A section of the Anglican Journal SUMMER 2021 IN THIS ISSUE St. Michael’s Community Garden PAGES 6 – 7 Pulpit to Easter Sunday Paintbrush COVID Year II at Christ Church Cathedral PAGES 12 – 13 PAGES 8 – 10 121st Synod of the Diocese of New Westminster Report RANDY MURRAY Communications Officer & Topic Editor In the concluding paragraph of his sermon preached dur- ing the first 20 minutes of Synod at approximately 9am on May 15, 2021, Bishop John Stephens shared these words: “As we continue to live in a pandemic and a world racked with racism… how do we respond and live out Jesus’ words to us today in the gospel reading: ‘for the least among all of you is the greatest?’ (Luke 9:48) Well these are difficult questions to answer quickly and simply but we do need to respond. To respond by seeing that God is calling us to new vision and new hope. To explore how faith and science might just need to seek reconciliation. To recognize that the Holy Spirit is inviting us into a future of new possibilities. May we invite that same Spirit to lead and guide us.” In the previous paragraphs of the homily, Bishop John charted a path through his own faith journey as a biology student and a seminarian, and he illustrated the impor- tance of the key components of the decisions that would be made that day contained in the first three Resolutions LEFT Ten minutes before Synod begins. In the foreground we see Anthony of Proshow Audio Visual who was responsible for the Zoom cast going before Synod in the next few hours, with a specific and liaising with staffer, Lauren Pinkney. RIGHT Bishop John preaching. ALL PHOTOS Randy Murray focus on the response to the Climate Emergency and the response to Resolution 8 from the 119th Synod in 2019. The Synod on May 15 was in fact the second Synod to take place online with only the principals present on- site. The first was the Electoral Synod (the 120th Synod) that took place at Christ Church Cathedral, with voting facilitated by Data On the Spot (DOTS) using Canada’s Simply Voting software and streamed via YouTube and Face- book. As there was only one voting focus (the selection of the 10th Bishop of the diocese of New Westminster) that Synod did not include online meeting software. For the 121st Synod, the biennial meeting of the diocese, meeting software was a necessity, so the platform was the Zoom Webinar. As in October 2020, DOTS were the contractors that handled the voting and Synod staffer, Administrative LEFT A view from the east end of the Conference Room of Synod officers watching the Financial Presentation. RIGHT The Chancellor announces the “Quorum.” Assistant, Lauren Pinkney worked tirelessly ensuring that Synod Delegates were registered with DOTS and that DOTS had an accurate list of all ballots that would need to be created in order for all the voting to take place and “Wonderful are your works that I know very well.” the Synod outcomes met. Psalm 139:14b With Synod taking place 14 months into the pandemic at what (as of this writing in mid-May) is hoped to be the tapering off of the third wave of covid-19 most of the folks the Rt. Rev. John Stephens; Chancellor, George Cadman, from delegates who were having technical difficulties and in the diocese are pretty confident using Zoom. However, a QC, ODNW; Executive Archdeacon and Archdeacon of she was in constant contact with the DOTS technicians in multi-media, multi component meeting is still a daunting Vancouver, Synod Executive Producer (to borrow a role Toronto who were creating the ballots and tabulating the task and Synod organizers, staff and volunteers realized from the movie and TV industry), the Ven. Douglas Fen- votes in as close to real time as possible. that professional support from diocesan A/V contractors ton; Clerical Secretary of Synod, the Rev. Justin Chen; Lay In order to limit attendance in the Conference Room Proshow would guarantee the best production outcomes. Secretary of Synod, Clare Urquhart (many thanks to Clare to ten or fewer, the three sessional committee chairpersons, In order to “get on with it,” 'it' being the more im- who stepped into the role with two weeks notice following physically distanced, were located in the Trendell Lounge, portant Synod information for this report, I won’t get the news that the elected lay secretary was unable to par- the gathering space shared by the Synod Office and the Par- too “into the weeds” on the complexities of planning an ticipate); four A/V professionals from Proshow including ish of St. John’s, Shaughnessy located at the west end of the online meeting like the 121st Synod. Suffice to say, it was site lead Darel Simpson; and myself as Synod Producer. building. Chair of the Nominations Committee, Susanne extremely involved and those of us tasked with the plan- Lauren Pinkney was situated at her desk in the reception Stockdill, ODNW was present in the Trendell Lounge and ning and implementation learned a great deal about what area but in constant communication with the production remained there until the elections were completed. The other worked well and what we can do better and/or differently, team and the presenters through headsets and cell phone. two; Chair of the Resolutions Committee, Jennifer Dezell, which will inform future diocesan online meetings. Or Lauren’s role in Synod would take up an entire article, how- ODNW who is also the Legal Assessor of the diocese and more accurately, future meetings that may combine online ever, amongst her responsibilities was the identification of Vice-Chancellor, Kevin Smith, Returning Officer for the and onsite components in a hybrid presentation. those who would be appearing at Synod either as part of 121st Synod were in the Trendell Lounge for the duration. Present from 8:30am to 1:40pm in the Conference the agenda or by their own request in order to speak; get- The Vice-Chancellor received the completed voting data Room at 1410 Nanton Avenue were: Bishop and Chair, ting them in line as it were. Lauren also answered questions CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 For more diocesan news and events visit www.vancouver.anglican.ca 2 121st Synod of the Diocese of New Westminster Report CONTINUED FROM THE FRONT PAGE from DOTS and was tasked with communicating the of- Court of the Diocese Provincial Synod ficial voting results. As the attendance in the Conference Clergy Members of the Court of the Diocese Clergy Room was never more than nine, Vice-Chancellor Smith The Reverend Lindsay Hills The Reverend Andrew Halladay (E) was able to deliver reports from the lectern in the Confer- The Reverend David Price The Venerable Stephanie Shepard (E) ence Room. The Reverend Elizabeth Ruder Celiz Lay ELECTIONS Lay Members of the Court of the Diocese Irene Pang Here are the Election Results (those without an ‘E’ beside Phil Colvin (E) Jane Hope their names were elected by acclamation): Margaret Briscall (E) Rob Dickson Diocesan Treasurer Janet McIntosh (E) Youth Robert Hardy, ODNW The Bishop’s Advisory Committee on Appointments Levi Saunders Clerical Secretary of Synod Clergy Members As of this writing a few days following Synod there is not The Reverend Justin Cheng The Reverend Helen Dunn (E) yet a plan in place to secure Alternate Lay Delegates to Lay Secretary of Synod The Reverend Stephen Rowe (E) General Synod 2022. Belinda Kishimoto The Reverend Ruth Monette (E) FINANCIAL REPORTS Archdeaconry Representatives Lay Members At 10:45am the Report of the Audited Financial Statements to Diocesan Council (Clergy & Lay) Brenda Coburn (E) and the 2021 Budget, 2022 and 2023 Vision Budgets were Burrard Charlotte French (E) presented to Synod for reception and approval. Treasurer, Hope Sealy (E) Bob Hardy, ODNW requested that Members of Synod The Reverend Philip Cochrane (Clergy) access their copies of the Financial Statements and for the Teofilo Bosaing (Lay) Anglican Initiatives Fund next 30 minutes he highlighted important elements of Capilano Clerical Administrator those documents. Although there were a number of line The Reverend Patrick Blaney (Clergy) The Reverend Christine Rowe (E) items explained, the focus was primarily on the financial Rob Dickson (Lay – E) The Venerable Luisito Engnan (E) repercussions of the pandemic and diocesan aid to parishes. Fraser Lay Administrator On March 25, 2020, Diocesan Council passed a financial relief to parishes resolution, the basic details of the financial The Reverend Robin Ruder Celiz (Clergy) Jane Osler assistance package were the following: Len Reimer (Lay) Gerald Parrott • The waiver of assessment payments for five months, from Granville General Synod April 1 to August 31, 2020, for all parishes. The Reverend Alex Wilson (Clergy – E) Clergy Willow Martin Seedhouse (Lay) • Diocesan payment of the salaries of all stipendiary clergy The Reverend Marnie Peterson (E) through the end of May 2020 with the exception of those Lougheed The Reverend Laurel Dahill (E) parishes in our diocese that have $750,000 or more in the The Reverend David Taylor (Clergy – E) The Venerable Luisito Engnan (E) Diocesan Consolidated Trust Fund or in other investment Ann Turner (Lay) The Reverend Philip Cochrane funds. Westminster (First Alternate Delegate – E) The Reverend Miranda Sutherland • The ability of parishes to draw up to 20% of their capital The Reverend James Duckett (Clergy) (Second Alternate Delegate – E) in the Diocesan Consolidated Trust Fund to use for parish Warren Ballard (Lay) The Reverend Robin Ruder Celiz operational expenses. Youth Representatives (Third Alternate Delegate – E) to Diocesan Council (two to be elected) And, as we are all very much aware, the pandemic continued Lay on into the third wave, so on March 17, 2021, Diocesan Zachary Groves Lauren Pinkney Council voted to approve a motion that parish assessments Vacant Jane Hope be waived from January 1, 2021 to March 31, 2021, and Dean & Archdeacons Representatives Danilla Severin that diocesan staff and leadership carefully monitor the to Diocesan Council (Elected by email poll) Youth financial health of parishes and revisit the need for aid in The Very Reverend Christopher A.