Partnering with the Council of the North, one parish at a time

Rita lives on the Red Earth Reserve, about three hours northeast of Prince Albert. There are around 2,000 people living on the Reserve, with a large population of children and youth. Rita herself has six children, 32 grandchildren, and 20 great-grandchildren. Many families on the Red Earth Reserve struggle with poverty, although Rita describes the conditions as “not too poor, compared to some other places.” St. Stephen’s Anglican Church, where Rita serves, is a small building that is only heated for services. “I often arrive first to start the fire,” she notes when asked about the cold winter days.

The people of St. Timothy’s Church in Edmonton were moved by a presentation at their Synod last year about the conditions of many Reserves, and that the clergy there are not paid for their ministry work. The ACW group of the church offered to become a partner with Rita and her work at Red Earth, and raised $500 to help out. When they challenged their congregation to match this amount, they were thrilled to see it more than triple!

From the diocese of Saskatchewan website.

I mention this for a couple of reasons.  First, I think it vitally important that local parishes have partnerships with other parishes.  And I do want to stress the word partnership.  This is a time when there is much fraction and division within our Anglican family.  And no, I don't bury my head in the sand (or snow, if you are more northern) and pretend that these difficulties do not exist, or that they are going to magically disappear any time soon.  But at the same time that need not prevent us from, well, loving our neighbours in the most practical and sincere ways we can.

Second, I wanted to thank all the members of St Timothy's, Edmonton, for supporting this work, and understanding that they are part of a larger family of Anglicans.  I suspect that many of us act as if we are a congregational style church. "Me in my small corner, and you in yours" - as the old hymn used to say.  But that vision of church is, I think, not true to the vision of Christ, nor of the apostles, nor of the Fathers.  And while we may not, as individual parishes, find ourselves able to solve all the questions of ecclesiological confusion, we are able, as individual parishes, to exercise our commitment to be part of the larger family.

Third, I think it is a visible reminder, not that such parishes as St Stephen's "need" parishes like St Tim's.  Rather, I really think it works the other way around.  We at St Timothy's would be poorer as a church without developing a partnership with a parish like St Stephen's.  Our diocesan Dean recently returned from a visit to another Canadian Council of the North diocese, and we think there might be more opportunities to share resources - human, spiritual, financial.

Draw your church together, Lord into one great company of disciples, together following our Lord Jesus Christ into every walk of life, together serving Him in His mission to the world, and  together witnessing to His love on every continent and island, through the power of the Holy Spirit.