posted on June 28, 2010 in Columns, Patricia Schneider

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“Well this is different,” I said to myself as with widened eyes I took in the large sanctuary. (My own church contains nine pews on each side.) I wondered if I should reconsider this adventure; then I found the rest of the congregation fast on my heels and I was propelled inside.

posted on June 28, 2010 in Caught Dead, Features

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“Dillys Merryweather just called.” Paige sounded excited. “She says she wants out, and she needs money to do it. She knows where Justin’s BlackBerry is. She’ll hand it over for a price. She sounded scared.”

posted on June 28, 2010 in Columns, The Messy Table

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As of today, I’ve been a mother for four years. If you count the birth of the child as the birth of the mother. My own mum counts up the ages of all of her offspring and calculates it out that way. Impressive when she does it; I’m just getting started.

posted on June 27, 2010 in Andrew Faiz, General Assembly, General Assembly 2010

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“Moderator, its not Presbyterian.”

posted on June 25, 2010 in In Song

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The leavening work of artists is critical to vital, faithful worship. This is because worship is not only an act of the heart: it’s a work of art. Arts organization Imago, under the direction of John Franklin, encourages and supports artists who work from a Christian imagination.

posted on June 21, 2010 in Columns, Patricia Schneider

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For six months after my husband died, I did not see the top of my dining room table. Funeral papers and federal, provincial and local government documents were stacked there along with all the sympathy cards … Much later I said to a friend, “If I’d known there was going to be so much paperwork, I wouldn’t have let him go.”

posted on June 21, 2010 in Caught Dead, Features

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I stalked out of Willcot Pepperfield’s office, exasperated by my lack of progress. I knew little more than when I’d entered.

posted on June 19, 2010 in Columns, The Messy Table

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Ah, Father’s Day.

I love the idea of a day set aside to help us fulfil that tricky fifth commandment.

posted on June 15, 2010 in General Assembly, General Assembly 2010

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Parish Nursing Program Approved
The committee on theological education proposed a series of courses that can be credited toward a certificate in Reformed principles for parish nurses. These are available through the church’s three theological colleges.

Students are required to complete five of the courses, and will normally take a course in each of five areas: Bible, theology, history, polity and pastoral care.

No to Biennial Assemblies
Without debate, the court reaffirmed the practice of annual assemblies.

“It must be Friday morning,” joked Rev. Bert Vancook, convener of Assembly Council, who expected more debate about the issue.

The Clerks of Assembly have been asked to examine the possibility of implementing a standing judicial commission, an idea that proved popular when the biennial assemblies committee was seeking feedback from the church. Such commissions are currently struck by the General Assembly to deal with any judicial processes that reach the highest level of the court, meaning the process must wait until assembly meets and a commission is created. A standing judicial commission would be called into action immediately, allowing the process to begin before the next assembly convenes.

Other Assembly Council Business

• In cases where a minister stays at a charge for less than three years, he or she will not be required to refund a portion of his or her moving expenses. “The Council feels tying moving costs to the duration of a ministry would not benefit congregations,” the report concluded.
• The church’s General Assembly Office and Financial Services will not amalgamate. Assembly Council has reviewed the staffing and work of both offices and found little overlap between them.
• Ministers’ stipends will continue to be reported in the annual Acts and Proceedings as “there does not appear to be a significant difference in the church’s treatment of ministerial compensation in terms of transparency at this time,” Council reported.

The Council requested an additional year to study and report on a number of matters, including changing the days that General Assembly meets, creating a fund to assist with the moving costs a congregation shoulders when calling a minister, and reevaluating the formula used to determine a congregation’s dollar base.

posted on June 15, 2010 in General Assembly, General Assembly 2010

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Kairos Palestine Document Endorsed for Study and Report
Assembly returned to the report of the ecumenical and interfaith relations committee, again asking if a document crafted by Palestinian Christians should “be sent to congregations, presbyteries and appropriate committees and agencies of the church for study and discussion.”

The document, titled A Moment of Truth: A word of faith, hope and love from the heart of Palestinian suffering, and also commonly referred to as the Kairos Palestine Document, includes language some commissioners worried was too strong, and which some organizations, including the Canadian Jewish Congress, have criticized.

“Kairos can’t be sent on its own,” said Rev. Mark Lewis of the Presbytery of Waterloo-Wellington. “It has very strong words and someone must provide context for those words.” He went on to suggest the Presbyterian Church in Canada may chose to formally adopt the document in the future, and secular society will ask if the church considered dissenting voices as it came to its decision.

Following discussion, assembly passed an amended version of the recommendation which included several additional documents intended to give context to the Kairos Palestine statement. These include: a cover letter and study guide from the ecumenical and interfaith relations committee and the responses of the Canadian Jewish Congress, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, the World Council of Churches, the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the Canadian Friends of Sabeel.

Committee to Review Funding Formula for Regional Staff
Rev. Dr. Gerard Booy of the Presbytery of Westminster moved that assembly strike a special committee to review the “funding formula and the consequences of that formula” that provides synods with funds to pay for regional staff. The committee will report to the next assembly.

Regional staff positions were created in 1994 when educational consultant positions, previously funded by the Women’s Missionary Society, and mission superintendant positions, funded by the Life and Mission Agency, were merged. Regional staff were overseen by synods, with the WMS providing $390,000 each year, and the LMA covering the remainder in the form of a block grant administered through Canada Ministries.

Faced with financial difficulties, the WMS was forced to halve its funding to the regional staff beginning in 2009. The LMA covered the shortfall for 2009 and 2010 by drawing funds from undesignated bequests, and synod conveners were invited to help craft a new funding formula at a September 2009 meeting. The new formula provided each synod with funds for at least one regional staff person, with the remainder divided among the synods based on their membership.

The synod of British Columbia took the biggest hit under the new formula; its grant was set to fall by $74,000—50 per cent of its total grant in previous years.

“In making this amendment we’re not trying to be difficult,” said Booy. “We certainly understand that the LMA is in a difficult situation when it comes to the funding … I just think it’s not time to draw a line and say this is a done deal. “

“Synod conveners were asked for their direct participation in re-jigging the formula,” said Rev. Daniel Cho, outgoing convener of the LMA. “This is their product; for the court to ask the LMA to disregard the formula and come up with a new one is impractical. A lot of care has been taken in the process up to this point.”

Rev. Heather Vais of Oak Ridges presbytery described the two days of prayer and debate with synod conveners that lead to the new formula, but spoke in favour of the motion to reconsider it. “The real problem is not the formula,” she told the court. “It’s the money, man. Give us the money and we’ll do something with it.”

The motion passed by a slim margin, and the new committee will face the concerns raised in three overtures: one from the Synod of Southwestern Ontario and one from the Presbytery of Seaway-Glengarry, both of which called for the restoration of previous grant levels, and one from the Presbytery of Winnipeg asking for additional funding for regional staff travel expenses. The committee’s mandate will include seeking out possible new sources of funding to fill the shortfall created by the WMS cut.

Later in the day, Vais, who was named convener of the special committee, called on the members of the court to think about and find new sources of funding for “a ministry the court seems to think very important.”

Ecumenical Visitor – Rev. Emmanuel Ariel of the Church of North India
Rev. Emmanuel Ariel thanked Presbyterian World Service and Development for their ongoing support of projects in India, and the Women’s Missionary Society for funding a hostel soon to be built in Jobat.

Ariel told the assembly of his harrowing experience among the wheat fields of his home parish in Amkhut. In January 2004, he was among 16 Bhil Christians arrested and imprisoned on charges of murder. An attack on Amkhut’s church by a group of radical Hindus had left one Hindu dead; the Christians were accused of the crime.

“We were able to preach to many in this ‘captive audience,’” Ariel said of his time in prison. “We prayed for God’s guidance.”

Ariel, who is dean of the Diocese of Bhopal, and the principal of Amkhut School were eventually released on bail, but the remaining prisoners were only released following a ruling by India’s Supreme Court in May 2006.

Presbyterians Encouraged to Support Crieff Hills
A report from the Maclean Estate committee, which is responsible for property bequeathed to the church by Colonel J. B. Maclean, contained several recommendations aimed at promoting Crieff Hills Retreat and Conference Centre:

• Congregations are encouraged to support Crieff’s building campaign.
• Congregations and presbyteries within a reasonable distance of Crieff are encouraged to promote the programs and facilities at Crieff for their seminars, retreats and conferences.
• Clergy and church workers are encouraged to take advantage of new personal retreat facility for study and renewal.

Clara Henderson Honoured
Assembly approved a moment of appreciation for former Presbyterian missionary Clara Henderson, who spent almost two decades in Malawi working with the music department of Blantyre synod, the southern synod of the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian. While there, she sought to encourage the creation of indigenous music and its use in worship.

She recently earned a doctorate in enthomusicology at Indiana University for academic work focused on music and dance among the women’s guilds of Blantyre synod.

Photography Policy Approved
In response to a request approved at the 2009 assembly, the Communications office proposed a photography policy for future General Assemblies. The new guidelines include identification for representatives of the media, and flash photography will not be permitted during assembly’s worship services.

Justice Ministries Looks at Reconciliation and Carbon Emissions
The report of the Justice Ministries department included several recommendations passed by the assembly:

• Presbyteries and sessions are encouraged to discuss opportunities for building contacts with aboriginal people in their communities, and to consult with the healing and reconciliation animator if they require seed funding.

In response to an additional motion passed at last year’s assembly, Justice Ministries has begun looking into the “cost of holding a carbon-neutral General Assembly.” To assist in the process, a number of recommendations were passed, to take effect at the 2011 assembly:

• Commissioners and resource people are to record their air and automobile mileage on travel reimbursement forms to generate baseline data for the assembly’s carbon footprint.
• The baseline data is to be used to assist the church in developing policies and strategies that will reduce the assembly’s footprint.
• The criteria for evaluating potential assembly locations will include questions of energy efficiency and environmental programs and policies at potential sites.

In its ongoing work to combat poverty, the department asked the church to endorse the Dignity for All Campaign, which assembly approved, and urged individuals to sign the campaign’s postcard.

A supplementary report updated the church on the status of Kairos, an ecumenical justice agency supported by the Presbyterian Church. The Canadian International Development Agency cut the group’s funding last November, denying Kairos $7 million.

As the result of an additional motion, the Moderator will write to the Prime Minister to “express disappointment” for the way in which Kairos and its members have been treated. The courts and congregations of the church are also urged to communicate with their members of parliament and the Prime Minister “expressing fervent hope that a resubmission from Kairos to CIDA will be considered favourably.”

Church to Develop ‘New Ministry Opportunities’
In a highly debated additional motion, Rev. Peter Bush of the Presbytery of Winnipeg proposed, “in the spirit of taking bold risks” that the church commit to the vision of planting 10 new congregations each year for the next five years, beginning in 2012. He emphasized that planting a congregation does not need to be done in the “traditional ways,” but can be done in “new and innovative ways.”

The motion was tabled at a previous sederunt, but was picked up again with renewed vigor.

An amendment aimed at adding “or alternative ministries” to the 10-per-year goal was eventually replaced by a final motion which eliminated the numerical goal entirely.

“We have to focus on the dream, not the outcome,” said Rev. Derek Macleod of the Presbytery of East Toronto, suggesting that attaching numbers to a dream is not in the spirit of the Emmaus Project.

Assembly instead passed a motion to “encourage presbyteries to be bold and imaginative in the development of new ministry opportunities, including the planting of new congregations.”

Church Expresses ‘Disappointment’ Over Failure of Kyoto Protocol
Assembly returned to a recommendation by the International Affairs Committee that the Moderator write to the Minister of Foreign Affairs “to encourage the government of Canada to work for and support an internationally-negotiated, binding agreement that builds on the Kyoto Protocol” at a December climate change summit in Mexico City.

Concerns that the original motion was too soft were alleviated by a new amendment, which passed quickly. It stipulated that the Moderator will write to the Minister, with copies sent to the leaders of opposition parties, to “express disappointment” with Canada’s failure to adhere to the original goals of the Kyoto Protocol, and to work toward a binding agreement at the upcoming summit.

An additional motion also passed, asking the Moderator to write to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to urge transparency in their deliberations and reports.

Education and Reception Process Stirs Discussion
In response to an overture originally referred to the Clerks of Assembly and then passed on to Ministry and Church Vocations, the court upheld the current practice for selecting members for the committee on education and reception.

The LMA selects six members of the 11-member committee; other groups, namely Canada Ministries, the Order of Diaconal Ministries, and the three theological colleges, select each of the remaining five.

In response to three overtures crafted by three sessions, Ministry and Church Vocations was asked to reevaluate the current educational standards for ministers seeking to transfer into the Presbyterian Church from another denomination.

The report agreed that the assembly’s guidelines, which were last reviewed in 2002, should be revised, and asked for an additional year to prepare a more substantial response for the 2011 assembly.

A notice of motion made by Rev. Dr. David Sherbino drove the discussion into an unscheduled evening sederunt. He put forward a set of courses intended for ministers who studied at non-Presbyterian seminaries, but who are seeking to become part of the Presbyterian Church.

“There are many candidates from other schools and traditions who for some reason have become interested in entering the Presbyterian Church,” said Sherbino, who is also a professor at Tyndale Seminary. “But the need to commit a year to a year and a half is prohibitive for some, especially for those who have families, and for whom ministry is a second career. Many head into other denominations who open them with open arms.”

Rev. Dr. Stephen Farris, a commissioner from the Presbytery of Westminster and dean of St. Andrew’s Hall at the Vancouver School of Theology, admitted he has felt the frustration expressed by some members of the court, and apologized if he has added to it. But he urged the assembly to avoid forsaking “one of the hallmarks of Presbyterianism: an educated clergy. We must change, but we must change carefully … Be careful what you ask for; you may get a Unitarian minister with only four courses in theology.”

The motion was eventually defeated.

Ministry and Church Vocations Tackles Ministers’ Housing and Mental Health
An overture from Boularderie Pastoral Charge in the Presbytery of Cape Breton asked for guidelines to assist congregations when ministers serving different pastoral changes share a manse, and therefore receive housing benefits from both charges. It focused on a situation in which one church maintains a manse, while the other provides a cash housing allowance.

In response, Ministry and Church Vocations wrote: “To meet the requirements of Canadian human rights legislation, each minister receives a full housing benefit from his or her pastoral charge. If the pastoral charge providing the cash allowance redirected the cost of one-half of the manse utilities to the pastoral charge with the manse—and reduced the minister’s cash allowance by the same amount—this would be discrimination based on marital status and a violation of the minister’s human rights.”
Assembly agreed to send a proposed policy for dealing with mental health issues to sessions, presbyteries and synods for study and report by Dec. 1, 2010. An amendment, which passed, suggested the department still explore the possibility of providing resource people to small synods and presbyteries which may struggle to deal with mental health issues among their members.

On the tail of the amendment, the department announced a new two-year pilot project which will provide counseling and consultation for church employees and their families.

Planned Giving
Rev. Dr. Herb Gale stepped away from his role as Moderator to present the report of the Planned Giving office. The presentation included reading the named of those who left gifts to the church in their wills, followed by the doxology.

Congregations are also encouraged to designate one Sunday in the year to highlight the ministry of Planned Giving.

Clerks of Assembly
The Clerks of Assembly returned to their report to examine once again how—or whether—elders should be commissioned by their presbyteries to administer communion in rural and remote areas.

The report and proposed legislation will be sent to session, presbyteries, the committee on theological education and the committee on church doctrine for study and report by Jan. 31, 2011.

Five changes to the Book of Forms will be sent to presbyteries under the Barrier Act. If at least two-thirds of presbyteries are in favour of the changes, they could be approved by the 2011 assembly. These include revisions in the areas of shared ecumenical ministry, judicial process, and the elimination of mandatory retirement age for ministers.

A set of revised terms of reference for the committee to nominate standing committees were also approved.

A number of proposed changes to the Book of Forms will also be sent to sessions and presbyteries for study and report. These include processes for signing a call form at a congregational meeting (rather than allowing call forms to circulate afterwards), allowing sessions to bestow the term “elder emeritus” on members of session who have left or retired, and an additional option to be offered to an investigating committee that feels there is not enough evidence to lay a charge under the church’s judicial process.

The assembly also endorsed a decision not to create or enforce an often-cited but nonexistent “rule” which suggests the assembly refuse to deal with matters that have been addressed and settled within the last five years. Although the clerks will advise the committee on bills and overtures that no “five year rule” exists, the committee is welcome to make recommendations as it sees fit on any given overture.

In response to an overture asking for synods to be dissolved, the clerks suggested this was not the time to embark on a multi-year study. A similar study focusing on General Assemblies was drawing toward a close this year.

An additional motion was driven by frustration when a decision to reevaluate funding for regional staff emerged after the budget had already been passed. The court ruled that, at future meetings of assembly, the adoption of the budget will take place after all financial matters pertaining to agencies and committees have been settled, although the budget can be brought forward for consideration at an earlier time.

Stewardship
The Stewardship office commended congregations for their generous support in difficult financial times, noting that contributions to Presbyterians Sharing, the church’s main fund, came to $8.4 million in 2009, 1.3 per cent less than 2008 contributions.

The report offered four recommendations. All of which were adopted:

• Sincere appreciation is extended to all the individuals and congregations that supported Presbyterians Sharing in 2009.
• Congregations are encouraged to try at least one new thing to raise additional funds for 2010.
• Congregations should try at least one new thing that shows mission stewardship in action, and they should share their experience with the Stewardship office.
• Congregations, presbyteries and synods should find ways to connect with the mission and stewardship programs of the PCC. That might include doing a mission study, learning more about Presbyterians Sharing, hosting a mission speaker, going on a mission trip, or sending youth on a Youth in Mission trip.

posted on June 15, 2010 in Columns, Wondering Wanderer

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By the time you read this we’ll have become grandparents for the fourth time.

posted on June 14, 2010 in Columns, Patricia Schneider

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The years had dimmed our memories of travelling with our children. (We’d forgotten all the potty stops and car-sick kids.)

posted on June 14, 2010 in Columns, The Messy Table

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Kids ask hard questions. And we lucky parents get to answer them. How’s this for practical theology?

posted on June 14, 2010 in Caught Dead, Features

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Paige inspected me for signs of life. “What happened?”

posted on June 11, 2010 in General Assembly, General Assembly 2010

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Laity and Communion
A discussion about allowing lay people to administer communion continued Wednesday morning, but a decision is yet to be made. An amendment to send the information to presbyteries under the Barrier Act—which could have effectively sped up the process by one year if presbyteries had voted to adopt the proposed legislation—was defeated. A commissioner noted passionately, “Who are we to deny people this grace because of geographical location? Communion is a gift, not something to delegate or to hoard but to share with a world that needs it.”

Several commissioners noted that many congregations are in remote geographical locations, and without a minister, they are unable to receive communion.

The original motion, that the report be referred to sessions, presbyteries, and the committee on theological education and report to clerks by Jan. 31, 2011, is still on the agenda and was to be re-visited on Thursday. If the motion is passed in its original form, proposed legislation will be sent to sessions, presbyteries and the committee on theological education for study and report to the clerks of assembly, and will be addressed at the next assembly. An additional amendment was about to come to the floor, but time was called on the matter.

Atlantic Mission Society
AMS president, Ann Taylor is finished her three-year term, and was thanked by Moderator Herb Gale, who also welcomed the incoming president, Jennifer Whitfield. Whitfield told the assembly about the AMS’s Cushion Project, where AMS members made and donated 148 cushions for commissioners attending the Elders’ Institute Pre-Assembly Workshop. She then presented a cushion to the Moderator.

Women’s Missionary Society
The WMS is also changing presidents as Druse Bryan steps down and Joan Smith, who was first elected as president of her congregation’s WMS group 46 years ago, takes her place.

“It has been an honour and privilege to work with these feisty women who are involved on the cutting edge of mission within the Presbyterian Church in Canada,” Bryan said. She thanked the women for “agreeing with me sometimes, disagreeing many times, but always giving me the opportunity to voice my opinions.” She ended with the words she said when she began her presidency: “The challenges ahead of us are nothing compared to the power behind us.”

It was noted that the WMS’s projects for the past year—building a hostel for students attending the Jobat Christian School in India, and supplies for schools in Ukraine—raised $155,000 and $45,000 respectively. Bryan thanked the assembly and the church at large for responding to the call for donations. She also mentioned a new focus for the WMS: human trafficking, which happens not only in distant countries, but in Canada too.

They ended their report with a lively presentation on the upcoming Presbyterian Women’s Gathering, hosted by both the WMS and AMS, in May 2011.

Moderator Herb Gale thanked both the WMS and the AMS and said indeed, these women “are feisty, fun and fabulous.”

Ecumenical visitor – Mary Corkery, executive director, Kairos Canada
Kairos is a social justice organization supported by the PCC, and Mary Corkery spoke of the “crisis” experienced at Kairos during the several months since CIDA cut its funding last November. While reasons for the cut were not publicized, Corkery said government representatives have since told Kairos that it was their advocacy work that was the problem, particularly their stance on Israel-Palestine, human rights issues in Colombia, and health issues related to Alberta’s Athabasca tar sands.

Corkery thanked the assembly and the church for its support during this time of trial, noting that 25 presbyteries have written and/or met with their MPs to discuss the issue and urge a reversal of the decision.

“There is a crack in everything, that’s where the light gets in. Our job is to find that light and work with it,” said Corkery.

Living Faith in Korean
The Korean translation of Living Faith was accepted and commended for use within the Presbyterian Church in Canada, three years after the original overture came to General Assembly. Thanks was given to the church in both English and Korean from representatives from East and West Han-Ca presbyteries, and the assembly was then led in an affirmation of faith from Living Faith, and a hymn, in both languages.

“You are seeing the changing face of the Presbyterian Church in Canada and we rejoice in that diversity,” said Moderator Herb Gale.

Presbyterian World Service and Development
PWS&D thanked the church and encouraged support in four recommendations that were all adopted:
•    Individuals, congregations and presbyteries were commended for giving more than $1.4 million for the Haiti earthquake appeal, as well as $1.5 million given to make up for a budget shortfall in the last quarter of 2009.
•    The church was also encouraged to forward their contributions throughout the year so that PWS&D programs will not be jeopardized by the uncertainty of whether or not the required budget will be met.
•    Congregations were encouraged to appoint PWS&D advocates who will be a part of a national network to receive updates and resources to educate Presbyterians on the work of PWS&D.
•    Congregations and mission groups were also encouraged to use the resource, Making Connections: Staying Rooted in an Uprooted World – A Refugee Mission Study.

Committee on History
Six recommendations were carried:
•    The church will recognize and celebrate the 450th anniversary of the Scottish Reformation.
•    Congregations should designate the third Sunday in February as Heritage Sunday.
•    Rev. Peter Bush was thanked for 20 years of editing Presbyterian History, and the church was asked to suggest ways to communicate excitement for the PCC’s history.
•    Congregations were encouraged to visit the National Presbyterian Museum, to give generously to the Rev. Dr. John A. Johnston Memorial Fund and to make it known that the museum accepts donations of historical artifacts.
•    Congregations were encouraged to collect the oral history of their congregations on video.
•    Finally, church archivist Kim Arnold was recognized and thanked for her 30 years of service to the church. Bob Anger, assistant archivist, was also thanked. Arnold received a standing ovation and was given a painting in thanks. “It has been a joy to work in this great denomination. It’s the best job in the world, as far as I’m concerned. I love speaking with all of you, and love telling our national and international story,” she said.

posted on June 9, 2010 in General Assembly, General Assembly 2010

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Han-Ca Presbyteries to be Explored
The 2002 assembly approved an end to the trial period for the church’s Han-Ca presbyteries, but also called for a Special Committee on the Life of the Han-Ca Presbyteries to be struck in 2010 to “receive information” on how the Korean presbyteries and church at large have addressed concerns raised in the 2002 report.

Most presbyteries are bound by geography, containing all Presbyterian churches within their bounds. The two Korean-speaking presbyteries—Eastern and Western Han-Ca—span the continent, with a church physically located within the bounds of a geographical presbytery, but belonging to one of the Korean-speaking, non-geographical presbyteries.

The Clerks of Assembly recommended the creation of a seven-person committee to “survey both Han-Ca and non-Han-Ca presbyteries about how they have addressed the concerns raised [in the report presented to the 2002 assembly] as well as any other aspects of their ongoing life.” The committee will include two members from each of the Han-Ca presbyteries, and three from the church at large.

An amendment proposed by Rev. Peter Bush of the Presbytery of Winnipeg asked that the committee also consult with the geographical presbyteries within whose bounds Han-Ca churches are found.

A second amendment, also proposed by Bush, asked that the committee explore a possible process for churches within Han-Ca presbyteries to move into geographically-bound presbyteries, and for churches within geographically-bound presbyteries to move into Eastern or Western Han-Ca. Both amendments were adopted by the assembly.

Church Takes Aim at Climate Change
The report of the International Affairs Committee focused on the theme of “caring for creation,” and proposed a number of recommendations aimed at climate change in particular.

Several members of the court criticized a recommendation that the Moderator write to the Minister of Foreign Affairs to “encourage” the Canadian government to “work for and support an internationally negotiated, binding agreement” building on the Kyoto Protocol at an upcoming climate change meeting this December in Mexico City, calling the recommendation to weakly worded, and suggesting the proposed letter should make a bolder statement. As time ran short, the recommendation was tabled until a future sederunt.

Six other recommendations passed without debate:
•    The Moderator will write to the Minister of International Cooperation requesting information on the Canadian International Development Agency’s policies and financial commitments for projects dealing directly with climate change mitigation and adaptation.
•    He will also write to the Government of Canada to ask if Canada will pledge “new and additional” adaptation funding under the Copenhagen Accord.
Congregations are encouraged to form study groups to learn about climate change and consider the steps that can be taken individually, as congregations and as communities to reduce carbon emissions.
•    They are also encouraged to host community forums on climate change.
•    The courts of the church are invited to share with the International Affairs Committee (through Justice Ministries) how they are reducing their carbon emissions and caring for creation.

Jewish Representative Addresses Anti-Semitism
Eric Vernon, director of government relations and international affairs for the Canadian Jewish Congress addressed the assembly, focusing on the tension between freedom of speech as a core democratic value, and a government’s responsibility to protect its vulnerable minorities. He argued the decision to protect minorities helps to cement Canada’s respect for diversity, and does more to avoid undermining social cohesion than does the imposition of laws against hate speech.

“The vilification of persons because of who they are instead of what they have done is a bright line demarcating hate speech,” he said. He took particular aim at
online communication, where, he said, “what passes for discourse is often one-sided polemic arguments that broke no debate.”

“I note with gratitude and comfort that you encourage your people to eschew all forms of anti-Semitism including the use of language that can cause slander and harm.”

Palestinian Christian Endorses Kairos Palestine Document
Rev. Robert Assaly, convener of PCC partner, Canadian Friends of Sabeel spoke to  the assembly about his time spent in Gaza, calling it the “world’s largest prison.”

It is a “human-made disaster, dependent on the demonization of the people there,” he said.  He endorsed A Moment of Truth: A word of faith, hope and love from the heart of Palestinian suffering, also known as the Kairos Palestine Document. The statement was created by a group of Palestinian Christians representing a wide spectrum of churches and church-related organizations, and was endorsed by the World Council of Churches, of which the Presbyterian Church in Canada is a member. The assembly later debated the document, which was recommended for study by the Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations Committee. Assaly noted that it calls for the end of the Israeli occupation in Gaza, an end to the polarization that fuels and sustains the conflict, and for work towards security, justice and peace for all. He suggested achieving peace in the Holy Land will inspire hope for peace throughout the world.

“It is God’s land, and therefore it must be a land of reconciliation, peace and love.”

Sabeel is an ecumenical grassroots centre for liberation theology among Palestinian Christians that seeks to promote peace with justice in the Middle East.

Ecumenical and Interfaith Resources and Study Documents Endorsed
The Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations Committee presented several recommendations:

Congregations are encouraged to use several resources and to be engaged in local community-based interfaith activities. Resources include Council for a Parliament of World Religions, The Word Council of Churches on Interreligious Dialogue and Cooperation, The Canadian Council of Churches on Interfaith Dialogue, PC(USA) Interfaith Toolkit, a video series by John Esposito entitled, Great World Religions: Islam, and the work of Karen Armstrong.

Congregations and presbyteries are encouraged to submit stories of experiences in interfaith initiatives and activities to the Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations Committee.

A third recommendation dealing with sending the Kairos Palestine Document to congregations, presbyteries, and appropriate committees for study and discussion and reply by Jan. 31, 2011, was discussed at length. An additional motion, asking that the response of the Canadian Jewish Congress be sent along with the actual document was carried as an amendment, but extensive debate led to a shortage of time, and the issue will be revisited at a later sederunt.

Assembly Council Report Sparks Debate About Future
A revised version of Appendix G in the Book of Forms, which deals with archives and records, was approved. Changes were suggested in order to update and streamline the text, making it more user friendly.

The audited financial statements for the church and the pension fund, as well as the budget for 2011 were carried without discussion. The forecasted budget for 2012-2014 was discussed, as Rev. Peter Bush of the Presbytery of Winnipeg, noted that projections include increases in givings to Presbyterians Sharing. But, as Bush noted, givings have remained the same in the last decade, and so he reminded the assembly that to adopt the forecasted numbers as presented, “we will have to do better than we have in the past decade.” It would be a commitment to increase givings, and a call to act. “And if we are not prepared to do that, we should vote against this in good conscience.” The recommendation was carried.

A new motion proposed by Rev. Peter Bush, Presbytery of Winnipeg, garnered a huge response, and will be revisited at a later sederunt. The motion asked that the 136th General Assembly urge all presbyteries to be on the lookout for missional opportunities within their bounds and to be bold in taking risks in seeking the advance of the reign of God. In that spirit of taking bold risks, it asked that the Presbyterian Church commit itself to the vision of planting 10 congregations a year over the five years, 2012-2016.

The assembly voted to split the motion into two, with the assembly endorsing the push for presbyteries to be more missional, but choosing to debate the church-planting component at a later time.

Commissioners commented that they agreed wholeheartedly with the sentiment of the motion, saying the church needs to act boldly and think of new ways to do church and mission. However, the practical considerations and implications of planting this number of churches made the assembly uneasy. Bush maintained that these new church plants need not follow traditional methods, and therefore, will not necessarily need large sums of money to get started, but can reflect new forms of ministry and new definitions of church.

Onuoha Honoured
A minute of appreciation was given for Rev. Arlene (Randall) Onuoha, who served as a missionary in numerous capacities with the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria since 1978. She will now be searching for a call within the PCC. Rev. Daniel Cho, former convener of the Life and Mission Agency, read the minute of appreciation, noting that Onuoha is “one of the living links of the partnership in mission of our two churches.” She received a long-lasting standing ovation for her years of service. In response, an emotional Onuoha spoke of God’s faithfulness, and how He has worked in her life and the life of the church, and how we must in turn be faithful to Him.

“Sometimes I have seen things that look like they’re going to die—like projects, like people, like faith—because we start trying to figure things out for ourselves too much, and forget that we are in God’s hands. And when we get to a point where we see that it is not us, it is God in us that we accomplish things, and we are able to let go and proceed in faith with the gifts God has given us, then I have seen things take off.”

Onuoha called this new phase “a change in assignments,” noting that during her send-off in Nigeria, they said they were sending her to Canada to be a missionary here. “I was called to ministry, and I am still in ministry.”

No Health and Dental Benefits for “Paid Up Pensioners”
Assembly endorsed a recommendation by the Pension and Benefits Board to deny health and dental benefits to “paid up pensioners.” A “paid up pensioner” is a former member of the church’s pension plan who left the employment of the church but retained equity within the pension plan, as permitted under pension regulations, in order to receive a deferred pension benefit at retirement.

Doctrine Committee Tackles Scripture and Jewish-Christian Relationship
The Committee on Church Doctrine responded to a question about the literal inerrancy of scripture by saying that while Christians should certainly read the Bible, it must be studied in light of the particular time it was written, and that “research into historical and cultural context is valuable for biblical interpretation in our own time … We need to understand practices and customs and languages not our own if we are going to be responsible to the authoritative text of the Bible.” The words used to describe the Bible in Living Faith and A Catechism for Today are, “necessary,” “sufficient” and “reliable,” but not “inerrant.”

A statement on supersessionism, which deals with relationship between Christians and Jews and the question of conversion, will be sent to sessions, presbyteries and national committees who are urged to study the and report to the committee by January 15, 2011.

“God will vindicate his truth on the last day, and we, as Christians, firmly believe that when God does, it will have no other identity than the one we have known through the witness of the law, the prophets, the evangelists, and the apostles—even Jesus Christ, but meanwhile our job is to witness, not to coerce…We are to show by all that we are and all that we do and say, that the Truth has really transformed us and made us his own.”

A recommendation concerning the use of technology to assist in administering Communion will be reported on in 2011.

A Reminder
The Norman M. Paterson Fund for Ministerial Assistance, which provides funds to ministers and their families who are in need, reminded sessions and congregations of the need for new infusions of capital.

New Directors for PCBC
The Presbyterian Church Building Corporation, which provides loans to congregations for building projects, named the following people to the board of directors for the next four years: Rev. Margaret Bell, Rev. Gordon Haynes, Sheila Limerick, Rev. Thomas Vais, and Mr. Kenneth Wilson.

posted on June 8, 2010 in General Assembly, General Assembly 2010

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The Daily Digest provides an overview of each day’s events. Digests are distributed to commissioners at assembly, but you can read them online:

Monday, June 7, 2010 – A Welcome; Installation of the Moderator; Briefing Groups; A Cape Breton “Kitchen Party.”

Tuesday, June 8, 2010 – Sailing a Ship Called Generosity

Wednesday and Thursday, June 9 and 10, 2010 – Fifth Through Eighth Sederunts

posted on June 8, 2010 in General Assembly, General Assembly 2010

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As the local church’s national gathering launched at Cape Breton University in Sydney, N.S., the local press were waiting in the wings. Here is a story that made the front page:

Presbyterian Church Set to Apologize to Residential School Survivors, Cape Breton Post, June 7, 2010.

Note: The Presbyterian Church in Canada approved a formal confession to the survivors of residential schools in 1994. A copy of the confession can be found here.

Presbyterians to Focus on Church’s Future, Cape Breton Post, June 4, 2010.

posted on June 7, 2010 in Columns, The Messy Table

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“Who are we to say what God finds proper?” So this week, I’m thinking about play. And playgrounds.

posted on June 7, 2010 in Columns, Patricia Schneider

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I pushed hard against the peeling, painted door. As it opened, my senses were filled with wonderful odours … leather, shoe polish, oiled wood floors. Such a heady perfume could take my breath away.