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September 2020 ‘Be Invitational in Our Desire to See Change’ in Turbulent Times, Church Leaders Call for Action Against Racism and Inequality

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September 2020 ‘Be Invitational in Our Desire to See Change’ in Turbulent Times, Church Leaders Call for Action Against Racism and Inequality ANGLICAN JOURNAL Since 1875 anglicanjournal.com @anglicanjournal vol. 146 no. 7 september 2020 ‘Be invitational in our desire to see change’ In turbulent times, church leaders call for action against racism and inequality Matt Gardner STAFF WRITER Early in June, Archbishop and Primate Linda Nicholls described the COVID-19 pandemic as a “changed circumstance”: the latest in a long series of changes throughout the history of the Anglican Church of Canada that have periodically compelled the church to examine its past assumptions and “ways of being and doing.” The primate’s statement was one of a series of open letters released by church leaders in recent months, which collectively spoke to a great deal of changed circumstances. In these letters, PHOTO: ARCHDEACON TIM SMART/DIOCESE OF MONTREAL Anglican leaders spoke out against The Rev. Deacon Tyson Røsberg (right) is ordained a priest on July 25 by Mary Irwin-Gibson (left), bishop anti-Black racism; re-affirmed their of Montreal, with assistance from her husband, Mark Gibson (centre). In-person worship services in the 5 As protests commitment to reconciliation between diocese were set to resume as early as September, though ordinations continued under strict rules. against anti- Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples; Black racism opposed the Israeli government’s plans to swept the world, annex Palestinian territories; and called the church began on the Government of Canada to institute Churches prepare to re-open considering guaranteed basic income (GBI) for all. ways to integrate Reflecting on these statements, anti-racism into Archbishop Nicholls sees a direct link —but not everywhere its work and between the COVID-19 pandemic and ministry. increased attention to issues of social justice. Many parishes hoping to continue online services even PHOTO: JULIAN WAN/ UNSPLASH “When something like the George Floyd as in-person worship resumes, bishops say See CHURCH, p. 9 Tali Folkins “In Algoma … I thought that every This is a STAFF WRITER parish would want to resume in-person Activists highlight Canada’s role continually As Anglican churches across Canada worship as early as possible. This is on 75th anniversary of atomic “ returned or planned to return to in-person not the case at all,” said Archbishop evolving Anne Germond, metropolitan of the situation, and worship this spring and summer, some bombings senior church leaders were reporting a ecclesiastical province of Ontario and Matt Gardner we are all considerable level of desire on the part of bishop of Algoma. “One of our larger STAFF WRITER praying to get parishes to continue online services. parishes has indicated that they are not it right. In late July, as this article was being comfortable returning to in-person Nuclear disarmament advocates, including written, several diocese of Montreal worship in September and will be a prominent Anglican voice, held an online Mary Irwin-Gibson, continuing with online worship only, and event Aug. 6 to commemorate 75 years bishop of Montreal churches were putting together plans to recommence in-person worship on Sept. one of our smaller parishes is hoping to be since the atomic bombings of Japan in 6—but most of these wanted worship to ready by Thanksgiving.” Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and to recognize continue over the internet, Bishop Mary In the diocese of New Westminster, Canada’s role in the development and Irwin-Gibson said. which covers the Vancouver area, 50 of proliferation of nuclear weapons. “I think that what is interesting is 66 parishes had been approved as of July The Hiroshima-Nagasaki Day Coalition, that they are almost all making plans 16 to re-open for in-person services. But which has hosted a commemoration each to maintain an online version—either “many, many” of these were continuing year in Toronto since 1975, held the event separately or at the same time as the in- to offer online worship as well, said online this year for the first time. The event person service is held,” she said. “I have Archbishop Melissa Skelton, metropolitan featured two keynote speakers, along with of the ecclesiastical province of British 5 “It is a music and documentary footage. also heard that some of the very small disgrace that we congregations will opt to continue online Columbia and Yukon and bishop of New Atomic bomb survivor Setsuko Westminster. At least one diocese in the are facing the Nakamura Thurlow gave the first keynote and not open for a while.” threat of nuclear Other bishops reported similar findings. See GEOGRAPHY, p. 8 speech. Thurlow is a long-time advocate for weapons 75 nuclear disarmament, having inaugurated years later,” says Toronto’s annual commemoration of the Anglican activist PM# 40069670 bombings. In 2017 she jointly received the Phyllis Creighton. Nobel Peace Prize with Beatrice Finn on PHOTO: MICHAEL behalf of the International Campaign to 3 BARKER Remembering Abolish Nuclear Weapons. Margaret In an appeal to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Thurlow called on the prime Waterchief minister to “acknowledge Canada’s critical See CREIGHTON, p. 10 2 anglican journal • september 2020 COUNCIL OF GENERAL Reduced costs help church during COVID crisis SYNOD4 Tali Folkins In her address to the meeting, STAFF WRITER Archbishop Linda Nicholls, primate of Reduced costs for travel, meetings and the Anglican Church of Canada, focused Anglican Journal distribution, along with on the changes that have taken place in the church in the wake of the COVID-19 continuing support from the dioceses, have pandemic. Anglicans’ affection for allowed the Anglican Church of Canada to buildings, she said, has been tempered by avoid cutting work hours of its staff despite the realization that they are the church challenging times, the Council of General wherever they are. Synod (CoGS) heard as it met online for “One of the things that COVID-19 the first time June 13. has done is that it has broken open some After the economic effects of the of the moments of resistance we’ve had COVID-19 pandemic spread across 5 The church’s substantial. Meanwhile, it has been saving to changing what we’ve always done. It’s Canada this spring, the national church savings from money in other ways, he added, including broken open new ways to be the church,” began planning for the possibility of the suspension reducing the Anglican Journal’s distribution she said. reducing, at least temporarily, the hours of travel and costs. This is a cost reduction in which The extreme unpredictability brought worked by its employees, Archdeacon in-person dioceses will share, he said, since they also about by the pandemic has meant a Michael Thompson, then-general secretary meetings have share the costs of distributing the Journal radical re-thinking of the church’s of General Synod, told CoGS. been substantial, together with their own newspapers. strategic planning process, members of the But for a number of reasons, these cuts the Council of Crucially, a number of dioceses have working group tasked with developing a have so far been unnecessary, Thompson General Synod also made what is likely a “sacrificial new plan for the church told CoGS. The said. One of these is the church’s decision (CoGS) heard. commitment” to offer, as fully as possible, group has decided to shift away from the this spring to suspend all travel and most, if their originally pledged proportional gifts PHOTO: RANDY methodology that guided its work until not all, face-to-face meetings for the rest of BLACKWELL/ to the national church in 2020. this spring in favour of a more open-ended 2020. (CoGS itself normally has two twice- SHUTTERSTOCK “This, along with the savings noted approach, said its chair, Judith Moses. yearly, in-person meetings—once in the above, helps us be confident that we will This could mean, Moses said, that it fall and once in the spring—each lasting likely be able to move to the end of 2020 may not have a finished strategic plan three days or more. But organizers decided without significant financial impairment,” to present to General Synod by the time to have several shorter, online meetings Thompson said. But the church’s financial it next meets in summer 2022, as was instead of the regular November meeting. outlook for next year is more concerning, originally intended. For more on changes June’s meeting was the first of these.) he added, since it seems likely that the in the church’s strategic planning process, The savings from the church’s amounts the dioceses will be able to see the summer issue of Epiphanies, suspension of travel and in-person forward to the national church will be available at anglicanjournal.com. g meetings, Thompson said, will be “substantially reduced.” —with files from Joelle Kidd Ensure that the church will be there Celebrate Christmas with PWRDF for your children and grandchildren by making a gift in your Will. Visit: anglicanfoundation.org Under: DONATE – A Gift in your Will Download: Create Your Legacy handbook Spread some NEW NATIONAL BOOKSTORE For all Anglican Church of Canada publications, including the Christmas Canadian Church Calendar, desk diary, pocket diary, cheer and the BAS, BCP and other resources, anglican.gilmore.ca is good news our new sole distributor. of PWRDF at the same time! 1-800-795-6661 Choose from two designs, The Journey and ask for the to the King andThe World Awaits. Anglican Church of For details on how to order, Coming Canada store visit pwrdf.org/ChristmasCards2020 call 416-822-9083 Soon or toll-free 1-866-308-7973. 80 Hayden St., Toronto, ON M4Y 3G2 416-924-9192 1-866-308-7973 [email protected] pwrdf.org @pwrdfcan @pwrdf @pwrdf_justgeneration anglican.gilmore.ca anglican journal • september 2020 3 OBITUARY4 Remembering Margaret Waterchief ‘I saw in her the beauty of our people’ Matt Gardner Anglican priest at the age of 62.
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