Staff forced to take one week unpaid leave in 2010 and 2011.
posted on November 25, 2009 in News
A sharper-than-expected decline in Presbyterians Sharing income will result in the loss of up to five positions at the church’s national offices as well as a two-year salary cutback.
The budget called for Presbyterians Sharing to raise about $8.6 million in revenue for 2009, but indications are that only about $8.4 million will come in.
Stephen Roche, the church’s treasurer and chief financial officer, told staff at a meeting called to announce the reductions that there was no way to know if the drop in contributions was a result of the recession or whether contributions would recover.
Since 1999, Presbyterians Sharing revenue has ranged from $8.6 million to a high of $8.76 in 2006, but it has fallen short of budget expectations since 2003. In 2008, the budget shortfall was nearly $400,000.
The payroll cuts will come in the form of a one-week shutdown of the national office building in 2010 and 2011, during which time staff will be forced to take an unpaid leave. In addition, no cost of living allowances will be granted for the next two years.
posted on November 20, 2009 in Christmas Music
The choir of Atwood, Ont. offers us two choral delights.
posted on November 18, 2009 in Christmas Music
The five-member Quintessence Handbell Ensemble grew out of the handbell program at St. Andrew’s, Scarborough, Ont.
posted on November 18, 2009 in Christmas Music
Knox, Dundas, Ont. is home to some talented singers, songwriters and actors—many of them pint-sized. They have performed four dramatized pop oratorios written by then-music director David Buckley. Here are several selections.
posted on November 18, 2009 in Christmas Music
The Linda Silver Trio, a jazz and blues band, was born at St. John’s, Kingston, Ont. when its three members met at a church-hosted talent night. This song was recorded in Kingston, Ont. in 2007, and was bound for Afghanistan to put the Christmas spirit in the hearts of soldiers who couldn’t be home for the holidays.
posted on November 15, 2009 in In Song
One detail often omitted from a church’s recording project is copyright. But copyright is a justice issue.
Or two ways to think about God.
posted on November 15, 2009 in Wondering Wanderer
To the God-inspired men who wrote the Bible, Earth was the centre of the universe God created for us. Prophets and kings would have found it easy to imagine a sovereign atop the clouds ruling his dominions, sending emissary angels to encourage or rebuke wandering desert nomads. How dramatically this clashes with our “modern” perspective in which our dear green and blue planet is so infinitely tiny as to almost surpass imagination. And there, perhaps, is the key.
Classical guitar and smooth countermelodies make this Merrickville, Ont. duo.
posted on November 1, 2009 in In Song
Cameron Strings is a duo of guitar and vocals. Tara and Scott Cameron, originally from Toronto, lead music at Holy Trinity Anglican in Merrickville. What the Cameron duo offers is simple and direct.
Maybe it's because we don't want to.
posted on November 1, 2009 in Wondering Wanderer
The Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul, Montreal, proposed a daring theme for Lenten chapel services: questions often asked but seldom answered in church. One rearranged this wanderer’s worldview, like a kaleidoscope’s shifting pattern. “Why don’t miracles happen anymore?”
posted on November 1, 2009 in News
ENI — Nepal has been praised for its boldness by an alliance of non-governmental organizations backed by church groups fighting against caste discrimination in South Asia, which hope its stand will spur similar action from neighbours like India.
“Nepal strongly supports the U.N. guidelines on caste discrimination as an effective mechanism to eliminate a human rights outrage that affects 260 million people globally,” said Rikke Nöhrlind of the International Dalit Solidarity Network.
Caste discrimination that affects Dalits, who were once called “untouchables,” has been likened to the former apartheid system in South Africa.
In Geneva, Nepal’s state minister for general administration, Jeet Bahadur Gautam Darjee, confirmed his government’s support for a draft set of U.N. principles and guidelines, saying they are “a good reference in devising the ways and means to address the issue of caste-based discrimination” during the drafting process of Nepal’s new constitution.
posted on November 1, 2009 in Letters
Up in Smoke, by John Reynolds, Knoxville, Tennessee
How to Make an Editor Blush, by Spencer Edwards, Synod Youth, Consultant, the Synod of Southwestern Ontario
Enjoying McLelland, by Amanda Currie, Yoka deBruijn, Dineke Kraay, Merle McGowan, Arline Sanderson, Bernice Shih, Saskatoon
Keyword ‘choose’, by G. MacKintosh, Port Coquitlam, B.C.
Justice and mercy, by Cecilia Bridge, Via Record website
Good news, by Dick Dodds, Stella, Ont.
Silence is Deadly, by Joan M. Bell, Toronto
Stress Leads to Depression, by Gunar Kravalis, London, Ont.
Letters, by
posted on November 1, 2009 in People & Places
Record readers have been following the adventures of Chelsea Webber for years, thanks to her father’s monthly column. Here’s the whole Webber clan celebrating a new chapter in her life: Halden (brother), Linda (mother), Bud (dog), David (father), Chelsea and Mike (bride and her husband), Jacob (nephew), Ife (sister-in-law) and Davin (brother).
posted on November 1, 2009 in People & Places
Rev. Dr. Nancy Cocks honoured Catriona Dunlop who had served as an elder at St. John’s, Medicine Hat, Alta., for nearly 18 years. A gift to young ministers in Malawi was made in Catriona’s name through PWS&D’s Something Extra. And, yes, there was also cake.
posted on November 1, 2009 in Letters
Re Malawi Photo Essay, July/August
On page 26, the photo in the lower left under the comment about food crops appears to be a large field of tobacco. A substitute photo of food crops should be printed.
Editor responds: Tobacco plants are big business in Malawi and some are seen in the background of a photograph of a woman who is happily affected by Presbyterian World Service and Development programming. Other plants, and crops, are seen throughout the photo essay.
posted on November 1, 2009 in Letters
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
The Record’s September coverage of Canada Youth 2009 was exceptional. The pictures, articles and the blog entries captured the event well.
Thanks!
iconnections.ca
Hand-picked by God to serve.
posted on November 1, 2009 in From the Moderator
There are not very many times in life where we can say we have seen a miracle. But I believe I was privileged to do so on my recent trip to Manitoba. For eight days in September, I had the wonderful honour to tour around the Synod of Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario in the company of the synod regional staff person, Rev. Glenn Ball. But it was neither the abundant prairie harvest nor Glenn’s enthusiastic and endlessly optimistic spirit that made me believe I had seen a miracle. The miracle was about God doing something in that part of His vineyard that seemed altogether impossible only a few short months before. The Presbytery of Brandon, which consists of eight pastoral charges and five smaller congregations, found itself in September 2008 reduced to only one full-time and one half-time minister in active service.
I had the opportunity to chat with the above-mentioned half-time minister, Rev. Barb Alston, while I was attending the presbytery meeting. Barb shared with me her plan to write about this very dark period in the history of the presbytery. The words of the famous Presbyterian missionary to the Canadian west, James Robertson came to Barb’s mind as she contemplated her article. “God called and they came.” Robertson’s passionate call for young ministers in Scotland, in Eastern Canada and even in the U.S.A. to serve as missionaries on the western Canadian frontier was heeded by many, and hundreds of Presby-terian congregations were established across the West. But in 2008 Alston felt just the opposite was happening. She was ready to write her story and call it, “God called but no one came.” That was truly a very low point for the presbytery. But God was not finished with them.
When I visited one year later, I was witness to a miracle. During my visit two new ministers were inducted into the presbytery at Neepawa and Virden. Shortly before my visit, new ministers had been called to Flin Flon, to First, Brandon, and to Carberry. The miracle was not just that five new ministers had heard the call to ministry in the presbytery but also that they had done so from such a diverse and far-flung set of prior ministries. One new minister had come from Zaire, Africa, before studying at Presby-terian College, Montreal. Three were of Korean background. The fifth was a seasoned Central American mission-ary of the Presbyterian Church. It was as if God went out across the globe and hand-picked the exact people He wanted to serve Him in the Presbytery of Brandon! Truly when things are most impossible for us they are most possible for God. A presbytery almost ready to close its doors was alive again, reborn by the ever-living Spirit of the ever-living Lord of the Church. That is a miracle.
My Manitoba travels also exposed me to two other significant ministry stories. One was the story of the ministry being done by our Canadian Forces chaplains at both CFB Shilo and 17 Wing Winnipeg. At Shilo I met with chaplains intensely involved with 400 troops awaiting imminent deployment to Afghanistan. In Winnipeg I spent a day with Padre Ken McRae, a new Presbyterian chaplain who is holding the fort while another Presbyterian chaplain, Padre Bonnie Mason, is completing her own service in Kandahar.
For me it was also important to view the ministry of our church among the aboriginal peoples within the synod. I was pleased to hear of exciting plans at the Kenora Fellowship Centre for a new transition housing complex. And in Winnipeg I was deeply impressed by the work being done at WICM House of Hope to allow many aboriginal street people to make the transition to safe, affordable housing.
Blessings.
posted on November 1, 2009 in People & Places
What were you doing on April 26, 1949? Rev. James Grant knows: that’s the day he was ordained to ministry of Word and Sacrament. Sixty years later … there was cake, and friendship. Grant and his wife Annabelle celebrated this very special occasion with the congregation at Knox, Woodstock, where Grant is the Honorary Associate Minister and is much loved and esteemed by the congregation.
A young Presbyterian's eyes are opened.
posted on November 1, 2009 in News
An Israeli settlement — identified by the red roofs and identical facades — taken on the way to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv; photos by Hannah Carter
The conflict in Israel-Palestine has garnered international media attention, though balanced, comprehensive coverage is lacking. This summer, thanks to financing from International Ministries and support from Youth in Mission, myself and two other Canadians, Michael Watt and Hannah Carter, attended the fourth annual Sabeel conference in Israel-Palestine. This conference was one of the most profound experiences I have ever had and I returned home with a new sense of an issue that once baffled me.
Sabeel is an ecumenical Christian organization that seeks to deepen the faith of Palestinian Christians and promote social unity leading to social action. The annual young adults conference brings together youth from around the world and Palestine to learn about the conflict and experience what life is like in the region. The theme of the conference was Palestinian Christians and the Challenges of Today. While there, we traveled across Israel and the West Bank and met with Palestinian Christian leaders and families, as well as leaders of Israeli groups who supported the Palestinian cause. The people we met welcomed us into their homes and communities as if we were family. Everyone had stories to tell of their lives in Israel-Palestine, and some were able to share the stories of their ancestors who lived through the wars of 1948 and 1967. It was hard to believe that some of the stories we heard weren’t written about in the media, and it really began to hit home how little the international community knows about what is happening in Israel-Palestine.
Hannah Carter with a boy from Beit Ommer
One of my most memorable experiences was our trip to a refugee camp near Bethlehem, where we met families who live there. The grandmother of the family I met with had lived through the Nakba of 1948, when her family was moved from the Mediterranean coast city of Akka to the refugee camp where she currently lives. Her family has since expanded, and now four generations live under one roof. One of her daughters cooked dinner for us, and I was able to have a conversation with her. She asked where I was from, and when I told her I was from Toronto, her face lit up. She told me one of her brothers had moved to Toronto and owns a steel factory. She was so excited to have met someone who lived in the same city as the brother she hasn’t seen in years. This moment sticks with me, as I was able to connect with a woman I barley knew and make her so happy, just by being there and representing something that connected her to her brother so far away.
I learned many things from the conference. First, I learned that even the most oppressed people can have an overwhelming love for complete strangers. Second, even though the conflicts aren’t always written about in the papers, it doesn’t mean they aren’t happening. Finally, the international community really has no idea what is happening in Israel-Palestine, and in order to help, people need to invest in learning about what is really going on.
posted on November 1, 2009 in News
Barbara Treviranus joined PWS&D in September on a one-year contract as the Refugee Program Coordinator. Treviranus brings more than 20 years’ experience in refugee resettlement and sponsorship issues. She has recently returned from a UNHCR deployment to Nepal where she was helping Bhutanese refugees.
Glynis Williams, who handled the position for the past two years, returns to her post as executive director of Action Réfugies in Montreal. The agency was founded in 1994 by the Anglican and Presbyterian churches to help réfugees realize their right to asylum, and rebuild their lives in their new community.
A place where joy and laughter are permanent.
illustrated by Ian Philips/www.i2iARTINC.COM
posted on November 1, 2009 in Phil Callaway
illustration by Ian Philips / www.i2iartinc.com
“Turn up the lights,
I don’t want to go home in the dark”
– the last words of O. Henry
Today on my way home from work, I passed a dozen houses. It’s one of the joys of a small town, this walk home. I like a place where people honk only to say, “Hi.”
Some of the houses I pass are dilapidated, others groomed to perfection. The millionaire’s place on the corner is framed in brick; its expansive yard causes heads to turn. But today I didn’t notice. Today when I took a left through a field of dandelions and saw the cappuccino-coloured cottage nestled near the railway tracks, my pace quickened. Today I realized for the very first time that I pick up speed the closer I get to home.
I suppose I’ve always wanted a place of my own.
A backyard pool. An underground gym. Maybe a tennis court or two.
But I settled for four bedrooms. Three children. Two pets. And one wife.
Three years from now we’ll have three teenagers. We’ll add another room. We’ll need more prayer. Last week we celebrated 18 months here. It finally feels like home, said Ramona.
It’s the memories, I think: Saturday night pizza. Mid-winter barbecues. Kids lunging at us early Christmas morning. Midnight conversations. Barefoot walks. Arguments, too. Stephen’s guppies, Rachael’s dolls, Jeffrey’s laugh.
Ah, how I love this place we call home.
But I’ve noticed something else lately. A month ago a toilet seal gave way. Guess who fixed it? Spring showed up a leaky basement. It’s on my list. So is a dripping tap, a frayed carpet, a pantry door that’s been a real pain.
What we construct eventually corrodes. Sidewalks crack. Cars rust. Houses decay.
We’re constantly rebuilding. Renovating. Restoring the stuff of earth. Don’t get me wrong. I love it here. I love rooms dancing with memories. Halls loud with laughter. Even sticky fingerprints on windows. But leaky toilets and wet basements remind me that nothing lasts forever.
Nothing here.
That this house is a poor substitute for Home. Tonight the television shows visions of a far-off war. Of a high school massacre closer to home. A judge calls child porn acceptable — wouldn’t want to trample anyone’s freedom of choice. The weather report looks daunting. Cold tonight. Colder tomorrow. To add insult, my Blue Jays lost a nail-biter. It’s harder and harder to call this place home.
Home sounds more like a place where kids run free. Where God makes everything new. Where wheelchairs and tears and glasses and heart medicine aren’t even a memory.
Home sounds like a place where joy and laughter are permanent. Where God’s people touch nail scars, bow in awe, and celebrate that empty tomb.
My son says I’m aging fast. Picking up speed the closer I get to Home. Tonight, for the very first time, I don’t mind at all. Tonight, I’m reminded that we were made for more than this.
Such hope gives me purpose here. To live each day like it’s a bonus. To take God’s hand and walk bravely into tomorrow. Passing grace along.
At times I wish I had answers for the pain and the suffering. But for now it’s enough to know that one day soon —
I will be Home. For good. That one day soon my questions will be straightened — into exclamation points. That those arms that spread wide on a Roman cross will open once again. “Welcome,” he will say, “I think you’re gonna like the place I’ve prepared. I’ve been working on it for about 5,000 years. Welcome Home.”
