Chinook Winds Regional Council Agenda & Reports
Online General Meeting September 15th - 17th
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF TERRITORY & TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Chinook Winds Region is located on Treaty 4, Treaty 6 and Treaty 7 terri- tories, and Métis Nation of Alberta Region 3, which is the home of the Black- foot Confederacy, including Siksika, Piikani and Kainai, the Tsuut'tina Nation, and the Stoney Nakoda First Nation. Our region is also located on the tradi- tional meeting grounds and traveling route to the Cree, Saulteux, Dene and Nakota Sioux peoples. We acknowledge all the many First Nations, Metis and Inuit whose footsteps have marked these lands for centuries, and affirm our commitment to the principles and actions of reconciliation.
5 Presiding Officer’s Message 8 Executive Minister’s Message 10 Moderator / General Secretary’s Message 16 Pastoral Relations 18 Retirees 21 Memorials 25 Commissioners 26 Staff 27 Proposals 30 Nominations to the Executive 32 Pension & Benefits 34 Affirming Connections 38 Being in Good Relations Network 41 Hospital Ministry 43 Indigenous Ministry 45 Intercultural Ministry
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
48 Community of Faith Strategy Working Group 50 Mission Grant Charts 53 Camps 55 Finance Report 60 Property Resource Team 61 Centre for Christian Studies 63 Vancouver School of Theology
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PRESIDING OFFICER’S REPORT HELEN REED
Respectfully Submitted: by Helen Reed, Presiding Officer
Our first Chinook Winds Regional Council General Meeting was held at the beginning of June 2019. We were six months into the adventure of a new United Church structure, and the formation of a brand new Region. Our main purpose that weekend was to connect with our new partners in faith as the Presbyteries had finished their work and the new Chinook Winds Region would bring new friends together. We knew that there was still much work to be done to refine the work of the church and continuing and creating what was needed. We heard from voices that encouraged us to remember not only these newly forming relationships, but also our call to be aware of those among us asking for our awareness, care and support such as our Indigenous, LGBTQ++, and Intercultural communities. We left that gathering with a new Executive Council who would work to continue to guide and support our Executive Minister and the Regional Staff in the evolving creation of a Region that would serve its members to this best of it’s ability. Our staff team took on that challenge and I would like to commend them for their compassion and innovation and dedication to this task of helping us realize our new potentials and possibilities in the United Church throughout the Region. We were starting to get a handle on this thing, finding ways to be creative in acquiring time and talent to address needs that had been put on the back burner for a short time… and then life changed. COVID-19 halted the world around us and included us. It has been many years since society has been asked to give up normalcy for the sake of global and local neighbours. The Spanish Flu of 1918 has been the most easily recognizable as an example of this… but wars where rationing and changing roles were needed also needed the same dedication, as did the Recession of the 1930’s where looking after each other with the absolute bare necessities was the only way many would survive. As many of you know one of my favourite scriptures is the commandment to love our neighbours: Matthew 22:37-39 (NIV) 37Love the Lord your God with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’
During this COVID time, our faith and our willingness to love our neighbours have been sorely tested. We have been shaken out of our comfortable patterns and buildings. We have been forced to take a hard and real look at how viable some churches are in their present configuration. We have been challenged to take church further out into our community than some of us ever have and in ways that we may not have imagined.
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PRESIDING OFFICER MESSAGE HELEN REED (CONT’D)
For a while our whole attention became focussed on survival of our communities. Our churches were closed, we couldn’t hug or share coffee. Many felt stifled and scared. And then, as I heard in an online article, “Church broke out” across our Region. Isn’t that an amazing image? We began looking at what we could do.
• Services began happening online—with varying degrees of technological quality. This allowed us to pray and sing together even while we were separated. In many cases, churches are identifying that they are interacting with more people this way.
• The Elders of our society showed us their resilience and pioneer spirits as they took on the challenge of Zoom and Facebook and Youtube.
• We started calling each other, connecting by phone to simply remind people that even in isolation they weren’t forgotten. We found ways to deliver bulletins to those who couldn’t do the online stuff.
• Churches with active social justice programs such as food kitchens found ways to provide this vital service to the most vulnerable in our society.
• Our staff team – have I told you how amazing they are? – turned on a dime. They looked for ways to encourage us to find and provide supports. They gave us opportunities to come together weekly on Zoom to share our experiences, to hear from experts guiding our overflowing hearts and foggy heads through this quagmire. They kept us up-to-date on daily developments from the Province and the Federal Government and from General Council.
• The Executive Committee continued to meet – sometimes with very little notice -- to hear from our Executive Minister and to give authority and permissions when necessary.
• We all remembered that church isn’t a building. It’s a lively verb – action outside our walls and in our communities. And now, as we move toward Fall, even though we still must be aware of caring for each other to restrict the spreading of COVID-19, we are allowing new focusses to come back into our lives.
• Folk who set their own needs aside for the good of all, are now asking us again to remember them and work with them.
• As we yearn to return to worship together, we need to recognize that there is no “return.” If and when we do go into our buildings we must do so with our guiding principles of loving our neighbour: how will we keep the high-risk and vulnerable safe? How will we ensure that no-one feels excluded when our capacity is not what it was? How will we create spirit moving worship without the singing of hymns – it can be done? How will we maintain the new connections we have created? How will we support our leadership who have the responsibility for all these things?
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PRESIDING OFFICER MESSAGE HELEN REED (CONT’D)
• We have a weekly (or more if needed) newsletter that is filled with information about the life and opportunities of our Region. You are encouraged to share your Community of Faith’s stories – successes and challenges – as we move forward together. As your Executive Committee, Executive Minister and staff we must also return to our responsibility to be visibly accountable to you, our constituency. We have always been accountable – that has not stopped – but now we have time to tell you our stories.
• The Executive Committee and Minister meet regularly to exchange knowledge and support with each other.
• As Presiding Officer, I have endeavoured to give you a quick updated of our Committee meeting as soon as they are done. (Thank you to those who have reminded me when it slipped my mind)
• Despite this crazy year, we have kept an eye on our finances and find ourselves to be in a reasonable position. There will be an opportunity for those who wish to engage in an in-depth financial discussion with us in a Zoom Forum on September 8th.
• As Presiding Officer, I have been privileged to be in touch with our Executive Minister on a regular basis as we have both checked in with each other in regard to Regional concerns and needs for care.
• When requested, we have had representation at various events in the Region. I recognize that this is mostly pertinent to the time between June 2019 and March 2020 when travel was allowed. Our 2020 General Meeting was cancelled to due COVID-19 restrictions, but this annual gathering is so important for us to connect with each other that we have created an online gathering in September. We are hoping that this will begin our goal of making these gatherings informative, fun and learning experiences even as we do the necessary business of our Region. At the end of September, I will no longer be eligible to be Presiding Officer for the Chinook Winds Region. I have accepted a call to another Community of Faith that moves me out of this Region. Your Executive Committee will choose another Presiding Officer. I have been truly honoured to be given this role and privilege at the birth of this Region. I was able to be on the Transition Committee and to be your first Presiding Officer for 17 months. I hope that I have represented you well and that our journey into this new Region has been as exciting for you as it has been for me.
With gratitude for the God who loves us and moves us to be neighbourly, loving people in this crazy world… Helen Reed
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EXECUTIVE MINISTER’S MESSAGE TREENA DUNCAN
Respectfully Submitted: Treena Duncan
It's an inescapable truth: 2020 has not been an easy year. But it is clear that throughout all the challenges, the ministries and communities of Chinook Winds Region have risen to the call to be the church in a totally new way. We have been called to offer leadership in a time of uncertainty across the globe. We have been asked to make difficult decisions – how to offer ministry during a pandemic, to open or not to open, to risk or not to risk. We have engaged these questions with courage and faith. But at the core of all of this, the basis of every decision has been the desire to be connected. That, my friends, is radical inclusion, something which I have experienced as a core value of this region.
COVID has caused us to find new ways of doing things, including this regional meeting. As I have reflected on our life together over this past year, I feel so privileged to be in ministry among you. As the planning team contemplated potential themes for our time together, the chosen theme of Radical Inclusion seems to embody Chinook Wind Region's way of being. Our goal for this meeting is to provide leaders in this region with an experience of learning together as a community. My prayer is that you will come away from this time feeling refreshed and renewed for ministry in your own Community of Faith.
On her congregation’s website, our theme speaker, Bishop Yvette Flunder, reminds us that: "We all need community. When access to existing communities is not available, marginalized people must seek to develop community for and among themselves. We at City of Refuge UCC are giving birth to a fresh, emerging Christian community. We believe that now, as in the time of Jesus' earthly ministry, seemingly marginalized people respond to a community of openness and inclusivity, where other people from the edge gather. City of Refuge UCC welcomes people to be who they are, by embracing a theology of acceptance – a radical inclusivity that leaves no one behind."
In her time with us, Bishop Flunder will conduct a virtual conversation on how to think about the future of congregational ministry in the age of COVID-19. Although our methods must change, our mission does not have to. No matter if you are a leader in a family-sized congregation or a large church, this information will help you consider planning for our' new normal.'
Of course, we also have some business to do in our time together. Those who are interested can join us on September 8 to talk about the region's finances. Our goal is to create a plan that leads to financial sustainability. In our business time, we will talk together about what the priorities of the region are. This is important to inform decisions that we make around the allocation of resources and staff time. I am excited to engage conversation around how to best support our leaders in Chinook Winds Region, both lay and ordered, in their practice of ministry.
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EXECUTIVE MINISTER’S MESSAGE TREENA DUNCAN (CONT’D)
I firmly believe that supporting leadership, which in turn supports communities of faith, is key to creating a sustainable region. Other important priority areas are Youth and Young adult ministry, Justice ministry and Reconciliation work. And lastly, we will start our work to respond to the motion made at our last annual gathering: to begin the process of considering becoming an affirming region. This is another faithful expression of radical inclusion.
As we live into the re-structuring of our denomination, and the realities of COVID, we are called to set aside the things that we trusted to work in the past, in favour of discovering what is emerging right here – trying things out, learning, and being open to wisdom that comes from unlikely, unusual and new experiences. Our journey calls us into the untold narrative of the future, together. We are between one place and another, but together, and the most dependable thing we have is God's continuing presence in it all –
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MODERATOR / GENERAL SECRETARY’S MESSAGE RICHARD BOTT / NORA SANDERS
Respectfully Submitted: Richard Bott, Moderator / Nora Sanders, General Secretary On behalf of General Council Executive
Dear Regional Council Friends;
And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another….. (Hebrews 10:24-25)
We hear this passage this year, in these times of pandemic isolation, differently than ever before. These days we are not tempted to neglect meeting together, but are yearning for the “normal” world when it is safe for all of us to meet together, to worship together, and to serve together once again. And yet we hear these words today with a new understanding of what it means to gather together, with a new understanding of the possibility of experiencing genuine community as we gather and worship through electronic means rather than sitting side by side in our pews.
We are writing to you in the middle of the summer, thinking ahead to your plans to gather for regional council meetings this fall. The usual spring meetings were put off this year with the expectation of meeting in person in the fall, but as the summer progresses, it seems increasingly clear that fall gatherings may be held virtually after all.
Your leadership in these unusual times is so important, and we are grateful to serve God alongside you in the United Church of Canada.
COVID-19 Sometimes in the past few months, it has felt almost impossible to think of anything except the pandemic and how it is affecting all of our lives and the life of our church! This has been a year of unexpectedly rapid and massive change. If you had told any of us as 2020 dawned that in less than three months all the churches would be closed, all the schools would be closed, all the restaurants would be closed, all but “essential” businesses would be closed, vacation trips would all be cancelled, and we would be expected to stay home and not visit with friends or family, we simply would not have believed you. Even in the early part of the year, when these things became realities in China, we felt compassion for the people there, but still could not imagine that we would ever be affected in a similar way.
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MODERATOR / GENERAL SECRETARY’S MESSAGE RICHARD BOTT / NORA SANDERS (CONT’D)
This is something that none of us have ever experienced before, and it is not something we ever expected to experience. Anxiety and grief are natural and real, but we have also felt deeply inspired by the creativity, innovation and adaptability that our ministers and members have demonstrated. Online worship is vibrant and meaningful, and serving not only our members but also numbers of people who had not been attending church, but have somehow found their way in through our virtual doorways. Bible studies, youth groups, baking nights, book clubs, board meetings, refugee support committees, the National Indigenous Elders Council, and so many more groups and events are all happening through the use of electronic tools. Although clusters and networks were slow to get off the ground after the reorganization of the Church structures, now there are regular ZOOM gatherings of ministry and lay leaders in regional groups, where real conversations take place as they support one another through the changes of these times. The Moderator and General Secretary have both appreciated opportunities to be part of these regional gatherings, perhaps connecting in this way with more of you than it would have been possible to meet in person during the same time period. The General Council Office closed on March 16, initially for “two weeks” but as of the time of writing it has not reopened. We are beginning to bring some staff back into the office this fall, but, especially with our open space layout and close proximity of neighbouring workspaces, it will be some considerable time before all staff are back. Planning for staff to return to the office will take into account the ability of job functions to be performed from outside the office, the health and family situations of staff members. Those working in the office will find that it feels different in many respects with the appearance of masks, lack of access to the common lunch area, limited use of meeting formats, and so on. Fortunately, we have seen staff rise to the occasion and find creative ways of doing their jobs and connecting with the wider church from their own homes. As with other churches and organizations, this experience has given us the opportunity to examine travel practices and question the “necessity” of some of our former ways, and to consider the possibility of some staff doing all or some of their work from locations outside of the office on a continuing basis.
No doubt you are also looking for the learnings from this time, the things that you have found possible and that you do not want to lose in “returning to normal”. We do not know yet what the “new normal” will look like, but it seems most likely that it will be different from what we understood as normal in the past. As we explore these unfamiliar paths, we give thanks that we are doing it together as a church, and with the comfort of God’s ever loving presence.
Budget cuts When so many things “shut down” in mid March because of the pandemic, we were less than two weeks away from the spring meeting of the General Council Executive. This was to have been an in person gathering with a focus on identifying strategic priorities to offer to the church for discussion leading into the 44th General Council. There was one significant piece of business of the agenda, the approval of budget principles to guide the 2021 budget of the General Council Office. Given the circumstances in which this meeting was held (electronically), with so many immediate practical concerns in people’s minds, the “big picture strategic” work was deferred, and the focus shifted to the budget decisions that were needed.
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MODERATOR / GENERAL SECRETARY’S MESSAGE RICHARD BOTT / NORA SANDERS (CONT’D)
Although it would have been nice to avoid the difficult budget decisions too, this was not possible with church revenues are going down, as the size of our membership and number of congregations goes down. This has been a reality for some years and is accelerating. If anything was changed by the pandemic, it is the likelihood that even more serious reductions will be needed as a result of the economic fallout that accompanies the pandemic shutdown.
The budget principles that the General Council Executive approved on March 28 require the 2021 budget to be about $4 million smaller than this year’s budget. These reductions will be roughly divided between grants and staff. Grant recipients have already been notified of the reduced grant levels that will apply in 2021, and this includes reductions in the Mission and Service allocations to Regional Councils. Staff reductions were made this spring and summer, so that severance costs could be borne within this fiscal year.
Anti-Racism The issues raised by racialized and Indigenous participants at the unplanned, passionate, and painful discussion that ended the General Council 43 meeting in Oshawa, and the ongoing presence of systemic racism within our church, have been a major concern and area of work for this Executive of the General Council.
Early on in its tenure, the GCE set up an Anti-Racism Working Group, and they have been working hard to lift up issues of racial injustice, and to seek practical measures that will make a difference. Their report to the General Council Executive in March of 2020 lifts up the work done and the directions identified for further work.
The White Privilege Working Group has gone through some transitions in membership this year, and the willingness of Shannon McCarthy (Regional Council Executive Minister for the Prairie to Pine, Living Skies, and Northern Spirit regional councils) to take on the role of chair provides an important basis for partnership in this work between the General Council and Regional Councils. These two Working Groups, along with the Reference Group for Indigenous Peoples and the Reference Group for Racialized Peoples, and the staff that support them, will be meeting in September to discuss coordination and clarification of the work and to develop an outline for the United Church’s Anti- Racism Strategy. We will be in conversation with Regional Councils as the anti-racism strategy is being developed.
Meanwhile, with advice from racialized staff, and oversight from both Working Groups, revisions have been made to the General Council Harassment policy to clarify its application to racial harassment, and the process that are available to activate it. The revised policy is slated for approval by the sub- executive this summer and will be in place by the time you meet this fall. Information and training will be available to help everyone become familiar with the scope and requirements of the revised policy.
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MODERATOR / GENERAL SECRETARY’S MESSAGE RICHARD BOTT / NORA SANDERS (CONT’D)
We have been working closely with Anglicans and Lutherans, and with others from the Canadian Council of Churches, to express our shared commitment to the United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent, with links to statements in March, June and July. In June, the General Council Executive released a statement expressing clearly its conviction that Black Lives Matter to the United Church. The Moderator has also written to the Prime Minister to express strong support for the national recognition of August 1 as Emancipation Day, to mark the abolition of slavery in Canada. If you want a practical step that you can take, we encourage you to write your own letter to the Prime Minister on this topic. Feel free to use the Moderator’s letter as a model.
GC43 Commissioners will know that when the General Council was recalled in June to consider whether the next General Council meeting should be delayed, a proposal outlining a number of steps to combat racism was received. Although this proposal was received too close to the time of the meeting to allow for adequate discussion and preparation by commissioners, its principles received clear support and it was referred to the General Council Executive for further work with the expectation that there will be a report back to the next electronic recall of GC43 on October 24.
Those present in Oshawa, and those following closely the business of the General Council there heard clearly the importance of acknowledging and addressing racism. Even still, one challenge is that many United Church people assume that OTHER people are racists, and that racism is an individual and overt act as opposed to a system. We have denounced racism as a church. But some among us—particularly those of us who are White—may not really understand that although we oppose racism, we are part of racist systems and institutions, whether we realize it or not. The sad murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis has generated wider discussion and a deeper recognition of the systemic racism that is part the world in which we live. Many in the church have been educating themselves about White privilege, deepening their commitment to anti-racism work, affirming that Black Lives Matter, and following through with tangible actions that support our words. Too often, people believe that racism is a particular issue in the United States, or a problem outside the United Church. But racism actually relates to each of us, and is present in our own church. The good news is that understanding the reality of racism provides the basis for doing something about it, for speaking up when we hear inappropriate conversations, for sharing resources that have helped our own learning, and for pushing for social, institutional, and political changes that will bring about true respect, safety, and equality of opportunity for all.
We are in the process of recruiting an Anti-Racism and Equity Officer who will serve in the General Council Office and report directly to the General Secretary. This person will ensure that the various pieces of related work are coordinated, that information about the work is shared, and that learning opportunities are widely available.
Anti-racism work needs the leadership of the General Council Office, but also needs the commitment of United Church people in every Regional Council, and in local communities of faith. If you are doing work in this area, or have suggestions for us, we would be grateful to hear from you.
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MODERATOR / GENERAL SECRETARY’S MESSAGE RICHARD BOTT / NORA SANDERS (CONT’D)
National Indigenous Council
The National Indigenous Council is now a year into its new structure. Through the first ten months of the life of this new body, they were ably supported by Cheryl Jourdain, former Speaker of the All Native Circle Conference, who had agreed to provide interim leadership through a transitional period. As of July 1, Murray Pruden has been serving as the Executive Minister for Indigenous Ministries and Justice. The General Council Executive looks forward to working closely with the National Indigenous Council to advance the commitments made when the 43rd General Council accepted the Calls to the Church from the Caretakers of the Indigenous Circle.
United Property Resource Corporation The establishment of the United Property Resource Corporation (UPRC) was approved by the General Council Executive in April of 2019 and got started in the months that followed. It is continuing to scale up quickly to achieve its mandate of becoming a trusted real estate advisor and support to faith communities by leading real estate initiatives on their behalf.
UPRC will work to ensure projects are commercially viable and support the mission of the community of faith and the United Church of Canada. This includes the development of safe, stable, and affordable housing for all Canadians while maximizing the social impact to achieve the highest possible economic, environmental and social benefits. UPRC has formally executed the agreement with Canada Mortgage & Housing Corporation (CMHC) and is continuing to advance UCC real initiatives working alongside local faith communities. The UPRC board is chaired by Don Hunter, who previously served on the General Council Executive as chair of the Permanent Committee on Finance. The first two staff of the corporation are Kris Tavella, who formerly did related work as part of EDGE, and the Chief Executive Officer Tim Blair, who began this spring in the midst of the COVID shutdown. Tim brings 20 years of real estate investment banking and private equity experience, and a strong commitment to the social values of the United Church, to the work.
This corporation has been created as a resource to the church, and either Tim or Kris are happy to hear from congregations and regional councils who have questions about property issues. You can expect to hear more announcements about the United Property Resource Group this fall. ([email protected] or [email protected])
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MODERATOR / GENERAL SECRETARY’S MESSAGE RICHARD BOTT / NORA SANDERS (CONT’D)
Recruitment of new General Secretary
At last October’s recall meeting of the 43rd General Council, the General Secretary shared the news of her wish to retire in the fall of 2020. A Search Committee was appointed (chaired by the Moderator). and, after a bit of delay because of COVID-19 distractions, they concluded interviews in August, and came to a strong consensus in their recommendation, which was approved by the General Council Executive on August 27.
Michael Blair will begin his term as General Secretary of the General Council on November 1. Many of you will already know him…….. and we are excited about the excellent experience and faithful vision that he will bring to this new role. Nora Sanders will continue to serve until the end of October.
GC 44 Delayed until 2022
At a special electronic meeting held on June 20, 2020, Commissioners of the 43rd General Council made this decision to delay the 44th General Council from 2021 to 2022. Given the uncertainty caused by the Global pandemic, this decision was made having in mind the health and well being of all participants, including Commissioners, global partners, staff, and guests.
The revised dates for GC44 have been set for July 22–26, 2022. These dates were selected based on the original 2021 dates, availability of the venues, and the UCW 60th Anniversary celebration which is scheduled to be held in Sydney Nova Scotia, July 11 – 15, 2022.
Deadlines for GC44 are June 14, 2021 for electing Commissioners and October 29, 2021 for submitting proposals.
Richard Bott, Moderator Nora Sanders, General Secretary On behalf of the General Council Executive
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PASTORAL RELATIONS LEE SPICE
Respectfully Submitted: by Lee Spice, Pastoral Relations Minister
Let me begin with what I anticipated to be the major work of 2019 and 2020 – paperwork! Actually, non-paper work. With the change in structure of January, 2019, the decision was made by the United Church to consolidate records. Gone are the days of presbytery officers carrying great boxes of files which were passed yearly to the officers next in line. Record-keeping has moved to a data base called Dynamics, and the portal through which Pastoral Relations conducts business with Communities of Faith is called ChurchHub. ChurchHub was implemented early in 2019, and has become more and more accessible as it was improved and as we all learned how to use it. We are now at the point where all Records of Call or Appointment are processed online, as are Community of Faith Profiles and Minister Position Descriptions. Kudos to the many search teams and other members of Communities of Faith, as well as Regional Council Liaisons, who have dived into the deep end and learned how it all works. We are all still on a learning curve, and despite all of our resources, there are still a few bugs and glitches in the system, so please do not hesitate to contact our office with your questions. Our Pastoral Relations structure involves the work of several groups of volunteers, lending expertise and wisdom to our process and our decisions. We could not do with work without you. Details can be found on our website, https://chinookwindsregion.ca/pastoral-relations/. (Ministry staff are indicated with a *.) Working Groups: All of these groups are accountable through the Pastoral Relations Minister to the Executive Minister.
Pastoral Relations Council: This team is responsible for setting policy with regards to pastoral relations, marriage and sacraments licensing; receiving reports under section J of The Manual and reports from Interim Ministries; overseeing the work of the other working groups. Current members are Lois Punton*, Hugh Johnson, Nancy Nourse*, Gordon Churchill*, Tim Nickerson, Julia Kimmett*. At time of writing, a representative from the Lay Support Ministry Working Group is yet to be named.
Pastoral Relations Working Group: This group approves calls and appointments (and endings and changes, thereof), Community of Faith profiles, ministry positions and interim ministry positions. They consider requests for licensing of DLMs, Sacraments Elders and candidates, for sacraments and marriage licences. They categories Congregational Designated Ministry positions. They meet about two times per month. Current members are Doug Powell*, Sally Salter, Tom Melvin*, Hugh Johnson, Aldeen McKay* and Bill Hanley.
Ministry Support Working Group: This team is charged with “Initiating and/or promoting programming to enhance health, joy and excellence in the practice of ministry.” In this regard, they are responsible for organizing pastoral care for active and retired ministry personnel and recognizing retirees. They also plan events in support of ministry personnel. Current members are Nancy Nourse*, Judy McKearney, Trevor Potter*, Eva Stanley* and Wilma Clark (retirees’ ministry).
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PASTORAL RELATIONS LEE SPICE (CONT’D)
Lay-Ministry Support Working Group: This group manages has responsibility for the training, licensing, record-keeping and support of Licensed Lay Worship Leaders. Currently, this training is accessed through United in Learning. This group is also in the process of keeping a listing of Congregational Designated Ministers in the Region. The training of Sacraments Elders also falls to this group, although currently, some Sacraments Elders are educated through their program at the Sandy Saulteaux Spiritual Centre. Also under this group is the Hospital Ministries program. Current members are Irene Milton, Leila Currie*, Wilma Clark (Hospital Ministries Program).
Hospital Ministries: The Hospital Ministries program has been operating in the province for a number of years, but most recently it has been primarily in Calgary. Wilma Clark has been the leader, educator, supporter and advocate of this program, which provides pastoral care visitors to those in hospital who identify as United Church, but who wouldn’t have a regular visitor (often, they are not aligned with any particular United Church). In order to keep supporting this program, a team was assembled and a position description for a paid accountable coordinator was posted and filled. Current members of the team are Wilma Clark, Leila Currie*, Janice Aiken*, Tom Melvin* and Jackie Walters. The new Coordinator of the Hospital Ministries program is the Rev. Dr. Geoffrey Simmins. We are grateful to Wilma Clark for the many years of dedication and faithfulness that have brought this program to fruition and ensured that it will continue.
Regional Council Liaisons: When a situation arises in a Community of Faith that concerns a change in the pastoral relationship, we will assign a Regional Council Liaison to shepherd the community through the processes of writing the Community of Faith Profiles and searching for new ministry personnel. We will also assign a supervisor to communities of faith who don’t currently have ministry personnel, or have a candidate in a supply position. Many thanks to all of you who have stepped forward to help in these roles. Your work is invaluable.
Somehow, all of this work carried on in what has turned out to be an extraordinary year. When the CoVid 19 pandemic resulted in churches’ inability to meet in person, ministry personnel turned on a dime, leading on-line services, doing drive-by visits, making an increasing number of pastoral phone calls, preparing YouTube videos, hosting on-line Bible studies, preparing print materials to be mailed out, and many, many more. The creativity and sharing of resources was awe-inspiring. At a time when the Body of Christ needed you the most, leaders stepped up in body, mind and spirit. Please know that your work is noticed and appreciated. We at Chinook Winds have worked to support ministry personnel in this work, beginning with Town Hall meetings for ministry staff and community of faith representatives, early on, and then adding a ministers’ weekly coffee check in. I appreciate the folks who have been our special guests at these on -line events, encouraging and educating us, alike. One discovery that we made was that we could do the business of the church online and with video -conferencing. Although this doesn’t replace the face-to-face experience, I think that more of our work will be able to happen online in the future.
Respectfully submitted,
Lee Spice
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RETIREES 2019—2020
Respectfully Submitted: by Wilma Clark & Bob Mutlow
Calgary and Foothills Presbyteries began hosting a retired clergy and spouse luncheon twice a year when the Rev. Stephen Wilkes was Chaplain for the Chapelhow Legion in NE Calgary. Thirty to forty retirees and partners would gather for lunch, share stories, and stay connected. When the Legion stopped having subsidized luncheons the group decided to meet at Lakeview United. As Calgary Presbytery ended, the gathering asked for the Bi-Annual Gatherings to continue. With the encouragement of the Chinook Winds Region a Network of Chinook Winds Retired Ministers & Partners was formed. Wilma Clark and Rev. Bob Mutlow organized a luncheon for Spring 2019 at Lakeview UC with new people attending from across the Region. A second event was planned for October of 2019 to tour the new Chinook Winds Regional Office and meet the staff. We hadn’t planned for a major snow and ice storm so that over one-half the group registered cancelled but the group that were able to travel enjoyed hearing the dreams and hopes of the new Region that is being formed from new beginnings. Christmas cards, along with a Newsletter from Chinook Winds Region specifically for Retirees were sent to everyone we have on our list (119). It may not be complete! In late May 2020, a second event planned at the Regional Office but because of COVID -19 pandemic we met in a Zoom gathering. Advertising was via Chinook Winds Newsletter, Email invites and thirty personal invitation sent to those without email but could join us via phone. Another gathering is planned for Sept. 30th - watch the Newsletter for invite. Pastoral Relations Minister Rev. Lee Spice, Retired Clergy Rev. Bob Mutlow and Wilma Clark a member of the Chinook Winds Pastoral Relations working group, realize that coming to Okotoks ( even if it is in the middle of the Region) may not always be convenient, but the intent is to support retired clergy and partners across the Region. Your presence at these gatherings is an important part of keeping connected – let us know what is happening in your life or how we can be of assistance. We honour the following people who have passed since June 2019:
Rev. Harry Taylor and Frank Johnson.
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RETIREES ROSS L. SMILLIE
Respectfully Submitted: by Ross L. Smillie
In the spring of 1981, after my third year in the biochemistry program at the UofAlberta, I was offered two jobs: I could have spent yet another summer as a lifeguard, but the other offer was unexpected and intriguing: to fill in as a summer minister for the United Church in Pierceland, Saskatchewan. That small congregation was used to having a summer theological student but had been unable to get one that year. The Conference Personnel Minister, Malcolm Profitt, gave them my name after I chatted with him about career prospects. I’m not sure what the people of Pierceland heard, but they offered me the job without even an interview! They were desperate, so they hired me. I spent the summer visiting, preparing worship and sermons. Along the way, I recognized a call. I discovered that people were really interesting, and I liked hearing about their lives and how they lived their faith. But more important, I discovered the excitement of a biblical text coming alive as I wrestled a blessing from it. I had a personal experience of inspiration, and decided to abandon my plans to be a scientist and pursue a theological career instead. From Pierceland, I did short term lay ministries in Drayton Valley UC and Mill Woods UC in Edmonton, before heading to Vancouver School of Theology, where I fell in love with the field of theological ethics. I graduated with my M.Div. in 1986, spent four years in Bonnyville, three at Southminster- Steinhauer in Edmonton, and then pursued a graduate degree at Duke University in North Carolina, under the supervision of Stanley Hauerwas. I had to abandon the goal of a Ph.D. because of health problems, but received a M.A. Perhaps the most important thing I learned from graduate school was that my heart was really in the pastorate rather than in the academy. In 1995 I was called to St. Andrew’s UC in Lacombe, where I spent 21 years. In late 2016 I moved to Sunnybrook UC in Red Deer. Along the way I taught courses in environmental ethics at St. Stephen’s College, and published two books: Cracking the Cover: A Beginner’s Guide to the Bible (UCPH, 1997 - currently ranked #16,058,147 on the Amazon bestseller list ), and Practicing Reverence: An Ethic for Sustainable Earth Communities (Wood Lake/Northstone, 2012 - which didn’t sell quite as well). I found pastoral ministry to be endlessly challenging, varied and exciting, with lots of scope to pursue my own interests and passions. I also found it demanding, like a black hole into which I could pour as much time, energy and worry as I was prepared to give it. I discovered that I loved helping people celebrate the gift of life at its beginning and its end. I loved working with couples to celebrate a wedding, and I loved the weekly gathering to listen to the soul and the Spirit as people sought to live in relationship with the Sacred. I had to learn to embrace its blessings, while resisting its unreasonable demands. I discovered gifts that I never knew I had, or maybe it was that the community required me to become more than I had been. I found that careful listening, a lively sense of humour and a commitment not to take myself too seriously were as important as any of the things I was taught in seminary.
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RETIREES ROSS L. SMILLIE
Respectfully Submitted: by Ross L. Smillie
I admired and appreciated each of the congregations that I worked with and met some wonderful people along the way. I also worked on teams with colleagues and students who each blessed me in their own unique ways: John Brown, Pat Bourque, George Mossman, Ken Wotherspoon, Linda Gow, Gord Waldie, Mervin Gallant, Leanne Benoit, Barbara Lieurance, Amy Mueller, Marco St. Marie, and others. And I grew to admire and appreciate the ways my colleagues in Presbytery and Conference brought their own personalities, enthusiasms and passions to their ministry. At the wider church level, I was privileged to have had many opportunities to serve. Early on, I was active in advocating for the full inclusion of LGBTQ+ people through Friends of Affirm. I consider myself a progressive evangelical and contributed to efforts to recover evangelism and discipleship as core mandates of the church. Later I worked on Youth Ministry Training at Conference and national levels. I co-authored, with Allison Rennie and Marti Settle, the Code of Ethics for Youth Ministry that was adopted by General Council in 2004. I also served on the national Roman Catholic-United Church Dialogue group crafting a joint statement on Climate Change. I took my turn as chair of Red Deer Presbytery, on Conference Executive, and at two General Councils. My proudest moment, however, was founding the Coalition of Minority Beverage Consumers during the 1988 Conference AGM, and successfully advocating for the rights of tea drinkers when we were a silent and largely overlooked minority! � After a bout of prostate cancer in 2018, I find myself feeling called out of full-time ministry to a focus on writing and being the best damned Grampa I can be! As I sort through the books in my office, reflecting on the ending of this stage in my life, I find myself often deeply moved. I feel sadness and loss as I leave behind work that has defined my life for so many years. But the dominant emotion is deep gratitude: I am grateful for the support of my spouse Therese Thompson for the past 37 years; I am grateful that my children Sara and Sean have become people I admire for their wisdom, strong morals and great choices in life partners. And I am grateful for the trust that congregations have placed in me, the cherished friendships that endure, and the many blessings I have received through seeking to bless others. It has been a privilege and a joy.
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MEMORIALS 2019—2020
Rev. Dr. Alexander "Alex" Lawson
1926 ~ 2019 (age 93)
The Reverend Dr. Alex Lawson, husband of Joy Lawson, died in Victoria on April 30, 2019, at the age of 93.
Alex was born in Addiewell, Scotland on February 27, 1926. He learned the highland pipes as a young lad and after working as a blacksmith’s apprentice, went to work in the Westwood shale oil works at in 1941 at age seventeen. He worked as a coal miner before answering an advertisement seeking highland pipers for Ogilvie’s Department store in Montreal, Canada in 1950. At Olgivie’s, He was one of their official pipers who piped open and close the store each day. During the day he worked as a store electrician where he met Joywho worked at the handkerchief counter with a conveniently “faulty” light plug.
They were married at St. Mark’s United Church in Montreal in 1954. Alex graduated from McGill University in 1963 with a Bachelor of Divinity. Alex’s first charge after Ordination into the United Church of Canada in 1963 was in Maryfield, SK thenWhitewood, SK in 1966. At Minto United Church in Moose Jaw, SK beginning in 1971, he discovered his skills as a therapist and flourished as a man that would influence and change numerous lives through his application of Transactional Analysis, Senoi dream theory, gestalt therapy and his innate ability to allow people to discover healing within themselves by revisiting limiting decisions they had made at some prior point in their lives.
One of his greatest achievements was to create a lay ministry that didn’t rely on professionals to care for others, but to train members of the community to share their compassionate abilities. He founded the Minto Family Life Centre that thrived during his tenure and long after. His work in Family Life Education became the subject of a National Film Board documentary.
Alex brought that experience to McKillop United Church in Lethbridge, AB in 1978 where he was instrumental in creating a community of love and healing until his retirement. He then served as interim minister at St. David’s United Church in Calgary and was seasonal minister at one of his favorite spots, Waterton United Church, where he was conferred the honor of Minister Emeritus in 2015. In 1990, Alex was bestowed an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from St. Stephen’s College in Edmonton, AB, an honor he cherished.
Alex and Joy moved to Victoria in 2012 and enjoyed Island living. Following a fall on ice during a winter visit to Alberta, Alex made great use of an electric scooter to make his daily runs around Victoria and continued to guest minister, baptize and officiate weddings up until the summer of 2018 at the age of 92.
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MEMORIALS 2019—2020 (CONT’D)
Rev. Harry Leroy Taylor
December 22, 1941 ~ February 25, 2020 (age 78)
On February 25th, 2020 Harry Leroy Taylor, died in Pincher Creek, Alberta at the age of 78.
Harry was born on December 22nd, 1941 in Hotchkiss, Colorado. He graduated from Colorado State University and Andover Newton Theological school. Harry served as chaplain at the Jamestown State Hospital in Jamestown North Dakota and as a minister for the Christian Church Disciples of Christ in Lynn MA, Troy NY, Poestenkill NY, Central Christian Elmira NY, at Campbell Stone United Church and Southminster United Church in Calgary AB and Waterton Lakes National Park United Church & after retirement pulpit supply throughout Southern Alberta. He also worked part time at Eden’s Funeral Home in Pincher Creek coming full circle from working at his father’s mortuary.
Harry was always passionate about social justice. He helped to register black voters in Mississippi during the civil rights era. He marched against the Vietnam War, hosted refugee families and advocated for LGBTQ rights in Canada.
He loved nature & hiking and tended an extensive rose garden and was a member of the Old Man River Rose Society of Southern Alberta. He volunteered for Adopt a Patch pulling invasive plants and served on the board of the Canyon Church Camp in Waterton Lakes National Park.
Harry is survived by his wife Joyce Elaine Taylor, son Nathan (Stella) Taylor and sister Noreen DelPilar.
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MEMORIALS 2019—2020 (CONT’D)
James L. George
November 11, 1927 ~ February 5, 2020 (age 92)
United Church lay minister James L. George died on February 5, 2020 in Lethbridge, AB, at the age of 92 years.
Jim was a devout member of the United Church serving in many capacities, including lay minister. He was very active with Canyon Church Camp..
Jim had an illustrious career in education, serving as Teacher, Department Head, Principal and Superintendent in many school jurisdictions. As an educational leader, Jim is remembered by countless students and colleagues for his deep sense of morality, calm and thoughtful mannerism, coupled with his humble nature. His work was characterized by a strong work ethic, innovative approaches, and being student-centered.
In addition, Jim provided community service in each community in which he lived, including Kiwanis Clubs, Chamber of Commerce, Picture Butte Tractor Club and Museum and Lethbridge Horticulture Society. Jim also authored several published history books and was granted an Honorary Doctorate Degree at St. Stephen’s College. Jim was an avid fisherman and camper, clever chess player, cunning pool shark, winning cribbage and table game player, successful gardener, voracious reader and creative and skillful carpenter.
His legacy is found in his commitment to his wife, Mary to whom he was married 67 years; three children, six grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
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MEMORIALS 2019—2020 (CONT’D)
Rev. James (Jim) Henry Hillson 1943-2020 (Age 77)
The Rev. Jim Hillson of Medicine Hat died near Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan on Saturday, August 29, 2020 at the age of 77 in a car accident. In addition to former parishioners and ministry colleagues, Jim’s memory is cherished by two sons Mark (Shannon) Hillson of Vancouver Island and Brendan (Carole) Hillson, two granddaughters Madeleine and Josephine; and Bonnie Simpson and Mary-Ann Britt, all of Medicine Hat; one brother, Jack (Annmarie) Hillson of Saskatoon James was predeceased by his wife, Janet (Campbell) in 2004 and two brothers, Glen and Bill. Jim's only calling was to be a minister, a position which he was born to and loved. He led his first service at age 19 at his childhood home of Briercrest, Saskatchewan. He was ordained with The United Church of Canada in 1967. He served several churches in Alberta. In Calgary, he served Forest Lawn United, Robert McClure United, Riverside and Living Spirit United, Midlands United, Red Deer Lake United, Woodcliff. He also served St. Andrew’s, Cochrane and Fifth Avenue Memorial United Church, Medicine Hat. In British Columbia, he served at Trail, BC and then in Vancouver, BC where he was involved in an extensive community ministry based out of St. James United that joined with Kitsilano United to become Trinity United Church. Throughout his ministry, Jim held a number of leadership roles in the wider church and many ministers considered him a trusted mentor. In retirement, Jim returned to Medicine Hat where he happily occupied his time with his granddaughters' sports, family dinners, church activities, bridge and helping out with Brendan and Carole’s business, McBride’s Bakery. He was Minister Emeritus with Fifth Avenue Memorial United Church. A celebration of life and resurrection was held from Fifth Avenue on September 9, 2020.
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CHINOOK WINDS COMMISSION COMMISSIONERS
Presiding Officer Helen Reed Executive Minister Treena Duncan Kevin Dorma Francis Liu Alwin Maben Vicki McPhee Bill Moore Eric Page David Pollard John Snow Bob Wallace
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CHINOOK WINDS REGIONAL Location: 43 Riverside Drive, Okotoks, AB Mailing: P.O. Box 98, Okotoks AB T1S 1A4 STAFF 403-306-0192 / 1-833-762-0192
REGIONAL STAFF
Treena Duncan Executive Minister [email protected] 6347 Lee Spice Pastoral Relations Minister [email protected] 6160 Christopher Mah Poy Prog. Support / Admin Assoc. [email protected] 6198 Joel Den Haan Property / Community of Faith [email protected] Shelley Den Haan Communications/Cluster Support [email protected] 6482 Mauricio Araujo Assistant: Exec. Minister [email protected] 6345 Leanne Templeton Archivist [email protected] Karen Norrie Bookkeeper [email protected]
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PROPOSALS TO CHINOOK WINDS REGION CHINOOK WINDS GENERAL MEETING 2020
Proposals to Chinook Winds Region We can imagine different kinds of conversations happening during the business of this Regional Gathering. We have three different kinds of proposals; each proposal will receive time for discussion on the floor. Educational: If the major intention is to inform the Region about something important, this kind of proposal will allow time to present the issue and the significant information needed to be heard. There will be time for questions and comments but we will not engage in debate or a vote since there is no necessity to make a decision. For Conversation: If the major intention is to hear what others have to say about an issue there will be time on the floor to pose a question or concern. The microphones will then be opened for conversation without the need for a motion to be made. For Decision: If the desire is for a decision to be made or action taken on behalf of the Region then this kind of proposal begins that process. A clear outcome is named as part of the Proposal. Open conversation and debate and, finally, a vote follow. As you consider your Proposal, please consider what kind of conversation or outcome you wish to have at the Meeting and frame your Proposal accordingly. Please use the template attached to this document to help or submit it electronically HERE If you are making a Proposal that calls for an action, consider the financial and other costs of implementing that Proposal and include those in your proposal.
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PROPOSALS TO CHINOOK WINDS REGION CHINOOK WINDS GENERAL MEETING 2020 (CONT’D)
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PROPOSALS TO CHINOOK WINDS REGION CHINOOK WINDS GENERAL MEETING 2020 (CONT’D)
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CHINOOK WINDS REGION EXECUTIVE NOMINATION 2020
The Chinook Winds Region of The United Church of Canada is seeking nominations for its Executive which will take office at the rise of the General Meeting Sept 15 - 17.
The Executive will consist of eight (8) to eleven (11) people including the Presiding Officer and the Executive Minister, the exact number to be at the discretion of the Nominations Committee. No one will be a member by virtue of office in another council, committee, or organization.
• The term of a member of the executive shall be three years with the ability to renew a term once. • The goal would be to have 1/3 of the Executive Council to be elected each year, ensuring continuity of wisdom and welcome of new voices. • The Chinook Winds Regional Council Executive shall elect a Presiding Officer annually from its membership. No one person shall serve more than a three-year term in that office • The Presiding Officer shall be responsible to chair the Chinook Winds Regional Council Executive meetings, and the General meetings of Chinook Winds Regional Council, and to be an Ambassador for the Region, be a member of General Council, and other duties as required..
The slate presented to the region will include people who: *connect to and listen well to the people of the Region; *articulate the perspectives of the Region; *consider the well-being of the whole Region; *hold “the big picture” front and centre in decision making; *have good individual and group judgment and discernment skills; *bring skills in church and community governance.
Further, the slate will reflect the many diversities of the Region as far as possible including: *Gender *Age *Indigenous Identity *Urban, Rural, Geography *Culture *Ordered and Lay
After carefully considering the Nominations received, an Ad Hoc Nominations Committee will create a slate of Candidates to be presented to the gathering for Election
At the discretion of the Presiding Officer corresponding members to particular meetings might be invited to ensure needed viewpoints or information needed are present during discernment and decision-making. Corresponding members would be named on a meeting-by-meeting basis and there will be no permanent or term corresponding members.
The Executive will meet a minimum of four times a year, at least twice of which will be face-to- face.
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CHINOOK WINDS REGION EXECUTIVE NOMINATION 2020
The Executive will be a governance body, focusing on:
*Ensuring it is well-informed and knowledgeable about the church and society, particularly in a context of constant change; *Listening well to the people and communities of faith of the Region; *Articulating together the vision and desires of the Region; *Naming the desired outcomes of the work of the Region;
*Using Policy Governance policies and practices as the operating model; *Monitoring and evaluating the work of the Executive Minister against the stated policies to ensure fiduciary responsibilities and expected Region outcomes are met; *Selecting and appointing an Executive Minister in partnership with other appropriate church councils.
*Directing the Executive Minister through clear policies;
If you are interested in submitting your nomination or nominating someone else for the Executive of Chinook Winds Region please fill in the following nomination form.
You can submit a nomination HERE. Nomination will be received until 4:30pm MST—Sept 15th.
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MINISTRY PERSONNEL PENSION & BENEFITS
Respectfully Submitted: Jane Harding, Chair
Even though we are in the midst of the Pandemic and unable to continue working face to face and in groups as in the past, work continues with the generous people of the United Church of Canada. 2019 was a year of change and opportunity for many congregations in our Region. Even before the Pandemic hit we were starting to use more technology and meetings were increasingly happening on- line. Well, haven’t we mastered that now? My regional responsibilities have become more broad and I am now the Regional Stewardship & Gifts Officer for Western Canada serving Pacific Mountain, Chinook Winds, Northern Spirit, Living Skies and Prairie to Pine. I love to see your faces in person, however, I will not be making travel plans to be with individual Communities of Faith going forward. I believe we can manage quite well on Zoom. I am available for all of your questions and seminars on Congregational Giving, Mission & Service, Legacy Giving, Governance and Policy around CRA and investments and represent the United Church of Canada Foundation in the west. My 2020 - 2021 focus will be in Stewardship Education. Time to go back to basics and I can’t wait to connect with Communities of Faith around their mission and ministry and steps to make them more vital and sustainable. Please connect with me at any time with questions, comments or just great ideas! Blessings on your ministries! Respectfully submitted,
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MINISTRY PERSONNEL PENSION & BENEFITS (CONT’D)
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MISSION & MINISTRY AFFIRMING CONNECTIONS
Respectfully Submitted: Pam Rocker, Director of Affirming Connections affirmingconnections.com
ABOUT US: Affirming Connections was created to reach out and work alongside LGBTQ2S+ individuals and allies, to strengthen and amplify the voices of inclusive faith communities and those who seek to become affirming, and to be a public voice of Affirming theology. We do this through helping to promote Affirming events, one-on-one resourcing of LGBTQ2S+ people and their loved ones, supporting churches in their Affirming journeys, fostering partnerships between churches and community organizations, attending and presenting at public events, and national work such as co-founding National Affirming/PIE Day with Affirm United/S’affirmer Ensemble. We work within but also beyond church walls to bring faithful Affirming values into the public square and to disrupt the notion that religion must be discriminatory.
Affirming Connections is an initiative under the St. Andrews Regional Ministries umbrella. In 2020 Affirming Connections received special project support from Chinook Winds Region, and combined with the expansive vision of St. Andrews Regional Ministries, has been able to provide some resources beyond the borders of Calgary into more of Southern Alberta. We have also partnered with the Northern Spirit Region on our Second Annual Affirming Leaders Day, and continue to seek out partnerships with other ministries and geographies of the UCC.
2020 PROJECTS
CONVERSION THERAPY BANS This year started with a concerted effort to mobilize Affirming ministries and leaders to voice their support for a ban on conversion therapy (also known as “SOGICE”, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Change Efforts) in Calgary. This particular legislation was poised to make history, as the wording for Calgary’s proposed bylaw is one of the strongest in North America, and stronger than the current wording for the proposed federal legislation to criminalize conversion therapy (Bill C8). Due to its potential to set a precedent, this civic bylaw received special attention from both proponents and opponents.
The motion to draft the bylaw was approved, then on May 13 and 14, the bylaw was presented and debated - many of us listened to over 20 hours of public call-ins from 121 callers and read 1,800+ pages of written submissions.
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MISSION & MINISTRY AFFIRMING CONNECTIONS (CONT’D)
We heard from a highly organized group of conversion therapy providers and supporters, who oppose these kinds of bylaws across the country. Thankfully, we also heard from courageous survivors, allies, supporters, lawyers, and faith leaders in support of the bylaw. The bylaw got passed through this stage, then we made HISTORY! The City of Calgary voted 14:1 to pass the Business Prohibition Bylaw to ban conversion therapy - with no changes and no amendments! This was a win for Human Rights and a big step forward for all of us!
National Affirming/PIE Day This year was the 2nd Annual National Affirming/PIE Day! Public+Intentional+Explicit= PIE. These are our standards and guideposts for the full inclusion and celebration of LGBTQIA+ and Two Spirit people. Co-founded by Affirm United/S’affirmer Ensemble and Affirming Connections this nationwide event invites all ministries to serve up some pie and roll out the PIE in their ministries and communities! It happens every year on March 14...3.14 = pi = PIE Day, get it?!
We’ve created resources, marketing materials, event ideas, and produced PIE Videos that showcase true stories of how the concepts of Public, Intentional, and Explicit welcome has transformed ministries and their impact on the surrounding community.
Last year over 55 events were submitted as Official PIE celebrations, with people celebrating from Yellowknife to St. Johns! This year we had even more submissions, however due to safety precautions with COVID-19, we saw most events move online. There were many PIE parties with churches marking the occasion in creative and hospitable ways!
Affirming Leaders Day This May was our 2nd Annual Affirming Leaders Day: a faith-based development & connection day for allied and LGBTQ2S+ folks. We co-planned and hosted this event with the Northern Spirit Region. We hosted almost 100 attendees from across Canada!
Our guest presenters were: David Hayward (the cartoonist NakedPastor), Shylo Rosborough, Singer- Songwriter Kate Reid and Rev. Dr. Mark Chiang.
We look forward to continuing this annual event and see it as a critical piece of honouring affirming people and ministries by investing in accessible, affordable, and quality development opportunities.
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MISSION & MINISTRY AFFIRMING CONNECTIONS (CONT’D)
Two Spirit Welcoming Circle In June, Chinook Winds Region, Affirming Connections, and Hillhurst United Church co-hosted an event with Two Spirit people from the Treaty 7 area to share in the stories and reflect upon our call to action in support of Two Spirit and Trans Indigenous people.
Recognizing that Two Spirit people are often underrepresented and misrepresented, it is important to co-create space for our Indigenous Two Spirit family to share and reflect upon the challenges they have faced on Turtle Island. We look forward to more intentionally supporting Two Spirit people and initiatives in Southern Alberta and working with Indigenous Lead of Chinook Winds Region, Tony Snow.
RAAAR! (Radical Activists and Artists Against Racism): a Variety Show In July, participation with LGBTQ2S+ and BIPOC artists, we were so proud to present and host a live Zoom concert in support of organizations doing explicitly anti-racist work. With artists from Canada and the US, we raised funds that went directly to Raven Trust (Canada), NAACP (US) and The Black Legal Action Centre (Canada.)
COMING OUT IN FAITH MONOLOGUES Affirming Connections was proud to once again co-present the Coming Out In Faith Monologues as part of a special event with Calgary Queer Arts Society.
In August 2020 online, a special group of folks shared their true stories on how faith or religion has connected or collided with their journey. This event really matters to the community, because queer/ faith intersections are common but often underrepresented. We are called to give a platform to hear courageous stories reconciling faith with sexuality, gender identity, or any other queer expression.
CITYWIDE PRIDE SERVICE Our 2nd Annual Citywide Pride Service took place on Calgary’s Pride Sunday, September 6. This online interfaith service was brought together from various religions and over 20 Affirming faith communities, with music, candle lighting, queer hymns, and more! Our fantastic guest speaker was The Rev. Dr. Megan Rohrer, the first openly transgender pastor ordained in the Lutheran church. Megan is a fantastic preacher, activist, and author based out of San Francisco, and recently appeared on Season 5 of QUEER EYE, Episode One! (No big deal!)
This yearly event has become even more pivotal in the bringing together of our shared communities and highlights the many religious voices and ministries who live out radical inclusion.
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MISSION & MINISTRY AFFIRMING CONNECTIONS (CONT’D)
HELL VIDEO With funding support from Chinook Winds Region, Affirming Connections is producing a short video that contains mini-stories from clergy, leaders, LGBTQ2S+ individuals, and allies in our region. These stories and statements will be focused on responding to the problem defined above - “what about hell and should we fear it?” From anecdotal, personal, and theological perspectives, we’ll invite individuals to share about their experiences with this fear based ideology, and how they have overcome or addressed it. Featured individuals will be sourced from the Southern Alberta area, and it’s crucial to us that we include rural representation.
Production has had to be reimagined in light of health and travel restrictions, yet we are hopeful that the video will be ready in time for PIE Day 2021 so that ministries can screen it at their events!
QUEERING THE QUARANTINE From March-July we hosted biweekly conversations for queer folks and allies, often interviewing special guests with time for group check-ins. The impacts of COVID-19 are particularly troubling for those already experiencing some form of exclusion, isolation, and economic insecurity.
Queer folks often faces unique challenges when it comes to isolation and losing a sense of belonging. So along with these events, our efforts in these past 6 months have been focused in creating shared spaces of community and chances to connect that are curated with LGBTQ2S+ folks in mind.
I have experienced a marked increase in requests for conversations, resources, and questions about Affirming people and places. In a time where so much is uncertain, the appetite for safer and braver spaces is palpable. A larger number of faith communities and clergy have also reached out as they seek to define what it means to be an Affirming Ministry digitally.
I am ever thankful for the faithful witness of so many UCC leaders who continue to live out their values of radical inclusion especially when it would be very tempting to be focused on ourselves. My work and our work is never over, yet we continue this journey together reminding each other that, as our creed says, God is with us. We are not alone.
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MISSION & MINISTRY BEING IN GOOD RELATIONS NETWORK
Respectfully submitted by the continuing conveners for the Being Good Relations Network:
Following the dissolution of Alberta and Northwest Conference, and the Living into Right Relations Standing Committee, most of the members of the Standing Committee continued to function as the Being Good Relations Circle (BGRC) to serve both Northern Spirit and Chinook Winds Regional Councils. The BGRC presented a proposal to both Regional Council spring 2019 gatherings. The BGRC sought some recognition by the Council requesting some support staff time and funding to nurture the Being Good Relations Network of witnesses and those interested in moving forward with our initial mandate to bring colonizers and Indigenous people together in a more harmonious and mutual relationship. The proposal was referred to the Regional Council Executives.
From a strong base at Hillhurst and McDougall United Churches in Calgary, and with Chinook Winds funding and support (Chris Mah Poy), Tony Snow, a student at Sandy Saulteaux Centre, has offered excellent learning opportunities to co-create a way forward. Northern Spirit has employed Julie Graham 1/3 time as Justice and Communications Coordinator. Julie has assisted in hosting 3 Zoom ‘cluster’ gatherings of Network members in Northern Spirit June 9, 11, and 15, 2020 to check-in, share new resources, and plan for honoring the significant dates of June 21, September 29 (https://www.orangeshirtday.org/) and October 4 (MMIWG Vigil). Participation in anti-racism rallies and concerns about Bill 1 criminalizing protest that takes place on or targets what the Alberta government deems “essential infrastructure” were also discussed.
On June 11, 2020, Remember the Children Day was proclaimed in Red Deer and a gathering was held at the City Cemetery memorial to honor 4 teenagers who died during the Spanish flu epidemic at the Red Deer Industrial School. Thanks to Sunnybrook UC and the Remembering the Children Society for organizing it. The latter is seeking United Church board representation from each Region as a new phase of engagement is anticipated to designate the School cemetery as a Provincial Historic Resource.
From May 31 to June 14, 2020, Dr. Patricia Makokis from Saddle Lake Cree Nation was one of the leaders of a Walk for Common Ground from Edmonton to Calgary. Several United Church members were among the walkers for various legs of the journey. Some United Church congregations enroute also hosted the walkers for evening showings and discussions of the film “Treaty Talk: Sharing the River of Life.” A film “Treaty Walk” has since been made. Both can be seen at https://www.treatytalk.com/
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MISSION & MINISTRY BEING IN GOOD RELATIONS NETWORK (CONT’D)
The BGRC worked to hold a “Moving Forward in Truth and Reconciliation” event October 25- 26, 2019 that was attended by 47-90 people in the Network. It was hosted by St Albert United Church, near Edmonton. Tony Snow from Stoney Nakoda Nation (Morley) offered smudging and some history of the Indigenous church in Alberta. His brother, John Snow, had just returned from the UC National Indigenous Gathering and provided a report. On Friday, we held a “World Café” where we went from table to table to discuss issues surrounding the reconciliation process and being a network. On Saturday morning, we listened to presentations by Dr. Pat Makokis, who talked about her work in reconciliation from an Indigenous point of view as a mother, grandmother, a professor, Treaty member and a woman. Dr. Davina Roussel gave a well-researched talk on being a Settler Ally and what we can do as colonizers to forward the response to the Calls to Action issued by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission 5 years ago. Both women work at the University of Alberta. Dr. Sara Stratton spoke to us from her position as General Council Reconciliation and Indigenous Animator. All speakers were well received and there was a deep feeling of respect for all the work being done in these many spaces. We know that many wonderful activities and learning events have happened throughout the Regions. Sharing more of your stories on the BGR Facebook page encourages us all. Thanks to Tilly Meyer and Cecile Fausak, we continue to have public and private Facebook pages. https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Community/Being-Good-Relations-Circle-Chinook- Winds-and-Northern-Spirit-Regions-159503007982883/ There you will find many links to relevant resources and stories and links re current issues concerning Indigenous peoples and reconciliation actions. The BGR Network also has a presence on the NS Regional website. Thanks to Mary Shearer and Shelley Sabo, the BGR Network conveners met via Zoom on Nov. 21, 2019 and May 21, 2020. We sent emails to the 90 witnesses throughout the two Regions, and to the Regional Executives summarizing the work done and conclusions reached at the October 2019 gathering. Attempts were made to contact all those who had said they were interested in volunteering in strengthening the network, yet none were willing to take any leadership. We are also in the process of transferring the email list to Mailchimp. Our group feels that one of the important functions of our network is to identify and support communities of faith and witnesses interested in the truth and reconciliation process. It remains a challenge in developing a healthy network to recruit and mentor new conveners and keep people connected. The Living into Right Relations Trust Fund continues to be available to facilitate activities or gatherings that develop and enhance responses to the Calls to Action issued by the TRC, the Calls to the Church by the Indigenous Ministries, and upholding the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The BGR conveners are drafting a process for accessing these funds to take to the Executives. In June 2018, some members of our network attended a training workshop to become KAIROS Blanket Exercise facilitators for Northern Alberta. The training event was organized by Keepers of the Athabasca, who have done a series of workshops “Flowing into Right Relationships” with 5 Native Friendship Centres in Athabasca, Edson, Slave Lake, High Prairie, Lac La Biche and Fort McMurray. In Sept 2019, a similar training workshop was held in Canmore in Southern Alberta with much success. Requests for Blanket Exercises may be made to Ian Hopfe, Alberta North BE Co-ordinator [email protected] and Cherie Ratte, Alberta South BE Coordinator. [email protected]. There is work being done on the possibility of conducting ‘virtual’ Blanket Exercises.
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MISSION & MINISTRY BEING IN GOOD RELATIONS NETWORK (CONT’D)
We believe a Being Good Relations Network is vital to the future of the church and the country. We are passionate about offering support to the many United communities of faith in both Regions willing to do the hard but oh so important work of reconciliation throughout the Treaty lands of 4, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 and Metis homelands. Please be in touch if you have ideas for us or want to help convene gatherings, especially in the Northern Spirit Region.
Respectfully submitted by the continuing conveners for the Being Good Relations Network:
Cecile Fausak [email protected] Athabasca NS Don Fraser [email protected] Lacombe CW Lavera Goodeye [email protected] Coronation CW Sandra Hayes-Gardiner [email protected] Calgary (Hillhurst) CW Grace Hussey [email protected] Grande Prairie NS Helena Lamb [email protected] Calgary (Hillhurst) CW Tilly Meyer [email protected] Lacombe CW Shelley Sabo [email protected] Edmonton (Grace) NS Mary Shearer [email protected] Canmore CW Sharon Woodhouse [email protected] Calgary (Scarboro) CW Staff: Julie Graham [email protected] Saskatoon NS Staff: Tony Snow [email protected] Calgary CW
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MISSION & MINISTRY HOSPITAL MINISTRY
Respectfully Submitted: Wilma Clark, current Hospital Ministry Coordinator (Volunteer)
What is Hospital Ministry? In a nutshell, Hospital Ministry is having well-trained United Church of Canada (UCC) volunteers who feel called by God to visit patients in their region’s acute hospital(s) who, when asked upon being admitted, answer the Faith question with ‘United Church of Canada.’
The New Creed calls us to serve; Jesus calls us to pray for and heal the sick, to care for the lost sheep, and to Love our Neighbour; 1 Corinthians 12 tells us we each have different spiritual gifts.
In Calgary, the UCC has had Hospital Ministry for years. Volunteers stepped up, received training, and went to hospitals in large numbers. In the 1970s and ‘80s Calgary had a list of 60 visitors; many served 20 to 30 years, going weekly to visit. Today, the need is still there, even more so. In Calgary, there are only six working visitors.
As recently as the early 2000s, I met UCC visitors at Alberta Pastoral Care Association conferences, however, neither the CWR nor hospitals have records of people doing what we call Hospital Ministry for UCC patients. I apologize if there are UCC visitors outside of Calgary. I would love to meet you.
To clarify, this is not about what a congregation’s members and minister do for their own congregation in hospitals. Due to Alberta’s Health Information Act (HIA) and Alberta’s Freedom of Information & Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPP), ministers are only to visit folks from their own congregation.
THE NEED: As an example, between Calgary’s four hospitals on any given day, approximately 100 patients list the UCC as their religion. Out of that number, for various reasons, only a handful (maybe 10%) have a home congregation. These people would normally never get a visit. Today, younger patients are in and out of hospitals in a day, or even on the same day. So, Hospital Ministry volunteers usually end up visiting people in their 60s and up – people who have been with the UCC for years and we hear their amazing stories! It is our experience and belief that Hospital Ministry is welcomed by most UCC patients and families.
These hospitalized folks deserve a visit to be assured of God’s Love, hear scripture, and/or receive a prayer if they wish; to let them know their UCC family cares; to have someone who will listen to their concerns and/or blessings. Sometimes, it is the patients’ families that require the visitor’s support. Sometimes, the Hospital Ministry volunteer is the only visitor patients receive.
THE FUTURE: I, Wilma Clark, have been a Hospital Ministry Visitor for 21 years and in the Coordinator role for Calgary’s Hospital Ministry for about 14 of those years, and have seen many changes with AHS and the UCC. After encouraging discussions with CWR about where the Hospital Ministry might fit in the new structure and with AHS Spiritual Care about expanding hospital visitation in southern Alberta, it became my dream to establish this ministry in all major acute care hospitals in the region; starting with Red Deer, then Lethbridge, and Medicine Hat.
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MISSION & MINISTRY HOSPITAL MINISTRY (CONT’D)
In the fall of 2019, I wrote a proposal for a Mission & Service Grant to fund the beginning of expanding this ministry. The grant was approved, but would need to be submitted every year to continue, with no guarantee. Instead of this, the CWR decided that Hospital Ministry should be ongoing and it now sits with Pastoral Relations (Lay Ministry Support working group) and is included in their annual budget.
The UCC Hospital Ministry Volunteers are actually AHS ‘Religious Community Visitors.’ There is a process for preparing and screening suitable volunteers. They are provided with workshops and guidance to ensure they are comfortable with their responsibilities, level of commitment, and that they meet current UCC and AHS standards.
The Proposal and what has happened so far: This proposal is for the transformation of Hospital Ministry in the UCC’s CWR to witness to the gospel and vision of Jesus for a compassionate and just society in partnership with AHS.
1) Form a committee to support CWR Hospital Ministry. There are currently five serving on the committee and Terms of Reference have been created. The size of the committee will increase as the Hospital Ministry expands into each city, to include a person from that community. 2) Hire a Hospital Coordinator for CWR (40 hours a month). Working closely with Rev. Lee Spice (Pastoral Relations Minister) and Rev. Treena Duncan (Executive Minister), the committee established Terms of Reference for hiring a Hospital Ministry Coordinator. The group is pleased to report the position has been advertised and our prayer is to introduce the successful person at the CWR Meeting in September, 2020. 3) Find volunteers who feel the call and provide them with 20 hours of UCC virtual pastoral care training. These volunteers then apply to AHS along with validation from UCC, receive Vulnerable Sector Police Check, hospital in-house orientation, and interview with Spiritual Care. There is an expectation for them to keep their skills enhanced and current. 4) An expectation for UCC congregations in the CWR is to promote the need for Hospital Ministry volunteer visitors and encourage their people to consider this valuable way to serve the larger church. The Hospital Ministry Coordinator will work with congregations to encourage people to volunteer.
Life and people change. Rules and protocols change. Systems change. The Love of God, however, is constant and is still required by most, especially when people are in crisis.
The only hitch should be COVID-19! At the time of writing this article, visitors have been locked out of hospitals since March 16th. Ideally, we will have volunteers sign up, who can be trained and ready to go when hospitals re-open to Hospital Ministry Visitors.
Faithfully submitted, Wilma Clark, current Hospital Ministry Coordinator (Volunteer)
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MISSION & MINISTRY INDIGENOUS MINISTRY
Respectfully Submitted: Tony Snow, Indigenous Lead Chinook Winds has been developing a pilot program for regional Indigenous ministry with Tony Snow as Lead. This program involves working with partners in the Indigenous Church, regional and national right relations committees and Indigenous communities. The Urban Indigenous Ministry has held over 16 weeks of activities since February, despite the Covid-19 outbreak. All of these activities have been open to the region and interested parties outside the UCC. We continue to engage and respond to current events as necessary (BLM, advocacy, TRC calls to action, etc), delivering support and basic supplies where needed. This ministry also works toward greater coordination and participation with Black, People of Colour and Indigenous groups that are affected by the issues confronting those communities today, through the Calgary Interfaith Council, Calgary Alliance for the Common Good, Decolonizing Christianity Canada and other groups.
This is a brief overview of the activities for the Chinook Winds Indigenous Lead, including Regional activities, liaison with the Indigenous Church, pastoral relations to Indigenous communities and outreach to the broader southern Alberta community. For more information contact Tony snow: 403-870-7801
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MISSION & MINISTRY INDIGENOUS MINISTRY
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MISSION & MINISTRY WESTERN INTERCULTURAL MINISTRY NETWORK
Respectfully Submitted: Alwin Maben, Chair
The Interim Executive: At the Annual General Meeting of the Intercultural Ministry Network (Northern Spirit Regional Council and Chinook Winds Regional Council) held on October 16, 2019 at Providence Renewal Centre, Edmonton the then executive decided to expand our network to include all of the Western region under an assumed name “Western Intercultural Ministry Network” with the following members as its Interim Executive: Kay Quon – Elder (Edmonton), Katheryn Yamashita (Lethbridge), Julie Graham (Saskatoon), Pamela Won – Secretary, (Calgary) Kwang Beom Cho – Vice-chair (Winnipeg), Alwin Maben – Chair (Coronation) At that time we did not have anybody from the Pacific Mountain region at the AGM to be coopted into the Interim Executive. However, with help from the Regional Councils and with little persuasion, we were able to have Deborah Richards representing Pacific Mountain Region and Kurt Katzmar representing Edmonton Intercultural Ministry Network and later Dambar Khadka joined us as Interim Executive member. We are grateful to all our interim Executive members for their wisdom, enthusiasm and input with regard to the functioning of our committee
Policies and Procedures (Terms of Reference): As an Interim Executive we started working on preparing Policies and Procedures (Terms of Reference) with Dr. Kathy Yamashita on the chair. We thank Kathy for drafting the terms of Reference and the committee accepted the same with some corrections which was later shared with all the five Regional Councils for their information (Copy attached).
Committee Meetings: Our first Interim Executive Committee meeting over Zoom was on November 5, 2019. In order to keep the momentum going after the success of our Continuing Education and Learning Day event - “Continuing the Awkward Conversation to become and Intercultural and Sustainable Church” (Oct.16-18, 2019) with Rev. Dr. Eric H.F. Law and Rev. Dr. Andrew Sung Park at Providence Renewal Centre, Edmonton and a “Korean Ministers/Lay Leaders Gathering 2019” on Oct.18-19 at Edmonton Korean Church with Rev. Dr. Andrew Sung Park, we began planning to host the Education and Learning day event for 2020. Initially, we planned to host it in September 22-25, 2020 at FCJ Centre, Calgary with the Theme: “New Wine” – Creating Missional, Sustainable and Intercultural Ministries in the United Church.” While Rev. Dr. Eric Law was returning as one of the Main Speakers we were also hoping to have the support from or collaboration with The First Nations and “Being Good Relations” Network. After preparing a budget for this event, we also sought financial support from all concerned regional councils who were gracious enough to accept our proposal and the budget. So far the committee has met seven times over Zoom. We are especially grateful to Dr. Kathy Yamashita for taking the minutes and sharing it as Pamela Won was not able to participate in most of our meetings.
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MISSION & MINISTRY WESTERN INTERCULTURAL MINISTRY NETWORK (CONT’D)
Continuing Education and Learning Day event 2020: With COVID-19 coming in the way, we had to change our plans with regard to hosting the Education Event. While we retained the Theme: “New Wine” – Creating Missional, Sustainable and Intercultural Ministries in the United Church.” with Rev. Dr. Eric Law as returning Main Speaker, we also contacted few Indigenous leaders to be the Second speaker. We are happy that Rev. Tony Snow accepted our invitation and will be the other Speaker at this event. In consultation with the speakers, our committee decided to host this year’s Education Event online on three separate Fridays with a particular theme which is as follows:
September 25: Missional Ministries October 2: Sustainable Ministries October 9: Intercultural Ministries
There will be presentations, dialogue between Tony and Eric, small group conversations, Q and A, and a break in each session. At the end of each day, participants will be given “homework” contextual to their ministry, and tools to engage people in their ministry. They will bring their experience and reflection back to the following session. Each day will include an optional afternoon or evening informal conversation circle to close the day; these will be based regionally, linguistically, and more. While the cost is free, registration is required. For full information please go to: http://bit.ly/2CqFRjt . We look forward to many participating and benefitting from this event.
With the change in plans the budget too was revised and we are grateful to Norther Spirit and Chinook Winds Regional Councils for approving our budget and also for extending Staff support to our ministry. We are particularly grateful to Julie Graham for the tremendous staff support she is extending to us.
Zoom Chai/Coffee Conversation: A special feature has been the two Zoom Chai/Coffee Sessions we had this year. The first one on February 4, 2020 was mainly for those who attended the last education event. This session was chaired by Dr. Kathy Yamashita and was quite well attended with lots of suggestion and concern shared with regard to intercultural ministry. The second session was on June 23, 2020 where the focus was on Racism within the United Church. This too was well attended and was planned and Moderated by Deborah Richards and Julie Graham to whom we are very much grateful. Another session is planned for November 17, 2020 at 12.30 PM (MST). All are welcome to participate.
Support to DUIM: “Deepening Understanding of Intercultural Ministry” offered by the Canadian Council of Churches from time to time has not been held Alberta so far. There was a request to host the same in Alberta with the help of Edmonton Intercultural Ministry Network. Rev. Jonathan Schmidt - Associate Secretary: Intercultural Leadership; Justice and Peace, had an exploratory meeting with Rev. Kurt Katzmar and other members of the Edmonton Intercultural Ministry Network on February 5, 2020 at Sherwood Park United Church. Unfortunately not much progress has been made due to COVID-19.
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MISSION & MINISTRY WESTERN INTERCULTURAL MINISTRY NETWORK (CONT’D)
Annual General Meeting: The Annual General Meeting this year will be on November 24, 2020 at 12.30 PM (MST). We hope that interested folks from all regions will participate in this and that we will be able to form a New Executive to continue the work of Intercultural Ministry within our region with new vision and enthusiasm.
Once again we express our sincere gratitude to all the Regional Councils in the Western Region, particularly, Northern Spirit and Chinook Winds Regional councils for all the support and encouragement we have received and look forward to continued support and guidance in the important ministry for the Glory of God and for the good of all God’s children.
Alwin Maben
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MISSION & MINISTRY COMMUNITY OF FAITH STRATEGY WORKING GROUP
Respectfully Submitted: Tammy Allan, Chair.
Your Community of Faith Strategy Working Group has genuinely experienced 'building from scratch' in the first months of its existence. The Working Group was mandated under the new governance model adopted by Chinook Winds Region, and consultant Rev. Joel Den Haan was directed to get members and work processes started.
Beginning in May-June 2019 the Working Group has met together regularly. Without the luxury of time, we have found that by working and communicating together we are evolving as a resource for communities of faith and other groups across Chinook Winds Region. One of the ways our understanding has evolved has been a change in our name, which we implemented on our own initiative (we are sorry....), from Community of Faith Support to Community of Faith Strategy. We think our group is best positioned to help think through the future, beyond simply supporting the present realities of our United Church community- a strategic emphasis which is now showing in our Working Group's current priorities.
The Community of Faith Strategy Working Group is chaired by Tammy Allan, and members Tim Nethercott, Gary Koehler, Shari Hanson, Richard Betts, Barbara Davison and Trevor Potter bring a wide range of experience from camps, campus ministries, UCW, congregation and outreach ministries. We have appreciated ongoing liaison with Executive Minister Treena Duncan as we have considered unfolding work.
As the Community of Faith Strategy working group engaged its mandate, first efforts needed to be directed toward facilitating a wide range of grant funding initiatives across the Region. The working group built an initial application process and developed electronic tools to manage grant communication and follow-up. These tools allowed us to fund all of the grant requests we received for 2020, drawing on General Council financial support as well as legacy resources available from former Conference mission funding. You will find a review of all these grants in a separate report- it's a great read regarding all of the mission work we have done together this year!
Our Working Group looks forward to supporting the grant funding process again for 2021. We will have fewer resources available for the upcoming season, but we can still accomplish a great deal so stay tuned for more information.
As 2020 unfolded our working group provided guidance to Region review of Campus Ministries work in Calgary, and we began to consider how best to assist our camps across Chinook Winds Region as they plan for the future. This work continues even as COVID-19 has impacted our communities of faith and our nation.
Amidst COVID-19, the Community of Faith Strategy Working Group has taken seriously the task of helping local communities of faith navigate the radical changes emerging. We have focused on two areas thus far:
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MISSION & MINISTRY COMMUNITY OF FAITH STRATEGY WORKING GROUP (CONT’D)
- support to online and electronic ministry development in communities of faith, in collaboration with Communication and Cluster Support staff person Shelley Den Haan,
-local mission discernment, beginning online with a key project for communities of faith between Balzac and Innisfail, resourced by Rev. Dr. Christine Jerrett from the national Edge network.
We look forward to continuing to assist Chinook Winds Region and its communities of faith to develop strategically effective pathways in ministry as we all navigate the major changes now unfolding all around us. We are not alone!
Respectfully Submitted in Faith, Tammy Allan, Chair.
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MISSION & MINISTRY MISSION GRANT CHARTS
2020 Reports & Agenda - Page 50
MISSION & MINISTRY MISSION GRANT CHARTS (CONT’D)
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MISSION & MINISTRY MISSION GRANT CHARTS (CONT’D)
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MISSION & MINISTRY REGION CAMPS
Respectfully Submitted: Shari Hanson, Chair, Red Deer Presbytery Camps Society
My first year as Chair (and only my second year on the Board), has meant a year with a steep learning curve.
With the dissolution of Red Deer Presbytery and the formation of the Chinook Winds Regional Council, we worked hard to update our Bylaws and continue to work on re-framing the role and organization of the Board and staff roles. New bylaws were accepted by membership at a Special General Meeting in May 2019 and these have been filed with Chinook Winds Regional Council and with Service Alberta (still awaiting approval of these with both these ‘authorities’).
In addition to our relationship with Chinook Winds Regional Council, our bylaws now expand our definition of who is a member (to include families who send their children to camp and may not have affiliation with a United Church). We also now recruit the Board through open nomination process (rather than requesting each congregation to send a rep). This change is significant to our relationship with congregations, and is why the building of a team of ‘local champions’ remains so important for maintaining healthy relationships with our founding congregations.
As Chair, with the significance of the changes of this past year, I feel it important to visit congregations. So far, I have been able to attend as a guest at Board meetings of United Churches in Red Deer (Gaetz Memorial), Innisfail, Didsbury, Lacombe, Bowden, and Rimbey. These have been helpful to my learning and appreciating the people with years of passion for Kasota East Camp.
As well, I was able to attend the Alberta Camping Association (ACA) Annual Conference in March 2019, as well as an ACA Regional Event in November 2019. These are important opportunities to connect with the wider camp community in Alberta. In November, we also attended a Sylvan Lake Intermunicipal Development Plan Open House, which helps us to stay aware of the impacts of future development plans around our property.
There are United Church camps throughout Canada, and a new initiativie, Outdoor Ministries Institute (OMI), is working to provide a connection network for United Church of Canada Camps, Education and Retreat Centre's: https://www.wearecamp.ca/ OMI hosts monthly online gatherings and I have been able to participate in a few of these. I find them a valuable opportunity for connecting with camp colleagues (board and staff) from across Canada.
As now Chair of the Board, I have sought to carefully understand all of our legal landscape, and have come to learn that co-ownership of the land (undivided ½ interest with Calgary Kasota Camp Society) is part of this. As part of my own ‘orientation’ to my role as Board Chair, I have requested opportunity to meet with the Chair of our land co-owner (the Board of Calgary Kasota Camp Society). To date, multiple requests have not yet received a response. For reasons of both risk and opportunity management, I feel it important that we have more open communication and some level of working relationship with them, and will continue to pursue this in the coming year.
Within Chinook Winds Region, there are now other camps (KEC, West Kasota Camp, Bar Harbour, Hardisty Lake, Canyon Church Camp, and Camp Caravan). In June 2019, at the inaugural gathering of our new Chinook Winds Regional Council, a camp colleague requested that ‘camps’ connect as perhaps a ‘cluster’, to explore ways we can better support each other in our shared mission. I have written the Region, requesting further leadership and support to this. As we steward Kasota East Camp, opportunity for broader conversations about Red Deer Presbytery Camps Society (operating as Kasota East Camp) Annual Report 2018 – 2019 5
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MISSION & MINISTRY REGION CAMPS (CONT’D)
our camps and their role with our United Church mission within the Region are important. I recently received a copy of the 1950 “Kasota Kassette” from a camp ‘alumni’. Here is a quote from it:
“1950 summer has witnessed a successful camp season. Alberta Conference and our neighbouring friends are becoming “Kasota Camp” conscious, and we hope to experience great progress in the way of increasing Christian service from the fine fellowship generated on this site. We invite your hearty cooperation” (Rev. J.W. Bainbridge, 1950 Kasotta Kassette)
I look forward to opportunity of connecting with all of the camps in Chinook Winds Region in the future. I also serve on the Community of Faith Strategy Working Group of the Chinook Winds Region, which has been a valuable opportunity for KEC to support some of the work of the Region.
We also saw the closure of Blackfalds United Church this past year. What a difficult decision to close a Church. Kasota East Camp was recipient of a significant donation and we hope that KEC will continue to reach into the community of Blackfalds and continue to have youth from Blackfalds attending KEC. We will carefully discern the most impactful way to have this donation support KEC’s mission into the future. We have many needs as a property and with the excellence of programs we strive to deliver for our members and campers.
Since 1925, people have gathered on the land that is now Kasota East Camp. 94 years ago our ancestors in Faith from Central Alberta expected people to gather at camp. For 94 years we have carried forward the legacy of that land and that expectation. 94 years of leaders, supporters, and community desiring and expecting CAMP.
We are so thankful for all the many ways our members and congregations support KEC; so that United Church Camp continues, on our beautiful shores of Sylvan Lake and with the amazing facilities that have been developed through the leadership of the Board and engagement of our members. Thank you, deeply, for believing in Kasota East Camp and contributing to our shared future and mission.
Respectfully submitted by Shari Hanson Chair, Red Deer Presbytery Camps Society
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FINANCE & ASSETS FINANCE REPORT
Respectfully Submitted: John Den Hoed
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FINANCE & ASSETS FINANCE REPORT (CONT’D)
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FINANCE & ASSETS FINANCE REPORT (CONT’D)
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FINANCE & ASSETS FINANCE REPORT (CONT’D)
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FINANCE & ASSETS FINANCE REPORT (CONT’D)
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FINANCE COUNCIL PROPERTY RESOURCE TEAM
Respectfully Submitted: Sue Brodrick, Chairperson
For your Chinook Winds Region Property Working Group, 2019-2020 was a start-up year. We have been grateful for the experienced leadership of Sue Brodrick as Chairperson from the outset. We have still needed to build working processes and relationships under new Chinook Winds Region governance. Development of streamlined approaches to policy approval and communication has taken time, and we have been pleased to work collaboratively with the Executive Minister throughout. Property approval processes are largely consistent with earlier United Church systems so we have been able to get up to speed without major difficulty in most areas. In addition to our thanks to chairperson Sue Brodrick, we offer our gratitude to experienced volunteers Joyce Cook, Mel Spence, and Barrie Clayton who are part of our Working Group. Mary Axworthy also joined us after a significant tenure in the planning department of the City of Calgary. Her expertise showed in many conversations as we considered project plans and congregational requests. It has also been enormously helpful to have the resources of both Executive Ministers since 2019, who bring connections, experience, and referral on property matters from efforts underway in Pacific Mountain Region. Key tasks in 2019-2020 have involved helping congregational leaders manage property transitions in Youngstown, Rolling Hills, Morrin, and at St. Matthew's Calgary. We have also offered guidance on asset disposition to the Blackfalds and Raymond United Churches. Your Property Working Group has also been involved with Northminster United in Calgary as they start looking at a Strategic Business plan, and we continue to work with Airdrie United Church toward major redevelopment of their location and ministry in partnership with the Rockyview Foundation and Abrio Health. Brief discussions also started in 2019-2020 with St. David’s United Church, Calgary, and Olds United Church regarding their business and facility plans. We have given various forms of property transaction approvals to Coronation United Church, Scarboro United Church (Calgary), Ogden United Church, Central United Church and Crossfield United Church, and the Property Working Group also approved a grant request from Knox United Church, Calgary to help with the capital cost of creating their Sanctuary Coffee House. An early challenge for your Working Group was navigating the technical rigours of Alberta Land Titles on the legal side of property registration in our province. Property transactions and changes to congregational Trustees involve a great deal of paperwork and certification, and our collective Working Group hats are off to former Presbytery Secretaries across the Region who had to deal with these processes year in and year out. After several months and some helpful conversations with Land Titles staff, we have a process that seems to work. Thank you to Barrie Clayton for taking a particular interest in this area, and the only comment our Working Group would make is to advise everyone to contact Chinook Winds Region for any property registration issue before calling for legal assistance. We can help guide the way through the complexities! We are looking forward to further planning, strategy and support work with all of our Communities of Faith across Chinook Winds Region in the next year.
Respectfully submitted in faith, Sue Brodrick, Chairperson
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EDUCATIONAL CENTERS CENTRE FOR CHRISTIAN STUDIES
Respectfully submitted: Michelle Owens
Hold fast to what is good, love one another with mutual affection (Romans 12:9-10) Paul’s words to the community in Rome speak boldly to our 2019-2020 school year at the Centre for Christian Studies. We adopted a new strategic plan; holding fast to our mission of educating for diaco- nal ministry, with an expansive vision of diakonia for everyone –diaconal education needs to be broad- ly accessible: not only people in formation to become diaconal ministers, but also to lay folks and working clergy for continuing education and spiritual development. Last fall our learning circles gathered in Winnipeg for the fall Integrating Year circle (our graduating class), and for themes centred on Spiritual Practices and Storytelling. Our online learning circle fo- cused on Power and Privilege started in January, and then as the pandemic hit in North America, we realized that the rest of the spring learning circles would need to be online as well. Our learning com- munity, staff and students together, showed immense adaptability shifting to an online format for the spring learning circle intensives. Through networks like the Prairie to Pine weekly clergy gatherings, we started to hear the pressing pastoral needs emerging during the pandemic, and in April offered a series of workshops including Zoom Tips, Crisis Pastoral Care, Pastoral Care Uses of the Spiral and Trauma Informed Pastoral Care. Each workshop gathered 75 – 100 participants, a testament to the importance of adaptive ap- proaches to pastoral care education, grounded in up to date practice, theory and theology. Unable to hold our annual banquet, we made a donation towards feeding our local Winnipeg commu- nity through 1 Just City, and held an online tea party instead – celebrating with over 70 guests! We commend the 2020 graduating class of Diaconal Ministries Diploma: Christina Crawford, Joe Kadi, Lorrie Lowes, Barb McGill, Kim McNaughton and Karen Orlandi. We also celebrated Alison Brooks- Stark’s completion of a certificate in Spiritual Care and Anne Manikel who is the 2020 Companion of the Centre. With restrictions continuing on travel and gatherings, we cancelled our summer Learning on Purpose course, instead offering a shorter orientation in late August to new students. Our fall circles, Integrat- ing Year, Ministry as Listening and Eco-Justice, will be again gathering online; and we are grateful for the generosity of donors, who supported our innovation into online learning before pandemic times. We are offering the Word and Example learning circle online this fall; which focusing on Anglican Dea- con formation. We are finding that online learning widens accessibility to learning circles, especially for folks who are interested in taking a week-long circle as a stand alone continuing education oppor- tunity.
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EDUCATIONAL CENTERS CENTRE FOR CHRISTIAN STUDIES
God continues to call us all to diaconal ministry – whether we are laity or clergy, ordained or diaconal. Our baptism into the body of Christ requires that we care for one another, deepening our faith, re- sponding pastorally to the needs around us and seeking justice. We are grateful for all of you who join us in the ministry of diaconal education: through participation in field placements, as learning facilita- tors and mentors, through donations and by serving on our council and committees. We are grateful for each discerning conversation that includes the question “Have you considered the possibility that you are being called to diaconal ministry?” We continue to hold fast to what is good, grateful for the mutual affection found in community, encour- aged by generations before us and sustained in our mission of educating leaders for justice, compas- sion and transformation.
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EDUCATIONAL CENTERS VANCOUVER SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY
Respectfully submitted: Richard Topping, Principal
Thoughtful, Engaged and Generous Christian Leaders In January of 2020, VST was acknowledged by In Trust Magazine (a leading periodical for theological schools across North America) as one of six -and the only Canadian - school, that has undergone sig- nificant transformative change. “Recognizing they could no longer maintain the status quo in this radi- cally changed environment, six theological schools took bold, drastic action.” VST is called to educate and form thoughtful, engaged and generous Christian leaders for the church and the world. Our graduates are thoughtful people, reflective about how to interact with the large is- sues of our time out of the deep resources of faith. We don’t rush to thin relevance, but linger with scripture, tradition, scholarship and conversation with Indigenous neighbours and people of other faith traditions. Our students are engaged, willing to get involved in the world, not just wait for the next one. Our theological ethos is designed to nurture practitioners who are making a difference for God and the gospel. We are convinced that the Risen Christ is always already involved in the world (we’re mission- al); we discern that movement and respond to grace wherever we find it – and it is surprising where it is found. Our graduates are generous, inclusive people, able to find friends with whom to collaborate for the love of God and the good of the world. We go deep with God in Christ and so wide with the world God loves. Faculty In the spring of 2020, The Rev. Janet Gear informed the Principal that she felt she had completed her work at the Vancouver School of Theology (See attached release). We have expressed our profound gratitude to Janet for 15 years of outstanding leadership and dedication to the school. The Rev. Dr. Steven Chambers is Acting Director of Field Education and Denominational Formation for UCC stu- dents. In addition, The Rev. Suzanne Sykes will assist in the work of UCC student formation by coor- dinating and leading United Church worship and retreats. VST also engaged The Rev. Dr. Brian Thorpe, The Rev. Dr. Hyuk Cho and the Rev. Dr. Carmen Lansdowne as sessional lecturers (2019- 2020) as well as multiple UCC clergy who function as site supervisors to our UCC students. We are very grateful for this support. Our relationship with Huron College at the University of Western Ontario is strong. United Church stu- dents in South Western Ontario can complete their M.Div. education at Huron and VST (online) for testamur. In 2020 we have our first graduate. At the end of this academic year, two of our faculty will retire. The Rev. Dr. Pat Dutcher-Walls, our Dean and Professor of Hebrew Bible, and The Rev. Dr. Bob Paul, Dean of St Andrew’s Hall and Professor of Mission. We are so grateful to Pat for her many years of successful, crucial and wise leadership as Dean at the school. We are grateful to Bob for his friendly demeanour and teaching. Ms. Treena Duncan and The Rev. Ingrid Brown are serving on the search committee for the next Dean of VST. A search committee at St Andrew’s Hall is currently at work with the goal of appointing a new Dean effective June 1, 2020. The Rev. Janet Gear won the McGeachy Senior Scholarship ($50,000.00). It supported Janet’s sab- batical work at Cambridge (2019-2020) - the goal of which is to ‘provide the United Church of Canada with discernment and direction that will inspire toward creative and faithful mission.’ Principal Richard Topping attended the Harvard Seminar for Presidential Leadership on the strength of the transfor- mation
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and rejuvenation of VST around mission and growth in November of 2019. We have just completed the manuscript for a book entitled Theological Ten Percent in which all the members of the faculty have contributed an essay that prepares students for theological study in their discipline. It will be published in 2021 as part of the 50th anniversary of VST and is edited by Prof. Ashley Moyse of Ox- ford University with the assistance of Prof. Harry Maier and Prof. Richard Topping. Our faculty continues to be prolific in research and publication. Spirit of Reconciliation, coedited by The Rev. Dr. Ray Aldred and Rabbi Dr. Laura Duhan Kaplan, was a joint project with the Canadian Race Relations Foundation and Vancouver School of Theology. Profs Harry Maier and Laura Duhan- Kaplan are editors of a series around issues of common concern for various religious traditions. The first volume, Encountering the Other: Christian and Multi-faith Perspectives has just been released. Prof. Jason Byassee published, Surprised by Jesus Again: Reading the Bible with the Communion of Saints in 2019 and coedits the series Pastoring for Life with Will Willimon beginning in 2020. His book on the Trinity is being translated into Indonesian by BPK Gunung Mulia, Jakarta in 2020. In the fall of 2020, at least 5 new books for publication in 2020 are in the works by various members of the faculty. In the fall of 2020, Rabbi Dr. Laura Duhan-Kaplan will be on sabbatical. VST Board Mr. Michael Francis is the insightful and cheerful chair of the board at VST. We are so blessed by his work. This year Mr. Jim Simpson, Vice-Chair, finished his terms of service on the VST board and his leadership of the Audit and Finance Committee. We are very grateful for his dedication to fiscal over- sight and good management at the school. The board meets four times a year, and has representa- tives from the Anglican, United and Presbyterian Churches, as well as the community at large. We follow a policy governance model at VST. Mr. Iain Black, President and CEO of Maximizer CRM, is our Chancellor. United Church members of the VST Board include The Rev. Michelle Slater and Ms. Cheryl Jourdain. We will be searching for another United Church member of the board for the next year. Partnerships VST thrives because of its partnerships. We are a theological school preparing students for Christian leadership in the Anglican, United and Presbyterian Churches and the world. In addition to these core partnerships we work with the Sauder School of Business at University of British Columbia, Huron Col- lege at University of Western Ontario, St Mark’s College at UBC, and Durham University, UK, to deliv- er our degree programs from the BA to Ph.D. levels. Grants/Finances/Foundation Vancouver School of Theology has achieved a balanced budget for the fifth year in a row with growth in programs and while building a reserve for capital purchases and maintenance. This has been pos- sible through the prudent financial management of our Vice-Principal and CFO, Ms. Shari Coltart, the excellent leadership of our Finance and Maintenance Committee, the Foundation Board, successful development work, and an increase in enrollment. The Foundation Board is chaired by the Venerable Ronald Harrison. Profs. Ken Carty and Prof. Joy Begley are United Church members of the Founda- tion Board.
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VST has completed the expenditure of the $400,000.00 Luce Grant for Indigenous ministry through the Teaching House That Moves. In the last year of the program eight communities with 151 partici- pants were engaged in indigenous communities in Canada and the US. A grant from the United Church of Canada for $225,000.00 will enable this work to continue in the Northwest communities within the Province of British Columbia. This ministry will take theological education to indigenous communities in Northern BC using indigenous methods and instructors; and is one way that we are following up on the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. This work is over- seen by The Rev. Dr. Ray Aldred, Director of Indigenous Studies, in consultation with his advisory board, which includes United Church representative Mr. Ray Jones. In addition, significant gifts were received at VST to support ongoing and new programs. Our Sauder School of Business program, where students learn the essentials of administrative and managerial excellence, will be completely endowed through a major donation we will receive over the next 4 years. We have received donations of almost $40,000.00 to support the program in the meanwhile. We have also received significant gifts for student recruitment in Asia ($30,000.00). VST recently won a grant from the Murdock Trust of $270,000.00 for a project in congregational revitalization through community engagement. We have an active and successful Director of Advancement in Mr. Tom Berekoff. VST will engage in fund-raising around the 50th anniversary of our school to refurbish Epiphany chap- el. We are pushing the capacity of our current building and so need a larger classroom spaces. We are so very grateful to our generous donors. Not all the school’s strategic initiatives are fully funded, and we welcome support. Academic Enrollment The fall headcount for 2019 was 165 and remained the same for the spring. The number of course registrations in the fall of 2019 was 370, an increase of 30% over 2018. The number of course regis- trations in the spring of 2020 was 396, an increase of 23% over spring 2019 (and an increase of 45% over spring 2018). The number of full-time students in the fall of 2019 was 88 and it stayed the same in the spring of 2020. 15 students is our average class size, 25% of our students are distance-online students, and $234K was the amount the school awarded in bursaries and scholarships. The United Church of Canada has the largest cohort at 45 students, Anglicans the second at 40 stu- dents, and Presbyterians third at 36. We have a significant number of United Church of Christ stu- dents (9) and a growing number of students from other Christian churches (27). For the fall of 2019, we had the largest number of applications, acceptances and incoming class members in 25 years. 49 students began their programs, including our first doctoral student in the Durham Ph.D. program and several in the BA through St Mark’s College. The last year of this undergraduate program is done en- tirely at VST. Our Explorers Weekend, under the direction of The Rev Julie Lees, continues to build our domestic applications. VST Sunday saw members of the VST community preaching, leading and speaking at almost 50 churches across the country. We are grateful to our partner churches who wel- comed this effort.
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Special Lectures Vancouver School of Theology has welcomed a series of world-class lecturers and church leaders to special lecture series at our school in the service of our mission. In the fall of 2019, we welcomed Prof. Norman Wirzba of Duke Divinity School, who lectured on Eating: More than Just A Matter of Life and Death. In February, Prof. Candida Moss, of University of Birmingham, presented on Resurrecting Perfection: Beauty, Bodies and the Afterlife. Prof. Tony Campolo visited our campus in March in con- junction with Citizens for Public Justice to give a presentation on the subject, Why Christians Should Be Involved in Social Justice. Our Visiting Distinguished Scholar for the summer of 2020 will be Prof. Katherine Sonderegger, of Virginia Theological Seminary, who will teach on The Church’s Christology and Difficult Biblical Texts. Our summer school 2020 runs from July 6-17 and will be entirely online. It includes courses like: How Doctrine Matters to Life with Cynthia Rigby; the Gospel according to Mu- sical Theatre with The Rev. Peter Elliott and The Rev. Nathan LeRud and Process Theology and Hu- man Existence: Following Christ into an Open Future with Donna Bowman. The full program can be found here: https://vst.edu/vst-summer-school/ Convocation 2020 Convocation been deferred until September 17, 2020 when we confer degrees and certificates on 30 graduates at St Mary’s Anglican Church in Vancouver. Nine students will receive the certificate in Leadership excellence from the Sauder School of Business. We will also present the Principal’s Thoughtful, Engaged and Generous Leader Award to Archdeacon Clara Plamondon, who exemplifies the leadership we aspire to encourage. This award is made to clergy in the first ten years of ministry. We will award three honourary doctorates – to Prof. Santa Ono, President of UBC; Rabbi Marcia Prag- er, Director and Dean of Aleph Ordination Programs and; The Rev Doug Goodwin, former General Secretary of BC Conference and Regional Executive Minister for the United Church. Our convocation speaker will be determined very shortly. Vancouver School of Theology is grateful for our partnership with the United Church of Canada through the Pacific Mountain Region. We pray that you will be led by God’s good, cheerful and Holy Spirit at your regional meeting. Richard Topping, Principal
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