Following Jesus, renewing his Church

The triennial Four-Parish Joint Conference was held June 27-28 at Durham College. Every three years, the four Chinese-background Anglican churches – St. Elizabeth Church, Mississauga, St. John, Willowdale, St. Christopher, Richmond Hill and All Saints, Markham – gather to be inspired by featured speakers, learn from one another and reconnect with both new and old friends. This year, it was St. Christopher’s turn to host the conference. Our theme continued the Diocese of Toronto’s 2023–2025 Season of Spiritual Renewal: “Following Jesus, Renewing His Church.”

During the opening ceremony, I had the honour of welcoming the 235 participants. I recalled that the conference was first initiated by St. Elizabeth, Mississauga in 2006. As ethnic congregations, we face many similar challenges, including adapting to a new environment, ministering to the second generation and reaching out to our communities. With the support of the other three congregations, the first joint conference was held in 2007 at Appleby College in Oakville.

We were delighted to have Bishop Andrew Asbil as our featured speaker this year. He delivered three keynote talks over the weekend. In the first, “Spiritual Renewal – Building Up Disciples,” Bishop Asbil illustrated how sharing our faith stories with the next generation inspires us to continue proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus often shared the faith over meals, including at the Last Supper, during breakfast by the Sea of Galilee and in the breaking of bread on the road to Emmaus.

Likewise, the history of our four Chinese parishes is filled with testimonies that should be passed on to new generations of believers. This includes the story of St. John, Willowdale, which began in 1973 as a fellowship at St. Paul, Bloor Street, before becoming an official congregation at the Church of the Redeemer, Bloor St. In 1984, the Rev. Canon Kenneth Fung and his team planted All Saints, first in Scarborough and later relocated to Markham. In 1991, the Rev. Canon Edmund Der and his team planted St. Christopher-on-the-Heights in Downsview. St. Christopher later established St. Christopher Centre at Leslie and Finch in 1994. The outreach centre became St. Christopher, North York in 2007. The mother church moved from Downsview to Richmond Hill in 2008, becoming St. Christopher, Richmond Hill. Meanwhile, in 1992, the Rev. James Chu planted St. Elizabeth in Etobicoke. Following a fire in 1999, the parish relocated to Mississauga in 2000.

After the first talk, we divided into 21 small groups in Cantonese, English and Mandarin. Each group consisted of members from three or four congregations within the same age group. As we discussed what we had heard and shared our own faith stories, the bishop’s message sank more deeply into our hearts. We also spent time praying for one another. It was a wonderful time of Christian fellowship, as we experienced God’s presence, joy and peace.

On Saturday afternoon, we offered seven workshops led by our pastoral staff on various topics, from youth ministry and small group ministry to spiritual renewal and contextual bible study.

Each workshop attracted between 20 and 50 participants, and many shared how much they appreciated the opportunity to learn and grow.

Bishop Asbil’s second talk, “Spiritual Renewal – Commitment to Ministry,” began by sharing stories from his family’s farming background. The rocks on the family farm reminded him of generations of family history and the values they had inherited. One lesson was the importance of living for others. Jesus taught his disciples the same lesson in the feeding of the five thousand. Rather than telling his disciples to look after themselves, Jesus challenged them to care for the hungry crowd. In a world that often tells us to put ourselves first, Jesus calls us to serve others.

Bishop Asbil illustrated this through the story of Monica from Redeemer, Bloor St., who began by preparing peanut butter sandwiches for people experiencing homelessness. Over time, the parish grew this ministry into serving more than 30,000 meals each year. Commitment to ministry requires time, sacrifice and perseverance. Yet it all begins with Jesus’ question to Peter: “Do you love me?” Jesus asks him three times, moving from friendship love (philia*) to unconditional love (agape).

In the evening, we enjoyed a 45-minute “Dialogue with Bishop” session. It provided an opportunity to ask questions ranging from theology to practical ministry. The conversation brought us closer to Bishop Asbil as he thoughtfully addressed the issues that concerned us. Afterwards,the Rev. Andrew Johnson and the Rev. Carol Shih from St. John, Willowdale led us in Evening Prayer to conclude the day.

On the second day of the conference, All Saints, Markham prepared the Eucharist, which Bishop Asbil presided over. During the children’s message, Bishop Asbil told a story about a puppy that was deeply loved by a farmer, even though all the other animals in the barn believed they were the most important. In the same way, every child is precious in God’s sight.

Bishop Asbil delivered his third talk, “Spiritual Renewal – Equipping Tomorrow’s Leaders.” He introduced three key words: “Listen, show and tell.” He recalled meeting a parishioner at a subway station whom he had been thinking about for some time. The parishioner shared that he had prayed for Bishop Asbil the previous night. This was an example of listening to God’s prompting. We all learned “show and tell” during our school years, but Bishop Asbil reminded us that we must also learn to listen to God.

Using Genesis 22:1-14, the account of Abraham offering Isaac, Bishop Asbil acknowledged that many preachers avoid this difficult passage. Yet the story reveals that, unlike the gods of many ancient Near Eastern religions, the Lord did not require child sacrifice. Rather, it demonstrates the intimate relationship between God, Abraham and Isaac. Abraham listens to God. Isaac listens to his father. Abraham demonstrates unwavering faith, while Isaac willingly carries the wood up the mountain. In the same way, Jesus carries His own cross to Golgotha. Throughout the journey, Abraham trusts God, quietly believing, “God will provide.” And indeed, the Lord provides a lamb. Throughout Scripture – from Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Mary and Peter – we see the same pattern of listening, showing and telling.

Bishop Asbil also shared his own experience during a major capital campaign. He, then a curate, and a ministry partner met with a parishioner named Jim to invite him to make a significant gift. After presenting the diocesan vision, Bishop Asbil nervously suggested the possibility of a $100,000 donation. Jim immediately replied, “I’d be happy to do that.” Three months later, Bishop Asbil asked Jim how he had been able to make such a generous commitment. Jim answered, “When you believe in something so much, it is a joy to give.” Bishop Asbil reflected on the phrase, “Give until it feels good, not until it hurts.” Indeed, as Paul reminds us, “God loves a cheerful giver.”

Before the conference concluded, each parish gathered separately to reflect on what we had learned and what we hoped to bring back to our own congregations. We were inspired by Bishop Asbil’s messages in many ways, including strengthening our online ministry, embracing the principles of “listen, show, and tell,” reaching out to youth and young adults, offering workshops on sharing personal testimonies, encouraging parents to share their faith journeys with their children and inviting senior members to pass on their faith stories to the younger generation.

During the closing ceremony, our co-chairs, Violet Sae and Stephen Ho, presented Bishop Asbil with a token of appreciation. I thanked the Rev. Canon Simon Li for his clear and concise interpretation from English to Cantonese. We also greatly appreciated the organizing committee and all the volunteers for their hard work in making the conference possible. Finally, members of St. Christopher passed our new 3D conference logo to the host of the 2029 conference, All Saints, Markham.

We thank God for this opportunity for spiritual renewal, for the Christian fellowship shared among the four congregations, and for the opportunity to learn from one another. Let us bless the Lord!