Religions in Canada
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Religions in Canada In accordance with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Canadian Human Rights Act, the policy of the Canadian Forces is to accommodate the fundamental religious requirements of its members. The purpose of this reference document is to provide general information and awareness about the various religious and spiritual practices in Canada. It contains a description of major religious and spiritual requirements and tenets, including celebrations and observances, as well as dress, dietary, medical and health requirements. Although this is not the definitive guide to all religions in Canada, it should assist Commanding Officers and supervisors to understand and respond to requests for accommodation. R ELIGIONS IN C ANADA i Published by the Directorate of Military Gender Integration and Employment Equity (DMGIEE) For copies of this publication, please phone (613) 996-2468 or fax: (613) 992-1049 This document is available on the Defence Information Network at http://din.dwan.dnd.ca Catalogue No.: D2-147/2003 ISBN : 0-662-67193-7 March 2003 Ottawa, Canada Art Direction by DGPA Creative Services: CS02-0547 Table of Contents Anglican Church of Canada . 1 Bahá’í Faith . 4 Baptist Church . 7 Brethren in Christ Church . 9 Buddhism . 11 Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) . 15 Christian and Missionary Alliance . 17 Christian Reformed Church . 20 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . 23 Church of the Nazarene . 26 Doukhobors . 28 Eastern Orthodox Churches . 30 Evangelical Free Church . 35 Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada . 37 Free Methodist Church . 41 Hinduism . 43 Hutterian Brotherhood . 47 Islam . 50 Jehovah’s Witnesses . 55 Judaism . 57 Lutheran Church . 64 Mennonite Church . 67 Native Spirituality . 70 Pentecostal Assemblies . 75 Presbyterian Church in Canada . 78 Rastafarianism . 81 Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) . 83 Roman Catholic Church . 86 Salvation Army . 90 Seventh-day Adventist Church . 92 Sikhism . 95 Ukrainian Catholic Church . 101 Unitarian Universalist Church . 104 United Church of Canada . 107 Wesleyan Church . 110 Wicca . 113 Worldwide Church of God . 117 Zoroastrianism . 119 Glossary . 123 Further Information and Contacts . 133 R ELIGIONS IN C ANADA iii Anglican Church ofof CanadaCanada DESCRIPTION The Anglican Church is a community of Christians with more than 70 million members around the world. In Canada, its proper title is the Anglican Church of Canada. Its counterparts in other countries are the Church of England and the Episcopal Church. The Archbishop of Canterbury, in England, is the primate, or head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, with no governing authority but regarded as the spiritual head. The Anglican tradition dates to the first or second century CE. It did not emerge as a distinct denomination until the 16th century, when reform was taking place in the Church. Anglican reformers chose a middle ground between the Roman Catholicism of the time and the various forms of Protestantism that had developed in Europe during the Reformation. The spread of Anglicanism parallels the expansion of British imperial power to North America, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. Extension of the Church continued when missionaries of the Church of England moved beyond the colonies to other countries and regions in Asia, Africa and South America to establish churches and continue to spread the religion. At the head of the Anglican Church of Canada is the primate, with four Ecclesiastical provinces comprising 29 regional groupings, called dioceses. At the head of each diocese is an elected diocesan bishop, who presides over a Synod of clergy and elected lay members from each congregation. The dioceses are further grouped under metropolitan provinces, led by archbishops. The primate presides over the Anglican General Synod, which assembles every three years, but neither the primate nor the General.