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August 11, 2008
This page contains ACC Web News from the national church and will be updated regularly. To go directly to the national church web site, click on this link: http:’’www.anglican.ca/
Feedback wanted: new material for new believers
Canadians invited to join bishops in MDGs walk
Anglican Bishops join Walk of Witness through London
New essays continue church's discernment on human sexuality
New website for Partners in Mission and Ecojustice
Video captures Anglican responses to Prime Minister's apology
ACIP wants national discussion concerning unpaid aboriginal clergy
Primate's new webcast highlights Aboriginal justice
Primate adds his voice to support for jailed aboriginal leaders
Anglicans and Lutherans act against homelessness
Feedback wanted: new material for new believers
Ali Symons
General Synod Web Writer
When someone becomes a Christian, how does the church make sure they are properly educated before they are baptised? When Christianity was the dominant religion, knowing the faith was not a problem, but in post-Christendom Canada, people often need a refresher (or an intensive seminar) when they convert, return to faith, or present their children for infant baptism.
This period of education is called the catechumenate and in recent years many people have become interested in what this could or should look like. A group of Anglican clergy and laypeople, led by the Rev. John Hill, Diocese of Toronto, has worked steadily to produce new resources to fill the gap in the Anglican Church of Canada.
The group is offering this package of material to be used on a trial basis by the church. The goal is to have this material officially endorsed by General Synod at some point and, in the meantime, feedback is encouraged and can be emailed to the Rev. Hill at john.w.b.hill@sympatico.ca. The material (see links below) includes:
* What is the Catechumenate?
* Custom Designing the Catechumenate for your Parish
* Rites of Initiation
* Rites of Turning Again to Christ
* Stories of Implementing the Catechumenate
* The Courtship Analogy (a comparison to the cathecumenate)
* The Ritual Shape of Catechumenal Ministry
Far from stuffy, this material is full of practical tips, an awareness of congregations' "baptism fatigue" and humour. Contributor the Rev. David Montgomery jokes that when it comes to pre-baptismal instruction, clergy either "impose requirements...or they baptize pretty well anything that moves."
This ambiguity wasn't always the case, explains the Rev. Hill. Catechumenate rites were part of the church's practice in its early years, but when it became an agency of the Roman Empire, the need for such rites died out. In 1972, after Vatican II, the Roman Catholic Church began again to produce material for what it called "adult initiation." The need for catechumenate material was also evident in modern missionary situations where converts grappled with a foreign Christian worldview.
Few churches in the Anglican Communion have officially developed their own catechumenate rites and resources, even though, with a generally un-Christianized public (in the West, at least), this need is on the rise. The Anglican Church of Canada considered, but ultimately did not include, catechumenate resources when assembling the Book of Alternative Services.
Is it time for catechumenate rites in the Anglican Church of Canada? Do you agree with the Rev. Montgomery that our church is in a "baptismal muddle"? Read the stories, analyze the liturgy, and let the group know what you think
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View the catechumenate material here:
http://www2.anglican.ca/faith/worship/catechumenate/index.htm
Send your feedback to the Rev. John Hill:
mailto:john.w.b.hill@sympatico.ca
Canadians invited to join bishops in MDGs walk
Ali Symons
General Synod Web Writer
Approximately 600 Anglican bishops and their spouses will march through central London on July 24 to demonstrate their commitment to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Canadian Anglicans are invited to "walk along" through a letter-writing campaign that same day.
The walk takes place during the Lambeth Conference, the once-a-decade gathering of all bishops in the worldwide Anglican Communion. The bishops will take a break from their usual schedule of prayer, discussion, and plenary sessions for this walk, which was organized in partnership with Micah Challenge UK and the United Kingdom's Department for International Development.
The MDGs are eight targets created to address the needs of the world's poorest people by 2015:
* Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
* Achieve universal primary education
* Promote gender equality and empower women
* Reduce child mortality
* Improve maternal health
* Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases
* Ensure environmental sustainability
* Develop a global partnership for development
Announcing the event, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, said: "This walk will be a poignant public act of commitment by the Anglican Communion and other faith groups to continue to put pressure on those who have the power and resources to help end extreme poverty across the globe."
The idea of an accompanying "virtual walk" sprung up in the Episcopal Church (USA). The Episcopal Public Policy Network and Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation set up a website (see link below) where congregations could download prayers and bulletin inserts promoting the event. American churches can also sign up for an email list that will alert them of an MDG-related advocacy action for July 24. As of Tuesday, July 22, more than 1,000 individuals and 100 congregations signed up for the virtual march.
Canadians were also eager to participate, and the Diocese of Ontario has drafted a letter that Canadians can send to their member of Parliament by email or letter mail, encouraging the government to meet its pledge of 0.7% of Gross National Income for development assistance (see links below). Canadian congregations can also sign up to have their names included on the Episcopal Church's virtual march list by emailing mkinman@gmail.com.
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Download the Diocese of Ontario letter to MPs (Word document): http://www2.anglican.ca/pdf/MPsletterMDG.doc
Find your member of Parliament here:
http://tiny.cc/s8MTk
Visit the virtual march website:
http://www.e4gr.org/virtualmarch.html
Visit General Synod's Lambeth Conference news hub:
http://www2.anglican.ca/lambeth/index.htm
670 Anglican bishops join Walk of Witness through London
MARITES N. SISON
STAFF WRITER
Jul 23, 2008
Canterbury, England
The Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams will lead about 670
Anglican bishops, their spouses and ecumenical partners on an
unprecedented walk through the streets of central London tomorrow to
demonstrate their commitment to end global poverty and other
priorities outlined by the United Nations Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs).
The "Walk of Witness", which will begin in Whitehall Place and wend
through Parliament Square before proceeding to Lambeth Palace, is also
meant to pressure governments to keep their promises to deliver the
MDGs.
"The march will say to government that people matter. That people
matter more than arms, that people matter more than huge bureaucracies
and that people must come first," said David Beetge, the bishop of
Highveld, South Africa, where poverty and the scourge of HIV-AIDS is
an everyday reality.
To read the rest of the story, please visit the Anglican Journal Web
site, http://www.anglicanjournal.com
1,500 bishops, others walk through London
Prime minister welcomes MDG message
MARITES N. SISON
STAFF WRITER
Jul 24, 2008
London, England
The Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams Thursday urged world
leaders to “find greater political commitment to addressing poverty
and inequality” as he and 1,500 Anglican bishops, their spouses as
well as other faith leaders took to the streets of London to dramatize
their call for governments to fulfill their promise to halve poverty
by 2015.
Curious Londoners and tourists lined the streets fronting Parliament
Square as the world’s Anglican bishops in purple cassocks and their
spouses in national dresses joined faith leaders and anti-poverty
activists in marching from Whitehall Road before wending through
Parliament Square, Lambeth Bridge and then to the courtyard of Lambeth
Palace for a rally.
The marchers carried purple placards that read “Keep the Promise,” and
“Halve Poverty by 2015”, in reference to the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs) set by the UN. Participants also carried the Poverty and
Justice Bible, which highlights 2,000 verses of scripture relating to
poverty and justice.
To read the rest of the story, please visit the Anglican Journal Web
site,http://www.anglicanjournal.com
FYI: New essays continue church's discernment on human sexuality
New essays on human sexuality, written by Canadian Anglican theologians, are now available for your consideration, as part of the Anglican Church of Canada's ongoing discernment about the blessing of same-sex unions (see link at bottom of email).
At the last national meeting, General Synod 2007, the church decided that same-sex blessings were not in conflict with core doctrine but still did not allow individual parishes to bless these unions. The church also acknowledged that deep theological reflection on the topic was needed. Specifically, the Primate's Theological Commission, a group of 12 Canadian Anglican theologians, was mandated to consider these topics:
1. The theological question of whether the blessing of same-sex unions is a faithful, Spirit-led development of Christian doctrine
2. Scripture's witness to the integrity of every human person and the question of the sanctity of human relationships
The commission was asked to consult with the wider Canadian Anglican church as it prepares responses, which is where these new essays, as well as your response, fit in.
If you are interested in submitting your own essay on one of the above questions, or in commenting on one of the other essays, please email your contribution to the Rev. Canon Alyson Barnett-Cowan, Director of Faith, Worship, and Ministry, at abarnettcowan@national.anglican.ca
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Read the essays on human sexuality here:
http://www2.anglican.ca/primate/ptc/responses/
New website for Partners in Mission and Ecojustice
Canadian Anglicans knit "mission" and "justice" a little closer together when they approved the new Partners in Mission and Ecojustice (PMEJ) Committee at the 2007 General Synod. Now a new, redesigned website explains how PMEJ works-and more:
http://www2.anglican.ca/mission/index.htm
If you're interested in a website tour, start with the "How we work" section, which explains why the Partners in Mission Committee joined with the Ecojustice Committee. As the website text explains, the merge "was in part a response to the globalized context of our work, which could no longer be separated into categories of 'Canadian justice' and 'international mission.'":
http://www2.anglican.ca/mission/about/ourwork/
Then find some familiar resources, like Praying with our Partners: http://www2.anglican.ca/mission/resources/pwop/
The website also includes new interactive maps, where you can locate current Volunteers in Mission: http://www2.anglican.ca/mission/programs/vim/stories.htm
Finally, check out the Areas of Action that PMEJ is focusing on. Perhaps you'll find some ideas on how to knit mission and justice together in your community:
http://www2.anglican.ca/mission/action/index.htm
Video captures Anglican responses to Prime Minister's apology
Ali Symons
General Synod Web Writer
On June 11, representatives of the Anglican Church of Canada travelled to Parliament Hill in Ottawa to watch Prime Minister Stephen Harper's apology to former residential school students. Anglican Video compiled the highlights of the day into a short online video. A photo slideshow is also available. (See links at bottom of email.)
In a later interview, the Primate, Archbishop Fred Hiltz, said he saw his role on June 11 as a "ministry of presence and prayer." He attended a June 10 reception hosted by the Assembly of First Nations, and on the morning of June 11, he participated in a sunrise service to remember those who died in residential schools. Later in the day the Primate joined others in watching the Prime Minister's apology in a screening room.
"It was an incredibly sacred moment in the history of Canada, that the Prime Minister would make this apology," said the Primate. He said he was pleased that other party leaders offered apologies of their own, and that Aboriginals responded in the House of Commons. He and National Indigenous Anglican Bishop Mark MacDonald had discussed the possibility of Aboriginal responses with Chuck Strahl, minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, in a conference call a week earlier.
"My hope and prayer all along is that the apology would be prepared and delivered in such a way that just as in the cases of our own apology, 15 years later, it's still a point of reference," said Archbishop Hiltz.
In 1993, Primate Michael Peers apologized on behalf of the Anglican Church of Canada for its role in administering Anglican residential schools, which ran from 1820 to 1969 in various places across Canada.
The video includes reactions from other Anglican representatives: the Rev. Gloria Moses and the Ven. Sidney Black, co-chairs of the Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples; and National Indigenous Anglican Bishop Mark MacDonald.
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Watch the video:
http://www2.anglican.ca/multimedia/2008-06-17_video.htm
Watch the photo slideshow:
http://www2.anglican.ca/multimedia/2008-06-17.htm
ACIP wants national discussion concerning unpaid aboriginal clergy
Marites N. Sison
staff writer
Jun 10, 2008
The Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples (ACIP) has proposed a national summit to discuss the issue of non-stipendiary, or unpaid, aboriginal clergy, most of whom are serving in large native communities across Canada.
"Nobody wants the problem put on their laps, not because they're not concerned, but because there are no resources," said Mark MacDonald, the national Anglican indigenous bishop. "What we're suggesting is a cross-church consultation, a summit where a whole group of people (can discuss) what can only be described as a moral issue for all of us. There's no entity to solve it effectively."
Bishop MacDonald, who offered his reflections at the recent meeting of the Council of General Synod (CoGS), the Anglican Church of Canada's governing body between General Synods, said addressing the matter would "impact positively the other ministries of the church."
Noting that the average age in native communities is less than 20, Bishop MacDonald said, "Our demographics are like 1945 to 1955 church demographics. We have this huge opportunity and tremendous growth. The fields are ripe for harvest." He added that he was presenting ACIP's proposal for the summit "not as a conundrum but a real possibility for growth and movement in the future."
To read the rest of the story, please visit the Anglican Journal Web site, www.anglicanjournal.com
Primate's new webcast highlights Aboriginal justice
June 10, 2008 -- In a new six-minute webcast, Archbishop Fred Hiltz,
primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, addresses the "beloved
church" from the windy tundra of Iqaluit, NU. He visited Iqaluit from
May 31 to June 2 for the Diocese of the Arctic synod.
The Primate describes three June events related to Aboriginal justice:
the June 1 launch of the Truth and Reconciliation Commissionon
residential schools, the Canadian government's apology to residential
school survivors June 11, and National Aboriginal Day June 21.
Archbishop Hiltz urges Canadian Anglicans to participate in these
events as much as possible, and to uphold them in prayer. He then
offers up his own prayer, which begins,"Great Creator God, who desires
that all creation live in harmony and peace. We dare to dream of a
path to reconciliation."
Watch the webcast:
http://www2.anglican.ca/primate/communications/2008-06-10.htm
Links:
* Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission
http://www.trc-cvr.ca/indexen.html
* Primate calls for prayer June 8
http://www.anglican.ca/news/news.php?newsItem=2008-06-05_as.fyi
* National Aboriginal Day June 21
http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/nad/index-eng.asp
Primate urges Harper to consult with AFN
May 26, 2008 -- Archbishop Fred Hiltz, Primate of the Anglican Church
of Canada, and National Indigenous Bishop Mark MacDonald have written
the Prime Minister urging the government to consult with native people
before making an apology for residential schools.
The federal government is expected to make the apology on June 11.
Phil Fontaine, National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, has
also been calling on Ottawa to involve native people in the drafting
of an apology.
The two Anglican church leaders congratulated the federal government
on the selection of members of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission,
but expressed concern that the apology appears to be taking shape with
inadequate consultation.
Failure to consult, the letter says, "may result in further injuring
the victims of this broken part of our history, and call into question
the genuineness of the apology."
The full text of the letter follows.
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May 23, 2008
The Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper
Prime Minister of Canada
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6
Dear Prime Minister Harper
As the Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada and the National
Indigenous Anglican Bishop, we write to express the positive response
of our Church to the long awaited announcement of the Truth and
Reconciliation Commissioners, and to the expected apology of the
Government of Canada to survivors of Indian Residential Schools.
The selection of the chair and commissioners gives evidence of careful
searching and discernment and we commend you for their appointments.
The readiness of the Government of Canada to offer an apology before
Parliament and the citizens of Canada also marks a very significant
stage in our journey toward wholeness as a country of many peoples.
We are very concerned, however, to learn that your Government appears
to be drafting the apology in isolation of those to whom it is to be
presented.
We stand with National Chief Phil Fontaine of the Assembly of First
Nations who has gone on record for making repeated requests that
Indigenous peoples be involved in the process of preparing the apology.
Consultation with Indigenous peoples is part of the terms of the IRS
Settlement Agreement. We believe it is also fundamental to the act of
apology and the healing it is intended to promote between the
institution of the Government of Canada and the survivors of Indian
Residential Schools.
The Anglican Church of Canada colluded with the Indian Residential
School system and the agenda of assimilation of which it was an
instrument. We know it has caused and continues to cause profound harm
to Indigenous peoples, their families and communities. We believe
that, to bring about healing, an apology must fully acknowledge the
nature of the injury or injuries caused, and that this can only be
discovered by talking directly with victims. We believe too, that to
bring about healing, an apology must arise from intense listening and
attention.
When the Government of Australia issued an apology to its Aboriginal
people in February of this year, it was only after wide consultation
with Aboriginal leaders. Canada should do no less.
Mr. Prime Minister, we urge you in the days that remain before June
11, to press Minister Chuck Strahl to consult immediately, openly, and
directly with the AFN about the text of the apology. We fear that
failure to do so may result in further injuring the victims of this
broken part of our history, and call into question the genuineness of
the apology.
We write this in the spirit of the prayer associated with Remembering
the Children, the Aboriginal and Church Leaders’ Tour in March of this
year. The prayer read in part, “We dare to dream of a path of
reconciliation where apology from the heart leads to healing of the
heart. Hear our prayer of hope and guide this country of Canada on a
new and different path.”
We await the Government of Canada’s apology with hope and expectation
that it will be founded on true dialogue and a sincere commitment to
healing and ultimately to reconciliation.
Sincerely,
The Most Rev. Fred Hiltz
Primate
The Rt. Rev. Mark MacDonald
National Indigenous Anglican Bishop
c.c. The Honourable Chuck Strahl, Minister of Indian Affairs and
Northern Development;
Mr. Phil Fontaine, National Chief, the Assembly of First Nations.
Primate’s Fund seeking donations for China earthquake relief
May 14, 2008
The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) is accepting donations for victims of the earthquake that struck China on May 12, killing an estimated 15,000 people and leaving thousands more trapped in mounds of debris.
Tens of thousands were also left homeless by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake, said to be the worst to hit China in more than 30 years. In the earthquake’s aftermath, Chinese officials have warned of danger from broken rivers and dams that could trigger landslides.
PWRDF has committed $10,000 as an initial response to an appeal issued by Action by Churches Together (ACT) International, of which it is a member. The Geneva-based ACT, which unites church-related relief efforts worldwide, is co-ordinating its response in China through its member agency, Amity Foundation.
Amity Foundation has deployed staff to Chengdu, 159 km from Wenchuan county in Sichuan province, the earthquake’s epicentre. Victims are in urgent need of shelter, food, clothes, and medicines, the foundation said in its initial report. Many people are injured and many homes, schools and buildings have collapsed. The foundation has issued an appeal on its Web site, www.amityfoundation.org, for counsellors to help victims who are suffering from grief and trauma.
The earthquake has also affected other provinces, including Gansu, Qinghai, Guizhou, Ningxia, Henan, Shanxi, Sha’anxi, Beijing, and Jiangsu.
A massive search and rescue operation is underway, but bad weather and rubble-strewn roads hampered the efforts of soldiers, firefighters, and volunteers. China’s air force managed to drop relief goods, including bottled water, milk and instant noodles in some areas, according to Xinhua, the Chinese news agency.
Two of Xinhua’s reporters, who managed to reach Wenchuan county on foot, have reported heartbreaking scenes of devastation. “Many people carried their injured family members and relatives with stretchers or slide bars, the local type of simplified rickshaw. Some of the injured were apparently dying,” they reported. “A woman carried a dead infant wrapped in white clothes as if the baby was alive and hiked forward with her husband.”
Amity Foundation has released an initial one million yuan ($144, 048 Cdn) to help provide immediate relief for victims.
Amity Foundation, created in 1985 by Chinese Christians, has been engaged in programs related to education, social welfare, health, rural development, emergency relief, and rehabilitation. It has established a nationwide relief network through local partners and churches.
For information on how to donate to the victims of the earthquake in China, please visit the PWRDF Web site, www.pwrdf.org
Primate adds his voice to support for jailed aboriginal leaders
March 21, 2008 -- Archbishop Fred Hiltz, Primate of the Anglican
Church of Canada, has added his support for Northern Ontario
aboriginal leaders jailed for their defence of traditional lands.
In a letter to Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, Archbishop Hiltz said
that the jailing of the six leaders for contempt of court "has caused
a serious impasse between the Indigenous peoples of Canada and the
Government of Ontario, arising out of the continual imposition of the
powers and values of colonizers."
The full text of the Primate's letter follows:
March 20, 2008
Premier Dalton McGuinty
Ontario Provincial Legislature
Queen’s Park
Toronto, Ontario M7A 1A1
Dear Premier Dalton McGuinty,
On behalf of the Anglican Church of Canada I write to express my deep
concern over the recent incarceration on March 17, 2008 of Chief Donny
Morris, Deputy Chief Jack Mackay and four other leaders from the
Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation, who acted in defence of
their traditional lands and against the threat posed by the Platinex
Inc. exploration company.
I stand behind the Rt. Rev. David Ashdown, bishop of the diocese of
Keewatin, which embraces the traditional native lands of the KI Nation
around Trout Lake. In a letter dated March 17, 2008 Bishop Ashdown
commended the Chief and Council of the KI First Nation for their
commitment to the land, which is “a sacred trust which must be
respected and guarded not only for those living today but for future
generations as well.”
I stand behind Grand Chief Stan Beardy of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation,
himself a faithful Christian and Anglican, who noted in a recent
statement on the Ontario Superior Court ruling that “the Government of
Ontario is indeed above the law as the Province continues to neglect
supreme court rulings to consult and accommodate First Nations prior
to resource development.”
I stand behind the Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples and the
National Indigenous Anglican Bishop, who stated today in a letter to
you that the jail sentence of the six KI leaders is “deeply
troubling,” and that the sentence “is not only a dangerous violation
of Aboriginal Rights, it also contradicts a growing consensus towards
the stewardship of the land on the part of all Ontario citizens.”
I believe that the jail sentence of these leaders has caused a serious
impasse between the Indigenous peoples of Canada and the Government of
Ontario, arising out of the continual imposition of the powers and
values of colonizers. It appears that Chief Morris and his council
accepted Justice Smith’s ruling because of an inability to continue
paying the escalating legal fees for defending their suit. Now in
jail, they are paying the costs with their lives.
Earlier this month, I participated with other church leaders in a tour
of Aboriginal and Church Leaders, Remembering the Children, to raise
the awareness of the churches and Canadian public of the work of the
Truth and Reconciliation Commission to be appointed by the federal
government of Canada. For the healing and reconciliation that is
needed to heal the harmful legacy of the Residential School system,
there must be a huge commitment on the part of the churches and the
federal and provincial governments of Canada to justice and self-
determination for Indigenous peoples.
I appeal to your government to work diligently with the KI First
Nation in the interest of a fair and just solution to the impasse, and
the freeing of those who are jailed.
Please know of my thoughts and prayers as you give immediate attention
to the urgent matter.
Sincerely,
[signed]
The Most Rev. Fred Hiltz
Primate
cc. The Chief and Council, Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation
Grand Chief Stan Beardy, Nishnwbe Aski Nation
The Rt. Rev. David Ashdown, Bishop of Keewatin
The Rt. Rev. Mark MacDonald, National Anglican Indigenous Bishop
The Ven. Dr. Sidney Black, the Rev. Gloria Moses, co-chairs, The
Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples
Links:
* This letter in PDF format
http://www2.anglican.ca/primate/communications/documents/2008-03-20.pdf
* ACIP expresses solidarity with Nishnawbe Aski Nation
http://www.anglican.ca/news/news.php?newsItem=2008-03-20_lacip.news
Anglicans and Lutherans act against homelessness
March 3, 2008 -- The Anglican Primate and the Evangelical Lutheran National
Bishop call on the members of their respective churches to advocate for
affordable housing solutions for the homeless with letters and visits to
their Members of Parliament.
In a letter sent to the Minister of Human Resources and Development Canada,
Monte Solberg, on Feb 27, 2008, the leaders urged the government "to address
homelessness in Canada as part of a comprehensive poverty reduction
strategy."
The letter follows the tabling of the federal budget which left the
estimated 150,000 to 300,000 homeless people in Canada out in the cold, and
another 1.5 million Canadians in desperate housing need without relief.
The joint Anglican-Lutheran initiative takes inspiration from the prophet
Isaiah who asks what true religious observance is: "Is it not to share your
bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house?" (Isaiah
58:7).
"Our vision," the leaders' letter concludes, "is to go beyond the prophet's
call, to create a society where the hungry are able to eat their own bread,
and the homeless poor are brought into their own house."
"Being in full communion means more than worshipping together," says
Archbishop Fred Hiltz, the Anglican Primate. "Members of both our churches
give generously of their time and money to help people who are homeless.
They run thrift shops, food banks, overnight shelters, and hospitality
programs. But they know that charity isn't enough. Advocating together for
justice is also part of being in full communion."
"I'm so excited by this initiative," says ELCIC National Bishop Susan C.
Johnson. "It demonstrates how working together in full communion we can make
a much larger impact and a stronger witness, hopefully inspiring our
government to address the realities of homelessness in Canada."
The joint initiative is modelled after a campaign of the diocese of Toronto
encouraging Anglicans to visit their local MPs to express concerns about
housing and poverty.
Hiltz and Johnson are inviting Lutherans and Anglicans to write or visit
their federal MP, and where possible, to do this jointly. The purpose is to
ask the Government of Canada to:
* Renew and increase the affordable housing funding which is set to expire
at the end of 2008
* Join with the provinces to develop a comprehensive housing strategy as
part of an overall national poverty reduction strategy
On line resources are available to help people participate in this
initiative:
* "Bringing people who are homeless into their own house" - a resource that
explains this initiative and gives tips for writing and visiting with your
MP.
* A bulletin insert for use in church bulletins, encouraging congregations
and parishes to become involved.
* A copy of the joint letter from The Most Reverend Fred Hiltz, Primate of
the Anglican Church of Canada, and The Reverend Susan C. Johnson, National
Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada to the Minister of Human
Resources and Social Development, Monte Solberg.
Download the resources here: http://www.anglican.ca/rd/homeless.htm
For more information, contact:
Trina Gallop
Manager of Communications
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
888.786.6707 ext 172
tgallop@elcic.ca
Maylanne Maybee
Coordinator of Ecojustice Networks
The Anglican Church of Canada
416.924.9199 ext 219
mmaybee@national.anglican.ca
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