Presbyterian Record

Interview with Rev. Gordon Haynes – Nominee for Moderator

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Throughout the 2011 General Assembly, one word seemed to emerge over and over again: Vision. The Record asked the nominees for moderator of the 2012 assembly to introduce themselves and reflect on their visions for the future of the church…

St. Andrew’s, Aurora, Ont.

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St. Andrew’s held a “two – cake reception” to celebrate a double anniversary in November: both the 140th anniversary of the church and the one – year anniversary of the church’s minister, Rev. Dennis Wright. Pictured from left are Andy Bikker, Vera Wilson, Don Wilson, Bea Bikker, Pastor Dennis, Marg Eveleigh, Ann Timpson, Bill Summers and Marion Monkman. With the exception of Pastor Dennis, they have all been members of St. Andrew’s for at least 50 years!

St. Andrew’s, Kitchener, Ont.

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St. Andrew’s hosted the second in a series of heritage concerts sponsored by the National Presbyterian Museum. Angus Sinclair (left), the organist at Bishop Cronyn Memorial Anglican Church in London, Ont., chose music suitable to the year 1904; he also used the 1904 edition of the Book of Praise. He and soprano section leader Karianne Pasma (right) are seen here with St. Andrew’s minister Rev. Mark Lewis. All proceeds of the concert series support the National Presbyterian Museum.

Questions about Christ Alone

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Re Theology 101, December

I always enjoy the Presbyterian Record; many of the articles are beautifully balanced without compromising the truth. However, I was a little concerned last month when reading the article, “Christ Alone.” I was expecting a strong affirmation of the basis of our faith, but the article left me confused. The article seemed to imply there are multiple ways to fellowship with God. For instance: “…Christ alone should not lead to smugness on our part, as if Christians of a certain sort have exclusive access to the mind of God.”
I completely agree that we shouldn’t be smug or arrogant, rather we should be completely humbled by the fact that Christians have exclusive access to the mind of God. Only Jesus Christ through his incarnation, suffering, death and resurrection has made it possible for us to enter into the holy of holies at any time, at any place and have direct, one to one fellowship with God.
This is the basis of Christianity. “Jesus said … ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me.” (John 14:6).
To entertain other possibilities is not Christianity and most definitely not the reformed faith established by Calvin, Knox, et al.
I’m hoping that I have not misunderstood the article, especially since it was written by the principal of Knox College. If I have misunderstood the article, I sincerely apologize.
In any event, I would encourage us all not to waiver from the foundational truths of Christianity and not be afraid to state these truths as clearly and as uncompromisingly as they are stated in the Bible.

Community News – February 2012

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Accessibility Standards Rise for Ontario Churches
Churches in Ontario must take another look at their customer service this year to ensure they meet provincial standards aimed at improving the ways organizations treat people with disabilities.
The “customer service” standards came into effect for non – profit organizations on Jan. 1, and are the first part of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act to be implemented. Additional standards for buildings, employment practices and other areas of concern will be crafted and phased in between 2012 and 2025.
Most churches (those that employ fewer than 20 people) are required to create a policy and train their staff and volunteers to thoughtfully and respectfully include people with disabilities. Churches and non – profit groups with more than 20 paid employees must also keep a log as they train their staff, and must provide the government with a report by Dec. 31.
To help Ontario churches, the Canadian Ministries office has created a resource, which includes a sample accessibility policy, available online at presbyterian.ca/resources/online/1841.
More information, and checklists and tool kits, are available through the Ministry of Community and Social Services at mcss.gov.on.ca. ¦ —CW

The Experimental Fund

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The Experimental Fund celebrated its 30th anniversary at a board of directors meeting in November, 2011. Rev. Dr. Fred Rennie—cake cutter extraordinaire—has served as the fund’s secretary for 17 years. As its name suggests, the fund offers grants to innovative and experimental ministries. Over the years it has helped 121 projects in the Presbyterian Church in Canada.

The Meaning of Mentor

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The Messenger:
Friendship, Faith and Finding One’s Way
Douglas John Hall
Cascade Books, 2011

What does it mean to be a mentor? What does it mean to be a friend? Who are the key people in our lives who have helped guide us in the directions we have taken in life? What kind of qualities do they exemplify?
Douglas John Hall, a minister and theologian with an international reputation, has written a highly personal book as a work of gratitude to his mentor, Robert (Bob) Miller. What is particularly unique about this book is that mentorship and friendship are spoken of not theoretically, but by means of a biographical and auto – biographical journey through the lives of Hall, Miller and other individuals during a key period in Canadian Protestant church life from the 1950s to the present. Also unique and worthwhile is an insider’s view into intimate relationships of friendship and guidance between men—in this case, an older with a younger—at a time when such intimacy is rarely trusted, let alone communicated.
Hall speaks of growing up in a time where Protestantism taught dogmatic certitudes and moralistic piety with little room for the “dark, subtle places of the human spirit.” As a teenager and young adult with many questions and a hunger for honesty, he was fortunate to find several key people who not only took his questions seriously, but refused to give any pat answers. Instead, they modelled a way of being Christian whereby the questions led to a much larger, more profound relationship with God, to “a second naiveté” of faith (to borrow a term from Paul Riceour). For the young Hall, Miller stands out among this specimen of Christianity, perhaps even rarer in the ‘50s than the present day.
Miller exemplified other qualities that also made him an incredible mentor. He offered the young Hall advice and direction without imposing his views. He was honest, but affirming and gentle, and he took the time to ponder every response to Hall. This attracted Hall not only to Christianity, but to the ministry as he saw it modelled in Miller. The other quality of Miller’s that Hall found astonishing was his humility. He had an authority but of a kind very different than so many of the clergy around Hall at the time. Miller’s kind of authority was earned but never imposed. In fact, Miller often shared his own questions and doubts with the young Hall, and showed him how asking the right questions and being honest before God and with others about one’s own uncertainties only deepened one’s faith, hope and love in the largest sense. A keen Barthian, Miller always knew he had to deal with “the totally Other” (Søren Kierkegaard/Karl Barth).
The relationship continued as Miller along with others helped Hall through his initial studies in music, and then the discerning of a call to ministry and studies in theology. Miller and this small group were there for Hall through all the key events of his life, those times of grief and of celebration. Hall tracks Miller’s own soul searching from the time Miller returned from graduate studies in Europe to find his way as national secretary of the Student Christian Movement, to his unjust and humiliating termination, but also to his incredible grace toward those who were against him. He was forced to let it all go and start over again with nothing and he did so without animosity or bitterness. Miller was a “book steward” and eventually opened the Bob Miller Book Room on Bloor Street in Toronto, which became his mission field.
In the last chapter, Hall offers more in – depth reflection on human character and the nature of core relationships, and such reflection provides some profound insight to anyone searching for a mentor with the right qualifications. He describes Miller as someone who didn’t readily talk about his feelings but was rather private. While some might have described Miller as lacking in the ability or willingness to disclose himself emotionally or spiritually, what Hall discerns is a certain personality different than his own or that of others. Miller was sensitive and an attentive listener, but was not someone who would jump in easily talking about his own stuff. And this was not about a lack in him, but more, perhaps a “Canadian” moderation or modesty that was genuine and spiritually profound, and in another sense, was more than many would expect. When he did speak, one would listen because the words and ideas had been sifted through very deeply.
What is fascinating about friendships, and even more so of mentorship relationships, is that those who become key people in our lives are not necessarily those we would have chosen or expected to serve in this capacity. We discover wonderful differences in humanity and this enlarges us and expands our way of looking at ourselves, our world and our way.
It’s been a few years since Miller died, but his legacy in Hall’s life and in the lives of others is something for which Hall is forever grateful. Would that we all have Bob Millers in our lives. But whether we do or we don’t, this book provides us with some wonderful personal and biographical tools for discerning our way.

Cracked Cisterns

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“Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for something that does not profit. Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate, says the Lord, for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and dug out cisterns for themselves, cracked
cisterns that can hold no water.”
–Jeremiah 2:11 – 13

Questions about Christ Alone-3

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Re Theology 101, December

I am trying to make sense of your December editorial as well as Dorcas Gordon’s article, “Christ Alone.” You state that she addresses certain questions, although it seems to me that she merely raises them but does not address them. I am left wondering what the nature of this “deep and likely painful theological reflection” might be. Which “formularies” need to be rethought and why? And what will make this process so “painful”? It would be helpful to have an article actually addressing these questions in a forthright manner.

People & Places – February 2012

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St. Andrew’s, Aurora, Ont.

St. Andrew’s, Kitchener, Ont.

The Experimental Fund

St. Matthew’s, Ingleside, Ont.

St. Paul’s, Port Hope, Ont.

St. James, Thamesville, Ont.

Guildwood, Scarborough, Ont.

St. Andrew’s, Whitby, Ont.

St. Luke’s, Oshawa, Ont.

St. Luke’s and St. James, Oshawa, Ont.

Knox-Calvin, Harriston, Ont.

Knollwood Park, London, Ont.

St. Matthew’s, Ingleside, Ont.

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St. Matthew’s has joined just a handful of Presbyterian churches in Canada in implementing a green energy program by installing solar panels on the church roof. The panels don’t just power the church; they also put enough energy back into the Ontario grid to power two regular homes. The congregation was surprised and grateful when project partners Saturn Power and Canadian Solar Solutions, moved by St. Matthew’s commitment to their community, presented them with a cheque for $5000 to continue their work. This sustainability – conscious church will surely put the gift to good use!

St. Paul’s, Port Hope, Ont.

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St. Paul’s celebrated the 100th anniversary of the church’s Casavant organ in November with a musical recital that drew over 250 spectators. The present organist was joined by four former organists in performing vocal and instrumental pieces, including one concerto that was accompanied by a string quartet, horns and a harpsichord. The event also marked the qualification of the organ as a heritage instrument with a class A citation from the Royal Canadian College of Organists, making it one of only 15 such instruments in Canada.

News – February 2012

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Interview with Rev. Gordon Haynes – Nominee for Moderator, by Connie Wardle

Community News – February 2012

Interview with Rev. Dr. John Vissers – Nominee for Moderator, by Connie Wardle

Interview with Rev. Dr. Andrew Johnston – Nominee for Moderator

Mission – (Re)Building Together, by Erin Woods

Letter from the Presbytery of Oak Ridges – Sharing the Good News, by Dr. Jeff Loach

The Other Six Days – The Good the Bad and the Everything, by Bradley Childs

Spotlight – Two Cape Breton Churches Burn Down, by Connie Wardle

Interview with Rev. John Borthwick – Nominee for Moderator, by Connie Wardle

World News – February 2012

St. James, Thamesville, Ont.

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Muriel Manley is a big part of church life at St. James—so big, in fact, that the Thamesville Herald printed this picture to mark her 45th year playing the St. James organ. The church celebrated, too, with a luncheon held in Muriel’s honour in December, 2011.

Interview with Rev. Dr. John Vissers – Nominee for Moderator

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Interview with Rev. Dr. Andrew Johnston – Nominee for Moderator

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Mission – (Re)Building Together

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The new Beacan Presbyterian in the midst of construction. The congregation is an amalgamation success story.

This is a good news story.
In 2007, Knox Presbyterian Church in Cannington, Ont., was destroyed in a deliberately – set fire. A year later, the fire marshal told nearby Beaverton Presbyterian that they would have to close their 82 – year – old building or spend close to $1 million upgrading it.
Fortunately, the two congregations had already been discussing the possibility of an amalgamation since 2002.
“After the fire, everything sat dormant for a year,” said Rev. Barney Grace, who was the minister of the Beaverton church at the time. Then, in October of 2009, the two congregations officially came together. They met and worshipped in the Beaverton theatre for two years while a new church—dubbed Beacan Presbyterian—was being constructed on the former site of the unsafe Beaverton church.
When the new building was completed, congregants were invited by telephone for a surprise first service, a week before the official opening on Aug. 28, 2011. The following Sunday, then – moderator Rev. Herb Gale led a celebratory service that attracted more than 600 worshippers, including the mayor of Brock Township, several councillors, members of the community, and two music groups: Revelation, a praise band from Orillia, and the Ulster accordion band from Toronto.
Congregation member Jim Hughes describes the new church as “a modern building to serve the community and surrounding area.” At 12,600 square feet, it is fully accessible to those with mobility problems and boasts meeting rooms, a board room, a modern kitchen, a gymnasium that doubles as a banquet hall, and a youth centre.
The youth centre was an important part of the Beacan vision. The congregations included nearly 40 children and young adults when they were first amalgamated, and the number rose steadily during the construction process. In fact, it is still rising.
“Every week it’s busier than the week before,” said Grace. “There are new faces coming, especially young people with children.”
To address the needs of these young people, Beacan hired a youth pastor, Steve Pauls, who came to them from People’s Church in Toronto. The church runs a free after – school program four days a week that offers sports, tutoring and cooking classes to any young people who walk through the doors. There are also two evening youth groups: Just for You, which serves young people aged 10 to 13, and The Rock, which serves youth aged 14 to 20. One of the most important features of these groups, according to Hughes, is that the young people really want to come, and that they can experience “a church setting without it being ‘forced’ upon them.” It has led to “a marked increase … in families attending Sunday services—both adults and teenagers.”
Of course, Beacan’s community involvement doesn’t stop with youth. The church also hosts a Moms and Tots program, a monthly senior’s luncheon, and a seniors’ exercise program run by the Victorian Order of Nurses. In addition to Grace and Pauls, the staff includes Sylvia Pauls, who works part – time in women’s ministries, and Rev. Malcolm Rice, who served at Knox before the amalgamation and who now works part – time with seniors.
“Our hope is that we will continue to grow and make a spiritual impact on the community in a stronger, more vibrant, outreaching way,” said Grace. “That we won’t just be a service or a social club or a babysitter. That we will make a spiritual impact on the community.”
To achieve this, Beacan needs an army of volunteers. Unlike many churches, it draws those volunteers from both the congregation and the community. One day in October 2011, the Beaverton police station—which happens to be next door to the church—held a special evening dedicated entirely to processing the police checks of Beacan volunteers.
“Seeing all these people standing outside because they couldn’t all get in at the same time… it was a very proud moment,” Grace reflected.
Young as it is, Beacan already has a host of positive stories like the one above—so many that they might seem almost too good to be true to another congregation struggling with transition. How did these two churches negotiate change so smoothly?
Keeping the pastors of both former churches on staff helped. An open process of congregational meetings—both separate and joint—also ensured that every member knew his or her voice was being heard. Another factor is the physical building of Beacan, which honours the histories of both Knox, Cannington, and Beaverton.
“Both cornerstones are part of the foyer,” said Grace. “Each has pews from their own church in the foyer. There are memories from both histories.” Collaboration in the building process also helped every member take ownership of the project. “Both congregations went into the new building together, watching it and helping it to be built together.”
Church closures and amalgamations are becoming increasingly common in the Presbyterian Church, but the subject remains a difficult one for many people. Grace’s advice to others facing an amalgamation is, surprisingly, more practical than spiritual.
“Put all of the paperwork in order, no matter what the paperwork is, whether it’s financial or archives or anything. Put all of that in order before you actually do the amalgamation. You can’t leave things lingering on.”
Beacan has certainly left nothing “lingering on.” With every i dotted, every t crossed, and every police check processed, the church that emerged from tragedy and struggle is moving forward in a spirit of community and co – operation.
“We have people dropping by all the time saying, ‘What a beautiful church … what an addition to the community with a place for our youth to come,’” said Hughes. “There is no doubt that Beacan has a bright future.”

Guildwood, Scarborough, Ont.

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In October many of the ladies at Guildwood participated in a program called Pathways of Prayer, spending a day in reflection and discovery with speaker Laura Alary. The women had the opportunity to walk a labyrinth, an experience that touched participant Carole M. Lidgold. She shared her thoughts with the Record:

Letter from the Presbytery of Oak Ridges – Sharing the Good News

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In the Presbytery of Oak Ridges, we think of our congregations as being in the business of sharing the Good News in every way possible—and that’s precisely what we’ve been striving to do throughout the last few years.
Oak Ridges is one of the denomination’s newer presbyteries, created in 1993 as a gathering of congregations from the extremities of other presbyteries (including East Toronto, Pickering, West Toronto, Barrie and Brampton). It encompasses all of York Region in Ontario (north of Toronto), with small bits of Simcoe County and Peel Region included. There are 21 congregations within the bounds.
The communities within the presbytery are among the fastest growing in Canada, so there is no shortage of potential for growth! This is why it was a visionary act in the earlier days of the presbytery’s existence to create a Presbytery Growth Fund. The fund is accessible to congregations in Oak Ridges to assist with capital projects, with part of the amount repaid, and the rest granted. It has been a great help to several churches, with two deserving special mention.
Two of our fastest growing churches are in two of our fastest growing communities: Bradford and Keswick. Kirk and Allyson MacLeod sensed a call to begin a new work in Keswick several years ago; in 2009, the congregation realized a great dream when, in May of that year, its own building was completed and dedicated to the Lord’s work by the presbytery. In 2004, St. John’s, Bradford, completed a new building, and is already considering an expansion. This is a remarkable ‘God thing,’ considering Rev. Dan Scott was sent to Bradford to close the church back in the mid – 1990s; it had gotten so small, it had ceased to be viable. God is at work!
In 2011, the presbytery engaged in two never – previously – tried initiatives. In March, at the invitation of Rev. Peter Han, minister of Vaughan Community Church in the Presbytery of Han – Ca East, the Presbytery of Oak Ridges shared a fellowship meal and worship with the Korean presbytery, in Vaughan Community Church, which is within the bounds of Oak Ridges. Our time together felt like a taste of God’s eternal kingdom, where worship happens in many languages. We hope to reciprocate in the near future.
The other new initiative was a Day Apart. This was an educational and formational event open to clergy, elders, and worship leaders to hear Dr. Kevin Livingston, Associate Professor of Pastoral Ministry at Tyndale Seminary, speak about worship and preaching in the season of Advent. We were pleased with the attendance for this first attempt, welcoming over 20 people representing several congregations on what was otherwise a busy Saturday in October. The presbytery budgeted for the cost of the event, so congregations were asked to make a donation to Presbyterian World Service and Development as their ‘admission fee.’ The response, even from those not able to attend, has encouraged us to have another Day Apart this year.
While the Presbytery of Oak Ridges is replete with towns seen as bedroom communities for those who work in Toronto, and where income levels are high, we have not forgotten those in need. The presbytery collects needful things for Evangel Hall, a Presbyterian outreach to the inner city of Toronto. And, guests are welcomed from local and national relief and development agencies as we look beyond our borders to offer the compassion of our Saviour as part of the Good News.

St. Andrew’s, Whitby, Ont.

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Rev. W. J. S. McClure, minister emeritus of St. Andrew’s, conducted worship on Oct. 30, 2011, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of his ordination. Rev. McClure served as minister of St. Andrew’s for thirty – two years. He and his wife, Ann, pictured here, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on Jan. 8, 2012, with members of the congregation.