By Andy Cornell, Executive Director. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, speaking to congregations and holding encouragement road trips was a major part of my job. My first road trip was to British Columbia in May of 2018, followed by New Brunswick in September 2019, and Alberta and Saskatchewan a few weeks later. The numbers tell … Read more
Category Archives: Blog
Is Revival a Lost Dream?
Is the evangelical revival of The Presbyterian Church in Canada a lost dream? Not necessarily. The PCC may be officially affirming. It’s entirely possible that “liberty of conscience and action” regarding participation in ordinations and adherence to traditional definition of marriage may just be short-term accommodations. And it’s disheartening to see a majority of commissioners … Read more
Does it Matter in the Long Run?
The denial of “balance and respect for both definitions of marriage” appeared to be a watershed moment at General Assembly 2022.[i] It revealed what many in orthodoxy have suspected – or feared: That The Presbyterian Church in Canada (PCC) is officially “affirming” in accordance with the adoption of Pathway ‘B’-- “inclusion” – in 2019. The … Read more
Listening Ear Here
In this very noisy and confusing world, we yearn for peace, strength and solace. Connecting to our triune God is of utmost importance and prayer is essential, which is why we are launching a new initiative to encourage healthy prayer. A close second is our need to commune with other kindred souls. … Read more
Stand Our Ground
Good news! The church is growing! The latest annual statistics from the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary indicate that there are fewer atheists around the world today (147 million) than in 1970 (165 million) and the report expects the number to continue to decline into 2050. Almost 2.56 billion … Read more
Prayer and Care
In recent weeks, many Canadian provinces have ended their mask mandates. For the first time in almost two years, we see each other’s faces in grocery stores and perhaps also in church. And yet for the most part there is no feeling of liberation or great cry of joy. To be sure, we like it. … Read more
Prayer and Care in a Divided World
As we work towards the renewal and revival of the church in accordance with Biblical orthodoxy, The Renewal Fellowship is focusing on two priorities in 2022: prayer and pastoral care. To be effective in those two things, we need to understand our church and the world in which we exist. The following essay is intended … Read more
No Middle Ground
A recent survey from Renewal Fellowship asked readers where their minds were at four months after the historic change in doctrine of the Presbyterian Church in Canada (PCC). It was hardly a scientific survey, but the responses mirrored what we’ve been hearing in conversations: In general, “We are staying in the PCC for now, while … Read more
Drawing Guidance From Nature
Lessons from Squirrel Land. Picture a collection of old trees, filled with squirrels darting up and down the trunks and back and forth across the branches. They are frenetically active. Two squirrels are chasing one other with a walnut in its mouth. Theft? Covetousness? Fun and games? Squirrels just do what they are wired to … Read more
How Now Do We Talk?
The 2021 federal election marked a new low for civil discourse in postmodern times. Leaders being confronted by protesters from other parties is par for the course but hurling eggs and handfuls of gravel at them was something new. We should not be surprised. It was the logical next step from the online anger which … Read more