length agency, to work at healing, reconciliation and self-determination.
Wechetowin is Cree for “People helping People,” and we do this through pastoral and spiritual care of Aboriginal people in hospitals and care homes, through an Elder’s Circle to provide guidance, a theatre program that teaches about Aboriginal issues and Restorative Justice. We work ecumenically and with those in our city who want to partner with us in our objectives. We need each other, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal in the effort to heal and reconcile. We are all treaty people and together we can strengthen the fabric of not only the Church but society overall. God’s unconditional love is for all.
I would like to see partnerships grow in the years leading to 2019, involving all ages and cultures. At Holy Trinity in Winnipeg, where I serve as Honorary Assistant, you can look out on our congregation and see faces from many different cultures-African, Jamaican, First Nation, Asian and of course those of European origins. This is the strength of our Church and our faith. Let is continue to nurture this as a way forward in Christ.
Message from Lorraine F., New Minas Nova Scotia
Sent to us on March 20th, 2009I attended the Anglican Church regularly until 12 years ago when the changes became too much to bear. The Church has moved away from the truth of the Bible. I have heard priests preach that the resurrection never happened, that the Nativity was a myth. The Church has evolved into a social club, more concernrd with secular acceptance than Biblical truths. When I left, my family left also. I have many friends who also left the Church. Does the Anglican Cghurch care? Apparently not because my sort did not fit into the new left leaning secular mold the Church wishes to inhabit. It will be interesting to see what is left in 2019. How many more parishes will be extinct? How many more church buildings sold for apartments? The Anglican Church of Canada is collapsing at the base. Soon there will not be enough laity to support the teetering heirarchy. If you want to survive, return to your roots and embrace the Truth of the Gospel. And by the way Archbishop Hiltz, Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, forever. Our Lord never grew from his encounter with the Syrophoenician woman. He taught her and she grew.
Message from Diocese of Montreal — Youth Synod 2009
Sent to us on March 16th, 2009
Youth at the Diocese of Montreal Youth Synod answer the question “Where is your church now, and where do you think the Anglican Church of Canada should be in 2019?”
