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Lakeview Community Church in Killarney, Man. held a sod turning ceremony May 26, with old and young taking part. The church plans to add a new foyer, gym and kitchen to the existing facility.
Leading Transformation in Children’s Ministry – a national conference sponsored by the Canadian MB Conference Board of Evangelism happens at two different sites: Nov. 1–3 at The Meeting Place, Winnipeg; Nov. 15–17 at North Langley Community Church. Call Rikki Oelke at (204) 669-6580 for more information.
Le Lien, the French-language periodical published by the Canadian MB Conference, has a new e-mail address: lelien@ca.inter.net. – Le Lien
SunRidge Community Church in Kelowna, B.C. has a new e-mail address: sunridgeinfo@shaw.ca.
The Quebec Superior Court, on Sept. 6, ruled that the legal definition restricting marriage to unions between a man and a woman is unconstitutional because it discriminates against gays and lesbians. The court has given the Canadian government two years to change the law. This decision agrees with a recent decision of an Ontario court but is out of step with a recent decision by a B.C. court. The issue has been appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada, and is also being studied by a Parliamentary committee. – Evangelical Fellowship Of Canada, National Post, CBC News
A surprise tentative peace agreement was reached in July between the government of Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army. Under the agreement, southern Sudan, which is largely Christian and animist, would have more autonomy; a referendum would be held after six years to determine whether southerners want to separate from Sudan; and the northern-based government would stop trying to impose Muslim Shariah law on non-Muslims. However, the talks broke down in September after the SPLA captured a strategic southern town. – Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, National Post, CBC News, Globe & Mail, Washington Post
The amount of money spent on gambling in Canada has quadrupled in the past nine years. Of the $10.7 billion gambled each year, $6 billion goes to provincial governments. – Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, Globe & Mail, Ottawa Citizen
Vancouver College and St. Thomas More Collegiate, two Roman Catholic high schools in Vancouver, agreed to an ou-of-court settlement July 25 giving $19 million to 80 victims of sexual and physical abuse at Mount Cashel orphanage in Newfoundland in the 1970s and 1980s. The two high schools are owned by the Christian Brothers of Ireland in Canada, which also owned and operated the orphanage. Lawyers for the victims had gone to court to have the schools’ buildings seized and sold to help pay compensation to the victims. This would have forced the schools to close. The schools have borrowed the $19 million from a bank and are now working to raise the money from supporters. – B.C. Christian News
The Anglican Diocese of New Westminster, which covers Vancouver and B.C.’s Lower Mainland, voted 215–129 on June 15 to bless “covenanted same-sex unions”, becoming the first Anglican diocese in the world to approve a type of homosexual marriage. Representatives of nine congregations walked out of the synod following the vote. Twelve clergy representing eight congregations have since requested “alternative episcopal oversight”; that is, they want to be under a bishop other than New Westminster’s Michael Ingham. Seven of the eight are refusing to pay dues to the New Westminster Dicoese. The eight, including the prestigious St. John’s Shaughnessy in Vancouver and St. Matthew’s in Abbotsford, B.C., represent about a quarter of the Diocese’s members and pay about a fifth of its budget. They may be joined by other congregations. The Diocese had narrowly approved similar proposals twice in the past five years, but on the previous two occasions Bishop Ingham, although a strong supporter of the proposal, declined to implement the decision, saying there was not yet enough consensus. He has accepted the vote this time, although no same-sex blessings have taken place yet. Ingham’s book Mansions of the Spirit aroused considerable controversy several years ago because it promotes religious pluralism and other liberal ideas. The New Westminster Diocese has received criticism from some other Anglican dioceses for acting on its own in the matter of same-sex unions; conservative bishops, particularly from the Third World, have offered support to the dissenting congregations. – B.C. Christian News
Concern over genetically modified foods is hampering shipments of Mennonite Central Committee grain to southern Africa, where up to 11 million people are at risk of starvation. Genetic modification involves inserting genes with desirable traits, such as high crop yields and resistance to pests, into seeds. About 40% of North American grain is genetically modified. Some critics fear genetically modified foods will reduce the diversity of grain plants, making it less likely they will thrive if conditions change. African countries see the genetically modified grain as a threat to their small farmers, who usually save seeds from one year’s harvest to plant the next year; genetically modified seeds are patented by multinational agribusinesses and must be purchased each year, something which small farmers cannot afford. MCC recently spent an additional $63 a ton to have 3760 tons of grain milled (turned into flour) before shipment to Mozambique and Zimbabwe; this eliminated the possibility of any of the grain being planted. However, Zambia refuses to accept even the flour on the argument that genetically modified foods may not be safe for human consumption; to help feed Zambians, MCC must donate money to its local partners so that they can buy grain from other African countries. – Mennonite Central Committee
The US Bishops’ Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs declared Aug. 12 that “A deepening Catholic appreciation of the eternal covenant between God and the Jewish people, together with a recognition of a divinely given mission to Jews to witness to God’s faithful love, lead to the conclusion that campaigns that target Jews for conversion to Christianity are no longer theologically acceptable in the Catholic Church.” The statement, “Reflections on Covenant and Mission” was issued jointly with the National Council of Synagogues. It suggests that Jews do not need to be converted because they already believe in “the true and one God” and calls for Jews and Catholics to work together to heal a sick world and bring blessings to all humankind. – Evangelical Press News Service
Outreach Canada reports that in 2001 there were 9596 evangelical churches in Canada, up 147 over 2000 and up 444 over 1997. The average annual growth rate in the number of evangelical churches (1.2%) is slightly higher than the average annual growth in the Canadian population (.9%). This means that there is now one evangelical church for every 3239 Canadians, a slight improvement over the ratio of one evangelical church for every 3277 Canadians in 1997. – Church Planting Canada
The Siberian Mennonite Research Initiative has commissioned historian Andrej Savin of the University of Akademgodorok to search through archives in Siberia and Moscow and collect documents of interest to Mennonites. The Initiative was founded in 2001 and is led by an executive consisting of Paul Toews, MB archivist from Fresno, Calif., James Urry of the University of Wellington in New Zealand and retired historians Harry Loewen of Kelowna, B.C. and Peter Penner of Calgary. The first 18 months of the project are being funded by a grant from the Peter G. Dick family of Ontario. – Siberian Mennonite Research Initiative
Fiona MacDonald of Brandon, Man. is the recipient of the 2002 Canadian Japanese Mennonite Scholarship, worth $1500. She is undertaking Ph.D studies in political science at the University of British Columbia, focusing on minority rights within multiculturalism. The Scholarship was created in 1985 by Mennonite Central Committee Canada as a tangible expression of regret for injustices suffered by Japanese Canadians during World War II and is jointly sponsored by the National Association of Japanese Canadians. – Mennonite Central Committee Canada
Evangelicals for Social Action, led by Ron Sider, and the Public Policy and Advocacy office of World Vision has sent a letter to US President George Bush, signed by 49 evangelical leaders, asking him to take a “more even-handed approach” to Israeli–Palestinian relations. While affirming the right of Israel to exist, the letter stated that “God demands justice” from all people. It condemns Palestinian suicide bombings as well as Israeli occupation and destruction of Palestinian territory. The letter writers said that they wanted to counter the misconception that evangelicals uniformly and uncritically support Israel. – Evangelical Press News Service
A survey of 2000 of the Church of England’s 10,000 clergy found that a third have doubts about the physical resurrection of Jesus, only half believe in the virgin birth of Jesus and only half think that faith in Jesus is the sole route to salvation. Over three-quarters believe in the Trinity and that Christ died to take away the sins of the world, and over 80% believe that God created the world. – Evangelical Press News Service
Researchers in Oregon have found that 90% of seriously ill people who ask their doctors to help them commit suicide later change their minds and do not go ahead with the procedure. The scientist who led the study said most patients were simply seeking reassurance they would be able to handle the pain. Oregon is the only US state that has legalized assisted suicide. – Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, Ottawa Citizen
The international Labor Organization says that Canadians spend 1767 hours a year at work, compared to 1842 hours for Japanese and 1979 hours for Americans. – The Marketplace, The Mennonite
Evangelicals for Middle East Understanding issued a declaration at the end of May in Beirut, Lebanon, calling for the end of Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory and the lifting of economic sanctions against Iraq. “The Lebanon Declaration” condemns “political threats to nations and repeated political efforts to label some as ‘evil’, to call others ‘men of peace’, and to use Scripture for the purpose of waging war”. The declaration also calls for a rejection of “any and all forms of violence, whether manifested as sanctions, occupation, terrorism or war”. Evangelicals for Middle East Understanding is a group of American evangelical Christians led by Gary Burge, a professor at Wheaton College. – Evangelical Press News Service
The death penalty has been abolished in 109 countries, but 86 countries, including the US, still have state-sanctioned executions. In the US, 746 people were executed between 1976, when the death penalty was reinstated, and 2000, rising above 30 executions per year after 1991 and peaking with 98 in 1999. The cost of a single capital case, from arrest to execution, is three to 10 times than that of a non-death penalty case, including a life sentence without parole. Since 1973, 98 people have been released from death row due to evidence that they were innocent. – Mennonite Central Committee US Washington Office
Giving to the Mennonite Disaster Service general fund is down 25% from last year; $356,200 US was donated from December 2000 to May 2001, but only $286,800 from December 2001 to May 2002. The general fund supports the investigation of all natural disasters and is often used to house and feed volunteers for the duration of smaller projects called “quiet” disasters by MDS. Quiet disasters cause lots of damage and leave families in need but do not draw a lot of media attention; as a result, fewer donors designate money for them. Flooding in Houston, Tex., caused by last summer’s Tropical Storm Allison, was one of 13 quiet disasters that MDS responded to in 2001. MDS is currently investigating the situation in Colorado, where tinderbox conditions have caused numerous wildfires. One disaster that has drawn an overwhelming amount of attention and support over the past year has been the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. MDS’s Restoring Hope project collected over $300,000 US for that disaster; this money was placed into a designated fund and is not available for responses to other disasters. – Mennonite Disaster Service
The Ontario Press Council has upheld a complaint by the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada against the Toronto Star for a June 2, 2001 column that unfairly attributed the promotion of violence and hatred to evangelical Christians. The complaint concerned a column by Michelle Landsberg, who said that the motives of the mayor of Regina promoting Heterosexual Family Pride Day were “to try to enshrine one Christian or ‘missionary’ brand of sexuality as the only official and legal style of union”. The EFC’s complaint specifically addressed one paragraph which read: “Seems these evangelicals feel all shook up unless the state enforces their form of belief. Their idea of social stability, however, is just what threatens us all. It creates the kind of parents who teach their children to hate and taunt their schoolmates who are children of lesbians or gay men. It gives licence to the kind of thugs who would beat a Matthew Shepard to death because he was gay. It breeds the toxic intolerance that drives gay youths to a 30% higher suicide rate than other teens.” The EFC complained that the article “targets evangelical Christians and tends to engender bias and hatred toward them.” The Star responded that the column was not meant to apply to a specific religious faith but to “zealots”, individuals of any religion with a “militant zeal for a cause”. In upholding the complaint, however, the Press Council said it recognizes evangelical Christians as an identifiable group and is convinced that the reference to them in the column was unnecessarily hurtful. – Evangelical Fellowship of Canada
For the first time in three decades, the number of babies being born in the US is greater than the number of deaths. An increase in births among women in their 30s was a major factor in a three-year increase in births. Government studies also note a decline in births to teenage girls. – Evangelical Press News Service
The disappearance of the senior leaders of China Gospel Fellowship is likely due to cult activity rather than to the communist government. Christian Aid Mission News reports that over 30 leaders of the Christian denomination, which has approximately 3 million members, have not been heard from since Apr. 19. On that day, the men and women were travelling to various locations in China to attend meetings arranged by a Bible institute. However, members of China Gospel Fellowship say they now suspect that the meetings were fraudulent and were arranged by members of a pseudo-Christian group known as Eastern Lightning. The cult has been known to injure or kill those who oppose its beliefs and activity. China Gospel Fellowship has asked the government for help in locating the missing leaders, even though it is also considered a cult by the Chinese government and its leaders could face imprisonment. – Evangelical Press News Service
Tourism is down by 50% at Nazareth Village, an accurate, full-scale replica of first-century Nazareth located on a rocky hillside in old-town Nazareth, Israel. The non-profit village, begun in 2000, includes restored farm sites and a construction of a village using first-century building techniques. Employees at the village dress in first-century costume to help visitors appreciate the culture of village life during the time of Jesus. Executive director Michael Hostetler, a Mennonite, is hopeful that exposure by PBS, BBC and other media outlets will attract visitors to the village. – Evangelical Press News Service
A rare, deadly strain of meningitis (W135) has killed 1500 people and infected over 11,200 others in Burkina Faso. Drawing on worldwide connections to locate supplies of the vaccine, Mennonite Central Committee recently shipped 1220 vaccines and 200 antibiotic treatments to the capital, Ouaguadougou. In addition to 200 MCC and Africa Inter-Mennonite Missions staff and family, vaccine recipients included workers with partner agencies, whose social and medical work puts them at higher risk, and their families. The Danish Red Cross paid for 120 of the vaccines for their own staff. An additional 400 vaccines now being shipped will be distributed to Red Cross nurses, those caring for infected people, volunteers doing door-to-door prevention campaigns and street children. Antibiotics reduce the death rate from 80% to 10% of those infected, but the treatment is too expensive for most people in Burkina Faso. The Burkina Faso government operates inoculation programs against the two more common strains of meningitis, A and C. – Mennonite Central Committee
The Barna Research Group found that in a month 67% of adults in the US made use of at least one of three popular forms of Christian media – radio, television or books; 38% listened to a radio program with a teaching, preaching or a talk-show format; 43% listened to Christian music, the fastest growing format; 43% viewed some form of Christian television; and 33% read a Christian book other than the Bible. During the same period, 63% of adults attended church. – Evangelical Press News Service
Canadian Foodgrains Bank will be shipping 15,000 tonnes of corn to southern Africa. Nearly 13 million people in countries such as Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe are facing serious food shortages due to drought over the last two years. The corn, which is expected to arrive in South Africa for milling in early October, will help feed 500,000 people for three months. The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) is providing 4:1 matching dollars to support this project. – Canadian Foodgrains Bank
Acts deemed immoral in a recent Leger Marketing poll of 1519 Canadians: shoplifting (89%), spousal unfaithfulness (81%), cocaine and heroine use (79%), tax evasion (77%), prostitution (68%), alcohol abuse (66%), suicide (61%), smoking marijuana (47%), abortion (41%), gambling (41%), swearing (40%), homosexuality (32%), euthanasia (31%), pre-marital sex (27%), atheism (26%) and divorce (22%). Overall, 72.5% said they believed Canadians “have a strong sense of morals”. – ChristianWeek
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Last modified November 21, 2002.
© 2002 Mennonite Brethren Herald.
Published by the Canadian Conference of MB Churches.
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