Major gift boosts campaign

In a conversation with Blake Goldring, it quickly becomes apparent that one of his passions is the Canadian military, in particular supporting the troops and looking after their families back home. But there is another passion that bubbles just under the surface: the Anglican Church.

By giving a generous gift of $1.5 million to the diocese’s Our Faith-Our Hope: Re-Imagine Church campaign, Mr. Goldring will be supporting both these institutions. His gift will fund leadership development in the diocese and support the Anglican Military Ordinariate of Canada.

It’s all part of making Canada a better place to live, he says, something the Anglican Church has always played a leading role in doing. “The Anglican Church has been an immensely positive force for good in Canada,” he says. “To my mind, it’s incredibly important to sustain this work and to contribute to the betterment of our society.”

Mr. Goldring is a parishioner of St. Clement, Eglinton, and the chairman and chief executive officer of AGF Management Ltd., one of the country’s largest independent investment management companies. He says he was inspired to give to the campaign by the leadership of Archbishop Colin Johnson and Archbishop Terence Finlay, the retired Bishop of Toronto.

As a member and former chair of the Bishop’s Company, Mr. Goldring has worked with both men closely and has seen firsthand the needs of others in the diocese, and how the church has responded in a compassionate way. “I’ve seen how we minister to those who truly require solace in a time of need, and how all of us—clergy and laity—work to make our society a better place.”

He says he did not hesitate to give to the campaign when asked by Archbishop Johnson. “I’ve been blessed to be in a position to give, and I wanted to step up and do so in a meaningful way. Donating money is an intensely personal issue for everyone, and there are many important causes to support and many ways to give and to participate. But this campaign will have an impact not just at the parish level, but at the diocesan and national levels as well. We can do something that can touch many different people and provide a positive spiritual element in the lives of Canadians.”

The campaign seeks to raise $50 million, to be spent in four areas: strengthening the local parish; building the church of tomorrow; revitalizing the church’s inheritance; and giving to others. As of May 1, it has raised more than $11 million.

Mr. Goldring says Anglicans have always supported their church, and will do so again with this campaign. “Anglicans have a very good record for always answering the call when it has come,” he says. “We want to participate and we do so through our fundraising and volunteer efforts.”

What particularly drew him to the Our Faith-Our Hope campaign, he says, was the chance to contribute to developing leaders of the church. “Education has always been very important to the Goldring family, so to be able to fund chairs to assist the leadership of the next generation of clergy is something I wanted to do. The more we can nurture and help our clergy, the better.”

The other significant feature of the campaign that appealed to him was funding the Anglican Military Ordinariate of Canada. This will ensure that a bishop will provide episcopal oversight and care to Anglican chaplains and personnel and others in the Armed Forces.

The care and well-being of Canada’s soldiers and their families are particularly close to Mr. Goldring’s heart. As the Honorary Colonel of the Army, he serves as a link between the military and the broader community. He has started up Canada Company, a group of business and community leaders who support members of the Canadian Forces and their families. Among its initiatives is a Scholarship Fund that provides support to children who have lost a parent while serving.

It’s all part of giving back to the community, he says, something that has enriched his life in many ways. “Contributing to causes or organizations such as the church can be hugely rewarding and there are so many ways to help — whether it’s volunteering at the food bank, donating to the clothing drive, serving on a board or giving to a campaign like this. It’s just a matter of knowing how best to contribute in a way that you can and to the extent that you can.”

Campaign picks up momentum

By the time The Anglican went to press, pledges and gifts to the Our Faith-Our Hope campaign from the leadership phase, the 10 parishes in the pilot phase and the 29 parishes in Block I, totaled $11,762,522. That is 24 per cent of the campaign’s minimum goal of $50 million.

As of April 29, 11 of the 29 parishes in Block I had exceeded their individual goals.

More than 1,700 Anglican families and individuals have made gifts to Our Faith-Our Hope: Re- Imagine Church. Because of the rebate feature of the campaign, the parishes in Block I could realize more than $2 million to help them meet the needs they have identified.

“I hope the tremendous success experienced by the pilot and Block I parishes will serve as an inspiration for the parishes in Block II (starting in May) and Block III (starting in August),” says Archbishop Colin Johnson.