Speaking about the Bishop’s Company

Seldom do I get an opportunity to speak to a parish fellowship group about the campaigns of the stewardship office. Most often, I’m invited to preach on a Sunday or speak to a leadership team about church growth statistics, demographics and how stewardship education can have a positive impact on funding ministry. So when Doug Hart from the Connect Men dinner and discussion group at St. John, York Mills invited me to speak in early March, I jumped at the opportunity.

First, I beguiled them with my presentation on charting growth in the Diocese of Toronto. For over a decade, I’ve made an annual presentation to Synod Council on how demographics, faith identification, giving patterns and attendance are impacting the Christian experience in our diocese. Typically, the news has been less than encouraging – that is, until the pandemic hit and attendance and giving patterns were jolted in a positive direction thanks to a spike in online worship.

The audience of 25 souls was most fascinated by the transition in faith adherence since the mid-1960s and the growth of the so-called “nones.” Those with no faith affiliation now comprise 33 per cent of the Canadian population, according to our latest census (c. 2021) and is the fastest growing component of identifiers (if you can use that word).

What I really wanted to share with the group is the impact of the Bishop’s Company. After all, the first presentation was supposed to be the side show. The original intent of the invitation was to showcase the work of our fund to assist clergy in need.

Each year, our bishops receive numerous requests for help. Some may be small, like travel assistance to a conference or help with paying for an online theology course. Others are not so small: counselling, dental reconstructive surgery, and speech and occupational therapy for children. Most years we get over $100,000 in requests. All of this is funded outside the operating budget of the diocese. It’s not covered by parish allotment; not a penny.

For 64 years, the Bishop’s Company has hosted an annual fundraising dinner. It has proven to be an important fundraising event in the diocese, generating over $5 million since its inception. It was at this point that I asked the men at St. John, York Mills if they would sponsor a table or two for our event on Oct. 17, and they happily obliged.

The Bishop’s Company has provided financial support to Indigenous programs and stipendiary assistant for clergy. It provides annual bursaries for theological students and postulants and a purse to clergy widows at Christmas, and it gave seed funding for our employee assistance program.

I am grateful for the work of the Bishop’s Company in supporting our clergy and their families who are in need. The work our clergy do is significant, and often their struggles come from a place of real vulnerability.

I would be happy to repeat my presentation 10 times over to any fellowship group in the diocese that is interested. But you’re going to get the sales pitch as well. Invite me anyway, as I love speaking about the important ministry that goes on in the Church and across our diocese.