Classic 1923 text by J. Gresham Machen comes to life again. In this diverse world of ours, we live side-by-side with colleagues, friends, neighbours and even family members who hold sometimes radically different political views, lifestyles and opinions about life. The Presbyterian Church in Canada has never been wholly unified. Progressives and traditionalists have been … Read more
Like many Canadian Presbyterian Churches, St. Paul's, Simcoe, Ontario, has had a shrinking Sunday School over the last couple of decades. In less than a year, they have increased their average attendance of 3 or 4 students by 400%. How did this happen? Well of course they prayed, but they also took action. … Read More
Dr. Dale Woods of Presbyterian College was the keynote speaker at the 2011 Annual General Meeting of The Renewal Fellowship, held at St. Andrew's, Etobicoke ON in March. Dr. Woods warned us that the Christian community may present itself in radically different forms than those familiar to us. He highlighted three trends that help us reflect on the future: Global, Emergent, and Missional. … Read More
We are an intergenerational community of believers seeking after the transformative power of Christ to live out the purpose and plan of His calling on our life. Since 1844, the congregation of Cheyne has been serving its community on the outskirts of Hamilton, Ontario. In 1960, the current building was opened in the centre of … Read more
The court rendered its decision. Before sentencing, the victims were allowed to speak. One by one, they opened their hearts and bared their souls, sharing how the decision had impacted them. Many prepared carefully-worded statements. A few were off the cuff. All were spoken from the heart and testified to something which had changed their lives – and the lives of those around them … Read more
I have experienced General Assembly as a student representative, twice as a commissioner, twice as a one-day visitor and this year as part of the local arrangements committee. Each gives you a unique perspective. Each has its advantages. Because my responsibilities included staying close to our local arrangements table for most of assembly, rather than … Read more
Support is growing for the landmark petitions by Korean-speaking congregations which accuse The Presbyterian Church in Canada of racism by "demonizing" ethnic congregations. This week, a coalition of Chinese congregations, known as the Chinese Consultation, issued a statement in support of the petitions. "We thank the members of the Han-Ca Presbyteries for calling attention to the … Read more
When I was asked to contribute a reflection on an ancient prayer, all I had to do was look up from my desk, and there was the answer – an Orthodox Prayer based upon the Prayer of St. Ioannikios, as well as the traditional and ancient Troparia to the Holy Trinity. I had printed out … Read more
Progressive Christians continue to react with shock and dismay over the decision by the United Methodist Church to uphold the traditional definition of marriage. It didn’t take long for those who are opposed to the decision by the worldwide body to declare their next move: to continue defying church law. “We are not going anywhere,” … Read more
“There is so little room for genuine give-and-take in our Presbyterian discussions these days, while at the same time so much hangs on how our conversations go. The issues that we are discussing are not simply topics about which we happen to disagree. They are matters that are vitally connected to the question of whether … Read more