From Oct. 27-29, “African Fashion: Many Threads – One Cloth” considered Africa and the African diaspora through the lens of fashion. The event included more than 20 speakers, storytellers and musicians, along with curated exhibits celebrating Africa’s traditional and contemporary fashion. The program also wove in many other aspects of African life, from cuisine and music to dance, storytelling and artefacts.

The sold-out opening night gala featured a live fashion show featuring designs by students from Toronto Metropolitan University and George Brown College. The reception that followed included exhibits, a buffet of West African foods, and a demonstration of how to fashion authentic African headdresses.

Saturday’s program included musical performances and a series of expert lectures outlining Africa’s ethnic and linguistic diversity, changing demographics, rapidly transforming societies and economic and ecological challenges. The Sunday afternoon program, which was free and open to the public, featured music, dance and exhibits, including performances by Juno-award winning musicians Donné Roberts and Adam Solomon.

The initiative was conceived of by Nancy Mallett, ODT, the cathedral’s longtime volunteer archivist, and Yosola Sholagbade-Adeoye, a cathedral parishioner. They were inspired by the 2022-23 “Africa Fashion” exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, U.K.

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Now try to imagine that you are on a huge ship (think a cruise ship with fewer people, pools and bars and more giant cargo containers). You pick up your smartphone to make a call to your family and… nothing happens. You are in the middle of the ocean, where there are no cell towers, where there is no Wi-Fi. Just dead air. What do you do? Nothing. You wait until you reach land, possibly weeks away. You hope and pray that there’s a local seafarer centre with free access to Wi-Fi and that you will be given enough time to get off your ship, get to the centre and make that call.

The Mission to Seafarers distributes a survey called the happiness index, which is available throughout the year to any seafarer anywhere who wants to complete it. In fact, there is an entire website devoted to the happiness index (www.seafarershappinessindex.org) where statistics are posted that reflect the views of seafarers from around the world. And everyone in the shipping industry is now paying attention to those statistics and to what the seafarers are concerned about (think: recruitment and retention of staff).

Two of the most important issues that have arisen through the happiness index are shore leave and connectivity. Although COVID-19 is mostly in the rearview mirror, many countries and ports – and indeed shipping companies – often refuse seafarers shore leave, to the detriment of their mental and physical health. Canada has attempted to maintain a “green zone,” which has allowed shore leave and repatriation of seafarers, except during the height of COVID-19. The Mission to Seafarers is vigilant in ensuring that seafarers are given shore leave when they arrive anywhere in Canada.

In addition to allowing the seafarers time away from their ships (and each other… think about being trapped in your office, 24/7, for weeks at a time), shore leave gives them access to free Wi-Fi at the seafarer centre, which are often the only places a seafarer can get free Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi on board ship may be available, but its access is strictly limited, often based on rank, and it’s never free. There is only one port in Canada that offers free Wi-Fi, and it isn’t in Ontario.

So it is a huge relief for seafarers to be able to get the Wi-Fi code immediately on arrival at the mission stations and to connect with loved ones around the world. Even though Canada has the most expensive mobile communication systems in the world, seafarer welfare centres, particularly the Mission to Seafarers, offer this as service of primary importance.

We “landlubbers” take so much for granted. We complain about the price of things, especially since the pandemic, yet we can still just go to the grocery store or market and buy groceries, gas, clothing, school supplies – or choose not to, depending on our budgets. And then we can pick up a phone, call a friend and commiserate with them about these price increases. Then again, we’re on land. Our seafarer friends, who bring us 90 per cent of everything (and can afford almost none of those things) are often stuck in the middle of the ocean and can’t access a store or a mobile signal from a cell tower.

Please keep seafarers in your thoughts and prayers this Christmastime, especially when you go out to do your Christmas shopping. (Remember: “No shipping, no shopping.”) Please donate to the Mission to Seafarers Southern Ontario through our CanadaHelps platform (www.mtsso.org). Help us bring the “ministry of small gestures” to all our seafarers this Christmastime. And thank you for your support!

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But alas, Mr. Perkins did not have a church with a long nave, nor a four-part choir, nor did he have a boy treble. He certainly did not have a full church, nor did he have the voice of Richard Burton. Mr. Perkins was not the rector of a quasi-cathedral city church, but the rector of Christ Church, Hampton’s Corners – a little church, tucked away in a little corner, almost forgotten in the vast diocese of which he was a part. While Mr. Perkins dreamt about someday being able to offer such a service, he knew his dreams were only that, and so he would escape into the memories of Lessons and Carols of youth with a mixture of sentimentality and sadness. From time-to-time (each year, in fact) he thought that perhaps he might raise the idea of a Lessons and Carols service with his faithful organist, Mr. Jack Organ, but Jack would emphatically reject the idea. “Impossible,” he would bellow, “We’re not a cathedral.” And that was that. But Mr. Jack Organ now worshipped on another shore, and his daughter-in-law, the young widow, Mary Organ, was now at the console, faithfully directing the six octo- and nonagenarians that made up the choir of Christ Church. It was Mary who first broached the idea with Mr. Perkins that maybe this year they should give it a shot.

“Mr. Perkins,” she said one Sunday in early November as they were leaving the church after the parishioners had departed, “I know you have always wanted to have a Lessons and Carols service here at Christ Church. What do you say we give it a go this year?”

Mr. Perkins’ heart leapt within him. It was like all he had dreamt was about to come true. Without missing a beat, without thinking, completely caught up in the excitement that comes when what you thought could never be is offered freely and unexpectedly, he said yes. And so, the plan was hatched.

If Mr. Perkins had stopped to think even for a moment, he might have thought better of it. He might have demonstrated some reservation. He might have considered the obstacles that stood in the way of executing the sort of Lessons and Carols service about which he so regularly fantasized. Perhaps amongst the readership of this little story there will be some of you who have participated in a Lessons and Carols service as choristers, or perhaps as a choir director, or even as a cleric. It is a service that takes considerable planning, considerable rehearsal, and considerable talent. I don’t think any of these three things were on the side of the people of Hampton’s Corners. Now, I don’t mean to disparage them, but to say that they would have been up to the task might be a disservice to the truth. They could put on a church supper like no one else. They were experts at running an annual dance. They could decorate the church more beautifully than any church in the diocese and they were famous for their Christmas bazaars. But Christ Church, Hampton’s Corners was not the liturgical or musical centre of the diocese, and Mr. Perkins knew it.

In spite of this knowledge – willfully ignoring it, in fact – in blissful pursuit of a sentimental return to the Christmases of his childhood, Mr. Perkins barrelled forward, enthusiastically preparing the service. He got his dog-eared copy of Carols for Choirs 1 down from his shelf and blew the dust off it. He busily selected the lessons and prepared the program. Mrs. Mary Organ put out a call for choristers, hoping to bring in a few ringers to round out the ranks, and selected some classic carols and well-known traditional anthems. Reginald Canon, the scrupulous people’s warden, was elected to conscript readers from the community and assign them the lessons. The time-honoured tradition would be that outstanding members of the local community would read the lessons, with the rector himself concluding with the lesson from John 1, “The Word Made Flesh.” Reg was delighted to inform Mr. Perkins that Marcus Alderman, the reeve of Hampton’s Corners, had agreed to be a reader – a wonderful coup, given that Mr. Alderman was a Presbyterian! Thus, the preparations unfolded.

The first sign of trouble came when Mr. Perkins learned that while a number of parishioners had volunteered to join the choir and fill out the ranks, Mary had been unable to procure any “ringers.” On a couple of occasions, he had poked his head in the church and listened to a bit of the rehearsal. He winced once or twice at the sour notes he heard and the dissonances amongst the voices, and then quietly closed the door and told himself, “Well, there are still three weeks…”

At last, the sacred night came – Dec. 24, Christmas Eve. The church was beautifully appointed and adorned. There were poinsettias, and holly, and Christmas lights, and a magnificent tree topped with a star. The lights were dimmed, the church was packed (thanks to a thoroughly effective advertising campaign led by Reg Canon), and silence fell over the congregation as the organ sounded a single note so that the solo verse of “Once in Royal David’s City” could begin. There was no boy treble, rather Miss Lillian Littlestature, the diminutive, aged spinster, had joined the choir for this occasion, having told Mary Organ that she had once sung this same part, eight decades ago in this very church. As silence fell, after the note had sounded, Lillian, with the sort of vibrato that can only be attained with age and decades of underused vocal chords, began, “Once in Royal David’s City, stood a lowly cattle shed…”

A tear came to Mr. Perkins’ eye, but not the sort of tear that comes from nostalgic reminiscences of Christmases of yore, but rather the sort of tear that comes from the sound of fingers crossing a chalkboard. The first verse of this hymn seemed much longer than he remembered, and he was serenely comforted when the whole congregation joined in on verse two and the choir began to process.

Upon reaching his appointed place in the chancel, Mr. Perkins began…

“Beloved in Christ, at this Christmas-tide let it be our care and delight to hear again the message of the angels, and in heart and mind to go even unto Bethlehem and see this thing which is come to pass, and the Babe, lying in a manager…”

However, in the middle of the prayer, in which he was admonishing the congregation to remember the poor and the helpless, the cold and the hungry, seven-year-old Tommy Tornado set his older sister’s hair on fire with his vigil candle. Fortunately, Reg Canon (who had been skeptical about the use of open flame in the church) was at the ready with a bucket of water, and doused the flame, and young Suzy, saving the day. The shrieking subsided and as the whole row of the Tornado family noisily departed the church, the service continued. Several individuals quietly snuffed out their own candles, just to be on the safe side.

The readings began, telling of Man’s first disobedience in the garden, God’s promises to Abraham, Christ’s birth foretold by Isaiah, all punctuated by familiar congregational carols. Then came the first anthem, “The Angel Gabriel,” an old Basque carol. Mr. Perkins had owned that this might have been a bit ambitious for the little choir, but he trusted that Mrs. Organ would have told him if the choir could not have pulled it off. Perhaps she was just as overly optimistic as he was. We will leave it by saying that it was a rendition for the ages – ages past, and best forgotten.

On the bright side, the readers chosen from the community were all quite good and read most competently. When the sixth lesson came, the reeve, Mr. Marcus Alderman, approached the lectern, and then a feeling of horror overtook Mr. Perkins, for he had chosen the alternative sixth lesson, which might not have been the most appropriate to be read by an elected official. Mr. Alderman boomed: “And so it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.” The congregation erupted in laughter that their reeve should be chosen to read the “taxation” passage. Reg Canon, who had chosen the readers, sat with a self-satisfied look on his face, amused at his own cleverness. Mr. Perkins hung his head in shame. This was certainly not going as planned.

Thankfully, though, there were no further disasters that evening. The second anthem was a bit better than the first, but not by much. Aside from that, the evening continued with some lusty congregational belting of favourite carols, and at last Mr. Perkins took to the lectern one final time to read the Ninth Lesson: St. John Unfolds the mystery of the Incarnation.

“In the beginning,” he began, once again calling up his Richard Burton voice, attempting to restore a sense of decorum and gravitas to the evening’s proceedings. But then he paused and simply continued in his own, gentle Mr. Perkins voice:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God.
All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe…

Mr. Perkins continued,
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (Mr. Perkins emphasized the “us”) and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

A hush fell over the church as he read, and at that very moment the Mystery of the Word made flesh came to Mr. Perkins, and dare I say to his little church, in a way it never had before. It was not into a perfect world that Christ came, but a flawed world, a world marred by sin, by pride, by vanity, filled with broken people, imperfect people, silly people, sad people. Christ came into a world that did not sing in perfect harmony, to people who did not speak like Richard Burton, to people who accidentally (or even intentionally) lit fires, to the mistaken and mischievous alike. For each and every one of us, the Word was made flesh, and manifested forth his glory.

Following the service, in very Anglican fashion, the congregation met in the hall over sherry. Across the room, Mr. Perkins caught the glance Mrs. Mary Organ. She approached him with a silly smile that was full of all the evening’s tragedy (or was it comedy?), and raising a glass asked him, “Well, Mr. Perkins, was that everything you dreamed of?”

Touching his glass to hers, he responded, “Not exactly Mrs. Organ, it was oh so much more. Merry Christmas… and thank you.”

“A very Merry Christmas to you, Mr. Perkins.”

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In a gathering of congregants, friends of the parish, previous incumbents and members from yesteryears, the parish celebrated its journey thus far. Glorious music by the choir offered praise and thanksgiving, and an adorable children’s program encouraged the gathering to go out into the world carrying the light of God’s love. Past parish priests in attendance were honored to commemorate their leadership and contributions. Video presentations painted a vivid tapestry of the parish’s history and vibrant community life.

Jennifer McKelvie, the deputy mayor of Toronto, was a special guest and felicitated the congregation on 100 years of service. Having grown up in the neighborhood of St. Bede’s, Ms. McKelvie remembered the very engaged church from her childhood.

Archdeacon Cheryl Palmer commended the parish community on adapting to new realities over the years. She urged the congregation to take the message of Christian love beyond the walls of the parish.

St. Bede’s originated as the Regent Park Mission in 1923. It quickly blossomed and was established as a parish in 1924. In 10 short years, a church building was constructed, up on a hill, replaced by the current building built in 1959.

The parish became an integral part of the community and its faithful followers, bringing to life the theme for the centenary, “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid.” (Matthew 5:14)

Under the able leadership of many Anglican priests, the parish has continued being a beacon of light living out the discipleship of Jesus and fulfilling the ministry of the Church beyond its immediate neighborhood. Today the parish consists of a congregation that gathers in worship and fellowship from every corner of the Greater Toronto Area, with the Rev. Dr. Irwin Sikha as the incumbent.

Those unable to attend the inaugural service in person had the opportunity to join virtually. The event was livestreamed, with the recording available at www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArhQrWjhTO4. The service was followed by a sumptuous meal and fun activities such as a photo booth and auction.

The inaugural celebration sets the stage for several centenary activities planned over the upcoming year, promising more moments of reflection, connection and joy.

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The bursary was established by friends and family of the late Douglas Cowling, ODT, a musician, writer and scholar who shared his enthusiasm for accessible music and liturgical experimentation with parishes throughout the diocese and beyond. Mr. Cowling died in 2017.

“He was so gifted in so many areas that we wanted to establish something that would honour and highlight all these gifts and continue his work. He was very much involved in the ministry of music for all, to include everyone, all ages,” says Elizabeth Cowling, his widow.

The bursary in his name aims to support clergy and musicians to collaborate, foster and implement programming to enhance worship and musical creativity, particularly with participation by all age groups. An award of $5,000-10,000 to a parish in the diocese will support the music staff to further liturgical training or provide creative liturgical programming.

Liturgical programming could include special events and gatherings, community programs around music, congregation and community outreach, a conference or gathering, or a multi-parish project using digital tools to support worship. Training for music staff could include workshops, retreats, guest lectures or musical coaches.

The bursary was first awarded in 2018 to Robert Graham, then the music director at Holy Trinity, Guildwood. “That was quite wonderful, because they had a musician there who was very enthusiastic, with the capacity to work with all ages,” says Ms. Cowling.

A later applicant fell ill and wasn’t able to accept the bursary, and then the pandemic put everything on hold for a few years. “We were creating a conference for parishes doing this type of musical inclusivity just before the pandemic,” says Ms. Cowling. “Life got in the way.”

Now, with parishes back to in-person worship and refocusing their energies on the future, the bursary team thinks this is the perfect time to renew its support of musical creativity and innovation.

“I think parishes right now have gone through a sea change in the congregation and in new people coming in, new rectors,” says Ms. Cowling. “They’re thinking about what they can do and facing some struggles, so we would like to encourage once again parish renewal with creativity.”

The Cowling family had originally committed to giving at least $5,000 a year for five years to a fund managed by the Anglican Diocese of Toronto Foundation, but Ms. Cowling says they’re going to see how things unfold as applications come in.

“We thought five years was going to be a long time, and then three years were taken up by pandemic. We’re reframing everything right now, and we may give more than one bursary if we have many positive applicants. We’re not restricting ourselves to one,” she says.

As for who she’d like to see apply, Ms. Cowling says she hopes to hear from parish musicians who show a similar level of enthusiasm as her late husband. “Someone for whom inclusivity and participation is important,” she says. “Someone who’s drawn to liturgy and thinking, what can I do? Who has a broad background, maybe not necessarily in the Church, but who can bring that to the community.”

She encourages musicians to get the support of their parish priest and to think about the bursary as a whole-parish commitment. “Think about all the talents, all the abilities that you have in your particular parish, and use them,” she says. “Include all the arts; it doesn’t have to be just music.”

The deadline to apply for the Cowling Bursary is Dec. 31, with grant recipients announced in January. For more details, see the call for submissions or email cowlingbursary@gmail.com.

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It was a joy to have Bishop Andrew and Mary Asbil for the weekend. They led night prayers on Friday night, led a team challenge and helped facilitate the Cast the Net session on Saturday. Bishop Asbil also celebrated the Eucharist on Sunday.

“This has been such an energizing weekend,” he said. “To see all these young people and their faithful leaders coming away, fighting the traffic to get out of the city, coming from the four corners of the diocese to gather for play, prayer and ministry is so inspiring. It gives me so much hope for the Church of today.”

The Rev. Yohan Dumpala, assistant curate at St. John the Baptist, Norway, led the worship, assisted by the Rev. Rob Petkau, a Wycliffe College student from the Diocese of Calgary, as well as numerous youth on percussion instruments. The theme for the retreat was “The Joy of Following Jesus Then and Now.” Cormac Culkeen, youth coordinator for Trent-Durham and co-coordinator of the diocese’s Youth Ministry Apprenticeship Program, was the main speaker. They shared with the youth about St. Teresa of Avila, St. Francis of Assisi, and from John 15:5-17.

Participants had lots of time to play and explore many of the activities that Muskoka Woods offers. They played glow-in-the-dark capture the flag on Friday night. On Saturday, they rode The Kraken, a huge, six-lane waterslide, and played an exciting game of flame battlers. Also on Saturday afternoon, they enjoyed their choice of volleyball, basketball, tennis, gaga ball, a high ropes course, indoor rock climbing, long boarding and scooters, hanging out by the lake, and arts and crafts. On Sunday, they battled in a team version of Jeopardy (the bible edition)

The BYMC would like to thank the diocese and the College of Bishops for their continued support of youth ministry and this annual retreat. We look forward to seeing everyone again next year!

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As the conference began, participants were inspired by the Rev.  Tina Conlon’s reading of Isaiah 65:17-25, which lays out a bold vision for a new creation marked by justice and peace.

Keynote speaker Dr. Brian Walsh, an author, academic and farmer, made the displacement theme real by outlining the tale of a woman named Meredith who came to the aid of a Black man on the Toronto subway who was seen as a security threat. Meredith drew strength from her own deep sense of feeling rooted from her experiences growing up and from the values of her Christian family. That helped her support the young man on the subway and not be intimidated by police officers who surrounded him.

Dr. Walsh expanded on the theme of displacement, noting that homeless people who have been displaced by poverty, addictions and other reasons then move into parks, only to find themselves further displaced when their encampments are dismantled.

“Jesus creates a place for all, a place for a new creation,” he said. “Without the radical hope of a new creation, without a compelling vision of homecoming in the face of homelessness, we will not have the spiritual or imaginative resources to confront the forces of displacement that wreak such suffering in our world. The only way to inhabit a world of displacement is by living out this vision of radical homecoming in community together.”

Workshops explored other elements of displacement, including one that delved deeper into the homeless encampment issue. It noted that the encampments represent a positive choice for those people who feel restricted by rules imposed by shelters and who enjoy a sense of belonging and community in the encampments.

A workshop on building a movement for affordable housing looked at how the Lakeshore Affordable Housing Advocacy and Action Group in Etobicoke takes a “boots on the ground” approach to working with tenants to educate them about their rights and advocate for housing. The group is working on a land trust project.

Poverty and a lack of affordable housing reach into every corner of our diocese, as was outlined in a workshop on rural poverty led by the Rev. Lorna May from the parish of St. Luke, Creemore. Creemore, a village north of Toronto, is known for its affluence, yet a food bank that began by serving six families two years ago has expanded to serve 37 families. It delivers food to people in need partly because some have no way to get to the food bank, others are too embarrassed to be seen at the food bank, and because deliveries provide a way to keep in touch with people.  One person had direct contact with only one person each week – the person dropping off food to her.

“We have families who skip meals and at times go without food,” she said.

Canada’s hunger crisis came to the fore in a workshop on basic income and food insecurity, led by Queen’s University professor Dr. Elaine Power, an expert on food insecurity and a campaigner for basic income. She outlined the alarming rise in foodbank use in Canada, from one and a half million visits per month in March 2022 to almost two million in March 2023, as outlined in a report by Foodbanks Canada called From a Storm to a Hurricane. Yet hunger is actually far worse, since many people are too embarrassed to access food banks or can’t get to them. Dr. Power estimates the number of food-insecure Canadians to be at least eight million.

“This should be a national disgrace in one of the richest countries in the world and one of the richest in human history,” she said.

Aside from the hardships involved, food insecurity costs us far more than many realize. A Canadian who doesn’t have to worry about where their next meal is coming from needs, on average, $1,608 in health care costs. But a person enduring severe food insecurity requires $3,930 per year in prescription drugs, doctors’ services, emergency room visits and other health costs.

A basic income program could make a huge difference for people who go hungry or must cut back on other needs, she said. Lindsay was one site where a basic income pilot project was carried out by a former provincial government. “I saw how life-changing it was for so many of my friends,” said Finn Keesmaat-Walsh, who lived near Lindsay at the time.

The Church’s need to become more radically inclusive was also discussed at the conference. Church structures sometimes make it hard for people with different life experiences to feel welcome and feel God’s grace. “The Church is the one institution that exists for the benefit of those outside it,” said the Rev. Susanne McKim, quoting Archbishop William Temple. “But we don’t act that way a lot of the time.” The Rev. Claudette Taylor added, “We need to walk in each other’s shoes.”

Other workshops highlighted farm-worker issues, parish nursing, displacement and the Indigenous experience, and the Greenbelt preservation campaign.

The conference marked 20 years since an annual Outreach Networking Conference was first held in the diocese. “We need to hear the current forms which injustices are taking,” said Elin Goulden, the diocese’s Social Justice and Advocacy consultant. “There are new ways of responding. We need to be rooted in the dream of God’s vision for the world to have the energy to do this work. This is God’s ultimate endgame.”

Participants urged to take action

Participants of the outreach conference heard a range of ideas to address the needs of marginalized people in our society and bring us closer to the vision of “a new heaven and a new earth,” found in Isaiah 65.

To confront the deepening crisis of housing, participants were urged to raise their voices. “We have to pressure government for more funding,” said housing workshop resource person Jasmin Dooh. “There is a reason more housing co-ops haven’t been built in the past 50 years. It’s the lack of funding.”

The Rev. Lorna May said, “Advocate for change, advocate for a guaranteed basic income. Write letters, phone your representatives.”

A number of ways in which Canadians can support basic income were suggested. These include:

• Add your voice to that of over 60,000 Canadians on a petition calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to support basic income. The petition is at leadnow.ca/basic-income.
• Urge your MP and the federal government to support Bills S-233 and C-223, currently before Parliament. If passed, they would establish a national framework for a basic income. Visit www.ubiworks.ca/guaranteed-livable-basic-income.
• Support advocacy coalitions such as the Basic Income Canada network and UBI Works.
• Arrange a showing at your church or community group of A Human Picture, an award-winning 16-minute documentary on Ontario’s basic income pilot project. Visit ahumanpicture.com.

Participants were also encouraged to truly welcome people with different life experiences into their parishes and to evolve into “communities of resistance” to the mainstream society.

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The dinner, held Oct. 20 at the Marriott hotel in downtown Toronto, was sold out, with 405 people coming from around the diocese to socialize, enjoy a delicious meal and listen to the music of jazz guitarist Nathan Hiltz. Blake Goldring, ODT, was the guest speaker and the Rev. Roshni Jayawardena, incumbent of St. Peter, Erindale, was the MC.

The annual dinner raises funds for clergy and their families in need and to provide bursaries for theological education. This year’s event raised more than $170,000.

Mr. Goldring, a member of St. Clement, Eglinton and the executive chairman of AGF Management Limited, gave a humorous and inspiring account of how his faith has influenced his personal and professional life.

“It provides me with the resilience, clarity and strength needed to overcome life’s challenges,” he said. “It helps me persevere in the face of adversity, find the clarity to make wise decisions – though my wife may not agree – and conditioned me to treat others with kindness, compassion and empathy.”

He said he practices servant leadership, a philosophy in which the goal of the leader is to serve others, prioritizing their growth and well-being. “Perhaps the very best example of servant leadership is Jesus. In Mark 10:45 he said, ‘For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.’ As we all know, he certainly practiced what he preached. His example and his teaching influenced me from an early age, and they continue to guide me to this day, helping fuel my business success and inspiring me to make a meaningful impact on our society.”

Mr. Goldring has given back to the community in many ways. With his wife Belinda, he funded the development of Sunnybrook hospital’s first hybrid operating room, which opened last year. In 2006, he founded Canada Company, a charity that provides support for members of the military, veterans and their families. He also provided funding for the Anglican Military Ordinariate, a ministry to Anglicans in the Canadian Armed Forces.

Mr. Goldring has financially supported the Bishop’s Company over the years and encouraged others to do so as well. “Our clergy serve as the Church’s front line. Think about COVID-19 and what they did for us through that dark time – the impact they had. They brought comfort, they provided succor, they made sure to address the spiritual needs of our community. But we mustn’t forget that they are also from our community, and they too have needs. I hope that all of us can find it in our hearts to open up our wallets and help ensure that our spiritual leaders get all the support they need and deserve as they carry out their important work in the service of others.”

After Mr. Goldring’s speech, Bishop Asbil spoke about how important the Bishop’s Company is to him. “When we get calls from our clergy colleagues with real life crises, there are moments when the first thing I do is tap my heart, knowing the hurt the family is going through, but by golly, the ability to be able to help financially is such a gift,” he said.

The evening included a tribute to the late Bishop Michael Bedford-Jones, a retired bishop of the diocese who died of COVID-19-related complications in 2021. “What an amazing gift Michael was to us,” said Archbishop Colin Johnson in his tribute. He described Bishop Bedford-Jones as a gifted teacher and mentor. “We saw in him authentic Christian spirituality. He loved the Church and what it could be. His faith was joyous.”

Sponsors of the evening included a generous benefactor who wished to remain anonymous, the Anglican Diocese of Toronto Foundation, AGF, Ecclesiastical, NHI Nursing and Homemakers Inc., Mr. Ken Hugessen and Ms. Jennifer Connelly, Turner and Porter, Blair Franklin, Fiera Capital, Miller Thomson, Northleaf and VPC Group Inc.

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