September 2015 HCN web

By Rev. Canon Gaye Whippey
and John Montgomery
Can you see what Creator is
doing? It’s new and it’s touching
the hearts of ordinary people
who are listening and want to
share in the story of hope and
resurrection.
Be a part of what has been un-
folding through the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission on
Canada’s former system of Indi-
an residential schools — and get
ready to climb mountains.
Justice Murray Sinclair, who
chaired the commission, pro-
posed the outline for the next
chapter of this story by saying:
“We have described for you a
mountain. We have shown you
a path to the top. We call on you
to do the climbing.”
At the bottom of this moun-
tain, we stand with each other
in the pain of the Indian resi-
dential school experiences and
the loss of many missing or
murdered aboriginal women.
A period of 22 days of remem-
bering marked the end of the
commission’s monumental un-
dertaking.
The Gospel asks us to face the
historic reality of the doctrine
of discovery (which said any
non-Christian land could be
claimed for a Christian mon-
arch) and of colonialism, open-
ing our eyes to all that contra-
dicts our vision of Canada as a
country where justice and hu-
man rights are respected.
After learning about the doc-
trine of discovery and the im-
pact of its colonizing culture
on indigenous peoples, we be-
come aware that the dominant
Western culture has had a di-
sastrous effect on First Nations’
life, teachings, and culture. Im-
posing Western standards and
world views has limited their
experience of Jesus in their own
encounter with the Gospel.
The hurts and wounds of the
residential schools are now pub-
lic knowledge. In the Church,
we have reached out with an
apology and payments to those
who suffered. The next step is
the healing of relationships.
The next step is
the healing of
relationships.
Dr. Tom Peace, an assistant
professor of history at Huron
University College, shared with
Huron’s Bridge Builders group
that indigenous peoples in East-
ern Canada had a much more
complex history of schooling
than is often recognized.
He pointed to day schools
created by a handful of indig-
enous communities as early
as the 1780s, long before the
residential school system was
established. His research into
this early history and the rela-
tionships that emerged from it
points toward possibilities for
restoring relationships through
knowledge of the past.
For seven years, the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission lis-
tened to survivors of “the dark-
est and most troubling chapter
in our collective history,” as Jus-
tice Sinclair called it (Toronto
Star, June 6). The truth has been
told and our minds and hearts
need to respond to the commis-
sion’s recommendations.
Provincial Synod: Re-imagining the church in the public square, Pages 13-16
Huron Church NewsANGLICAN DIOCESE OF HURON • Huron Church News is a section of the Anglican Journal • S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5
Huron Church
News named
best overall
paper at the 2015
Anglican Editors
Association
conference.
Page 6
BishopTerry Dance talks about his
upcoming retirement. Page 2
Taking
joy in the
unexpected
with Anglican
Churches in
Cambridge.
Page 3
Inside
Truth
The General Synod Archives, Anglican Church of Canada
The Mohawk Institute, the Anglican-run residential school on Six Nations, was known to the
children as the Mush Hole for the poor quality of its food.
Named the
Best overall newspaper
at the 2015 Anglican Editors Association
conference, Huron Church News is
the official publication of the
Diocese of Huron.
CLOS
Huro
in pr
onli
Clo
M
Ta
C
C
National Display Advertising Rates • Effec
Reconciliation
Photo by Art Babych
Thousands of people took part in the walk for reconciliation on May 31 as the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission of Canada prepared to release its report. See Are You Ready, Page 5

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5 ANGLICAN DIOCESE OF HURON CHURCH NEWS P A G E 3PAGE 2 ANGLICAN DIOCESE OF HURON CHURCH NEWS S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5
Huron
Church
News
Volume 65, Number 7
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Publisher
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Robert F. Bennett
Bishop of Huron
Diocese of Huron
Huron Church House
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London, Ontario N6A 6H7
Phone: 519-434-6893
Huron Church News is
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by Cheryl Highmore
In September 2011 at Water-
loo deanery council, Archdea-
con Peter Townshend asked
for volunteers from each of the
five Anglican churches in Cam-
bridge — St. James, St. John’s,
St. Luke’s, St. Thomas the Apos-
tle, and Trinity — to form a joint
community outreach group.
The group’s first meeting
was filled with enthusiasm and
overflowing with possible proj-
ects. However, as we spoke to
people in the congregations, we
realized choosing a project that
everyone could buy into was not
going to be easy. Each church
had grown independently and
many skeptics said co-operation
would never happen.
But we had come together in
faith and in faith we decided
to take a different approach. It
would take more time and ef-
fort, but we decided to learn
about each other and build fel-
lowship, friendship, and under-
standing. Then we would see
how we could work together.
From that beginning, the An-
glican Churches in Cambridge
(ACIC) has built a relationship
based on shared faith, hope, and
respect.
Representatives from the five
churches meet monthly to ex-
change information on what we
are doing and post important
events on each others’ websites,
bulletins, and Facebook pages.
We come together as equal part-
ners, in honest conversation,
fostering understanding of each
others’ abilities and problems.
We discuss what is possible for
us to accomplish together.
We are mindful of each oth-
ers’ traditions and the good
works in which each congrega-
tion is engaged. We appreciate
how hard each congregation
works. We are aware of financial
needs and limitations.
We chose the motto “Each
unique but one in faith” to rep-
resent this coming together.
Our logo is a cross composed
of five pieces representing the
churches.
Each church has its own his-
tory, has developed to accom-
modate the people in its com-
munity and has found creative
ways to use its members’ talents
to work. We honour each one.
The first ACIC joint event was
at Easter 2012, hosting a free
movie night for the congrega-
tions. There was a small turnout
but it was a start.
We also organized an around-
the-clock Easter vigil, with each
church taking over in rotation;
again there was a small re-
sponse, but it was there.
After each event the ACIC
group reviewed what went well
and how we could do better. We
still do this at each meeting.
We decided to hold a joint pic-
nic in September 2012. Groups
in each church came forward to
donate what was needed: barbe-
cue food, refreshments, gener-
ators and entertainment. It was
supported and encouraged by
the clergy. The people came, the
sun shone, volunteers cooked
and musicians led a singsong.
For many it was the first time
they had met and talked with
someone from one of the other
churches.
It was such as success that
all five parish councils voted
to provide annual funding for
ACIC events.
Our community outreach
projects have also been success-
ful. In December 2012, a team
participated in the local Out of
the Cold walkathon to help the
homeless in Cambridge. Over
three years, we have collected
more than $3,800.
We also collected hundreds
of sweaters for the Sweaters for
Syria campaign run by the local
Lutheran church in 2013.
In 2013 and 2014, we built a
float for the Cambridge Christ-
mas parade. One church found
a sponsor of a flatbed truck and
a driver; others made costumes
and decorated the float; mem-
bers of several men’s groups
built it; one church loaned its
premises to assemble the float
and provided food and refresh-
ment to the volunteers. We had
young and old from all five
churches on the float.
Our churches came togeth-
er again for a Lenten project
in 2015 for the prisoners at the
Grand Valley Institution for
Women. Young mothers in the
prison can videotape them-
selves reading a storybook to
their children. The video and
book are sent to the child to
comfort and strengthen bonds
during separation. ACIC asked
the congregations to donate
new children’s books for the
program and we were able to
provide nearly 400 books.
Our clergy have been part of
our team since the beginning.
They support and participate in
events and, most importantly,
they talk and work with each
other for all our benefit.
In 2015, all five congregations
gathered at St. John’s to observe
a beautiful Holy Saturday ser-
vice of first light. It was a pow-
erfully moving service as we
renewed our baptismal vows,
prayed and sang our praise to
the risen Lord. It will now be
an annual service held at each
church in rotation.
In June 2015, we had planned
a outdoor worship service fol-
lowed by our fourth ACIC pic-
nic in a city park — one fam-
ily in faith, open, visible and
welcoming within the broader
community. However, last-min-
ute weather conditions forced
us inside at St. James.
The service was jointly
planned and led by our clergy
team. With great enthusiasm,
they involved the congregation
in acting out the parable of the
sower and the congregation re-
sponded with equal enthusiasm
and joy. It was an extraordinary
experience as we shared prayers,
bread and wine, and praise and
thanks to God. Nearly 200 peo-
ple then enjoyed the picnic in
the parish hall with music and
entertainment. Despite the
weather, it turned out to be a
fantastic, Spirit-filled day.
We pray we will continue to
have this bridge among our
churches. By working together
on projects, we introduce mem-
bers to each other. We encour-
age the leaders to call on one an-
other if they need help. Where
several churches may want to
set up a program but individ-
ually do not have enough peo-
ple or resources, we encourage
them to work together.
Has everything we tried
worked as we thought? No. Do
we believe it is worth the time
and effort? Yes!
At one of our recent events, a
church member who was skep-
tical early on said she had sat at
a table with people from all five
churches for the first time and
then, smiling, said, “It felt good
to break bread together”.
We have learned that the five
churches, clergy and laity, can
work together to build a good
foundation for the future.
We pray we will continue to
dialogue and share, help each
other and be a presence of our
faith and for our faith in our
community.
Cheryl Highmore is a member
of Trinity, Cambridge.
Step
by step
Despite early skepticism, occasional bad weather,
and a cat photo-bombing the Easter vigil,
Anglican Churches in Cambridge have learned that even when things
don’t go as expected, they can build a strong relationship
Despite bad weather forcing the outdoor service and picnic
indoors, it was a Spirit-filled day.
Working together helps the five churches of Cambridge.
Rev. Greg Jenkins of Trinity, Rev. Canon Linda Nixon of
St. James, Rev. Stephen Berryman of St. John, Rev. Paul Silcox
of St. Luke and (absent) Rev. Vicki Edgeworth-Pitcher of
St. Thomas contribute to the joint work of ACIC.
HCN: What has it been like
being a bishop?
Bishop Terry Dance: It’s been
incredible. I was ordained 32
years before I became bishop
and there was a dramatic change
in my ministry when I became a
bishop in terms of being able to
be part of giving leadership in
the diocese and beyond. It has
opened up so many doors and
possibilities and given me so
many extraordinary experienc-
es I would never have had.
Being on the joint
Anglican-Lutheran commission
— that’s been one of the best
committees I ever served on
in the church and I met some
wonderful, committed Luther-
ans and Anglicans from across
the country
But I know when Dec. 31
comes, what I will miss more
than anything is Sunday morn-
ings. I just love Sunday morn-
ings being around the diocese
and worshipping with different
parishes. That’s the greatest joy
of being a bishop.
You’ve talked about wanting to
continue to do the contextual Bi-
ble studies that you started to do
on your sabbatical.
That certainly is a hope. It’s an
opportunity to offer something
to the diocese and the church.
When you’re the rector of a par-
ish, you’re always looking for
resources.
What is different about con-
textual Bible study that you find
helpful?
It’s designed to really get peo-
ple interacting with one anoth-
er. It really is designed to use
appropriate questions to engage
people in conversation. But
it also involves looking at the
Scriptures in terms of historic
sociological context, in terms of
literary context and then apply
it into our contemporary con-
text. I have never found another
way of working with Bible study
that creates more conversation
and more enthusiasm. It really
becomes hard to shut it down.
What do see as Huron’s
strengths and its difficulties?
I think Huron’s strength in
terms of our size, we have the
potential to have a lot of sup-
ported ministries with clergy
and parishes working together
at the deanery level.
We’ve got an awful lot of par-
ishes at this point in time that
are starting to see real value in
that and are starting to under-
stand that together we can do
more than we can individually.
And there’s some really ex-
citing stuff that’s beginning to
emerge in London, in Cam-
bridge, and around the diocese
with parishes beginning to say,
“Together we’re better.”
And I think our difficulty
would be that we’re a diocese
that is probably about 60-per-
cent rural and a lot of our rural
communities, through chang-
ing demographics, through ru-
ral depopulation, are starting to
struggle in terms in having the
critical mass required to main-
tain congregations.
It’s part of the situation where
a lot of smaller communities
have been losing their hospi-
tals, they’ve been losing their
schools, and their churches —
not just Anglican — are strug-
gling. It’s going to be one of the
most significant challenges the
diocese faces in the next decade.
How do we continue to provide
ministry in areas that are deal-
ing with demographic change
and decline?
It reminds me of the list of
churches you have served in and
there was a Westmount Shopping
Centre storefront ministry.
The great thing about that
is that I worked with a group
of about 30 lay volunteers. We
were there from 9 o’clock in the
morning to 9 o’clock at night ev-
ery day the mall was open. By
the time it wrapped up, we were
getting over 200 people a week
in. People were coming in just
to have someone to talk to.
Unfortunately, as marvellous
as it was, it was really expensive
and it didn’t have any income
coming in. The cost of main-
taining a storefront in a mall
that size was prohibitive.
It struck me as a back-to-the-
future moment in terms of the
lay ministry we may be looking
at in Huron in rural areas.
We were ahead of our time.
This interview has been edited
and condensed.
BishopTerry looks to past and future
Bishop Bob Bennett, in consultation with Archbishop Colin Johnston, has accepted the request of the Rt. Rev. Terry Dance
to retire, effective Dec. 31. Bishop Terry was deaconed May 1, 1976, priested April 25, 1977, and consecrated bishop on
June 6, 2009. He has served the parishes of St. John the Evangelist, London; the Norton Estates-Westmount Experimental
Ministry; Holy Trinity, Chesley, Church of the Ascension, Paisley and Christ Church, Tara; St. John’s (Sandwich), Windsor;
Trinity, Simcoe; and St. Paul’s Cathedral as well as on diocesan, provincial, and national committees, councils, and task forces.
Jason Dance, Have Heart Photography.
Huron’s bishops Terry Dance, far left, and Bob Bennett, far right, ordained five new deacons in June at St. Paul’s Cathedral. From left
are Rev. MaryLynn Forrest, Rev. Fred Walther, Rev. Rosalyn Elm, Rev. Brad Johnson, and Rev. Dr. Stephen McClatchie.
We’ve got an awful
lot of parishes
at this point in
time that are
starting to see
real value in that
and are starting to
understand that
together we can do
more than we can
individually.
Bishop Terry Dance
This month’s bishop’s
column — written jointly
by Bishop Bob Bennett and
Bishop Terry Dance — can
be found on Page 10 in a
special report on the federal
election.

From Page 1
Of the 94, some speak directly
to the Church (59-61).
The first of these recommends
ongoing education so that con-
gregations can learn about the
Church’s role and why the An-
glican primate’s apology was
necessary.
The next calls for developing
courses for clergy, especially for
students offering themselves for
ministry.
The third focuses on
community-controlled healing
and reconciliation projects that
will provide historical knowl-
edge and address the legacy
of religious conflict in aborig-
inal families. These include
community-controlled culture,
language, vitalization and rela-
tionship building with special
reference to opportunities for
youth to discuss their indigene-
ity, self-determination and rec-
onciliation.
What can we do in the Dio-
cese of Huron to be part of the
action and foster relationships
where we can be equal partners?
How do we stand with First Na-
tions people as they become
self-determining? How do we
ensure that our canons, struc-
tures and projects are inclusive
of indigenous rights?
Bridge Builders has begun
to explore oral history and to
consult indigenous Christians
within our diocese. During
the past year, we have read the
Scriptures with fresh vision and
in the light of colonization. We
have been and are committed to
truth telling and listening to one
another.
Now we are going to open
another chapter as we bring out
our insights through workshops
with the hope of seeing more
Bridge Builder groups through-
out our diocese.
Why not begin your action by
reading the executive summary
of the Truth and Reconciliation
Commission online? Or have
study groups read Unsettling
the Settler by Paulette Regan or
The Comeback by John Ralston
Saul?
Enjoy worship in a First Na-
tions community where their
language, imagery and ways are
fostered.
Request a workshop with
some of the Bridge Builders.
Grow in your awareness of First
Nations issues, spiritual values
and practices, and the nature of
third-generation impacts of co-
lonialism.
Contribute to a bursary to
assist and support indigenous
Christians in theological studies
that embrace indigeneity.
Above all, we need hope for
the future. Misunderstandings
will happen and long-grown
stereotypes will take time to
heal.
Can you see what Creator is
doing now? Can you feel the
winds of change through the
Holy Spirit? Are you ready for
mountain climbing? You may
be afraid of the heights but the
view from the top will be amaz-
ing.
Rev. Canon Gaye Whippey
and John Montgomery are
members of Bridge Builders.
Photo by Art Babych
John Moses passes Parliament Hill during the reconciliation
walk with survivors of Indian residential schools holding a
photo of his father Russ and aunt Thelma taken at the Mohawk
Institute residential school in Brantford in 1943.
fall courses:
Anglican Church History, Christian Ethics, Old Testament
Saturdays from 10 am—3 pm in Waterloo
workshops and events:
Justice and Peace in Jewish, Christian & Muslim traditions
(3 afternoon sessions from 2 to 5 pm on Saturdays and Sundays—FREE)
coming in January:
Trinity Institute 2016 partner site and more!
Contact: Marilyn Malton
519.884.4404 x 28628
mmalton@uwaterloo.ca
Come be part of the learning community
at the Renison Institute of Ministry!
non-credit courses and special events
LTh courses in partnership with Huron University College
for lay people, clergy, and parish teams
details at http://uwaterloo.ca/institute-ministry/
Are you ready for the climb?
Remembering murdered and
missing aboriginal women
Archbishop Fred Hiltz, pri-
mate of the Anglican Church
of Canada, asked churches to
ring their bells daily for 22 days
to call attention to the 1,200
murdered or missing aborigi-
nal women and girls in Cana-
da. Here are some responses in
Huron.
St. Luke’s, Broughdale —
photo at right
Eleven individuals and
four church groups, plus the
Korean Antioch Presbyteri-
an Church that shares the
building and a local Chinese
church, signed up to ring the
bell 60 times daily.
One of the bellringers, John
Mackey, did so in honour
of his grandmother, who
attended one of the Indian
residential schools.
Another was a visitor from
Mississauga who was at
St. Luke’s when the project
was announced. She was so
touched by the idea that she
signed up and drove back
from Mississauga just to par-
ticipate.
The congregation also
viewed one of the videos
posted on the 22 Days web-
site during sermon time on
June 7, giving members an
opportunity to discuss the
issue with each other.
“When we lead with a sense
of empire and power, we
(realize) how much damage
we can do,”said Rev. Canon
Adele Miles.
St. Matthew’s, Florence
When you ring a church
bell more than 50 times daily
for 22 days in a small village,
you get questions. The
answer from the members
of St. Matthew’s, Florence,
always included,“Every ring is
for a missing mother, daugh-
ter, friend.”
The reactions were undivid-
ed, and lovely.“I prayed each
time,”said one neighbour.
“That’s so beautiful,”said
another.“I cried.”
Any worry that the bell-
ringing would annoy some,
for instance, shift workers,
was for naught. Parishioners
encountered nothing but
support for the ringing.
St. George’s, Owen Sound
Parish council — after
receiving requests from the
non-church community —
voted to continue ringing its
bells on a daily basis and to
erect a semi-permanent sign
noting it would continue to
do so until the federal gov-
ernment holds an inquiry.
— from Anglican Journal
Ascension, London
With no bell tower, rector
Rev. Canon June Hough in-
stead posted the Sacred Sto-
ries videos and other reports
from the national church on
Ascension’s Facebook page
throughout the 22 days. The
Facebook page is actively
followed by 126 members.
St. Andrew’s, Chippewa of
the Thames,
and Zion, Oneida
The congregations used the
drum as a way of connecting
with the heartbeat of Creator
as they prayed. They have
also started a special garden
at one of the churches.
Rev. Canon Gaye Whippey
reports the great response
from the grassroots, if not
the government, in taking
the Truth and Reconciliation
Commission seriously has
given some hope to the peo-
ple with whom she ministers.
John Mackey, Joyce Coghill, Doug Higgin and Rev. Canon
Adele Miles were among the bellringers during 22 Days at St.
Luke’s, Broughdale. John’s grandmother attended one of the
Indian residential schools.
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What does the word renew
mean? One dictionary says: “to
make or be made new again; to
give new life to; to make as good
as new; to begin again; to give
over again.”
The parishioners at Canon
Davis Memorial Church, Sarnia,
have done all of this and much
more. This small church family
has built a sense of community
and self-renewal to make our
parish hall more usable for our
own congregation and other
groups in the community by in-
stalling a lift to make the stair-
way accessible, automatic doors,
and an accessible washroom.
This has not been an easy feat
for a small (although mighty)
Accessibility key to reaching out
Nancy Dease, Rev. Ray Jenkins, Bishop Bob Bennett, People’s
Warden Wendy Heasman, Rector’s Warden John Hayter and
Charlie Lavigne celebrate the Renew project at Canon Davis
Memorial Church, Sarnia.
By Rev. Canon Sue Paulton
On her wedding day in May
2014, Valerie Horner received a
call from her doctor to tell her
she had cancer. She was told
she should get her life in order
as she would not likely survive
a year.
She got married and a few
weeks later started chemother-
apy.
RoseAnn Davies told Val that
if Val lost her hair as a result
of the chemo, RoseAnn would
shave her head, too, and walk
through this trial with her.
These two ladies, who are al-
ways thinking of others, then
cooked up a plan to raise money
for Huron Church Camp.
Members of the Church of
St. David and St. Mark, Wind-
sor, supported their campaign
and started donating pledges to-
ward the head shaving for HCC.
On May 31 this year, Valerie’s
65th birthday, RoseAnn’s head
was shaved during hospitality
time following the church ser-
vice. Their goal was to collect
$1,000, enough to send two kids
to camp. At the end of the day
they had enough to send eight
kids to camp.
This was a wonderful cele-
bration of life, hope and the joy
found in caring for others.
Rev. Canon Sue Paulton is
rector of St David and St.
Mark, Windsor.
RoseAnn Davies, right, gets ready to have her head shaved
in solidarity with her friend Valerie Horner, left, as she went
through cancer treatment. The pair turned the occasion into a
fundraiser for Huron Church Camp.
Friends fight cancer,
and help church camp
Big hearts and a little rock ’n’roll
By Stephanie Donaldson
and Lynda McGregor
The serious issue of pasto-
ral support for clergy and their
families combined with the
fun of rock and roll as Huron
and Perth Deanery held its first
Bishops’ Friends event.
More than 100 people attend-
ed the evening on April 29 at
the Mitchell Golf and Country
Club, where they had an oppor-
tunity to chat with old friends
and make new ones from the
deanery’s 24 congregations.
Bishop Bob Bennett spoke
passionately about the need
for resources to assist Huron’s
clergy when they are faced with
unforeseen crises. Our bishops
have, as part of their ministry,
the pastoral care of clergy and
their families.
There is no diocesan budget
for these emergencies and oth-
er crises. That ministry requires
the strong support of the peo-
ple of Huron. The five Bishops’
Friends events around the dio-
cese provide that vital support
as part of the Renew campaign’s
Empowered Leadership Fund.
After the bishop’s
thought-provoking remarks,
the mood of the room changed
when Huron and Perth’s special
entertainer, Rev. Matt Martin,
hit the stage. Nostalgia reigned
as we rocked and rolled with
Matt’s unbelievable imperson-
ation of Elvis Presley and his
most memorable hits.
No one in the room could
resist singing along with those
familiar tunes as the King of
Rock and Roll took many of us
back to another time. And if we
happened to forget the name of
a tune, each table card featured
an Elvis song.
Throughout the evening an
attractive silent auction table
drew bidders. Items donated
by parishioners — from theatre
tickets to home-made pies to
one-of-a-kind children’s teddy
bears — created some friendly
competition among the guests.
It was a great evening as the
people of Huron and Perth
came together to support the
bishops in a vital area of their
many ministries.
Special thanks go to the re-
gional dean, Rev. Grayhame
Bowcott, for his leadership and
support; to the evening’s emcee
Gail Trewhitt, a lay reader from
St. George’s, Goderich, for her
polished wit and wry humour;
to Rev. Matt Martin for his
generous contribution; to Shari
Cartright, of Trinity Blyth, for
her event administration and
design assistance; and to all who
came out to support the event.
We look forward to anoth-
er great gathering of Bishops’
Friends in 2016. It will be diffi-
cult to top our initial effort.
Watch for upcoming
Bishops’ Friends
events:
Bishops’Friends North:
Oct. 8, St. Paul’s church hall,
Southampton. Contact:
Scott Saunders, scott@
saugeenteam.com
Kitchener Waterloo: Oct. 28,
Galt Country Club. Contact:
Don Davidson, fr.donald.
davidson@rogers.com
London Area: Nov. 12,
Sunningdale Golf &
Country Club. Contacts:
Bette Ferguson, baferg@
sympatico.ca, or John Thorpe,
jbmthorpe@gmail.com
Essex Windsor: Dec. 9,
Macedonian Hall, Windsor.
Contact: Amanda Gellman,
amanda@manan.ca
Huron Perth: April 2016.
Contact: Stephanie
Donaldson, juniper@hay.net
Archdeacon Allan Livingstone, emcee Gail Trewhitt and Bishop
Bob Bennett enjoy the first Huron and Perth Bishops’Friends
event.
group, but it has shown that
working together for the greater
good and purpose brings sub-
stantial gain to all.
At Canon Davis Memorial,
we have opened the doors to
many new adventures: a Lim-
ber Up group for our parishio-
ners and community, a monthly
quilters’ group and quilt work-
shops, Young People for Dynas-
ty martial arts lessons, and our
monthly dinners.
These activities are just a por-
tion of our resolve to continue
to make this church a viable
community.
Congregational Coaches
Visit our new website:
coaching.diohuron.org

With Canada Day falling on the day as its regular Wednesday
said eucharist, Church of the Ascension, Windsor, concluded the
service by singing the national anthem and, in the parish hall
afterward, enjoying Dorothy Danby’s cupcake flag.
Best across
Canada – and
on kitchen floor
By Sandra Coulson
Editor
Huron Church News
When I started out in jour-
nalism, one of my earliest ed-
itors said to me, “If we don’t
blow our own horn, no one is
going to blow it for us.”
With those words ringing in
my ears, I am actually pleased
to announce Huron Church
News was named Best Over-
all Newspaper at the Anglican
Editors Association confer-
ence in June.
The association comprises
the editors of diocesan new-
papers across Canada.
The judge, Bill Musselwhite,
said he began his assessment
by laying out all the newspa-
per on his kitchen floor. He
had this to say about the best
overall:
“This choice is very sub-
jective and harks back to that
mess on the kitchen floor.
Was there a paper which,
somehow, made me want to
pick it up and read it? Might
someone else, not necessarily
an Anglican, want to pick it
up and read it? Having picked
it up, did it keep its promise?
My choice, for those reasons,
is Huron Church News.”
Newspaper
updates
web edition
By Sandra Coulson
Editor
Huron Church News
The pdf just doesn’t cut it
anymore.
As more people move on-
line for their news, Huron
Church News has updated its
online version to a blog-style
format that will be more fa-
miliar and useful to the on-
line reader.
The new site, at hcn.
diohuron.org, features in-
dividually clickable articles.
Articles can also be accessed
by categories and by a search
function.
But if you like the pdf
format, that’s available too
through this website.
Six months of past issues on
pdf are still located at http://
www.diohuron.org/news/
hcn/hcn.php.
The new online format does
not change the print edition
of the paper.
Named the
Best overall newspaper
at the 2015 Anglican Editors Association
conference, Huron Church News is
the official publication of the
Anglican Diocese of Huron.
Huron Church News accepts advertising for
products, services, events, and programs from
companies and organizations. All advertising must
be honest and in good taste, as determined by the
editor or his or her designate.
Churches and ministries within the Diocese
of Huron are undergoing substantial and bold
renewal, which includes visioning, repositioning,
renovations, and technological updating.
Simultaneously, many of the traditional activities
of the church carry on. Advertising opportunities
exist in renovations, technology suppliers,
recreation and leisure, funeral services, property
maintenance, seniors’services, florists, and among
many others.
The print edition has a circulation of 12,500
households. The readership area covers most
of Southwestern Ontario, including the cities of
London, Kitchener-Waterloo, and Windsor and as
far north as the tip of the Bruce Peninsula.
CLOSING AND PUBLISHING DATES
Huron Church News is published 10 times a year
in print (compact/tabloid size on newsprint) and
online (hcn.diohuron.org).
Closing date: First day of the preceding month.
MECHANICAL REQUIREMENTS
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Supplied ads are required to be PDF Press Ready
format with all fonts embedded.
NOTE: Colour ads MUST be CMYK. Ensure
black text is 100% black, not process black.
RATES: Full colour ads
Full page . . . . . . $1,235.60
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Inquire about inserts.
CPM $100
CONTACT
Email to the editor at:
huronchurchnews@gmail.com
National Display Advertising Rates • Effective September 2015 Issue
Lighthouse atTobermory
Oh, for goodness snake
By Lawrene Denkers
It was supposed to be a rou-
tine maintenance visit to the
church for Bill, a parishioner at
St. Matthew’s, Florence. Instead,
he saw something both startling
and wondrous.
An eastern fox snake, about a
metre long, was stretched out in
the church and raised its head,
cobra-like, when Bill walked in.
Beyond the rare sight of a
snake in a church was the lat-
er discovery that eastern fox
snakes are so rarely seen in the
Carolinian region (southern
Huron Diocese) that they are
listed as endangered.
Milk snakes are also rare-
ly seen — in fact are listed as a
“special concern.” But a day lat-
er, one of them was found coiled
on the inside of crossbar of the
church cellar door.
It was obvious we needed
some advice about what to do
with them, although both types
of snakes are harmless to hu-
mans. Fox and milk snakes are
species at risk, but so are small
rural congregations. The best
way to thin us out further was
to put it about that the church
was full of large-ish snakes.
We phoned the St. Clair Re-
gion Conservation Authority,
who gave us some advice, and
the Ministry of Natural Re-
sources, who gave us more ad-
vice, and a few wildlife experts
and mouse control experts, who
gave us yet more advice.
We called the mouse control
experts because it was clear our
problem was not snakes, but the
mice they had shown up to eat.
We learned there are fines up
to $1 million and jail time up to
five years for killing, capturing
or harming either of the two
species found in the church.
We also learned that dealing
with them is fairly easy. Get rid
of the mice and the snakes will
move along.
In our case, they will be apt to
move along to the wetlands just
metres down the road from the
churchyard. The wetlands own-
er has been very gracious about
accepting them, should we get
permission from the conser-
vation authority to move them
ourselves.
At press time, we are wor-
shipping for the summer in the
parish hall across the road from
the church in order to give the
snakes time and space to move
on.
Garden of Eden apple refer-
ences are popular.
We are looking into safe
methods of controlling the mice
so we are less attractive to future
snakes, endangered or other-
wise.
The fifth of Huron’s Marks
of Mission is “to strive to safe-
guard the integrity of creation
and sustain and renew the life
of the earth.” Sometimes that
means giving sanctuary to a few
snakes.
Lawrene Denkers is a
member of the Parish of
Transfiguration, which
includes St. Matthew’s,
Florence.
Photo by Janice LeBoeuf
This milk snake was one of two endangered snakes that took up
residence in St. Matthew’s, Florence, this summer.
By Jane Buttery
A significant historical com-
memoration of veterans from
the War of 1812 took place on
May 23 at the Old Methodist
Cemetery beside St Andrew’s,
Harrow, and at the Hutchins’ Pi-
oneer Cemetery near Lake Erie.
This ceremony came about as
a result of historical family re-
search by Ruth Hutchins Nich-
olson and her sister, the late
Mary Hutchins.
Another sister, Susan
Hutchins, a member of St. An-
drew’s, asked rector Rev. Jon
Forbes to bless the sites.
It took two years to arrange
this re-dedication, but the fed-
eral government recently grant-
ed money for veterans’ graves
from the War of 1812, with spe-
cial plaques being placed at the
sites.
Each plaque shows the Brit-
ish lion defending the Canadian
beaver; it also contains a copy of
the 1847 medal, which was giv-
en to each 1812 veteran.
The May 23 ceremony was
the first Essex County re-dedi-
cation.
Two Hutchins ancestors were
veterans of the War of 1812,
serving initially in the 1st Mili-
tia out of Fort Malden.
Isaac Ferriss, whose head-
stone is at St Andrew’s, partic-
ipated in several battles. After
the Siege of Detroit, he was a
Butler’s Ranger under Capt.
William Caldwell in the battles
at River Raisin, Maumee and
Lundy’s Lane at the early age
of 17. He received his medal in
1847.
The other ancestor, William
Hutchins, a 65-year-old carpen-
ter at the navy yard in Amher-
stburg in 1812, died in 1832,
15 years before his medal was
awarded. He was buried in the
lakeside cemetery, where we are
told about 43 family burials had
been located.
It is hoped that more local
pioneer sites will be found and
acknowledged in Essex County.
There will be an ongoing Na-
tional Genealogical Database.
We had a beautiful sunny af-
ternoon for these ceremonies.
Three men dressed in peri-
od costume participated. One
dressed in white as a soldier
of the 41st Regiment. Anoth-
er came as a member of But-
ler’s Rangers, dressed in green.
And the captain was a govern-
ment official dressed in civilian
clothes, such as an Indian inter-
preter would have worn. He was
acknowledged as a captain and
would also have fought.
A military salute was given
after the national anthems were
sung and the plaques were un-
veiled.
Many of the extended
Hutchins family attended and
younger members helped unveil
the plaques.
This was an important event
for the Essex County Loyalist
Association, in which Ruth and
Susan are involved.
Altogether, with local history
buffs, about 60 people attended.
A reception took place after-
wards at the Paglione Winery.
Jane Buttery is a lay reader at
the Parish of Southern Trinity,
which includes St. Andrew’s,
Harrow.
For decades, Huron Church News and the Anglican Journal have partnered to bring stories that matter
to you, your parish, your diocese and the national church.
Together, we have been at the forefront of providing thoughtful coverage of
Anglican, religious and other news, and viewpoints that enrich a Christian life.
Whether encouraging a response to a humanitarian need, informing you about new and thriving
ministries or helping you make sense of the ever-evolving religious landscape,
Huron Church News and the Anglican Journal help spark meaningful conversations and action.
This year marks the 140th anniversary of the Anglican Journal. With your help, we can keep
the connection and conversation going in both the Journal and Huron Church News.
Please fill out and return the enclosed postage-paid donor reply card, or call 416-924-9199, ext. 259.
Alternatively, you can email mross@national.anglican.ca or go to www.canadahelps.org
to make your gift today. Thank you.
Church helps rededicate 1812 graves
Parishioners in their 90s given special celebration
By Rev. Rob Henderson
“Nonagenarian” — I didn’t
have a clue what it meant, but
I’ll save you opening your Web-
ster’s app and tell you that a no-
nagenarian refers to someone
who is between 90 and 99 years
of age.
Nonagenarians are preva-
lent in the parishes of Huron.
Whether they are regular at-
tendees or away from parish-
es living in seniors’ homes or
with families, our nonagenarian
brothers and sisters in Christ
are an integral part of Jesus’ holy
family.
They paved the way for the
mission and ministry. They are
the keepers of many chapters of
our parish story. They are the
earthen vessels who have car-
ried and continue to carry God’s
love to the world.
So when Mary Bromley of
St. James Roseland in Windsor
emailed me a few months ago
with an idea to celebrate those
in the parish who had reached
this milestone, the way was pre-
pared to celebrate Nonagenari-
an Sunday on May 31.
Eighteen members of the
parish were honoured. Those
able to attend were greeted at
the door with corsages for the
ladies and boutonnieres for the
gentlemen. All were ushered
to seats of honour in the front
pews. (The joke of the day was
that it took 90 years, but we fi-
nally got some Anglicans in the
front row.) All were awarded
certificates of appreciation.
Through prayers, a sermon
about how God has a fondness
for calling the aged to God’s
service (remember Abraham
and Sarah, Elizabeth and Zech-
ariah), and an inspiring anthem
from the choir, we gave thanks
to God for all they have given to
us over the years.
We visited those who were
unable to attend later in the
week to present their gifts.
Our hope at St. James is that
other parishes will use this idea
and will set aside time to cele-
brate the nonagenarians in their
parishes or community.
Rev. Rob Henderson is
rector of St. James Roseland,
Windsor.
Those in their 90s at St. James Roseland, Windsor, include, in the
front row, left to right, Harry Phillips, Mary Hodgkinson, Ethel
Furtaw, and Mack Bower; back row, Roy Bourque, Jean Lindsay,
Murray Reed, Marjorie Merrill, and Bill Merrill.
Susan and Ruth Hutchins, left, pose at the War of 1812
memorial site in the Hutchins’Pioneer Cemetery with Ken
Turner, president of the Essex County Historical Cemeteries
Preservation Society, and Linda Iler, president of United Empire
Loyalists Association of Canada bicentennial branch.
Cafe a new venture in Otterville
As we reach out beyond the
four walls of the church, we take
bold steps of living our faith and
expressing our spirituality in a
variety of forms.
At St. John’s, Otterville, that’s
taken the form of St. John’s Café,
where the goals are to provide
an outreach program of encour-
agement, give non-professional
caring support to adults 50-plus
and provide a drop-in centre
for recreation, socialization, re-
freshments, and entertainment.
Friendship is one of the great-
est joys in life, but so many miss
out. St. John’s Café focuses on
the powerful dynamic of getting
people together regularly and
providing a great atmosphere
for discovering and strengthen-
ing relationships. St. John’s Café
operates at the church on the
first and third Thursdays of the
month from 9 a.m. to noon.
This program is run by volun-
teers from St. John’s, including
providing light, home-baked
refreshments. The number of
people who have attended range
from 10 to 20, depending on
weather and other factors.
The first café opened on
March 19. Information about
it has been shared via posters,
newspaper, radio, the church’s
website and Facebook, with
Facebook being the most suc-
cessful advertising.
Dianne Clark, the church’s
organist, helps to organize the
events held at the café.
“Where else can you have cof-
fee, good food and conversation
for free?” Dianne said. “To be
happy most humans need social
activity, fun, relaxation, to meet
new folks, have good conver-
sation, and the opportunity to
learn what is current and rele-
vant for all adults. The café offers
this opportunity by designing a
place where adults can drop in
for this and so much more.”
Dianne has arranged for a
variety of speakers, including
a new chiropractor to the area,
a local dowser/water witcher,
a chigong instructor, a local
wildlife rehabilitor with her
pet skunks and a representative
from the Alzheimer’s Society.
Coming in the future are an
up and coming country singer,
Reiki instructors, a dietician
from the local board of health
and a group of square dancers
and more.
St. John’s Café
focuses on the
powerful dynamic
of getting people
together regularly
and providing a
great atmosphere
for discovering
and strengthening
relationships.
Also available throughout the
morning is the opportunity to
play a game of euchre or other
card games or crokinole or to
just sit and visit, laugh and share
with friends and neighbours.
Rev. Jim Carr said the cafe
also provides a way for St. John’s
to have a larger presence in the
community.
“We thought there was a need
in the community for some-
thing,” he said. “We don’t have
a seniors’ centre in Otterville.
This is a sustainable ministry in
our congregation and we are in-
credibly grateful to all who give
of their time, their money, and
their energy in helping us pro-
vide for the community.
Are you interested in Christianity?
Are there aspects of Christian Spirituality
you would like to explore?
Do you want to increase your Christian knowledge
and deepen your faith?
Canterbury College can help!
Check out the ecumenical and collaborative
Licentiate in Theology program at:
www1.uwindsor.ca/canterbury/
licentiate-in-theology
Fall 2015 Courses:
Introduction to the New Testament
Living Spirituality through Music II
In addition to the café, the
congregation decided to offer
an onsite foot care clinic, so that
those who have difficulty cut-
ting their toenails can be looked
after by a foot care nurse.
The café has been well accept-
ed in the community and those
who attend look forward to
coming back in two weeks’ time.
For more information, see
www.stjohnsotterville.ca.
Stay connected

By Rev. Bill Crosby
One of the limitations of out-
reach thinking and planning
is our relatively wealthy North
American perspective. We rare-
ly see the priorities that would
have the most impact.
Earlier this year, St. Augustine
of Canterbury, Windsor, target-
ed an outreach initiative to sup-
port rural development in Tan-
zania, specifically for children
orphaned by AIDS.
The Windsor chapter of the
Canadian World Education
Foundation (CWEF) and Said-
ia Agriculture and Social Care
Organization (SASCO) in Tan-
zania support a foster-family
model, rather than orphanages,
as the most effective environ-
ment for the children and em-
phasizes the empowerment of
young women.
As a parish we thought we
understood the principal need:
money for school fees and sup-
plies. We were aware that corn
was a key source of income to
the program. But we didn’t see
the critical issue of harvest stor-
age to enable the community to
sell corn throughout the year,
rather than only at harvest time
when the commodity is widely
available and prices are low.
Likewise, other needs never
occurred to us: feminine hy-
giene kits that enable young
women to attend school
throughout their menstrual cy-
cle and a “kjaj” or small motor-
ized van that enables a commu-
nity to generate a stable source
of funds for the foster families.
SowiththehelpoflocalCWEF
co-ordinators Rick and Wendy
Caron, the parish identified an
urgent need: funds to purchase
and install a 10,000-bushel corn
storage tank in the village of
Moshi. The $3,000 was quickly
raised by the parish in its largest
Lenten project yet.
Anglican Church Women
Scenes
from
the ACW
Annual
April 18, 2015
The worship service packs St. Paul’s Cathedral. Some members
of the ACW have a chance to see people they haven’t seen
since the previous year’s annual meeting.
Keynote speaker Archbishop Fred Hiltz, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, with ACW
vice-president Brenda Clingersmith, left, and president Catherine Henry.
Delegates greet each other over coffee and muffins before the
worship service.
ACW members design beautiful banners to illustrate distinctive
features of their parish or deanery. Here are two examples
— from Christ Church, Amherstburg, on the left, and from
Delaware on the right.
‘Therapy’comes with flour power
At Canon Davis Memori-
al Church, Sarnia, the Ladies
Guild and one of our wardens
have a “therapy session” every
Monday morning for approxi-
mately 10 months of the year.
This gathering makes meat
pies — turkey, beef, and shep-
herd’s. The process of making
these delicious, savoury pies
amid humour and laughter gives
all some physical and mental ex-
ercise and a sense of belonging.
The conversations are fun, in-
formative and uplifting. The re-
sulting product is excellent and,
at a reasonable price, sought af-
ter by many.
Since last September, the
group has made more than
3,500 pies.
The group is one of the
hardest-working, friendliest
and fun-loving at Canon Davis
Memorial.
The “therapy” in belonging to
such a fine fellowship of peo-
ple is that you don’t want the
pie-making to end for the sum-
mer but are raring to go and
looking forward to meeting up
again in the fall to share more
good times.
Essex Deanery
Fall Tea
St. Mark’s by the Lake
150 St. Mark’s Ave.
St. Clair Beach, Ont.
September 26, 2015
12 – 3 p.m.
Each church bring one loaf of sandwiches
and one pan of baked goods
and
Donations for the Country Store
Preserves, crafts, baked goods, etc.
Tea & Coffee will be supplied
In Memory
London Deanery
St. Anne’s, Byron
Hilary Davies
Marion Curran, left, Pat Wood, John Hayter, Ruth Lavigne, Myrna Andrews, Joan Dew, Jerry Rinker
and Carol Spence make meat pies monthly at Canon Davis Memorial Church, Sarnia.
Willingness to learn improves outreach
A man in Tanzania paints a thank-you to St. Augustine of Canterbury, Windsor, on corn storage
tanks that the parish funded as a Lenten project.
Anglican Fellowship of Prayer’s
Fall Gathering
Saturday, October 3,
2015
10am-2pm
St Anne’s Byron
Praying In Times of Change
and Transition
with Sister Elizabeth Ann Eckert, SSJD
We live in a time constant change and transition of all kinds. Some of these changes
we welcome yet others challenge us, unsettle and disturb us on many different
levels. We might even have times when we find ourselves wondering how to be
faithful in prayer in the middle of the storms of daily living.
Join us as Sister Elizabeth Ann shares with us her thoughts and experiences of what it
is to live the hope we know as disciples of Jesus gleaned from her many years from
both her role as a religious sister and as the Rev’d Mother. Our time together will
include both presentation, and practice, discussion and dialogue.
Freewill offering to support the ministries of
SSJD and the Anglican Fellowship of Prayer.
Snacks provided . Please bring a bag lunch.
… prayer resources ...
… book browsing …
... fellowship...
Please register with Rev’d Val Kenyon at:
(519) 854-9998; or vvkenyon@rogers.com
photo by Evan Agnew
St. George’s, London, hosted a sell-out performance on May 14
by The Three Cantors — Rev. Canon Bill Cliff, left, Archdeacon
David Pickett and Dean Peter Wall, accompanied by maestro
Angus Sinclair.“Just fabulous”,“tremendous evening”, and
“a fantastic night”are a sampling of the comments about the
concert, which was in support of the Primate’s World Relief and
Development Fund and St. George’s Accessibility Fund.
With a wall tumbling down, St. Paul’s Cathedral is seeking
financial assistance for a repair that could cost $500,000.
The cathedral had about $100,000 to start the work before
launching Project Jericho this summer to raise the rest. It has
applied to the diocese and other funding groups for grants. It is
also asking for donations from others in the diocese. Donations
can be sent to St. Paul’s Cathedral, 472 Richmond St., London,
ON, N6A 3E6, Attn: Project Jericho. Envelopes dedicated to
Project Jericho are also available at the cathedral. All donations
will be recognized with an income tax receipt.
The success was in large part
due to the parish’s clear under-
standing of the material need
and the benefit of its contri-
butions. Upon forwarding the
funds, SASCO representative
Timothy Massawe — no doubt
with the benefit of having cash
in hand — negotiated the pur-
chase of two tanks, which were
installed within the month.
The success was in
large part due to
the parish’s clear
understanding of
the material need
This 2015 Lenten outreach
project is a story of education,
co-ordination, trust, and belief
in an investment that would
benefit a far-away future.
The needs are many, and often
obscure to us. In that regard, we
are encouraged to work and wit-
ness together so that our world
might come to experience God’s
love in one little corner, and one
little bit at a time.
Rev. Bill Crosby is the deacon
at St. Augustine of Canterbury,
Windsor.

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5 ANGLICAN DIOCESE OF HURON CHURCH NEWS P A G E 1 1PAGE 10 ANGLICAN DIOCESE OF HURON CHURCH NEWS S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5
By Rev. Canon Linda Nixon
On July 5, my co-chair in
EnviroAction, Nancy
Harvey, and I participated in
the March for Jobs, Justice and
Climate Action at Queens Park
in Toronto.
Gathered in that crowd of
10,000 were people from every
age — from infants in strollers
to the elderly using walkers —
and every walk of life — poor
and wealthy, healthy and not
so healthy, excitable and stoic,
many races, creeds, and cul-
tures.
There were many chants,
each for their own cause. But
there was one that stood out for
me: “This is what democracy
looks like! This is what democ-
racy looks like!”
As I looked back at the
crowd, I thought, “Yes and this
is what humanity looks like” —
each with a need, a concern, a
cause, valid in their own right
but even more valid as we col-
lectively care for one another.
Jesus came with a message
of hope, that we can make the
world a better place with care
and compassion. As followers
of his, we have choices to make
on a daily basis. Some of these
choices have consequences that
we may never fully understand
or even be aware of, but it is
becoming abundantly clear that
many choices have a negative
impact on the wellbeing of
others. This is especially true
concerning environmental
changes that take away the
livelihood, health, and status of
other human beings.
Justice, compassion, and
care that will help sustain and
renew the earth and its peoples
are part of our everyday lives.
We are challenged to make a
difference every day in all parts
of our life, in small ways and in
more significant steps.
As the committes that make
up the Justice League of Huron
have been meeting and working
together, we have discovered
how we overlap.
Social justice topics such as
reconciliation with indigenous
peoples, racism, poverty, and
fair wages all intertwine with
climate change, which is a
major concern of the EnviroAc-
tion committee.
We come from different per-
spectives but have similar goals
— the primary one being to live
out the commandment to love
God with all we are and love
our neighbour as ourselves.
As we engage in the federal
election, it would be helpful to
review the two great command-
ments, our baptismal covenants
and the Marks of Mission.
These three statements can be
guidelines as we listen to our
potential leaders share their
vision for our country. The
statements can help us formu-
late questions and priorities
on which we would like our
leaders to focus.
May we seek the plans and
policies that will lead us to a
healthy future.
Rev. Canon Linda Nixon is co-
chair of Huron’s EnviroAction
Committee.
Jesus sits cross-legged on the ground, enveloped in
a blanket. His head is down. We know this is Jesus
because his outstretched hand bears the mark of his
crucifixion.
This statue of a panhandling Jesus is a stark re-
minder of God’s love for the most vulnerable in our
world.
The Gospel stories are likewise filled with invita-
tions to justice, compassion, and love. As Christians
we have a choice: we can downplay the significance
of these messages or take up our cross and act with
justice, compassion, and love.
Several committees in the Diocese of Huron focus
on this challenge, providing tools to assist parishio-
ners in living out the Gospel messages.
These committees have come together from time to
time for support and collaboration. This effort has
grown to now include Social Justice Huron, Enviro-
Action, Huron Hunger Fund, Lenni Lenape, Algon-
kian & Iroquoian Council (LAIC), the Deacons
Committee, the Anglican Fellowship of Prayer and
the Companion Diocese Committee.
We call this group the Justice League of Huron.
Recent collaborations have included a prayer con-
ference and common contributions to Synod.
The Justice League is offering contributions to
this edition of the Huron Church News to help
parishioners reflect on some of the important issues
in the Oct. 19 federal election. Each column comes
from the perspective and gift of the individual com-
mittees but all carry a hope that parishioners will
recognize the Gospels, our baptismal covenant and
our Marks of Mission call us to carry our faith into
the electoral process — from the questions we ask
of candidates to how we cast our votes. Who we are
as people of God should not be separate from who
we are as Canadians.
The Justice League’s prayer as we continue to in
this election time is that we all remember the words
from Micah (6:8): “God has told you, O mortal,
what is good; and what does the Lord require of
you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to
walk humbly with your God?”
Faith and the Ballot Box Faith and the Ballot Box
A desk-size version of Tim Schmalz’s sculpture
Whatsoever You Do.
Marks of Mission communicate our values
At our recent Synod, the
focus was on the fifth
Mark of Mission: To safeguard
the integrity of creation and
renew and sustain the life of the
earth.
Over the course of our time
together at Synod, we made
intentional decisions to reduce
our ecological footprint with a
minimal waste barbecue and
reusable water bottles. We also
heard about and reflected on
the need to make significant
changes to protect the environ-
ment for future generations.
Throughout Synod, we were
reminded that we have a role
to play both individually and
collectively as we seek to fulfill
the challenges of this mark
of mission. Faith is lived. The
Marks of Mission are shaped
by understandings and beliefs
stemming from the Gospels
and must, in turn, inform our
attitudes and behaviours.
This includes the way we
choose to engage in the federal
electoral process in which we
now find ourselves.
To be able to vote is a gift
and an incredible responsi-
bility. Each conversation with
candidates and representatives,
each vote, makes a difference
and has the capacity to com-
municate our values to those
who have offered themselves as
leaders in our government.
What do we want to see
happen in this country in the
coming years? What issues do
we want to see addressed? In
what ways are we prepared to
challenge our leaders to ensure
that all people are treated with
dignity? How will our faith in-
fluence how we vote on election
day on Oct. 19?
Thanks to the committees
that make up the Justice League
of Huron, this month’s Huron
Church News includes a variety
of reflections for us to consider
during this election campaign.
Through these contributions we
see once again how the people
of Huron care about Aboriginal
Peoples, the most vulnerable in
our communities, planet Earth,
and more. These are important
reminders of the ways we live
our faith.
Each of us has issues about
which we are particularly pas-
sionate. Now is a good time to
further explore these issues and
challenge those who would like
to lead our country to consider
the wider implications of their
policies and practices on the
environment, the most vulnera-
ble and on future generations.
This is one way in which we
can fulfill the Marks of Mission.
This is one way in which we
can be a voice crying out in the
wilderness to prepare the way
of the Lord.
May we each, prayerfully and
intentionally, enter into this
electoral process in the hopes
that by our participation, the
results might help to bring our
country closer to the teaching
of the Gospels and the fulfill-
ment of the Marks of Mission.
Bishop Bob
Bennett
Bishop
Terry Dance
Food for Thought
Social Justice Huron
Corinthians’ test has become our test
By Rev. Chris
Brouillard-Coyle
“As it is written, ‘The one
who had much did
not have too much, and the one
who had little did not have too
little’ ” (2 Cor. 8:15).
The author of this letter
reminds the Corinthians of this
saying as a way to highlight the
value of fair balance. Underpin-
ning this passage is an appeal
for the Corinthians to recog-
nize the needs of those in Je-
rusalem and, knowing they are
brothers and sisters in Christ,
to be generous in sharing their
gifts.
The same appeal could be
made for brothers and sisters in
our communities and beyond.
We recognize there are those
who struggle, unable to provide
for their basic needs. So we
respond to human need with
loving service, offering food
and clothing that have been
donated by those who have an
abundance.
These are important minis-
tries that make a difference in
the lives of those in need.
But can we honestly say that
what we have donated and the
work we have done have helped
ensure “the one who had much
did not have too much, and the
one who had little did not have
too little”?
Recent estimates sug-
gest the top 100 CEOs in
Canada earn 195 times
more than the average
worker and 237 times
more than the aver-
age working woman.
Meanwhile, those who
visit food banks, cloth-
ing cupboards, and meal
programs include people
who work full-time all
year, but because they
earn less than a living wage,
can’t fully support themselves.
Imagine the frustration of
working hard but still having
to ask for help? Imagine, on
top of full-time work, having
to continually worry about
paying bills, providing stability
for your children, and ensuring
there is food to eat?
Is this a fair balance? Do
those who have much not have
too much and those who have
little not have too little? At
what point are we willing to
ask why there continues to be
those in need and then choose
to work to transform the unjust
structures of society?
A federal election is coming
on Oct. 19. Political parties
have begun to make policy
promises. As Christians, we are
called to consider the extent to
which these promises benefit
not only ourselves but also the
most vulnerable in our society.
Do these policies seek to ensure
there is a fair balance? If not,
what other options exist?
Guaranteed income supple-
ments could provide financial
stability for all. For more infor-
mation, search the Internet for
“Mincome” to find out how one
Canadian town nearly eliminat-
ed poverty. To those who worry
that increasing minimum wage
to a living wage will cost jobs,
yes, some jobs may be lost, but
some will be gained as statistics
have shown that raises at the
lowest end of the pay scale are
the most likely to translate into
increased spending locally.
There are a variety of social
benefits if we ensure those who
have little do not have too little.
Statistics show the stress of
financial insecurity has dra-
matic implications on health,
education, and victimization.
Imagine how much could be
saved in health-care costs, how
education could improve and
criminal costs be reduced if
more people had a sense of
financial security?
There are also moral reasons
to ensure a fair balance. Our
baptismal covenant says the
candidate will “strive for justice
and peace among all people,
and respect the dignity of every
human being.” One way to
respect the dignity of the most
vulnerable in our society is to
challenge those structures that
perpetuate imbalance.
The letter to the Corinthians
also says, “I do not say this as
a command, but I am testing
the genuineness of your love
against the earnestness of oth-
ers. For you know the generous
act of our Lord Jesus Christ,
that though he was rich, yet for
your sakes he became poor, so
that by his poverty you might
become rich” (2 Cor. 8:8-9).
Like the Corinthians so long
ago, we are being tested. How
much do we truly love our
brothers and sisters? Are we
willing to show that love in the
way that we participate in the
electoral process? Will we ask
questions of candidates about
the ways in which they will
ensure that those who have
much do not have too much
and those who have little do
not have too little? Will we
vote for those who commit to
doing what is right not only for
ourselves but for the least of
these who are our sisters and
brothers?
Rev. Chris Brouillard-Coyle
is co-chair of Social Justice
Huron.
EnviroAction
Committee
All concerns flow from Jesus’ message of compassion
“Our march was worship. I felt my legs were praying,”said a
leader of the March for Jobs, Justice and Climate Action, in
which EnviroAction members and others from Huron took part.
Prayer practices come in endless variety
by Rev. Andreas Thiel
How many different ways
of praying are there?
This is not a trick question.
The answer is that there are
likely as many ways of praying
as there are people on the face
of this planet, while each prayer
is interwoven with particular
life situations.
In short, there is an endless
variety of ways to pray.
The Anglican Fellowship of
Prayer serves to encourage us
all to consider how we pray,
and how it is that through
prayer, we attend to our rela-
tionships with God and the
surrounding world.
“Going Broader . . .Going
Deeper” was the theme of this
year’s Bishop of Huron’s Prayer
Conference, presented in May
by the Huron branch of the
AFP. The conference, host-
ed by our generous partners
at Church of the Ascension,
London, drew about a hundred
people from across our diocese.
In our time together, we
explored a variety of prayer
practices: Lectio Divina,
Walking the Labyrinth, Prayer
and Fasting, and Prayerfully
Imagining the Scriptures.
For some participants, the
conference offered an intro-
duction to something new; for
others, the presentations were
an opportunity to share person-
al experiences and insights with
others.
We came away as enriched
people, perhaps ready to try
something different in our
prayer lives.
The diocesan AFP, under the
leadership of Rev. Val Kenyon,
has always felt wonderfully
supported by our bishops, and
it was Bishop Terry Dance who
brought us special greetings.
Bishop Terry spoke about
some of his past personal
challenges and how it was that
through prayer, and especial-
ly the knowledge that other
individuals were praying on his
behalf, that he discovered the
strength to persevere through
those challenges.
Bishop Terry commended us
all in our ministry of prayer,
and the commissioning of AFP
parish reps from around the
diocese provided a meaningful
way of lifting up their dedicated
efforts.
The AFP’s presence was
also felt at this year’s diocesan
Synod.
Gathered at the London
Convention Centre for numer-
ous agenda items, all delegates
were invited to participate in a
“prayer wall.” Prayers, written
on sticky notes, were placed on
a large board to one side of the
main platform. At regular in-
tervals, we paused for moments
of prayer over these bits of pa-
per. Together, they represented
some of the deepest hopes that
we have for ourselves, our loved
ones, our diocesan family, and
the world.
“Dear Lord, grant us
clarity and comfort
and strength . . . to
do what is right.”
— from Synod“prayer wall”
As we move beyond the con-
ference and Synod, we will no
doubt encounter many other
occasions to lift our prayers
heavenward. Perhaps this one,
simple prayer — posted to the
prayer wall — might serve as a
starting point for us all, wher-
ever we find ourselves:
“Dear Lord, grant us clarity
and comfort and strength . . . to
do what is right.”
Rev. Andreas Thiel is an
executive member of the
diocesan Anglican Fellowship
of Prayer and rector of St.
Matthew’s, Windsor.
Delegates to Synod were invited to write prayers on sticky
notes and attach them to a“prayer wall”, a section of which is
shown here, creating a colourful compendium of hopes.
Anglican
Fellowship
of Prayer

Rhetorical landmines lie in shallow thinking
Some language, especially
religious language,
not only fails the test of
pragmatism but also can leave
one feeling skeptical, if not
completely turned off. Some
would call it rhetoric — at its
best, eloquent and pointed; at
its worst, insincere and shallow.
I was watching a show de-
picting a community baptism
in a cold river. A 13-year-old
boy was immersed while the
pastor pronounced, “I baptize
you in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit. You have died to your
Wondering What It’s All About?
Licentiate in Theology
LTh courses are also available individually to all.
No previous study required.
Fall 2015
God & the Problem of Evil
with Jeremy Frost
Why does a good God permit evil? As we reflect on this age-
old question, we will familiarize ourselves with Classical
Christian and Enlightenment writers’ attempts to answer this
question.
Dates/Time: Wednesdays, Sept. 16 - Oct. 28, 6:30-9:30 pm
Cost: $300; At Huron. More details online.
LTh Systematic Theology, Part II
with Rev. Janet Anstead
Explore the development of selected theological expressions
from the Reformation to today. Completion of Part I preferred
but not necessary.
Dates/Time: Tuesdays, Oct. 13 – Nov. 17; 6:30-9:30 pm
LTh Bible Studies, Part II
with Dr. Murray Watson
Completion of Part I preferred but not necessary.
Dates/Time: Saturdays, Nov. 14 – Dec. 5, 10 am - 12 pm and
1 – 3 pm
Coming in Winter 2016
LTh Homiletics
Leadership
Religion & Nature
LTh courses also available at Canterbury College, Windsor
& Renison Institute of Ministry, Waterloo
For More Information about the LTh
& To Register for Courses
www.huronuc.ca/conted
Faculty of Theology, Huron University College
1349 Western Road, London, Ontario N6G 1H3
519.438.7224, ext. 289; srice@uwo.ca
• Interested in deepening your knowledge of discipleship?
• Contemplating Ordained or Diaconal Ministry?
• Seeking deeper understanding of expressions of faith in this world?
• Or simply interested in further education for personal development?
old life and have arisen to a
new life.”
When later interviewed, the
13-year-old said, “It was the
most wonderful experience of
my life. I have died to my old
life and I have been raised to a
new life.”
The impressionable teenag-
er’s half-grin made me uneasy.
I couldn’t fail but to judge the
influence of the crowd milling
about him. And his repeating
the pastoral language, word for
word, stirred in me an awkward
concern.
Language — especially reli-
gious or theological language
— can be like that. A bunch of
words spread too thinly on life.
Though such rhetoric may
arise from sincere devotion and
be stated with great enthusi-
asm, it can fail at having much
substance, and by its often inti-
mate yet vague undertones pro-
voke a self-conscious unease.
I use the word “intimate” be-
cause much rhetoric, especially
religious rhetoric, intends guid-
ance, often wanting to touch us
at a deeply personal level.
An example many of us have
experienced is being unexpect-
edly confronted with the often
insistent, “Have you been born
again?” The vagueness of the
question, and the deeply per-
sonal intention behind it, can
provoke a desire to be some-
where else.
I have come to feel comfort-
able with the liturgical formats
of my church, and most of the
language used to describe the
“mystery of faith” (more rhet-
oric). However, I dare say that
many newcomers find some
phrases and wording in our
creeds, prayers and eucharistic
rites provoke a disconnected
awkwardness.
Rhetoric is everywhere.
When it’s working, it conveys
a message not otherwise easily
communicated. Unfortunately
at other times it can, as one
philosopher said, “disturb the
clarity of rational thought.”
And in our well-educated,
well-connected, post-(post-)
modern world, there is an in-
creasing demand for churches
and other such person-centred
institutions to express them-
selves with rational clarity.
I like rhetoric; we all like a bit
of rhetoric. It tickles our senses
and rolls smoothly off the
tongue, but if we want our mes-
sage understood and accepted,
we must, at times, go deeper.
For those of us in the church,
this becomes an evangelical
necessity, especially when
conveying our religious notions
and theological concepts, such
as the Trinity, being reborn in
the spirit, and many sacramen-
tal symbols.
The use of rhetoric, and in-
deed the acceptance of rheto-
ric, does not need one to fully
understand the principles (and
underlying agendas) involved.
But it is good that in these
days people are skeptical of
institutional rhetoric and are
demanding greater account-
ability.
And I do pray the
above-mentioned 13-year-old
has come to know the real heart
of being “born anew” (in its
deeply psycho-social pragma-
tism). If not, he may become
foolishly entrenched within
a community-driven fog of
obscurity.
As I see it, rhetoric can open
our minds to possibilities by
engaging us in a provocative
dance. However, when the
rhetoric itself becomes the fact
of the matter, it can fuel shallow
devotion and elicit or trigger
energy that will backfire.
Rev. Jim Innes is the rector
of St. John’s Church in St.
Thomas.
Rev.jiminnes@gmail.com
Rev. Jim
Innes
As I See It
Appointments
Bishop Bob Bennett has ap-
pointed:
Rev. Michael DeKay as asso-
ciate priest of St. Paul’s Cathe-
dral effective June 1. Mike was
previously assistant curate at the
cathedral.
Rev. Sharla Malliff as interim
priest-in-charge of All Saints’,
Waterloo, effective July 1. Sharla
was previously assistant curate
at All Saints’ and Holy Saviour,
Waterloo.
Rev. Grayhame Bowcott as
rector of St. George’s, Clarks-
burg, effective Sept. 1. Gray-
hame was previously rector of
the Regional Ministry of South
Huron (St. Anne’s Mission, Port
Franks; St. John’s-by-the-Lake,
Grand Bend; and Trivitt Memo-
rial Church, Exeter).
Rev. Andrew Wilson as rec-
tor of St. John’s, Leamington,
effective Sept. 1. Andrew was
previously associate priest for
the South Huron Regional Min-
istry.
Rest in Peace
Phyllis (Emberley) Fuller,
mother of Rev. David Fuller of
the Anglican Parish of Rondeau
Bay died on June 1. Phyllis, 83,
was the beloved wife of Rev. H.
Douglas T. Fuller for 63 years.
A private service was held on
June 5.
Rozelle Vokes (nee Col-
lins), wife of Stephen Vokes
and sister of Rev. Michelle
Collins-Wongkee, died on
June 25. A celebration of Ro-
zelle’s life was held June 29 with
Rev. Elise Chambers officiating
Doreen Hutchens, 91, of
Oneida, grandmother of Rev.
Rosalyn Elm, assistant curate of
St. Paul’s Cathedral, died peace-
fully on June 28. The funeral
service was held on June 29 at
Zion, Oneida, with Rev. Canon
Gaye Whippey officiating.
Diane Woolley, wife of Rev.
Paul Woolley, died July 5. The
funeral was held on July 10 at
All Saints, Sarnia. Right Rev.
Terry Dance officiated, assisted
by Rev. Canon Stephen Harna-
dek and Rev. Mary Belnap.
Jean Dodd (nee Ptolemy),
widow of Rev. Percy Dodd, died
July 18. Rev. Percy was ordained
in the Diocese of Qu’Appelle in
1953 and came on the strength
of Huron in 1960. He served the
parishes of St. Stephen’s, Dut-
ton, and Grace Church, West
Lorne; St. John’s, Thamesford,
and Christ Church, Lakeside;
the Parish of Chatsworth; and
St. George’s, Windsor. The fu-
neral took place on July 22 at
St. Philip’s, Walters Falls.
Ruth Polley, mother of Mari-
lyn Wickerson and mother-in-
law of Rev. Peter Wickerson,
retired, died July 22. The funeral
was held July 25 in the chapel of
the A. Millard George Funeral
Home, London.
Anne Pizzey, 94, mother of
Rev. Doug Pizzey, died July 26.
The funeral was held July 30 at
St. Mark’s, Brantford.
Donald Broadfoot, brother of
Archdeacon James Broadfoot,
died July 27 surrounded by his
loving family. The funeral was
held on July 30 in Stratford.
Pastoral Progressions
Archbishop Colin Johnson
Thank you for learning
more about the
Ecclesiastical Province and
Provincial Synod of Ontario.
This insert will give you a
brief overview of what we
do as the Anglican Church
beyond your diocese in this
part of Ontario and Quebec.
I’ve been the Metropolitan
of the Province, or senior
bishop, for six years,
chairing the triennial Synod,
the twice-yearly Executive
Council and the House of
Bishops. Because of a closer
alignment of civil and church
boundaries than most of
the other ecclesiastical
provinces, we have taken a
very active role in engaging
with the civil government
on a number of issues,
ranging from policies on
human rights regulations,
water, heritage buildings,
accessibility, and oversight
of cemeteries, to advocacy
for poverty reduction, social
housing and chaplaincy
services. We have developed
a good rapport with our
elected officials and civil
servants, in cooperation with
other major denominations,
not only for our own benefit
but to contribute to the well-
being of the people of our
province.
A key strategy has been
to find ways of cooperating
across diocesan boundaries
to share resources
and avoid duplication.
Communications, training
programs, theological
education, human resources,
financial management, and
legal expertise are areas of
consultation. The Province’s
bishops also consider
together strategic issues
facing the Church today and
take considerable leadership
in bringing these before the
national House of Bishops.
The triennial Synod of the
Province meets in Toronto
this year, with the theme
“Reimagining the Church
in the Public Square.” The
Anglican Church has always
been engaged with its wider
community, both formally
in its connections with
the civil leaders but also
through our members who
have served on countless
boards, agencies and acts
of service that have helped
establish and maintain the
well-being of our society. For
a time we were a dominant,
sometimes even dominating,
voice. Recognizing the
changes in our culture,
we both voluntarily drew
back, and sometimes were
sidelined, in an attempt to
accommodate the growing
multifaith complexity of our
province. For a while, equal
treatment of faith traditions
was achieved by studiously
ignoring religious views in
public discussion. But that
can’t be done. Religious
values undergird and inform
the very heart of how people
of faith understand the
world and our place in it.
Our baptismal vows include
a very public dimension:
“Will you seek and serve
Christ in all persons, loving
your neighbour as yourself?
Will you strive for justice
and peace among all people
and respect the dignity of
every human being? Will
you safeguard the integrity
of creation and respect,
maintain and renew the face
of the Earth?”
So this year we will
look at the theological
background to our call to
engage in the welfare of
our society. We will hear
politicians’ take on it. We
will explore ministries
that are actively involved
in direct service, policy
development and advocacy.
We will learn how the seven
dioceses engage in their own
setting. And we will pray for
our neighbourhoods to God
who “by your holy prophet
taught your ancient people
to pray for the welfare of the
cities in which they lived”
(BAS p. 690).
Archbishop Colin Johnson
is the Metropolitan of the
Ecclesiastical Province of
Ontario. He is the bishop of
the dioceses of Toronto and
Moosonee.
‘Our baptismal vows include
a very public dimension’
Much like diocesan
synods, Provincial
Synod gathers to review
what we have already done
and look forward to what
more we are called to do.
Much of our work is to
continue ...
• facilitating a sharing of
resources and ideas, for
the benefit of our dioceses,
so those engaged in
specific ministries in their
diocese can benefit from
the experiences of others.
• overseeing the Advisory
Committee of Postulants
for Ordination, as part
of the discernment process
for those feeling called to
ordained ministry.
• supporting and promoting
the work of OPCOTE
(the Ontario Provincial
Commission of Theological
Education), which gathers
representatives from
around the province who
are engaged in theological
education.
• working with the
provincial secretariat,
a small body with
representatives from each
of the political parties in the
legislature, who engage in
issues of justice and to help
them stay connected with
the grassroots.
Provincial Synod also
serves as a forum for
delegates to reflect on where
we focus our time and
Looking
forward
energy over the next three
years.
With its theme of
“Reimagining the Church in
the Public Square,” synod
will have no shortage of
ideas and conversations as to
where we believe the Spirit
is calling us to go.
The Rev. Canon Rob Towler is
Prolocutor of the Ecclesiastical
Province of Ontario
Provincial Synod performs a lot of work on your dioceses’ behalf
such as bringing stakeholders together around the table.
OPCOTE
The Ontario Provincial Commission on Theological Education
(OPCOTE) meets twice a year. It brings leadership from the
theological colleges and dioceses together to discuss mutual
concerns. Provincial Synod provides significant grants to the
theological colleges of our Province.
SHARING IDEAS AND RESOURCES
In the past three years, we have hosted meetings of executive
officers, financial officers and communications officers to share
ideas and resources and to develop recommended policies and
procedures.
ADVOCACY & REGULATION
Provincial Synod Council meets twice a year and hears reports and
makes recommendations on a number of matters affecting the
Anglican Church in Ontario. This has included advocacy on issues
of justice, government legislation and regulation on chaplaincy,
cemeteries, heritage matters, and water usage.
INTER-GOVERNMENTAL
Provincial Synod employs two executive officers who do much of
the inter-governmental work between meetings of the Council
and Synod. The Provincial Secretariat is an important group with
representatives from each of the political parties in the legislature.
It works with the Provincial Synod’s executive officers to ensure
that matters of concern to the church are directed to the
appropriate government officials.
In the last provincial election, Provincial Synod facilitated the “I’m
Voting for a Poverty Free Ontario” campaign. This included lawn
signs, press releases and social media postings.
Triennial Provincial Synod:
what is it exactly?
Rev. Canon Rob Towler
Reimagining the Church in the Public Square
Provincial Synod Special Insert
Provincial Synod 2015
The Ecclesiastical Province
of Ontario includes the
dioceses of:
• Moosonee
• Algoma
• Huron
• Niagara
• Toronto
• Ontario
• Ottawa
Archbishop Colin Johnson. Photo - Michael Hudson.

Reimagining the ChuRCh in the PubliC SquaRePage 2 SEPTEMBER 2015 ECCLESIASTICAL PROVINCE AND PROVINCIAL SYNOD OF ONTARIO Page 3SEPTEMBER 2015
Ven. Dr. Harry Huskins
The Provincial Synod
meets every three years.
The work done between
those sessions is guided
by the priorities set by the
Synod and its Council. From
2012 to 2015, those priorities
were:
Advocacy
Social Advocacy
Housing and child poverty
have been our key areas of
focus.We have continued
our long-standing work of
building relationships in
the area of social advocacy
with government and other
groups working to better
our society. Our partner in
this has been the Interfaith
Social Assistance Reform
Coalition (ISARC), to which
we provide one of our largest
funding grants. We are
represented on this coalition
of more than 20 Christian
churches and faith groups by
Murray MacAdam.
Government Relations
Decisions made by the
Ontario government
and its agencies touch
the lives of our parishes
and ministries every
day. Wherever possible,
our discussions with
government have been done
in collaboration with the
Lutheran, Roman Catholic
and United churches in the
Province. Examples of these
discussions with government
include:
• the Ontario Human
Rights Commission and
its re-writing of its poli-
cies on creed and conflict-
ing rights;
•the government’s reorgani-
zation of cemeteries and
the creation of the new
Bereavement Authority of
Ontario and our represen-
tation on it;
• the Ontario Heritage Trust
and how its policies affect
our buildings and what we
can do with them;
• the new College of Psycho-
therapists and how much
control it will have over
what our clergy and laity
do in our pastoral work;
• on-going conversations
with all three political
parties about other mat-
ters of concern to Angli-
cans in Ontario.
Education
& Vocations
Our Commission on
Theological Education
(OPCOTE) brings together
representatives of our
theological colleges, dioceses
and bishops and enables
them to work collaboratively
to improve the quality of
theological education in
Ontario. The commission has
donated more than $350,000
to our colleges over the last
three years from money
contributed by our dioceses.
We are continuing to help
our dioceses in their work
of encouraging Anglicans
to undertake new lay and
ordained ministry. The
national church’s Advisory
Committee on Postulants for
Ordination (ACPO) plays a
central role in this. ACPO
enables those studying
for ordination and trained
assessors to come together
for weekend discernment
sessions that provide the
candidates, dioceses and
bishops with guidance about
these potential ordained
ministries.
These ACPO sessions take
place once a year in the
rest of Canada, but our
Provincial Synod provides
$12,000 of funding to enable
these to take place twice
a year in Ontario. This is
our single largest program
expense.
Sharing of
Resources
There are seven dioceses
in our Province and every
day they deal with many of
the same opportunities and
problems. Our Provincial
Priorities:Provincial Synod prepares to set agenda for
next three years
1
The Provincial Task Group
on Communications
was asked to consult with
the individual dioceses, and
then consider and make
recommendations on matters
such as:
• the future of our diocesan
newspapers and the
potential for developing
shared regional
newspapers;
• social media policy;
• public relations.
The task group has meet
three times. The members
are:
Algoma: Kelly Baetz, Huron:
Rob Towler, Moosonee:
Deborah Lonergan-Freake,
Niagara: Bill Mous, Ontario:
Mark Hauser, Ottawa:
Stephanie Boyd, Toronto:
Stuart Mann, Chair: Andy
Chisholm.
The complete report and
other documents can be
found on the Provincial
Synod Website at http://
province-ontario.anglican.
ca/communications.htm.
COMMUNICATIONS
better sharing of resources
Moosonee
Our last Provincial Synod session reorganized the Diocese
of Moosonee. This has been very successful, bringing
renewed vitality to its mission and ministry along with
financial stability.
Theological Education
Our seven theological colleges work together with our
dioceses to provide some of the best lay and ordained
education and training in the world, through our Ontario
Provincial Commission on Theological Education
(OPCOTE).
Ordination Discernment
Some of the hardest decisions in our Christian life have
to be made by those who feel called to the ordained
ministry and the dioceses and bishops who have to decide
who should be ordained and become members of our
clergy. Our Provincial Synod makes its largest single
funding grant to the Advisory Committee on Postulants
for Ordination (ACPO), which plays a key role in this
discernment.
Human Rights
Our Provincial Synod has taken the lead for the Anglican,
Roman Catholic and United churches in discussions
with the Ontario Human Rights Commissions in its first
re-writing of its Policy on Creed and the Accommodation
of Religious Observances since the policy was put into
place in 1996. The Anglican Church in Ontario was one
of the key movers in pressing for the establishment of the
Human Rights Commission in 1961.
Heritage Buildings
Our Provincial Synod is in discussions with the Ontario
Heritage Trust about its policies and their effect on our
buildings. The Christian churches are the second largest
holder of heritage-designated properties in Ontario. We
are working jointly with the Lutheran, Roman Catholic,
and United churches in these discussions that seek to
preserve our heritage buildings for generations to come,
while at the same time enabling us to adapt them to
better ministry uses such as Out of the Cold, youth
ministry, elder support and other programs.
Anti-spam legislation
We discussed new federal
anti-spam legislation
and circulated in our
interim report a document
previously shared with the
House of Bishops on this
matter. Canada’s Anti-Spam
Legislation (CASL) requires
all organizations that send
“commercial electronic
messages (CEM)” to obtain
either express or implied
consent of the recipient.
The legislation is not of
significant concern as most
messages our churches send
do not fall into the CEM
category, but advertising
for an event or selling a
product or service would
normally fall within the
definition of a CEM. Many
free electronic newsletter
services are available to help
meet these requirements
of the legislation, with
MailChimp being among the
most popular and used by
many faith groups, like the
Anglican Church of Canada
and KAIROS for their
monthly communications.
Social media policy
We spent considerable time
Rev. Canon Andrew Chisholm
HIGHLIGHTS
DID YOU KNOW:
“Ienvision a church
engaged with the
culture and context that it
finds itself in. We need to
join where God is already at
work in the world. We serve
the world God loves. We
don’t hide from it.”
— The Rev. Jon Martin
(Diocese of Ottawa) [Not a
delegate to Provincial Synod]
“Isee the church’s
community expanding
to include whole
neighbourhoods and the
church’s building as a
foundation all people
associate with acceptance
and belonging.”
— Erica Howes (Diocese of
Ottawa) [Not a delegate to
Provincial Synod]
“As Anglicans in a non-Anglican
world, the language of church
can sometimes be overwhelming for
non-Anglicans and non-Christians.
A revisiting process doesn’t have to
involve changing our parishes but
rather how our identity and message
are received by others. This will keep
the church centered on ministry,
clear and focussed liturgies, and
prayerful communication.”
— Meg Stewart (Diocese of Ottawa)
[Not a delegate to Provincial Synod]
“Although it seems somewhat
heretical coming from
someone who has worked for
the Anglican Church all of his
life, I think that reimagining
the church in our culture today
requires us to come forward with
what it means to be a disciple of
Jesus Christ first and foremost
- and only then a member of the
Anglican Church”
— David Embury (Diocese of
Huron), Lay Member
“Idon’t think there is one answer to
the question. It is going to depend
on the circumstances that present
themselves. Each situation is unique
and may /will change depending on the
issues in each parish and diocese. We
need to be open to the Holy Spirit to see
what that looks like. Some may close
and others may thrive. I fear that some
may see it only their way and not be
open to the changes required.”
— Canon David Ricketts (Diocese of
Niagara), Lay Member
STREET TALK: what does ‘Reimagining the Church in the Public Square’ look like to you?
Synod helps them work
together on many of these so
that they are more effective
in what they are doing and
can lower the costs involved.
Over the last three years, we
have:
• brought our bishops and
senior diocesan staff
together to talk about and
plan this kind of coopera-
tion;
• brought our diocesan
human resources staff
together to discuss how
best to help each other
in their work and to dis-
cuss this with lawyers
who specialize in this
field. As a result, our
smaller dioceses that
cannot afford their own
human resources staff can
now consult with the
fulltime experts working
in our larger dioceses;
• brought the senior dioc-
esan staff together twice
a year to talk about new
ideas that are working to
strengthen and develop
our ministries and
solutions to the common
problems they are
facing.
The Ven. Dr. Harry Huskins
is Executive Officer, The
Ecclesiastical Province of
Ontario.
2
3
Brothers, I do not consider that I have made
it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what
lies behind and straining forward to what lies
ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize
of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13-14
“
on social media policy. We
discussed best practices as
well success stories in our
dioceses. Some dioceses and
bishops are active in social
media (Algoma, Moosonee,
Niagara, Ontario, Toronto),
some dioceses and bishops
make almost no use of social
media (Huron, Ottawa). A
summary is below. There
are a number of social
media policies for dioceses
available online. We found
the Toronto policy for Synod
Office staff to be helpful as
well as the Diocese of Bath
and Wells guidelines for
parishes and individuals.
These are posted on
Provincial Synod website
communications page.
We also provided a summary
of what each of the dioceses
were doing in using social
media.
The Rev. Canon
Andrew Chisholm is
Communications, Honorary
Clerical Secretary, and Web
Manager for Provincial
Synod.

ANGLICAN DIOCESE OF HURON CHURCH NEWS S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5
Page 4 SEPTEMBER 2015Reimagining the ChuRCh in the PubliC SquaRe
Rev. Canon Andrew Chisholm
Provincial Synod does
a lot of work on your
behalf. One of the most
important things we do is
bring stakeholders together
around the table.
The Ontario Provincial
Commission on Theological
Education (OPCOTE)
meets twice a year. It
brings leadership from the
theological colleges and
dioceses together to discuss
mutual concerns. Provincial
Synod provides significant
grants to the theological
colleges of our Province.
In the past three years,
we have hosted meetings of
executive officers, financial
officers and communications
people to share ideas and
resources and to develop
recommended policies and
procedures.
Provincial Synod Council
meets twice a year and
hears reports and makes
recommendations on a
number of matters affecting
the Anglican Church in
Ontario. This has included
advocacy on issues of justice,
government legislation and
regulation on chaplaincy,
cemeteries, heritage
matters, and water usage.
Provincial Synod employs
two executive officers
who do much of the inter-
governmental work between
meetings of the Council
and Synod. The Provincial
Secretariat is an important
group with representatives
from each of the political
parties in the legislature. It
works with the Provincial
Synod’s executive officers
to ensure that matters of
concern to the church are
directed to the appropriate
government officials.
In the last provincial
election, Provincial Synod
facilitated the “I’m Voting
for a Poverty Free Ontario”
campaign. This included
lawn signs, press releases
and social media postings.
The Rev. Canon
Andrew Chisholm is
Communications, Honorary
Clerical Secretary, and Web
Manager for Provincial
Synod.
Triennial Provincial Synod
What it does and how you can get involved
How to Get Involved and Contact Information
You can get involved in the Provincial Synod by speaking to your delegate about what
you think our priorities should be as we move forward. You are welcome to contact any of
the officers of Synod about matters of concern to you. For inter-governmental affairs, we
recommend contacting the Ven. Dr. Harry Huskins, who does the bulk of that work on our
behalf.
Metropolitan
The Most Rev. Colin Johnson, Archbishop of Ontario
The Diocese of Toronto
135 Adelaide St. E., Toronto, ON, M5C 1L8
Telephone: (416) 363-6021/1-800-668-8932 ext. 250
Prolocutor
The Rev. Canon Rob Towler
Telephone: 519-743-0911
Email: robtowler@rogers.com
Executive Officers
The Ven. Dr. Harry Huskins
The Ontario Provincial Synod
Box 1168, Sault Ste. Marie, ON, P6A 5N7
Telephone: (705) 256-5061
Email: provsyn@soonet.ca
The Rev. Susan DeGruchy
The Ontario Provincial Synod
385 Lake George Road East, Echo Bay, ON, P0S 1C0
Telephone: (705) 248-1546
Email: micah6.8@vianet.ca
The Rev. Canon Andrew Chisholm
Telephone: (613) 548-7254
Email: achisholm@ontario.anglican.ca
Honorary Lay Secretary
Mr. Garry Barker
Telephone: (807) 622-1176
Email: gbarker@tbaytel.net)
The Provincial Synod will meet for its 35th session In
Toronto from Wednesday, Oct. 14 to Friday, Oct. 16. The
session will be held at St. Paul’s, Bloor Street in Toronto.
Registration will take place from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on
Tuesday, Oct. 13.
The election of the Metropolitan (Archbishop) will take
place on the Wednesday morning, with an installation service
on the Thursday night.
The business sessions will include an update on the
success of the reorganization of the Diocese of Moosonee and
debate over what the priorities should be for the Synod’s
work in the next three years.
Further information on registration, accommodation and
the agenda can be found on the Provincial website:
http://province-ontario.anglican.ca.
MEETING INFORMATION
HISTORY
The Ontario Provincial Synod was created in 1912 when
the old Province of Canada was divided in two, becoming
the present day ecclesiastical provinces of Ontario and
Canada. The old Province had come into being in 1861 and
included the dioceses of Toronto, Huron and Ontario, along
with Montreal and Quebec. The dioceses of Fredericton and
Nova Scotia joined a few years later. The dioceses of Niagara
(1875), Ottawa (1896), and Algoma (1873) were added later
when they were created. The Diocese of Moosonee was
transferred from the Province of Rupert’s Land to Ontario in
1935.
The focus of the old Province’s work was its Domestic and
Foreign Mission Society and its Woman’s Auxiliary. With the
establishment of the General Synod in 1893 and the transfer
to it of this work, much of the reason for the old Province’s
existence was lost. The dioceses in the civil Province of
Ontario wanted to re-focus their efforts on social reform
work at the legislature in Toronto but, understandably,
the dioceses in Quebec and the Maritimes were not very
interested in this. This tension led to the division of the old
Province in 1912. Bishop James Sweeny summed this up
in his Charge to the 1914 Toronto Synod: “The formation
of the Provincial Synod of Ontario has made it possible for
us to deal more effectively as respecting the Church in this
Province.”
ELECTION OF THE METROPOLITAN
The Metropolitan is the senior bishop of the Province and
carries the title of Archbishop. The Metropolitan is the
president of the Provincial Synod, its Provincial Council, and
of the Ontario House of Bishops, and presides at the election
of other bishops. Canon II of the Province’s constitution
establishes a six-year term for the Office of Metropolitan, and
only diocesan bishops are eligible for election.
Our present Metropolitan is Archbishop Colin Johnson.
Canon II provides that a present Metropolitan may be
nominated for re-election by any member of the Synod. The
election is by a secret ballot in two orders with the bishops
and clergy voting together in one order and the laity in the
other. A majority in both orders is needed for an election.
Communications, Honorary Clerical
Secretary and Web Manager
Social Media and Website
Twitter:
@ontanglicans
Website:
http://province-ontario.anglican.ca/

September 2015 HCN web

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