We received a $12,000 grant from Our Faith-Our Hope to produce a mobile app, the next logical step in our communications strategy. We launched “Grace Matters” for both Apple and Android devices on Sept. 7, 2014. Since then, it has been downloaded more than 1,000 times by users in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.

The app is divided into several sections, such as an introduction to Sunday readings, readings for morning and evening prayer, and upcoming events. The core features, however, are the resources provided to individuals and families for cultivating faith practices at home. This includes, for example, simple blessings that can be said at the table, as well as videos and resources gathered from across the Internet with the goal of bridging the gap between church and “everyday” life. Online Bible study tools give users the opportunity to access scripture on the go, in any number of translations. More importantly, the app includes links to a number of video resources that bring many popular Bible stories to life for children. We hope the app will help connect our congregation to some of the great material being produced throughout the church, such as the national church’s Community blog and the new Spirit of Invitation videos produced in our own diocese.

One of our major goals is to keep the app up to date with the current liturgical season. So far, the most popular aspects of the app are the introduction to the Sunday readings and the various Grace media collected under the “Watch and Listen” category.

Many aspects of the app are not exclusive to Grace Church. We hope that we can offer the app as a resource to be used by Anglicans throughout the diocese and beyond. We are grateful to the Our Faith-Our Hope campaign for giving us this new opportunity for the building up of God’s church.

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Among the first nations to open its borders to the refugees was Jordan. A group of religion journalists from North America, including this writer, met some of them last October at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Amman.

We were welcomed by Father Khalil Jaar, who told us that he considered the Christians from Mosul to be guests, not refugees. He believed that any country would be lucky to receive them. Many were well educated and dedicated to their faith.

The courage of these people, who left with little more than the clothes on their backs, was inspiring. Many of them told stories of heartbreak and loss.

Brothers Sief and Jacob Jebrita ran a small videography and photography business in a village just outside of Mosul. Six weeks after ISIS took over the village, they received a letter ordering them to stop work because what they did was forbidden under Islamic law. The brothers and their families were forced from their homes. They witnessed intimidation. A soldier ripped an earring out of a girl’s ear, causing it to split open, because jewelry was not acceptable under ISIS. They saw men killed for refusing to convert to Islam and women sold into slavery. Two of their neighbour’s children were killed.

They said there is no going back to Mosul, not only because of ISIS but because the relationship between Muslims and Christians has been shattered by the violence. Years of peace between the different religions and sects is over.

But the refugees had not given up hope. They prayed nightly and discussed their dreams for the future as they began to rebuild their lives. A common belief was that out of suffering could come good, thanks to their faith in God. Said one older woman: “Do you want a clearer miracle than this? We have lost everything, but we did not lose our faith.”

Fr. Jaar was a vocal and enthusiastic advocate for his guests. He worried about finding winter accommodation for them. The church was trying to find apartments for them in Amman. He has publicized their plight and is seeking funds to house and feed them. The children are attending classes at the school attached to the church. The refugees have communal meals twice a day, after noon and in the evening. The food is served from a makeshift kitchen.

We also met Father Nabil Haddad, a Jordanian Christian who is working for peace and reconciliation with Islam. A Melkite Catholic priest, Fr. Haddad says Jordan’s Christians, who make up the oldest Christian community in the world, have much to contribute to peace and reconciliation, despite being only two per cent of the Jordanian population. “We have been here since the day of Pentecost and we need to share with our Muslim brothers and sisters,” he said.

He announced a new initiative called Karama, using the Greek word for dignity. He believed that Judaism, Christianity and Islam – all faiths coming from Abraham – could find common ground by talking about dignity and respect for all humanity. “I grew up like an Arab Jordanian child, but in a devout Christian family. Islam is a part of our culture and civilization. But I learned to be a witness for Christianity.”

Since 2001, he has been especially active in interfaith work, trying to help Muslims and Christians work together through education. “We are a people of faith, love, mercy and respect. It is so rewarding to conquer someone’s ignorance with a Christian message of love.”

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Paul was born in the diaspora (that is, the Jews who had migrated from the Holy Land into various parts of the Roman Empire). He was born in Tarsus of Cilicia, located on the southwestern coast of modern day Turkey. He was brought up in a strict orthodox Jewish home and probably learned his trade as a tentmaker while residing in Tarsus. His parents may have been Roman citizens, which meant they were probably wealthy and had some important job in that area. Although he may have known Hebrew, his native tongue was Greek. At some point, he moved to Jerusalem; Luke suggested it was to study with Gamaliel, one of the most influential rabbis of the first century.

We know more about Paul than any other writer in the Christian Bible. In the Acts of the Apostles, Luke commits the last half of the book to Paul’s mission work (see Acts 13-28); it could have been called the Acts of Paul the Apostle. Thirteen of the 21 epistles in the Christian Bible are credited to the pen of Paul. The Letter to the Hebrews was written anonymously. Some in the early church assumed it was written by Paul, but that view was discredited and the epistle has remained anonymous through the centuries.

There is much discussion among biblical scholars about the authorship of many of Paul’s 13 epistles, but I believe he was the original author of each. During the next few months, I will endeavour to give my reasons for this belief. Remember, there were no computers or printing presses. Every word had to be written by hand. We possess no original manuscripts today. All are copies of copies, and sometimes the copyist may have added his own comments.

It is important to note that the early churches thought enough of Paul to keep his letters and then to provide copies of them to other churches. I don’t believe Paul was writing theology. His letters are usually in response to problems in the local churches. Each situation was different, and his letters were in reply to those differences.

He was a creative thinker and demanded thinking followers. He was also limited by the structures of his age. He believed that the local Christian community must be one, with no distinction between rich or poor, slave or free, male or female. Paul loved each local community that he established but castigated them when necessary.

We first meet Paul at the stoning of Stephen, the first Christian martyr. Stephen was one of the elected deacons, chosen to serve the needs of the widows and orphans in the early church. Most of these deacons quickly became preachers of the Gospel. Stephen was speaking at one of the leading synagogues in Jerusalem when he was accused of blasphemy. This led to his stoning. Paul was there, representing the Sanhedrin, and gave permission for the execution. He was called Saul, his Hebrew name at that point.

I think that was the real beginning of Paul’s conversion. As he watched Stephen die in peace and forgiveness, I think this deeply affected him. His first reaction was to lash out at the church. It was blaspheming the word of God. How could a convicted criminal who was put to death on a tree be the Messiah? (See Deuteronomy 21:23.) This was inconceivable for Paul, so he went out and persecuted the church, dragging Christians before the Sanhedrin.

Many Christians fled from Jerusalem, and Paul obtained orders from the chief priest to follow these unbelievers to Damascus and drag them back to face the Jewish court. Here Paul has an encounter with the risen Christ and is changed from persecutor to apostle. This is recorded in Acts 9:1-9.

What follows is quite a story, one that we will examine in some detail in the months ahead. Enjoy the dialogue.

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The shelter, located at the corner of Yonge and Dundas streets, is a short walk away from the homeless memorial outside Holy Trinity, where the names of hundreds of men and women who have died on the city’s streets or in homeless shelters are listed.

“I would just ask you to imagine dying here,” said the Rev. Maggie Helwig, the incumbent of St. Stephen-in-the-Fields, Toronto, to those attending the press conference. “Or imagine dying in a truck in a parking lot, in the dark, cold and alone” she added, referring to another man who had died in the city’s west end on Jan. 5.

“I am tired and sick at heart and do not want any more of my people to die this way,” she said. “People are dying because the wait list for affordable and supportive housing in this city is hundreds of thousands of people long. People are dying because the emergency shelters are at capacity night after night.”

Ms. Helwig, who is the chair of the diocese’s Social Justice and Advocacy Committee, urged Toronto to issue extreme cold weather alerts earlier, before temperatures reach -15C. According to the city’s protocols, an alert is made when the temperature hits – 15C, not including the windchill. At that point, additional services are provided for homeless people, including the opening of drop-in warming centres and the provision of more shelter beds.

She said the city has been dragging its feet in revising its cold weather protocols, resulting in needless suffering and death. “We cannot go on like this,” she said. “It took a Twitter campaign and a sit-in at the mayor’s office to get the (warming centres) open, and as far as we know no one died on the streets last night. That’s a pretty sad situation when that’s your standard for a win.”

Tanya Gulliver-Garcia, a parishioner of Holy Trinity and a former member of the Toronto Disaster Relief Committee, said the city should automatically create more beds as soon as shelters reach 90 per cent capacity. Right now, she said, most are running well above that.

However, she said calling cold weather alerts earlier and creating more shelter beds are just Band-Aid solutions. “We need to be looking at housing and prevention and income support so that we don’t have more and more people entering the system and we can start emptying the shelters instead of continuing to build new ones. Until we have enough income for people and until we’re building housing that people can afford to live in, this problem is not going to go away.”

Ms. Gulliver-Garcia, who was homeless for a short while as a teenager, says people of faith are called by God to take action. “If you look at the teachings of Jesus, he’s talking about protecting and taking care of your neighbour. If I was outside and homeless, I would want someone to take care of me. If we’re not doing that with the most vulnerable in our society, we’re failing as Christians.”

She says people can advocate for change by taking small steps. “Write a letter to your city councillor. Write a letter to the mayor asking to open more shelter beds. Write a letter to the province to increase the minimum wage and income supports. Write to the federal government and say it’s time to get back in the business of building affordable housing. It’s about synergy and the efforts of people. As faith communities, we’re a loud voice if we want to be.”

Anglicans are helping out in other ways. One of the city’s warming stations, run by Margaret Fraser House, is located in the parish hall of All Saints, Sherbourne Street. The station is open to men and women overnight, and in the day they can go around the block to the church’s drop-in, which is located in the nave. At both locations, they are provided with food and other necessities.

“We’ve been busy the last couple of days, there’s no question about it,” says the Rev. David Opheim, incumbent of All Saints. He says the church has been handing out as many warm clothing items as it can get. “On Monday, we had a couple of pews full of winter coats and they were gone within the first hour. We’ve had all sorts of people drop by to donate sleeping bags and coats. Anything that people can give to us, we can certainly hand out. We can sure use them.” (Donations of warm clothing can be made at the church, which is located at the corner of Dundas and Sherbourne streets.)

A few churches in the diocese run or contribute to Out of the Cold programs, providing overnight accommodation to hundreds of homeless men and women every winter. Many more provide food and warm clothing through their parish outreach. Through their donations to Faith- Works, the diocese’s annual outreach appeal, churches, corporations and individuals give more than $1 million a year to agencies and ministries that help the poor and homeless. The diocese recently tithed $100,000 to Habitat for Humanity to build affordable housing in Scarborough.

Archbishop Colin Johnson said the death of the two men is a tragedy and the ongoing struggle to house and care for the marginalized is an issue that effects the whole of society. “The fact that there are people who are without shelter on some of the coldest nights of the year, leading to their deaths, is, frankly, a sin of our society, of which we need to repent and amend our own lives so that it doesn’t happen.”

Affordable housing and homelessness has been one of the social justice priorities for the diocese for more than 10 years. Anglicans have passed vestry motions calling on the provincial government to make affordable housing a priority. They have met with their MPPs to discuss the need for improved affordable and supportive housing infrastructure. They have also supported the work of several ecumenical, interfaith, and secular justice organizations. In addition, the diocese has provided direct support to housing initiatives through its relationships with several Faith- Works Ministry Partners.

In his letter to Premier Kathleen Wynne in September of 2014, Archbishop Johnson reminded the government that “Anglican parishes throughout the diocese have long been actively involved in supporting our neighbours who are homeless or precariously housed through the development of affordable housing projects on church lands, advocating for increased funding for supportive housing, or supporting Out of the Cold programs.”

Ryan Weston, the diocese’s Social Justice and Advocacy consultant, said the diocese remains committed to working with the government to put an end to homelessness. “While timely emergency responses remain critical to keeping people safe and warm in the short-term, particularly during extreme weather events, a long-term strategy to combat homelessness and marginalization requires commitment and investment from all three levels of government to build and improve affordable housing stock throughout our region, including safe and supportive housing for those living with addictions or mental health concerns. The diocese will continue to remind all levels of government of our commitment to living out our baptismal vow to ‘seek and serve Christ in all persons and to respect the dignity of every human being.’”

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PROS is a comprehensive care program for trafficked individuals in Toronto, funded by the Diocese of Toronto. I spend about half my time working directly with clients, including those who have been trafficked or experienced trauma. I work holistically to meet their biological, psychological, social and spiritual needs. I also assist at our two drop-in programs for women and am excited to start a third that will focus on building capacity. My other duties include outreach, research, community education and political action.

Unfortunately, there is very little awareness of the problem of human trafficking in Canada among healthcare providers. For this reason, I recently submitted a resolution to the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) to advocate for community prevention, as well as for protocols for nurses to identify trafficked individuals in healthcare settings like emergency rooms. We have also asked the RNAO to lobby for more funding for aftercare. It is my hope that I will be able to present this resolution at the RNAO’s upcoming annual general meeting, and gain the support of other members.

One of the best parts about working at All Saints is that I get to know the clients. I recently attended the Christmas service at All Saints, where I saw many of our clients in a different light. It was a powerful service and completely inclusive – including a blessing done by a client in another language. It has made me reflect on how big a role spirituality plays in our clients’ lives, and makes me appreciate how our clergy are able to meet spiritual needs in an accessible setting.

Recently, a client asked me to assist her in reaching an educational goal. Being able to facilitate this type of case-management is one of the best aspects of my job. The most difficult aspect of this position is the darkness of the subject matter.

I grew up outside of Chatham and completed my BSc at the University of Guelph, my PhD at McGill, and my BScN at Western University. During this time, I won several awards, including an HIV/AIDS Biomedical Research Award, and the Excellence in Professional Nursing Practice from the Council of Ontario University Programs in Nursing. In addition to acting as the PROS coordinator, I am a research fellow at the University Health Network, where I work on Hepatitis C, an issue that largely affects marginalized populations.

Before moving to Toronto, I volunteered with the London Anti-Human Trafficking Committee, and I wanted to continue this type of work in Toronto, but wasn’t sure how. Sometimes I can’t believe how fortunate I am to be able to do clinical work at All Saints and research at the University Health Network, in two areas that I am passionate about. I believe that this is only possible because of the tremendous leadership of both of my supervisors, who have supported me in connecting these two worlds. I think that being given the autonomy at All Saints to take the program in a certain direction will be a career experience that is difficult to top.

As a child, I remember praying for people to find their vocation, and thought how important a prayer this was. As an adult, I have also struggled to find a vocation, knowing that my main goal was to serve God and try to effect change, but not being sure exactly how to do it. During my undergraduate studies, I went on two outreach trips to sub-Saharan Africa, and spent much time reflecting and journaling on why I was there. After seeing HIV affect so many, I did a PhD studying HIV drugs, but something was still missing. I decided that I would pursue nursing so that I would be able to provide that front-line care, while applying my research skills to a clinical setting. During my nursing education, I had placements in hospital-based settings but quickly realized that these types of positions were not for me. After completing my BScN, I knew it would be difficult to obtain a position in the community, but I had faith that God had a plan for me. I had been volunteering at All Saints, and only a few weeks after becoming a registered nurse, the PROS position came up – a position that would allow me to combine all my previous knowledge and training.

The next major project I am working on is to implement a TELUS Health Electronic Medical Record (EMR) at All Saints. With this, we will be one of the first RN-led drop-ins to have this type of system. An EMR will allow us to document pieces of a client’s history over time, while tracking progress, even if a client does not want to give her or his full name. We will also be able to customize assessment tools for our drop-in setting and anti-human trafficking initiatives.

I have to say that I never thought I would get a position that I was so passionate about this early in my nursing career. In five years, I hope to be able to continue to work with street-involved individuals, but to have obtained the Nurse Practitioner certificate so that I will be able to provide more clinical case-management for difficult-to-reach populations.

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Many in Canada and in our diocese join in the annual celebration of Black History Month in February. There is an annual diocesan Black Heritage Service that is held on the last Sunday in February at St. Paul, Bloor Street at 4 p.m. The first service was held at St. James Cathedral in February 1995. Some parishes in our diocese also hold similar services during the month.

The question has been asked of me and others, “Why do we have to designate a month called Black History Month?” Answers vary, but fundamentally it can be summed up in the quotation used at the beginning of this article. Although considerable progress has been made in race relations through the years, racism – subtle and not so subtle – still exists in many of our institutions, including the church. Prejudice and bigotry are very present with us and are manifested in the way others are treated because of their age, race, sexual orientation or whatever makes them different.

There are persons who support the observance of Black History Month and believe that it is important for such a celebration to take place. There are others, including persons of African heritage, who do not share these sentiments, and who believe that such an observance minimizes the importance of black history.

Since 1926, Americans have recognized black history, first known as “Negro History Week” and later as “Black History Month.” There have been black people in America since colonial times, but it was not until the 20th century that they began to be included in history books. Dr. Cater G. Woodson, a PhD Harvard graduate, was the person responsible for the celebration of Black History Month in the United States. He established the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (now called the Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History) in 1915. It is believed that Dr. Woodson chose the month of February because of a number of African-Americans who celebrate significant achievements in that month. It is also suggested that he wanted to honour Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, whose birthdays were in February and who were in the forefront of ending American slavery.

In Canada around 1950, the railroad porters within the black community, on learning about what was happening in the United States, were inspired by these celebrations. However, it was the Ontario Black History Society, founded in 1978, that became the pioneering body for such a celebration in Canada. It successfully lobbied the federal government to have February declared as Black History Month, and in December 1995, Parliament officially recognized February as Black History Month. The first black Canadian woman elected to Parliament, the Hon. Jean Augustine, introduced the motion.

The objective of Black History Month is to provide information about black history, culture and heritage. The hope is that sharing such knowledge will inspire confidence among black people about their cultural heritage. Black History Month fundamentally highlights the history and contributions of black communities and black individuals, past and present. Making this history known enables many in our communities to learn of the significant contributions made by persons of African heritage to the development of their communities and the world.

Often some of the names of people of African heritage with whom this month is associated include Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman and Desmond Tutu. Our own Canadian personalities include Lincoln Alexander, Michaelle Jean, Deborah Cox, Rosemary Brown, Keith Forde, Harry Jerome, Rubin “Hurricane” Carter and Ann Cools, to name a few.

Black History Month is an opportunity for us in Canada to recognize the past and present contributions that African-Canadians have made to the life of this country in areas such as education, medicine, art, culture, public service, economic development, sports, religion, politics and human rights.

In our diocese, many of our members are Afro-Canadian and Caribbean people who have made and are making significant contributions to life and witness of our church. I believe that the Anglican Church of Canada is the richer because of its diversity, the result of many people from many lands, including persons of African heritage.

It is my hope that the sentiments of Mary Sadlier will become our reality, when the contributions of people of African descent are acknowledged, their achievements known, black people are routinely included or affirmed through our books and the media, treated with equality, and assume leadership positions by virtue of their competencies and qualifications. When these are acknowledged, there will no longer be a need for Black History Month.

The post Why Black History Month? appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

“He’s in this because he believes that he can make a difference to the people he’ll be serving,” I replied.

“No, but what’s he really in it for?”

“He believes in the duty of service. He is altruistic.” I don’t think the reporter knew the word. The interview never made it to press.

My father served for 15 years and I was very proud of him. I campaigned for him, even though Dad and I did not agree on a number of issues. We had some very loud arguments, including the pivotal role of one of my episcopal predecessors in an election where many of his friends had lost their seats. Politics and faith present some interesting challenges.

True or false? “In Canada, there is a separation of church and state.”

The answer is: It depends. There is no legal or constitutional separation of church and state in Canada as there is in the United States’ Constitution. Over the course of Canadian history, the relationships have been complicated. The first Bishop of Toronto was a member of the Executive Council and Legislative Council of Upper Canada – essentially the Cabinet and the precursor to the Senate – while active as a priest and then bishop. Canon Cody was for a time the provincial Minister of Education as well as rector of St. Paul, Bloor Street. In the 1980s, three priests of the Diocese of Toronto served at the same time in the House of Commons, one representing each of the three major parties (a very Anglican balance, wouldn’t you say!). Two of those men died this past year – Dan Heap and Roland de Corneille – while Reg Stackhouse is still very much active in retirement. Anglican laity have served in all levels of government and three of the last four Governors General (and at least 20 of the 28 who have served) have been Anglicans.

On the other hand, the long connection between the church and the government on Indian residential schools was hugely problematic and has caused deep, lasting pain.

But in current policy and practice in the last few decades, there clearly is a much more marked separation – interestingly, more so here than in the U.S. It would be hard for an American presidential candidate to be successful if not photographed going to church regularly; not so with a Canadian prime minister. And compare the official commemorations of the 9/11 tragedy in Ottawa, Washington, New York and London.

By law, not-for-profit organizations – churches fall into that category – can spend a maximum of 10 per cent of their revenue on political advocacy, and then only if it aligns with their mandate and is non-partisan. We fall well within that. This is being interpreted more narrowly and, at times, restrictively. For example, the Canadian Revenue Agency recently deemed that a major Canadian charity could operate programs to alleviate the effects of poverty directly but not to advocate for policies to eliminate it, which is absurd!

I believe that the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the vows we make at our baptism compel us to engage with our government and the political system as an essential part of our Christian witness. Our faith gives us a particular lens through which to view the world around us. It shapes how we participate as citizens in the decisions about the way we live in this world, how others are included, and what priorities we set.

Five Marks of Mission were developed by the Anglican Communion to indicate ways in which we join in the mission of Christ to the world. At least three of those Marks have a political dimension, as well as a service orientation:

• To respond to human need by loving service.
• To seek to transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and to pursue peace and reconciliation.
• To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth.

Our diocesan Social Justice and Advocacy work (along with the work of the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund) is a key resource to help us analyze the issues, educate us, build partnerships and assist us to advocate for appropriate alternatives to the existing state of affairs. This includes not only getting Anglicans to engage in direct outreach ministries to the vulnerable in our society – we have done a lot of very good and needed work in this! – but also to engage in the longer term effort to change the policies and structures that either cause or perpetuate the problems in the first place.

Policy is as critical as programme; advocacy needs to be hand-in-hand with ministry.

There are inevitably different possible solutions and different ways of both understanding and addressing the problems, which is why open discussion and healthy debate within our parishes on these matters is an essential part of our Christian duty. Complex issues are not solved only by experts. In fact, solutions to complex problems require imagination, creativity, determination and changed attitudes because expertise does not yet exist.

That is the reason that, over the last few years, we have proposed a motion on a social justice issue to be discussed at annual parish Vestry meetings. While it is helpful to have the motion passed or amended – I can use this data when I meet with members of government, for instance, to indicate the level of support that I represent – that is not the most important thing. For me, it is to have the issues discussed and people of all persuasions commit to learn more, understand better and act responsibly and faithfully in the name of Jesus Christ.

As Anglicans, we know that we need to wrestle with how we interpret our faith and that there will often be competing conclusions. There is, however, no such thing for an incarnate Christianity as faith without politics, although there might be politics without faith.

The post Our faith calls us to engage appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

As chancellor of the Diocese of Toronto for all of those years, he not only witnessed that history but had a hand in shaping it.

His contributions to the Anglican Church at the local, diocesan, national and international level have been remarkable. But as he got set to retire as chancellor on Dec. 31, it was the people he met along the way that he remembered the most.

“I’m sorry to give up the frequent contact with all the church people I’ve dealt with over the years – they’re all good friends,” he says. “When you leave these positions, it’s the people you miss more than the work.”

As chancellor of the diocese since 1992, Canon Falby advised two diocesan bishops – Archbishop Terence Finlay and Archbishop Colin Johnson – on matters of canon law. But his contributions to the church went far beyond that.

He played a pivotal role in negotiations with the federal government that resulted in the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. The settlement committed the Anglican, Catholic, Presbyterian and United churches to contribute to a fund to compensate the victims of abuse at the schools. A portion of the funds helped to establish the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Canon Falby also spoke the sentence that helped galvanize the church’s response to the tragedy of abuse at the schools. At a meeting of General Synod, a Synod member questioned the wisdom of Primate Michael Peers’ apology to indigenous people, made in 1993. The Synod member asked if the apology had created a dangerous legal liability.

Canon Falby calmly replied that he didn’t think it did, then added, “But whether it did or not, it was the right thing to do.” Synod sat in silence for a moment and then rose as one in sustained applause. His comment helped turn the debate and became one of the defining messages of the church as it sought to address the legacy of the schools.

In 2005, Canon Falby was again called upon to serve the Canadian church at a difficult time. Due to issues involving same-sex blessings, the Primates of the Anglican Communion had demanded that Canada voluntarily withdraw its members from the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC). Canon Falby was chosen as one of three people to present the Canadian case to the ACC, even though he was not a delegate to it.

At the international level, he was one of eight chancellors from around the world who were invited to produce ground-breaking work on identifying and codifying the general principles of the canons and canonical structures of the Anglican Communion’s provinces and dioceses.

In recognition of his contributions, he was made a lay canon of St. James Cathedral, Toronto, in 2002, and was given the Anglican Award of Merit in 2004, the highest lay honour of the church. From 2007 to 2010, he served the Anglican Church of Canada as deputy prolocutor and then prolocutor, the senior lay officer of General Synod. He received an honorary Doctor of Divinity from Trinity College, Toronto, in 2013.

“It’s been an enormous opportunity and I’ve really enjoyed it, not just from a legal perspective but for the opportunity to meet new people and get to know all the ins and outs of the ministry of the Anglican Church,” he says, looking back over the past 22 years.

“I think lay people should be prepared to contribute to the church, and hundreds of thousands of them do in different capacities,” he says. “I was lucky enough to have one of the best opportunities to fulfill that element of stewardship.”

Archbishop Colin Johnson announced Canon Falby’s retirement at the December meeting of Diocesan Council. “It is my regret to receive Bob’s resignation, but I do so with great thanksgiving for the real ministry he has given to the church,” he said. “We owe him a great debt of gratitude.”

He said Canon Falby brought compassion and understanding to the decision-making process. “It wasn’t just a strictly legal interpretation he brought but asked how is this going to affect the church? How is this going to affect the person or the parish? That sensitivity of interpretation of the canons has been a hallmark of his chancellorship.”

He announced that Canon Falby would become the chancellor emeritus of the diocese, and Council members gave Canon Falby a standing ovation. Canon Clare Burns, a vice chancellor of the diocese for the past 12 years, has succeeded Canon Falby as chancellor.

The post Canon Falby retires as chancellor appeared first on The Toronto Anglican.

Canon Burns took the message to heart. Throughout her life, she has given her time and talents for the betterment of others. This has included a five-year term as the Children’s Lawyer for Ontario, representing thousands of children in legal cases. She has also sat on the board of directors of several non-profit agencies.

Now she’s about to give back in the biggest way yet – by serving as the chancellor of the Diocese of Toronto. Although a volunteer position, it is one of the most demanding in the Canadian church, requiring countless hours of work on often difficult and sensitive subjects. But she’s not fazed by it.

“It’s a big commitment, but I would say that we, as a group, get back so much more than we give,” she says, referring to the three-person team that is made up of the chancellor and two vice chancellors, Robyn Ryan Bell and Canon Paul Baston. “It’s a way to use my legal skills in the advancement and protection of a faith community that means everything to me.”

Canon Burns was installed as chancellor at St. James Cathedral on Jan. 1, becoming the first female chancellor in the history of the diocese. Before that, she served as a vice chancellor for the past 12 years, working alongside Canon Bob Falby, who retired from the role on Dec. 31 and is now the chancellor emeritus.

As chancellor, Canon Burns will assist Archbishop Colin Johnson on matters of canon law at Diocesan Council and Executive Board. She will chair the diocese’s Trusts Committee, which reviews requests from churches for major building projects or repairs to buildings. The committee also administers the Baker and Carlton funds, two legacies that provide money for the improvement of Sunday school spaces and repairs to rectories. She will also help to review the salaries and working conditions of senior diocesan staff, review the policies and procedures of the diocese and facilitate pre-Synod meetings.

She points out that it’s not all hard work, and some moments are deeply moving. One such moment happened several years ago when she took part in the re-consecration of Trinity, Streetsville, after it had been destroyed by a fire. “The feeling of joy in the congregation, and participating in that moment of rebuilding, is the reason why I’ve remained vice chancellor for 12 years,” she says. “It was an amazing moment. You could feel God working in the room. There’s a lot of joy in what we do.”

Canon Burns and her family attend The Bridge service at St. Paul, Bloor Street and St. John, Elora, where they have a country home. Outside the church, she practices law at WeirFoulds LLP in Toronto. She is a graduate of Osgoode Law School and the London School of Economics.

Archbishop Johnson says he is looking forward to working with Canon Burns. “Clare brings a high level of clarity and interpretation of the canons and a real engagement in the ongoing pastoral life of the church. She understands the church and is part of the church. And she has a good sense of humour.”

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The ads, which ran from Dec. 17 until Christmas Eve, used the same message as last Christmas: “Celebrate with us! This Christmas, find peace, beauty and joy at your local Anglican church.” Each ad also included a photo of a wooden crèche hanging in a Christmas tree and linked to the diocese’s Find a Church web page.

One benefit of social media advertising is the ability to measure how people respond to an organization’s message. Facebook and Twitter both track how many times a post is shared, liked and clicked on, also called “engagements.”

The diocese’s Christmas ad was seen more than 304,000 times on Facebook and received 408 engagements, compared to 31,000 views and 335 engagements on Twitter. While Facebook reached more people, Twitter users were more likely to respond to the ad. The diocese spent $300 on Facebook and $200 on Twitter.

The goal of the ads was to encourage seekers to visit the website and ultimately their local Anglican church, but they also helped to promote the diocese’s presence on social media. The diocese gained five new Twitter followers and a new Facebook fan directly from clicks on the Christmas ads.

Follow the diocese on Twitter at @anglicandioTO or like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/torontoanglican.

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