Category Archives: Articles

Living Hope: A Day of Encouragement and Renewal

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Videos on this page:

Rev. Dr. Dale Woods: “Six Stages of Faith” – experiences of faith throughout life.
Kristy Short of Alpha Canada: “Engaging evangelism in a COVID World”.
Rev. Dr. Christine O’Reilly: “Salt and Light” – church court strategies post-Remits.
Rev. Doug Cameron and Rev. Cathi Cameron: “Grieving to live” – engaging loss to regain vitality.
Rev. Dr. Esther Acolatse: “Recovering the joy – rekindling the hope”.
Shane Davis and Jon Dykeman: “Youth/young adult ministry – how to engage and encourage.”
Cory McKenna of The Cross Current: “How do we walk as followers of Christ in an increasingly secular world?”

Living HopeOn November 13, 2021, approximately 100 people participated in our day of encouragement and renewal. This in itself was encouraging! It was a day of worship, prayer, teaching, and discussion organized in partnership with Vaughan Community Church (VCC), an Eastern Han-Ca congregation.

Main Session Video

Introduction by Rev. Andy Cornell – begins 38 seconds in
Worship led by Ken Michell – begins 9:42 minutes in
Greetings from Rev. Dr. Dan Scott, Moderator of the PCC – begins 34:24 minutes in
Keynote speaker, Rev. Dr. Dale Woods, Presbyter of Vision and Mission for the Presbytery of Westminster and former principal of Presbyterian College Montreal. His presentation, “Six Stages of Faith,” was an exploration of personal levels or experiences of faith throughout life, augmented by video clips, music, and small-group discussion. The following video begins with Dr. Woods’ address, 42:37 minutes in.
Six breakout workshops – The six videos are presented on their own following the Main Session Video below.

Workshops

We were similarly blessed with six gifted workshop leaders.
Kristy Short of Alpha Canada: “Engaging evangelism in a COVID World, which has been turned upside down.”


Rev. Dr. Christine O’Reilly: “Salt and Light – church court strategies post-Remits “B” and “C” – pragmatic ways to uphold the Scriptures and the Book of Forms.”


Rev. Doug Cameron and Rev. Cathi Cameron: “Grieving to live – many of us need to engage the loss in order to regain vitality to minister.”


Rev. Dr. Esther Acolatse, Professor of Pastoral Theology and Intercultural Studies, Knox College, Toronto, Ontario: “Recovering the joy – many of us are feeling beaten down, so how do we rekindle the hope?”


Youth pastors Shane Davis from Lakeshore St. Andrew’s, Windsor, Ontario, and Jon Dykeman from St. Andrew’s, Moncton, New Brunswick – “Youth/young adult ministry – how to engage and encourage.”


Cory McKenna of The Cross Current: “Whither our culture – how do we walk as followers of Christ in an increasingly secular world?”

Joo Hyun Chung, of Vaughan Community Church, and Rev. Jin-sook Khang, Associate Pastor at VCC, were busy behind the scenes
Joo Hyun Chung, of Vaughan Community Church, and Rev. Jin-sook Khang, Associate Pastor at VCC, were busy behind the scenes.
Rev. John Park, a member of the RF board, was our tech host.
Rev. John Park, a member of the RF board, was our tech host

Here’s some participant feedback:

“The conference was excellent. I enjoyed it all and was blessed.”

“The presentations were excellent, needed and on target.”

“Opening worship a good start to the day. Dale: really inspired by this and look forward to reviewing his slides. Was assigned to Christine O’Reilly’s workshop and found her insights very helpful.”

“Thanks so much to you, the organizing team, and Vaughan Community Church for a wonderful day of encouragement yesterday. It was good to gather together with other PCC folk on the more traditional side of the denomination, to know that we are not alone in the struggle within our denomination.”

“The enthusiasm of Kristy Short was contagious!

“Whither our Culture workshop was a very good presentation in that it helped open our eyes to the challenges of sharing the gospel in our culture today.”

“It was wonderful. The entire event was excellent in every way. I feel encouraged and strengthened. Thank you!”

“This was a great day. Yes do this again.”

“All portions of the opening worship were inspiring. It was good to have the moderator deliver remarks and the laying of hands and prayer for him were most appropriate.”

“Really liked the leader for the worship – excellent song choices – really felt drawn into meaningful worship – thank you so much! Should we do something like this again? Definitely – the coast to coast attendance is very good.”

Seeking Grace Under Fire

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“From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence, and violent people have been raiding it.”  Matthew 11:12

As I sat to write this, we were exactly halfway through the federal election campaign and the ‘V’ word had captured media attention. No, not ‘V’ for vote, but ‘V’ for violence – a party leader cancelled an event due to concerns for safety. The violence was a more vociferous threat than virulent action. [Afghanistan is the current locus of virulent action]. As many voices raised concern about the threat, I found myself somewhat underwhelmed by the alarm being expressed.

Don’t misunderstand me. Descent into mob rule, intimidation and lawlessness is totally unacceptable in a democratic society. Concern should be voiced. What was perplexing was the lack of substance or context supporting the concern. Especially the seeming unawareness that violence is humanity’s reflexive response when life doesn’t unfold as one wishes.

Violence is our automatic action to retake control, to become the one exercising power. [‘V’ for Vendetta?!]

Even as I was reflecting on those voices of alarm, I began to shift to the current milieu in which the RF exists within the PCC. The Board is wrestling with future direction and actions. We are considering various ways to be the ‘salt and light’ that is integral to faithfulness in the kingdom of heaven.

In our present denominational situation, I sometimes find myself relating very strongly to Matthew 11:12 and feeling both violated and wanting to respond in kind [see default above]. Then I remember, “That the kingdom of God is … righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17)

Doubtless God’s kingdom among us has been violently assailed. Power has been abused. Laws have been broken or ignored. Intimidation has happened. Suffering has resulted.

John was beheaded. Jesus crucified. Paul imprisoned. Every violent assault was met by a succession of servants who undauntedly responded with truth and grace and God’s kingdom grew in vitality and wholeness. Pray that the Board may guide the Fellowship in similar directions.

Reflections of a Random Nobody

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I am neither a minister nor an elder. I don’t have a Ph.D or the title of YAR. I am a Canadian who came to accept Christ as an adult; I became a Presbyterian intentionally. God literally led me to the Presbyterian Church, of which I am still a member. I was not researching Presbyterian churches. Holding many orthodox views, small “o”, I land solidly on the Traditionalist “side” of the “debate” that has rocked The Presbyterian Church in Canada to its foundations.

Two of many repeated themes of the PCC’s General Assembly 2021 were:

1) Revisionists want Traditionalists in the PCC; they want the diversity and debate.
2) The Traditionalists feel like they are actively being ignored and so ultimately silenced.

How can these two sentiments both be true? At the end of the final sederunt of the GA 2021, two students of different theological colleges spoke of their experience at GA 2021 and their experiences related to their theological positions in general. They might as well have been describing parallel universes. The disparate lived experiences of these two students not only summarize GA 2021 so succinctly but also bring to mind the PCC’s newly changed definition of marriage for the church, formerly known as Remit ‘B’: “The Presbyterian Church in Canada holds two parallel definitions of marriage and recognizes that faithful, Holy Spirit filled, Christ centred, God honouring people can understand marriage as a covenant relationship between a man and a woman or as a covenant relationship between two adult persons.”

How can these parallel definitions be true at the same time? Note the word “parallel.” The creators of this definition were well aware that these two positions do not intersect. However, in concentrating exclusively on the new definition itself we lose sight of the absolutely brutal conditions under which the remits were created. These Remits were crafted during GA 2019, “after hours” so to speak — a desperate response to keep the PCC from schism. The Traditionalists felt forced out of their denomination. The historical position of the church had just been voted directly into the opposite posture. If people feel they are being forced out, their actions will be desperate and the responses to such actions will be equally reactive. Read: exit logic and grace.

A shattering of the PCC as we know it is what the “Breakfast club/Remit creators” were trying to avoid as that reality was already in process. Let’s give credit where credit is due — they succeeded in stopping The End in 2019. Yes, I hear you, there is the underlying recent history of GA 2017 (and the decades that led up to it) that culminated in GA 2019 and the events of that same year. All of that led to where we all are today; emotions have been raw for a long time . . .

Yet there are those in the PCC who hold Revisionist theological views who really do want the Traditionalists to remain part of the PCC. I know because the minister of the church of which I am still a member is one such person. As a result of my (never ending) questions and the issues with which the PCC was grappling in 2017 we found out that our theological positions largely do not overlap. This same minister taught me the terms Revisionist and Traditionalist (and the actual meaning of Traditional and Contemporary in regards to Worship). After discovering that our personal theological positions differ, she did not make me feel as though she was merely tolerating my presence in “her” church. At an individual level there are people, Revisionists, who accept Traditionalists in the PCC. However . . . at the national level I am not sure the sentiment rises to an even begrudging tolerance.

At the national level in the PCC that this random Presbyterian nobody has been able to witness through watching the GAs online (GA 2017, GA 2019, GA 2021) the overriding feeling of being actively ignored and silenced is what dominates. These feelings are why it is so critical to have all of the sederunts of the GAs openly available, unedited, on the PCC’s YouTube channel or on the official PCC website. If such conclusions have been formulated — as a result of “bad optics,” an inaccurate understanding of a speaker’s intent, or just unrelated actions that have followed one another in a sequence that unfortunately seem to create an unintended “narrative” of  “would you just SIT DOWN and SHUT UP” isn’t what is actually meant — then history can be reviewed as dispassionately as possible through the objective lens of an unedited camera that has been running for the last eight hours.

There is no “emergency after hours breakfast club” team meeting post GA 2021.

The idea that the Holy Spirit will convert all of the Traditionalists to the Revisionist perspective in the coming year is not realistic. Did the Holy Spirit convert the Revisionists to the Traditionalist perspective in all the years that have led up to this moment?

Saying the words “Gracious Dismissal” seems like defeat to many. I completely understand that. Back in 2019, Option ‘C’ (three separate theological “streams” or bodies within the PCC) was not something that sounded appealing to me either. But I will state the unstated obvious point: the PCC already is now operating under different theological “streams.” Holding “two parallel definitions” for one definition means that The Presbyterian Church in Canada is now, in practice, a church that has different theological streams. Sure, that hasn’t been formally acknowledged but it is the practical reality as the Remits have been passed. Option ‘B’ was not enacted. None of the proposed official options were put into effect. We are now a church body operating in practice with, at least, two different theological positions.

The remits were the unstoppable tidal wave that forced the PCC to look squarely at what its beliefs actually are and declare it publicly. As a result, many other beliefs that Traditionalists thought were “basic Christianity” were revealed to be entirely rejected by large numbers in the church . . . and the Traditionalists were like, “Wait . . . when did you stop believing this?” . . .

The PCC has spoken at a national level. Doctrine has officially changed and practice will change as well. Does The Presbyterian Church in Canada want to put those who hold orthodox views on various issues into a position where their only option, if they want to stay in the PCC, is to lie when accepting their ordination vows? That they would have to lie to the PCC and before God when performing actions with which they are not in agreement in their heart and soul?

Do you want ministers to be blessing marriages with their tongues and secretly praying to God to forgive them for performing these same marriages? We are not the secular world- what people are professing before God matters!

Post GA 2021, the questions before the PCC are:

Do you want a church full of lip service? A place where people flatter each other with their lips but their hearts are far from each other?

Can we look each other in the eye and be honest and say, “Okay, we have theological views that largely do not overlap. But we are all still part of The Presbyterian Church in Canada. Let’s form the structures that support our fundamentally divergent beliefs and still work together in what we have in common”?

or

Seeing that those who hold traditional views in the PCC are the minority . . .

Does the PCC only want a silent “partner”?

Allison Chung is a member of a PCC congregation. She resides in the GTA.

Becoming ‘Tide People’

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Back in 2016, I spent three months on sabbatical in Edinburgh. One of the highpoints for us was the week we spent on the island of Lindisfarne, about an hour south by train from Edinburgh. What makes Lindisfarne unique is the fact that when the tide goes out, you can drive across to the island, but when it comes back in, it becomes an island again. Even to this day, you’ve got to be aware of the tides to get onto the island and to leave it again. People have been caught driving as the water comes in, and more than one person has lost their car and had to be rescued! Lindisfarne is a ruggedly beautiful and “thin place”, where heaven and earth are very close to one another.

Lindisfarne is also known as “the Holy Isle.” It’s called that because of the ministry of Aidan and his band of missionary monks. Aidan was living as a monk on Iona but was commissioned by Columba to go and found another monastic community on the island of Lindisfarne, after King Oswald, the reigning monarch in those parts, became a Christian and wanted the monks to evangelize his people. He wasn’t the first missionary to go there.

King Oswald asked missionaries to preach to his pagan people, but the first missionary to go soon came back complaining that the English were rude. stubborn and wild. “It seems to me,” St. Aidan said, “that you have been too harsh with those people.” He then explained that, as St. Paul says, easy teachings are given first. Then when the people have grown stronger on the Word of God, they can start to do the perfect things of God’s holy law. The monks turned to Aidan. “You should be the one to go to North England to preach the Gospel,” they said. Aidan went willingly.

Aidan arrived with 12 other monks and chose to settle on Lindisfarne. After learning the English language, they went out using Aidan’s only method as a missionary, which was to walk the lanes. talk to all the people he met, and interest them in the faith if he could. One story recalls King Oswald worrying that Bishop Aidan would walk around like a peasant. So he gave him a horse. But a few days later, Aidan gave it away to a beggar. He wanted to walk, to be on the same level as the people he met. He would go out to the mainland on active missionary preaching trips around Northumbria, and than retreat back to Lindisfarne for worship, prayer, and renewal.

The monastery he founded grew and helped found churches and other monasteries throughout the area. It also became a center of learning and a storehouse of scholarly knowledge. (Aidan’s lovely prayer that captures both dimensions of his life follows.)

St. Aidan’s Prayer

Leave me alone with you, God, as much as may be. As the tide draws the waters close in upon the shore, make me an island, set apart, alone with you, God, holy to you. Then with the turning of the tide, prepare me to carry your presence to the busy world beyond, the world that rushes in on me till the waters come again and fold me back to you. Amen.

Here’s the lesson in all this. Some of us are by temperament ISLAND people – contemplative, focused inward, treasuring solitude and spiritual depth and living in quietness. Others of us are by temperament busy MAINLAND people – activists, doers, focused outward. treasuring service and active, engaged ministry with people. As people doing ministry, we need both dimensions, of course. That was certainly the example Jesus set for us.

But the real wisdom is to become TIDE people – to live with the rhythm of the spiritual tides and foster BOTH dimensions, with sensitivity to the Holy Spirit as to which way God’s “tide” is moving, and then to act accordingly.

We are called to be sensitive to the rhythms of God’s movement – and not push against it! If we do, we’re pushing against God! Come, Holy Spirit, and grant us your wisdom and discernment to live faithfully in the moment!

Rev. Dr. Kevin Livingston is minister at Clairlea Presbyterian Church in Toronto, Ontario, and an adjunct professor at Tyndale Seminary.

Heritage as a Sacred Trust

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Of the many surprises in the recent General Assembly, and the strange twists that the debates took, none was more surprising than an unexpected recommendation, dependent on the passing of the remits, that we apologize to the United Church of Lachine for past wrongs. The recommendation suggested that a great wrong had been done to the congregation of St Andrews Presbyterian Church, Lachine, which was absorbed by the United Church of Lachine, when the 123rd General Assembly had affirmed the historic position on homosexuality in 1996. There was no debate in the Assembly, and it was approved that a letter be sent full of regrets and apologies. To my astonishment, aside from a remark from a Presbytery of Montreal Commissioner that the proper name of the United Church had not been used, there was no further discussion, and the vote seemed to pass unanimously.

The rewriting of history is a fairly recent phenomenon in our society. We find it difficult to sympathize with (now) unpopular views of an earlier age which no longer seem sustainable. The University previously named after Egerton Ryerson, that great Methodist pioneer, now has a new name. Ryerson’s considerable accomplishments in evangelizing colonial Canada are now ignored because of his presumed mistakes in educating Canada’s aboriginal occupants. Likewise the horrors of the residential schools obliterate the sacrifices of our dedicated WMS workers in serving Canada’s First Nations. History is no longer understood as a record of the past, but a place to even scores. Likewise those who affirm historic and orthodox Christianity are told that we will be condemned by the later verdict of history, rendering our views as completely inadmissible. History, it is asserted, will prove us wrong, and that we have buried our heads in the proverbial sand. One wonders how far this will be taken. Will the whole heroic missionary movement of the church in past centuries be regarded as a mistaken effort to eliminate native cultures? David Livingston’s memorial in Blantyre, Scotland, is being altered to reflect African native cultures.

On the 50th anniversary of Church Union, in an issue of Stanford Reid’s Presbyterian Comment, professor Ritchie Bell asked the question in the title of a memorable article, “Did I make a mistake in 1925?” in the then current frenzy of ecumenical excitement. Bell defended the anti-Unionists, saying that they were the ones who had fought the good fight for religious orthodoxy, and that Canadian Presbyterians had nothing to apologize for. So it is with those who maintained creedal orthodoxy in 1996 when the 123rd General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Canada affirmed the church’s traditional position on homosexuality. They did so out of a deep and conscientious concern for the historic position of the church in all its branches. At the close of the Assembly, as commissioners were leaving, one commissioner, an influential educator, told all who passed by that she would do everything she could to reverse the decision of the Assembly. The principled stand of Dr. William Klempa, the Reverends Bill Manson, Don Neil, Peter Szabo, and George Anderson, all members of the Presbytery of Montreal, was destined, she claimed, to the ash heap of history. A concerted effort was made over the following years to change the verdict. As we have seen, this has succeeded, and at a recent meeting of my presbytery I was denied the right to speak when I requested a place on the docket after the impending positive vote would be taken on the remits. The silencing of all opposition so that we will not appear freakishly outdated by future affirmers was evident.

The Presbyterian Church in Canada, thanks to the dedicated and committed anti-unionists of 1925, has always so far stood on the “right side of history.” Its history is valued, not as a relic of an archaic past, but as a living and vital heritage. As one who has taught church history in theological seminaries, that discipline is vital to our life and ministry. One does not have to identify with the Proud Boys to uphold the heritage that we have been given as a sacred trust. It is not something that we should be ashamed of, but hopefully should enable us to seek to serve a generation that is obliterating all its monuments, devaluing its archives, and failing to pass on the faith “once for all delivered to the saints.” (Jude 3)

Rev. A. Donald MacLeod is a retired PCC minister and a co-founder of The Renewal Fellowship

Navigating through the storm when the church is adrift

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What can the faithful do when the church is spiritually adrift? When the authority of Scripture is being challenged over sexuality and ordination — what better opportunity to remind ourselves to be anchored in Christ and look for a safe harbour.

For inspiration, we turned to our new friends at Cruxifusion, a network of ministers who are centred on Christ. They’re self-described as an “evangelical, traditional, orthodox, conservative” witnesses. They arose from the roots of the former United Church Renewal Fellowship, Community of Concern, National Alliance of Covenanting Congregations, and Church Alive. Those four groups formed at various times and each had a slightly different focus, whether spiritual, political, or theological. When the United Church decided to ordain those in LGB communities in 1988, many members of those renewal groups departed the denomination. Those who remained in the UC wrestled with their purpose. In time, they struggled with membership and energy. Despite the theological drift in the UCC, young orthodox ministers were still entering the denomination. With seed money and spiritual support from the old renewal groups, Cruxifusion was born in 2010. They’ve been a safe harbour for like kinds and a witness for Christ.

Renewal’s Board gathered by Zoom with some members of the Cruxifusion Board of Directors and supporters last September to hear their stories. Among them was Rev. Dr. Greg Brawn. We invited him to share his hope and witness at our annual Renewal Day on April 17, 2021, by Zoom for a day of worship, prayer, group discussion, and inspiration.

Rev. Dr. Greg BrawnRev. Dr. Greg Brawn
Theme Speaker

Rev. Dr. Greg Brawn, is a voice for orthodoxy within The United Church of Canada, a minister with a passion for Christ, and pastor of a vibrant Christ-centred congregation, Byron United Church in London, Ontario, since 2007. He was ordained in 1998 and has ministered in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. In 2019, Greg completed his Doctor of Ministry in Preaching degree from McCormick Theological Seminary. He is passionate about working with others to build communities of holy joy, faith, and love. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Cruxifusion. Greg brought words of hope and encouragement to those who are discerning their place in The Presbyterian Church in Canada.

Here are some notable quotes.

“I’ve been invited to talk to you about what it’s like to be an evangelical in a liberal denomination. … Twenty years ago I thought there was no hope, no future for our denomination; in fact, I thought it wouldn’t exist, or it would break up. That hasn’t happened.

“I’m not going to give you a solution. I can’t do that. … It’s a complex situation.

“There is a godly future for you and the PCC.”

“The United Church turned liberal in the 1950s and continued until about 10 years ago. That was the climax. The pendulum had come to swing back to Christology and Trinitarianism and to some extent, biblical authority. … Keep the faith. The Lord will bring you through this.”

“Avoid the temptation to ‘burn it all down’, wash your hands, walk away, and shake the dust off.”

“A strategy here is not to focus on the denomination. … We don’t use the United Church hymn book, we don’t buy the UCC Sunday School resources or Bible study curriculum.” At the same time, “do participate in your courts, but not as a disrupter. Pay presbytery assessments and do the paper work. … Be the local church of Jesus Christ.”

“Even within our congregation there are people who take the Bible literally and there are people who are quite liberal. … When we invite new members, we give them space.”

“Your calling — our calling — is to proclaim the Gospel to every creature in word and in deed and show how attractive a life lived in union with Jesus Christ is.”

“My future and salvation are not dependent on the United Church of Canada and your future and your salvation are not dependent on the Presbyterian Church in Canada. Amen!”

Small Group Prayer Guide

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Spring 2021

Dear friends,

It’s been more than 12 months since our world went into various stages of turmoil in response to a microscopic virus. Physically, we are on the defensive. But we are much more than flesh and blood. Spiritually, we are called to be on the offensive. There is much to pray for.

In addition to our daily prayer guide for April, May and June, I offer the following for use by small groups and sessions.

First, let us fall down and worship before the Lord our maker.

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens! Praise him from the skies!
Praise him, all his angels! Praise him, all the armies of heaven! Praise him, sun and moon! Praise him, all you twinkling stars!
Praise him, skies above! Praise him, vapors high above the clouds!
Let every created thing give praise to the Lord, for he issued his command, and they came into being. He set them in place forever and ever. His decree will never be revoked.

Praise the Lord from the earth, you creatures of the ocean depths, fire and hail, snow and clouds, wind and weather that obey him, mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all livestock, small scurrying animals and birds, kings of the earth and all people, rulers and judges of the earth, young men and young women, old men and children.

Let them all praise the name of the Lord. For his name is very great; his glory towers over the earth and heaven!
He has made his people strong, honouring his faithful ones — the people of Israel who are close to him. Praise the Lord! (Psalm 148, New Living Translation)

Let us repent and seek God’s assurances.

  • In the face of our disregard for Your will and our mistreatment of one another, You continue to love and forgive us. We give You thanks.
  • Despite the incessant criticism of our public officials, we enjoy peace, safety and security in this great nation. We give You thanks.
  • Notwithstanding the tragedies in our long-term care homes and the strain upon those on the front line in health care, Lord we really haven’t seen widespread chaos as a result of the pandemic. We give You thanks.
  • We pollute the air, fill oceans with plastic waste and poison the land, but we are renewed each spring with verdant valleys filled with colour. We give You thanks.

Let us pray now in the Holy Spirit.

  • General Assembly: may commissioners be willing to submit to you and seek your will, may the moderator be equipped and able to preside in fairness and with prudence, may the clerks and the committee on business be mindful of the limitations of an online agenda, may commissioners speak truth with grace.
  • Our denomination: may those serving at 50 Wynford Drive make genuine Spiritual revival under the authority of scripture a primary focus of their ministry.
  • Our presbyteries: may they be willing to plant new congregations that are focused on the Great Commission.
  • Our congregations, their sessions and people: may we be truly awakened and willing to shed any ministry, practice or thinking that is not wholly centred on the need to go into the world, baptize and teach new believers to seek complete submission to the Lord.

Keep praying – whether it’s online or in person. Our Father hears us and sees us.

To God be the glory.

A Cautionary Tale

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Admittedly my awareness of the details is limited [sketchy, disjointed, distant], but even so the situation evokes descriptions like distressing, disturbing, disastrous, devastating, even debacle. One of our partner churches, The Guyana Presbyterian Church, is experiencing deep division, perhaps even its death knell.

Recent developments involve: i) two rival groups, each forming a Synod [their highest court] which claims to be the legitimate authority in the GPC, ii) a disruption of a Reformation Day worship service with physical intimidation in play, iii) appeals to the wider church asserting authenticity and iv) threats of police and legal action. It’s a very heart-breaking situation.

Linda and I served in Guyana for three years, a decade or so ago and have remained in intermittent communication since then. We know some of the ‘players’ and some of the dynamics, but I don’t assume to comprehend all that’s transpiring, nor to have the solution to the troubles.

Nonetheless, as the drama unfolds a whole continent south of us, I began to perceive possible parallels for us.

The GPC currently has two groups of clergy and elders each claiming to be the legitimate Synod (shades of 1925). We in The PCC have overtures for the next General Assembly seeking a similar structural duality. However, the goal of the overtures is to establish two collegial Synods without disputes about authenticity in order to alleviate disputes around theology.

I don’t know if the prayer of those overtures is the way forward for us or not, but I believe the trauma occurring in the GPC can be instructive for us. As I noted, I have limited information and insight, but I do know that some of the upheaval happening has a long history. I do know that human hubris, an unwillingness to seek unity, aspiring to be in control, a priority on property and a willingness to apply ‘rules’ unevenly are persistent factors in the demise of decency and order on display.

And I do know if we do not constructively address our divisions (and hubris, uneven application of authority, disdain for unity) we are not immune to the trauma presently playing out in our partner church. Oh, we may not have ‘sit ins’ (though physical protests by rival factions are not unknown these days) nor appeals to secular authorities (though human rights tribunals and other court actions have occurred), but there will be far reaching, unhappy and non-edifying repercussions.

We can use the GPC debacle to teach us.  First, without guile, we can practise Matthew 5:44. Seeking divine blessing on the ones who oppose you will change inner dynamics for the better. Second, those who lead can resolve to set aside personal agendas and to forgo promoting potentially divisive practices or initiatives.  One doesn’t heal a wound in one place by opening fresh injuries in another. Third, pray for our brothers and sisters in the GPC and as you do, also humbly ask God to reveal any attitudes within yourself that could lead to similar unfortunate displays among us.

Profile: First Presbyterian Church, Trail BC

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By Dr. Dan Boateng – First PC Trail Elder

Historical – In the beginning, God sent one Rev. Robertson in 1896 to start the Presbyterian ministry here in Trail BC. And the Lord God continued to send faithful servants to keep up the ministry through the years of the first century of the life of the congregation. In 1925, the continuing Presbyterians were the minority, losing by one vote (as the story is told) in the local vote for Church Union.

Exactly a century after the first Robertson, the Lord God sent this time two Robertsons (1996) to begin the second century of Presbyterian ministry in Trail BC. And the two Reverends, Gavin and Meridyth Robertson, continue as the ministers to this day.

Vision and Mission – The vision and mission statements have evolved over the last 30 years as elders on Session changed. But a few elements have remained constant:

  • to remain authentic – true to the word of God and for His glory;
  • to be a community of compassion – always aspiring and striving to be known for being compassionate and loving;
  • to make an impact for Christ locally, nationally and internationally;
  • to adopt the concept of an enduring ministry – to remain a thriving congregation until the Lord’s return.

Session’s strategic goal in recent years is captured in the missional statement: “Come and See, Stay and Learn, Go and Serve”. Session at its annual Retreat and Strategic Planning defines objectives and actions towards living this out as a congregation, to the glory of God.

First PC TrailWe are the Church – TOGETHER!
firstpctrail.ca
facebook.com/firsttrail

Who we are now – We remain a small congregation, but one intent on growing both spiritually and numerically. Though our largest demographic remains that of seniors, we are blessed more and more with younger couples and families with young children.

The present congregation consists of a few with a lifelong Presbyterian background and the majority who are from other traditions who have made First Church their home, not because we are a Presbyterian church but because we are a conservative congregation with traditional beliefs.

What we do – Our blended Sunday worship service is at the heart of our church family. We sing a variety of music from contemporary to traditional hymns. Our ministers and occasional guest preachers work hard on delivering edifying and strongly Bible based sermons.

Our annual family-focused activities such as our Church picnic, family camp, and Christmas Eve Services, are well received and attended.

Smaller Group Activities have included a variety of programs including Alpha, Timothy Keller and other studies from RightNowMedia. Our Ladies and Men’s ministries offer retreats and study breakfasts. One of our Bible Study/Prayer Groups is a marathon group meeting weekly all-year round.

The COVID pandemic, with its restrictions, helped reveal an opportunity for online ministry: livestreaming on Facebook and the use of Zoom for Bible Studies and meetings has been a real blessing.

Mission and Outreach – For several years the congregation has allocated over 10 per cent of its annual budget to missions. The Missions Committee has led the congregation to support projects and initiatives: local, presbytery, national & international (including additional PWS&D support). We have our own quasi missionaries – a couple from the congregation who spend half the year in Africa (Ghana) involved in Church and mission work. Out of the Missions committee came our annual Community Christmas Dinner which has been serving 100-150 people each Christmas season. Christmas 2020 the dinner will continue by takeout only.

Our ministers are also very involved in the community. Rev. Meridyth is the padre for the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 11. She is also called upon to offer prayers in the community for various events from the Inauguration of council members to the Citizen of the Year.

Rev. Gavin has served as a Chaplain in the Primary Reserves for the last 22 years, and currently serves as Chaplain to the 39 Canadian Brigade Group Headquarters.

A Remembrance and a ‘Reminder’

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Don MacLeod publishes personal memoir

Requiem (noun) — 1) A Mass for the repose of the souls of the dead. 2) A musical composition setting parts of a requiem Mass, or of a similar character. 3) An act or token of remembrance. [Source: Oxford English Dictionary.]

It’s the third definition which fits Rev. Don MacLeod’s latest published writing. An almost-legendary figure in the PCC, MacLeod had an extraordinary career which touched no fewer than eight decades (if one includes his first sermon at the age of 10 — all the way to the 2020.) A Presbyterian Requiem is billed as a “memoir” of six appointments, but it could also be described a “blow-by-blow account.” That’s not to sensationalize or dramatize. Rather it’s to point out that in ministry, there is never a dull moment. MacLeod bears witness: “Yes, there are scars, but only in service of the One who was scarred for me on Calvary,” he notes in the introduction. Of course, there are many joys in ministry too, otherwise we would not remain standing: “Years of ministry have surrounded me with a host of friends who have greatly enriched my life,” he states. That sentence describes the substance of the memoir: a rich and vivid description of the faithful souls which have surrounded one minister as he and his family traversed Presbyterian terrain on both sides of the Canada/United States border.

A Presbyterian Requiem
A Presbyterian Requiem

This is a really good read. I am tempted to describe it as a page turner. What draws you in are the insights into ministry at every level. Each chapter brings something new. It’s a must-read for anyone interested in a dose of PCC history from an evangelical perspective. It’s a rich collection of names, places, dates and experiences. Any pastor would be encouraged after reading this work for the simple reason that it’s always good to be reminded that we are not alone.

Back to the title. Requiem indicates a loss. MacLeod admits that his narrative is more than just “a personal description of what I have observed and participated in. It is a requiem for all that has been lost in the passage of time, as well as a reminder of what made us once a great church.” These are not the tears of someone who yearns for bygone days as mere nostalgia.   No, they are a lament shared by those in every generation who search for a more authentic expression of Christ’s body. On that note, it’s worth mentioning that MacLeod was the founding chairman of The Renewal Fellowship and remains a vibrant supporter.

MacLeod offers an encouraging conclusion. I won’t offer any spoilers, but if you need a dash of hope, it awaits.

Looking for a gift for a PCC pastor in your life? It’s available for purchase on Amazon in hardcover, paperback and Kindle editions.

Other publications by A. Donald MacLeod: George Murray of the U.P. (1996), W. Stanford Reid (2004), C. Stacey Woods (2007), A Kirk Disrupted (2013), China Mishkid (2018).