To the Venerable the General Assembly: WHEREAS the Book of Forms has constituted the guide by which the business of the General Assembly has been conducted within the Presbyterian Church in Canada since its inception; and WHEREAS it has not been our practice, and should not be our practice, to intentionally delay items of business … Read more
WHEREAS The Presbyterian Church in Canada has debated human sexuality for several decades, and WHEREAS the debate is a distraction to our mission, undermining our effectiveness, and WHEREAS the issues pertaining to human sexuality are symptomatic of deeper theological issues, and WHEREAS the theological divide is evidenced in the report from the 2019 General Assembly’s … Read more
WHEREAS the Barrier Act of 2019 seeks to change the doctrine and practices of The Presbyterian Church in Canada in foundational ways, and WHEREAS The Presbyterian Church in Canada prides itself in doing things ‘decently and in good order,’ and WHEREAS, through no fault of its own, The Presbyterian Church in Canada has been unable … Read more
WHEREAS issues surrounding human sexuality have been contentious for decades within The Presbyterian Church in Canada, and WHEREAS our ordination vows stipulate that we will not take divisive courses of action, and WHEREAS the actions of the General Assembly of 2019, in sending changes of doctrine and practice through the Barrier Act of the church … Read more
To the Venerable the General Assembly: WHEREAS the concepts of mutual accountability, empathetic collegiality, and partnership in ministry are at the heart of Presbyterianism, and these concepts demand integrity – integrity that is lacking unless the elders participating in a presbytery undertake ministry with a common understanding of the gospel for ordination, teaching, gospel witness, … Read more
Sometimes it is mind-boggling to realize that just one year ago the word ‘pandemic’ evoked pleasant images of a happy evening playing a co-operative board game with family and friends. During this past 12 months many, many ordinary people have demonstrated admirable qualities of passion, perseverance and personal sacrifice as they have risen to the … Read more
I am surprised that people are assuming that if their congregation leaves the PCC, they will either lose their building or have to buy it back. There is another alternative. At the 124th General Assembly, held in Windsor, Ontario, in 1998, a Special Committee dealt with appeals regarding the conduct of a Presbyterian College student who was a declared practicing homosexual conducting services at St. Andrew’s, Lachine … Read more
Anniversaries are a great opportunity to press pause and take stock. We look back and note how a watershed moment has changed our world. Sept. 11 is the big one. There’s also Nov. 22, if you’re old enough to remember. And now we have March 11, the day in 2020 when the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 global pandemic. One year later … Read more
WHEREAS the COVID 19 pandemic has impacted every community across Canada, has dominated every newscast and has touched every congregation, every family, and every person WHEREAS the serious matter of drug addiction and the impacts of addiction have gone under reported across Canada and each community, WHEREAS border closures have impacted the flow of opioids … Read more
To the Venerable, the General Assembly of The Presbyterian Church in Canada: WHEREAS, the 144th General Assembly referred the matter of Gracious Dismissal to the Assembly Council (p. 36, 2018 AP); and WHEREAS, the Assembly Council’s terms of reference include the obligation to “assist the General Assembly in making responsible decisions by ensuring that both … Read more