For the second year in a row, Barbara Johnston led the parish to organize and host the “Heath Street Cheer Station” to show support for the racers, the charity and the community. “As a Yonge Street church, it’s part of our neighbourhood. And with all the runners, walkers, and Fitbit enthusiasts in our congregation, it’s a natural fit.” In addition to setting up the cheer station, CCDP was proud to enter a team of runners for the event. Among them were the Rev. Canon Kevin Robertson, incumbent, and Abdi Alkadri, the head of a family of Syrian refugees sponsored by CCDP who arrived in Toronto earlier this year. Mr. Alkadri’s wife and daughter were at the cheer station to join the parishioners and volunteers in cheering on the racers.

Radio station 102.1 The Edge came out to set the beat for the morning, with a music tent, prizes and games, while members from CCDP added snacks, coffee and spirit. The cheer station was filled with members from the congregation, the choir and even the Sunday School. But one member of the cheer station was especially memorable. Cee-Cee the church mouse made his appearance once again, dancing and cheering, offering hugs and hi-fives and posing for pictures with runners of all ages.

Canon Robertson was able to get a first-hand appreciation of the impact of the cheering section in front of the church. His verdict was decisive: “We had the best cheer section between the start line and the finish line.” He noted the responses of the racers around him. “It was great to hear my fellow runners as we went by the church. They were both surprised and motivated by the enthusiastic encouragement and high-fives from the CCDP front lawn.”

Canon Robertson himself demonstrated that Sunday morning community activities are not necessarily an alternative to church but can be an addition to it. He managed to finish the race and be back in time for the 10 a.m. service.

Submitted by Jill Macrae.

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Paul continued to face the accusation that he counselled Christian Jews away from the laws of Judaism. This was not true, but widely believed. (Gentile converts did not have to follow all of the laws of Judaism, but Christian Jews were expected to.) James suggested that Paul attend a Jewish purification rite to help dispel this accusation.

Paul, with some others, went through the purification rite. As he entered the temple to offer his sacrifice, he was recognized by some visitors to the temple and they stirred up the crowd against him. They accused him of teaching against the Law, the temple and the Jews, and they attempted to put him to death. He was rescued by Roman soldiers.

In Acts 22, Paul addressed the crowd in their native Aramaic. He gave them his credentials. He was born a Jew, he said, educated at the feet of Gamaliel, the greatest Jewish rabbi of the first century. He had persecuted the Christians until, on the Damascus Road, he met the risen Christ. He related to the crowd all the details of his conversion. He told them of his need to leave Jerusalem and take the Gospel message to the Gentiles. This had been his mission and role in life for the past few years. Finally, he appealed to being a Roman citizen, and the soldiers agreed to bring him before the Jewish Sanhedrin.

At the Sanhedrin, he again defended himself by starting a debate between the two ruling bodies, the Pharisees and the Sadducees, who did not believe in the resurrection of the body. This debate became so heated that once again the Romans had to rescue Paul. Later that evening, he had a vision, telling him that he would indeed preach the Gospel in Rome.

The soldiers moved Paul to Caesarea, the local centre of Roman authority. Felix was the governor but not a very good ruler. Kept in protective custody, Paul continued to proclaim the Christian faith to Felix and his wife for the next two years. In 59-60 CE, Felix was recalled to Rome, probably for his misrule. Not wanting to further alienate the Jews, he left Paul in prison. Felix’s successor was Festus.

Festus, wanting Roman justice to prevail, brought a delegation from Jerusalem to try Paul once again. They did not succeed in their accusations, and Paul eventually appealed his case to Rome. He knew that in Jerusalem he would probably be sentenced to death, whereas in Rome he would undoubtedly win his case, which would give the Christians some standing as a religious organization. (At this time in history, Christians were seen as a sect of Judaism.)

Thus Paul was to receive his long-time wish, to preach in Rome, albeit in chains. In Acts 27, he and a few friends and his soldier guards set off for Rome. It was quite an adventure, with storms and shipwreck. They were stranded for a time on the island of Malta. Here they considered Paul a god, as he was bitten by a viper and did not die. He also healed the father of the chief of the island and many others who came to him for laying-on-of-hands and prayer.

After three months on Malta, another ship arrived and took them the rest of the way to Rome. Here Paul appeared to be under house arrest. He had a certain amount of freedom, and the Christians in Rome came freely to visit him in prison. Paul was in prison in Rome for about two years, and Luke ends his account of Acts at this point. This was about 61 CE, and Paul wasn’t martyred until 67-68 CE. What happened in the intervening years? The epistles suggest that he revisited some of the churches in Asia and Europe. He possibly went to the island of Crete. Legend suggests that he went as far as Spain. Clement of Rome, writing in about 100 CE, seemed to confirm this. A lot could have happened to Paul in that six-year period.

During his house arrest in Rome, Paul probably wrote the epistles to the Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians and Philemon and possibly 1 Timothy. We will discuss Paul’s possible visit to Spain and the authorship of the pastoral epistles, 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus, in our next column.

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“I study English and Protestant religion to become a teacher. We have to go abroad for at least 12 weeks to finish our Bachelor in English,” she says. “I was not ready to give up one subject just for the other one. I started to think, where can I connect both of them? Finally I ended up with the thought, what about asking a convent if I could stay?”

After a quick Google search, Ms. Nack emailed Sister Constance Joanna Gefvert, coordinator of both the Alongsiders and the Companions program. “I talked to Connie a lot on Skype, and we were writing emails back and forth,” she says. “Sometimes sisters would drop by her office while we were Skyping. It seemed like everyone was interested.”

Starting in September, the sisters will welcome up to 10 women age 22 to 40 to live at the convent, where they will experience the Benedictine life of prayer, study, recreation and service to others.

Ms. Nack says she thinks the program will be a great experience for young women. “It’s a time to step back, to look at the whole picture you’ve created and see if it’s really what you want. To have some silence to think about yourself. To experience places where you can go and help,” she says.

In particular, she sees the year-long program as a valuable opportunity for students like her to recharge. “When you’ve just lost some pieces of yourself between the books and the exams and homework, you can find yourself here again,” she says. “It’s like a very safe bubble you can enter.”

Ms. Nack admits she found it difficult to adjust to the slower pace of life at first, but she soon learned to appreciate the time for silence and prayer. “I look after myself more often, to calm down more, to not hurry, to not rush too much,” she says. “In all the silence, I began to think a lot about myself and about home.”

She also understands young women’s fears about how their friends and family will react if they decide to become Companions. While Ms. Nack was confident in her decision to join the convent, her friends were skeptical at first. “They said I’m crazy. Everyone was expecting that I would come back like a nun, and some of my friends were afraid that I won’t come back at all,” she says.

Sister Debra Johnston, Ms. Nack’s mentor during her stay, isn’t surprised. “It’s kind of standard, when you say you’re going to join a convent. This is very counter-cultural,” she says.

For women who aren’t sure whether they should join the Companions program, Ms. Nack recommends they try staying in the convent’s Guest House or speaking with the sisters and Alongsiders. “Make sure that you are ready to live with you and your faith,” she says. “When you’re struggling, it’s fine. You don’t have to be sure. But you have to be sure that you want to work on your faith and want to think about your faith.”

As she looks toward the end of her internship, Ms. Nack says what she will miss most is her shared life with the sisters. “I really feel like part of this, and I really enjoy being with all of them,” she says. “Each of these women here is wondrous in herself. I will miss all of them very much.”

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A few months earlier, this scene would have been unimaginable to the Brimos. Members of the one of the most persecuted groups in the Middle East, they were living in Lebanon, trying to make ends meet like millions of other refugees from Syria.

Their situation was precarious. Mr. Brimo’s job in a shoe factory and a monthly allowance from the United Nations office didn’t cover the cost of rent, food and other necessities. They had applied to the UN to come to Canada but were told that their chances were remote. They considered making the risky trip to Europe via Turkey and the Mediterranean Sea but did not have enough money to pay the smugglers.

To make matters more difficult and dangerous, they were members of the Yazidi community, a religious minority that has been targeted for extermination by ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Neither Muslim nor Christian, the Yazidis have often lived on the margins of society, with few rights.

While living in Lebanon, Mr. and Mrs. Brimo started going to All Saints Anglican Church in Beirut. They had a lifelong affinity with Christianity and were attracted by the kindness of the priest and congregation.

“Every time I went to church, I heard the people speaking about love and helping each other and giving without an expectation of return,” says Mr. Brimo through Ms. Haman, the translator. He attended church twice a week while Mrs. Brimo went four times a week.

They wanted to be baptized and become Christians, as did many other Yazidis and even some Muslim refugees, they say. But the hard times got worse. Unable to meet the rent, they moved out of the city, away from the church. They started to accumulate debt to buy food.

Mr. Brimo began to break down from the strain. One day after work, wracked by a severe headache and backache, he sat down alone and spoke to Jesus. “I’ll do anything you want, just please help my wife and daughters,” he said.

The next day, he received a telephone call at work. It was the UN office calling, asking if he would like to take his family to Canada. “I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “When I hung up, I prayed and thanked God.”

The family landed in Canada on April 7. “We are so lucky to be here – so lucky and grateful,” says Mrs. Brimo, overcome with emotion. “I asked Jesus every day to help and protect us. It’s only because of him that help came to change our lives.”

On May 15, the feast of Pentecost, their dream of being baptized came true. Mr. and Mrs. Brimo and their four daughters were baptized at St. Clement, Eglinton, the church that sponsored them and where they have become members.

The Brimos, who lived with Ms. Gilley and Mr. Singer when they arrived, have found an apartment nearby, and their daughters are enrolled in school. Mr. and Mrs. Brimo, who speak Kurdish and Arabic, are taking English classes.

Ms. Gilley says providing a home for the family was a fulfilling experience. “To be honest, I was a bit nervous beforehand, because there was so much unknown. But it’s love in action, and if you have a lot of love and willingness to go outside your comfort zone, things usually work out. I believe that God looks after me and I follow Jesus and we’ve been taught to welcome the weary traveller. I feel very grateful for the opportunity to do this for this family.”

She says it’s been a positive experience for the parish as well. “It’s been great to see people from different walks of life working through all the challenges together. It hasn’t always been easy, but it’s wonderful to see a community wrap its arms around this family.”

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It’s a moment that Ms. Henry, the executive director of KAIROS and a member of Holy Trinity, Trinity Square, has worked hard for over the past 23 years. She is being given the Anglican Award of Merit, the n a t i o n a l church’s highest honour for lay people, in recognition of her efforts.

Growing up in the Anglican Church and being involved in youth ministry, Ms. Henry met people who had a “fire in the belly” for social justice. Inspired by their passion, she has dedicated her life to making the world a better place.

“I feel very strongly that our faith compels us into action for justice in the world, that we collaborate with God in bringing about hopeful transformation,” she says. “That’s my passion, that’s my vocation and it is my privilege that I’m able to also make it my job.”

KAIROS is a non-profit agency that brings together 11 churches and religious organizations in a collective commitment to ecological justice and human rights. It has a staff of about 18, with an office in Toronto and another in Ottawa. It does research and policy development, education and advocacy. Its priorities are Indigenous rights, climate justice, migrant justice and working with partners around the world on human rights and gender justice.

Ms. Henry says its top priority is Indigenous rights, in particular the implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action. It is currently rolling out a campaign directed at every provincial legislature and territorial government about Call to Action #62, which calls for mandatory curriculum in every school that focuses on treaties, the history of residential schools and the contributions of First Nations, Metis and Inuit people to Canada. In March, church leaders, including Primate Fred Hiltz and National Indigenous Bishop Mark MacDonald, committed to implementing Call to Action #48, which calls on churches and faith groups to “adopt and comply with the principles, norms and standards” of the UN Declaration of the Rights on Indigenous Peoples as a framework for reconciliation.

“We have this moment now, and the churches are coming together to support this moment,” says Ms. Henry. “It’s a very important time because if we don’t make changes in this moment, we’re going to lose some of the momentum that has been gained.”

In addition to its advocacy efforts at the federal and provincial levels, KAIROS works hard to provide education, advocacy and resources at the grassroots level, she says. One of its most popular and powerful resources is the KAIROS Blanket Exercise, used by churches and other groups across the country to learn about the historic and contemporary relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada. Mass Blanket Exercises are planned at provincial and territorial capitals across Canada around June 2, the one-year anniversary of the TRC’s release of its Calls to Action.

“We’ve worked very hard with our communities across the country to increase an understanding of Indigenous rights and to develop relationships with Indigenous communities,” she says. “Now what we have is an incredibly strong network of people, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, who are working to see the rights that we have long sought be realized.”

She says the Anglican Church is critical to that effort. “In Anglican churches across the country, people participate in ecumenical social action, lifting up the kinds of resources that KAIROS has to offer and engaging with people of other churches in action in their communities. The Anglican Church is vitally involved at that level, but it’s also engaged in the board of KAIROS and in the ecumenical circles that support KAIROS, so that when we need to draw upon the high levels of the church for their engagement, they respond.”

She says it is a privilege to work at KAIROS at this moment in history, but is quick to give credit to others across the country. “The energy comes from the people who we work with across the country, people who are working really passionately, who really believe there can be a better world, and are putting their faith into action in that way. Those are the people who give hope and keep you inspired.”

As for receiving the Anglican Award of Merit, she is honoured to be recognized by her peers in this way. “The real delight comes from the fact that the folks who put my name forward were my colleagues. I feel very grateful for that, and it’s an honour to have the nomination come from them,” she says.

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My visits have taught me much about the faithfulness of clergy and people, and their dedication to living out their baptismal ministries in many and varying ways. I have also come to appreciate that in some parishes with limited resources, both human and financial, creative efforts are made to sustain their ministries. This does not mean that they are not wrestling with the troubling question of viability and the vision required to plan for the future.

I am pleased with the enormous amount of time spent by faithful lay persons carrying out God’s mission in their parishes and communities. At the centre of parish life is the prayerful effort made daily by individuals to do what they believe is their baptismal ministry, in the witnessing of their faith.

The importance of the order of laity is never to be minimized or regarded as of less significance than those of the deacons, priests and bishops. We all share in the royal priesthood of all believers, but we are equally called to be ambassadors for Christ. There has been a significant growth of lay volunteers in our diocese, which is making a difference in how we exercise ministry. The good news is that many parishes are being supported by volunteers in a variety of ways in how they carry out their ministries. However, we need more volunteers to assist because of the increasing demand for programming support. I encourage persons who may be contemplating other ways they may be involved in the life of our diocese to make a call to the Diocesan Centre and explore how they may volunteer in sharing their gifts and skills.

The many support programs in the diocese that are led by volunteers helping parishes reflect a significant shift in the way things are done. Parishes are encouraged to seek the resources available to support them. They may do so when going through a selection process to call a new incumbent. Parishes that are serious about their own development and how healthy they are may seek to be engaged in the Natural Church Development program, whose purpose is to assess the strengths and weaknesses of their parish, so that they may work towards becoming healthier. Parishes that experience conflict are assisted with intervention strategies, led in most cases by lay volunteers in addressing their challenges. In some cases, parishes that have found themselves in difficulty with non-compliance or management issues are placed under administration, not as punishment but as an opportunity to regroup, become compliant and, more importantly, to carry on the good work and ministry that these parishes have been doing.

The bishops are exceedingly grateful for the wonderful ministries carried out daily by clergy and people of our diocese. We are proud of our diocese and the faithfulness of many who do so much to “serve Christ’s mission through compassionate service, intelligent faith, and godly worship.” I believe that the work done by so many is because of a healthy spirituality and commitment of members of our diocese to their baptismal covenant.

While there are no expectations of any reward, the diocese confers on some of the faithful named by their parishes, and in other instances by the Bishop of Toronto, the Order of the Diocese of Toronto in recognition of their work and witness in their parishes and beyond. The recognition of these persons is in no way to minimize the value we place on the many who work faithfully for the love of God and church.

We recently celebrated the feast of Pentecost, which is a reminder to us that God has and continues to pour out God’s spirit upon the church and the world. The gift of the Spirit is to enable believers in exercising their respective callings, and to empower us all for the work of ministry and the building up of God’s reign on earth. It is because of this continuous outpouring of the Spirit on the church that all of us have been given opportunity to do wonderful and amazing things in the name of and for the sake of the Gospel. Pentecost encourages us to continue teaching, preaching, healing, caring for the poor, reaching out to the marginalized and standing up for justice for all.

The Spirit poured out at Pentecost continues to be poured out upon the church today. We are experiencing new life being breathed into our diocese, where parishes are facing the challenges before them with courage and willingness to do things differently. In some parishes, congregations are making difficult decisions to close and distribute their resources to new forms of ministry. In some places, congregations are choosing to repurpose their buildings, or their land, to help them reach out in new forms of ministry. Other parishes are reaching out into their neighbourhoods in responding to their needs. These are being done by faithful Anglicans across our diocese, and I encourage others to join in this journey of Christian faith and witness in whatever manner you are able. We are grateful for all that is done in the name of Jesus Christ in the life and work of our diocese.

I encourage us to be open to the Spirit’s leading and not be afraid to ask, “What is the Spirit saying to the church today?” May we be open to hearing and responding to its prompting.

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When a new incumbent is appointed, a service of institution takes place in the chapel at the Diocesan Centre. “Receive this charge which is mine and thine,” are the traditional words by which the diocesan bishop commissions or institutes a priest into the spiritual responsibilities of the parish. The bishop has the spiritual care of all the churches in the diocese, usually exercised through the ministry of the parish priests, unless the bishop is present.

That is just one of the roles of a bishop.

Bishop Linda Nicholls was elected as bishop coadjutor of the Diocese of Huron. That means she will automatically succeed Bishop Bennett as Bishop of Huron when he retires on Nov. 1. Bishop Philip Poole and Bishop Patrick Yu have announced their decisions to retire on Sept. 30 and in January respectively. Diocesan Council authorized the election of bishops suffragan to be held on Sept. 17, with the ordination and consecration set for Jan. 7, 2017. From the parish hall meetings I held across the diocese in April and May, I solicited opinions about whether we continue to want and need four area bishops to serve with me as diocesan bishop in Toronto. By the time you read this, the decision will have been made about whether two or three people will be elected in September. As usual, we will not be electing a bishop or three for an identified area but a suffragan (assistant) bishop with ministry in the whole diocese, and assigned to a particular episcopal area after the election. You can read on the diocese’s website about the process of nomination and election, but it’s important to know what a bishop is supposed to be and do.

The Rite of Ordination sets out a number of responsibilities: apostolic proclamation; pastoral care; oversight; governance; and linkage and representation.

Bishops “are one with the apostles in proclaiming Christ’s resurrection” as the good news for every age (BAS, p. 636). The bishop’s first and primary task is not, as is often supposed, the pastoral care of clergy or parishes but rather teaching, preaching and interpreting the Christian faith both in parishes and in the wider community. This is especially critical in a society where our faith is misunderstood, maligned or ignored. So a bishop has to be an effective communicator. More crucially, a bishop has to be a person of deep faith in Jesus Christ. This is the content of the communication. He or she must be able to live that faith authentically, understand the nuances of the tradition, and articulate it winsomely.

As pastor (the reason a bishop carries the crozier, the shepherd’s staff), much of the bishop’s work is by delegation. The bishop’s pastoral task is one of discernment of the leadership gifts of others, so that across a large array of different places, the church can be built up through a strong sacramental life, the ministry of word, the visiting of the sick, the catechesis of both seekers and the baptized, and the administration that parishes require to function well. The bishop must be a leader, a mentor and a team player because each area bishop will be working with more than 100 exceptionally well-trained, competent priests and deacons, and hundreds of dedicated and gifted lay leaders. This is not the usual training for most priests.

The bishop is by definition an “overseer,” which is the meaning of the adjective “episcopal.” He or she frames the missional strategy for the area in consultation with the other leaders and in coordination with the mission of the diocese. The bishop has the “overview” of the needs and the opportunities in the whole area, and provides the necessary unity and discipline (think focus and discipleship, rather than punishment) to listen to God’s call and marshal the resources of the area and diocese to respond to God’s call to service.

The people chosen in the election will be bishops suffragan of the diocese, with responsibility for the well-being of the whole of the diocese, as well as particular accountability for one region. The area bishops use their own gifts both within their area as well as across the wider church, and are called by ordination to participate in the governance of the whole church. While appointed for a period of time to one area, they can and do work beyond those boundaries and can be (and have been) moved to a different area. Each also takes on special ministry assignments based on their skills and passions. So it is important to think of candidates who could provide ministry in more than one area and complement the gifts of the other members of the College of Bishops.

A bishop is a link person. The Archbishop of Canterbury remarked that the bishop’s role is to interpret the “strangeness of one community to the strangeness of the next community” so that they may be drawn together and mutually enrich each other and join in extending the Kindgom. Bishops link one parish to another, represent the diocese to the wider church and the wider church to the diocese. The bishop becomes the personal face of the church, and specifically the Anglican Church, to those they meet.

And, of course, they do all the other ordinary tasks that bishops do: appoint and supervise clergy, baptize and confirm, license lay ministry, preside at worship, meet with senior parish leaders, work on committees, develop ecumenical, civic and interfaith networks, support parish growth and work to resolve conflicts.

It is an encompassing task, hugely challenging and joyously fulfilling by God’s grace. It is not a promotion or a job. It is, above all, a vocation – the offering of oneself for service in response to God’s call, discerned by the community of faith. An episcopal election is not a political leadership convention but a prayerful gathering of the clergy and laity representing the church in the diocese to discern whom God has chosen to be the next bishop in the church.

Pray for those who will test their call to this vocation, and for us as a diocesan family, as we affirm that call and receive this new ministry.

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“There were students coming into the college, offering themselves for leadership in the church, who were really missing what I think are basic catechetic pieces,” she says. “They may have had a very spotty understanding of scripture or may not have known anything about the spiritual disciplines.”

A former parish priest, Canon Paulsen had observed this in some of her parishioners as well. Although they attended church regularly, they had a very limited understanding of the Christian story – one of the main reasons why they didn’t try to share it with others.

“There’s more people today who don’t have any church background,” she says. “For those who do, they often feel guilty that they don’t know the Bible better or they think everybody knows it better than they do. In church, we often throw words and phrases around that are Greek to people.”

On the flight, she started to think about creating a simple course that would teach the basics of Christianity to lay people. It would be designed so that those who took the course could later teach it to others.

Back in Toronto, she shared her idea with some colleagues and was encouraged to act on it. On behalf of Wycliffe College’s Institute of Evangelism, where she is the director, Canon Paulsen applied for, and received, a $25,000 grant from the diocese’s Our Faith-Our Hope campaign to get the course off the ground. “The diocese was really generous in giving us the money to pay for its development,” she says.

The course, called Christian Foundations, will be held at Wycliffe College on nine Saturdays in 2016 and 2017. At the end, there will be a commissioning service in the college’s chapel.

The course will give participants a basic introduction to the Old Testament, the Gospels, the Book of Acts and the Epistles, the creeds and canon of scripture, church history, Christian disciplines and vocation and service. They will explore these subjects through a series of questions, including: How can I know God? What is the story of Israel? Who is Jesus? How did the church get started? What do Christians believe? Why are there so many sorts of Christians? How can I grow in my faith? What is my part in the Kingdom of God?

Although anyone can take the course, Canon Paulsen hopes that churches will send people who will want to teach it to others when they return to their parishes. “The material is at a basic enough level that if somebody has a heart to see people learn more about the faith, that’s really all they need to facilitate it back home,” she says.

Several churches have already expressed interest in the course. The Rev. Stephanie Douglas-Bowman, the incumbent of Christ Memorial Church in Oshawa, hopes to send two people. “What I like about Christian Foundations is that it’s equipping lay people to lead,” she says.

With a congregation of about 150, her time and energy are limited. Lay people who can teach the Christian basics in adult confirmation classes and other programs means more ministry can happen in the church, she says.

“What I like is that I can send them on this course, they will receive all the training they need, and then they can come and teach in the parish. My hope is to have lay catechists in this teaching role in the church.”

She adds, “There’s only so much bandwidth a cleric has, and so you look for courses like this. I don’t think we have to reinvent the wheel every time. If there’s a good group like Wycliffe who has put together this program, I’m really happy to use it.”

Canon Paulsen says that churches that already have people who can teach the faith and do not need to attend the course can simply use the course’s workbook. The workbook, which costs $30, is attractively designed and includes maps, photographs, prayers, short narratives, interactive exercises and commentary that links scripture to contemporary issues.

“If churches want to just order the workbook and take it and lead it, that’s great,” she says. For people or parish groups that want to take the course but can’t make the trip to Wycliffe College, there will be an option to participate in the classes via WebEx, an online conferencing service.

The course material was written by Canon Paulsen, her husband Pat Paulsen, who is an experienced teacher of the Bible and church history, and the Rev. Canon Susan Bell, the diocese’s canon missioner and the chaplain of Havergal College, an independent girls school in Toronto. They will be teaching the course as well.

For those attending the course in person at Wycliffe College, the cost is $500, which includes the workbook and lunches. Canon Paulsen says it’s a worthwhile investment for churches. “Our hope is that it’s not just about information – it’s about transforming the people taking the course,” she says. “Our goal is that they feel confident telling the story.”

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Presented by the FaithWorks and Outreach Committee at St. John’s, along with Voices for a Just Society, a north Toronto ecumenical social justice network, the evening offered a unique opportunity for parishioners and members of the wider community to engage directly with the premier on a number of key issues facing her government.

The Rev. Canon Drew MacDonald, incumbent of St. John’s, opened the gathering with a prayer and moderated the discussion throughout the evening. “The reason for this event is that we are celebrating our 200th anniversary here at St. John’s,” he said, adding that this was just one in a series of events to commemorate the long history of the parish.

Premier Wynne began her remarks by reflecting on a passage from St. Paul’s epistle to the Thessalonians (5:11): “Wherefore comfort yourselves together and edify one another, even as also ye do.”

“‘Edify’ is one of the Apostle Paul’s favourite words and metaphorical concepts, and translated to the modern context it means to build up,” she told the audience. “I started with this because, when I talk about the plan we put in place in Ontario, it is about building Ontario up. It is about building us up. Now that can mean bridges and hospitals, but it can also be taken metaphorically, that our plan is about building each other up. Because in a very basic sense, that’s what I think that we are here to do, and what all the faiths of the world ask of us.”

Ms. Wynne also highlighted the important role of faith communities in advocating for policy changes around social justice issues. “I think that there are many, many ways in which government has to work with communities,” she said. “Where social justice and poverty alleviation are concerned, the individual and nongovernment institutions, including faith groups, play critical roles.

“We have a responsibility to lead, a responsibility to be always finding ways to build a province that takes care of its most vulnerable and helps everyone to live with dignity and the independence that they deserve. And that work is not done,” she continued. “That’s why you’re here to push me, and I so appreciate that. It’s very important.”

Following the premier’s remarks, the floor was opened for questions, which covered a diverse range of issues from social assistance reform to medically assisted death, and from seniors’ housing needs to funding for autism therapies.

The premier’s visit was not without some controversy. A small group gathered at the entrance to the church property with signs and leaflets challenging the Ontario government’s policy of ending the funding of Intensive Behavioural Intervention therapy for children with autism once they reach the age of five. Inside the sanctuary, representatives from Put Food in the Budget, a grassroots organization working to end poverty, presented the premier with a survey, held up a banner during her presentation, and then walked out in protest at the beginning of the question and answer session, encouraging others to join them.

Scott McDougall, a parishioner at St. John’s and one of the organizers of the premier’s visit, was still satisfied with the event and emphasized the importance of engaging with political representatives. “We have to reach out, not only to the premier but to opposition leaders, and let them have an opportunity to hear from grassroots people who are involved in social policy issues and can present alternatives to some of the problems they are facing,” he said.

“I was very pleased with the questions. We had good, thoughtful people,” he continued. “The main thing is to try to get straight answers, and to try to get politicians thinking out of the box. The premier would like to be the social justice premier. Show me. As somebody said, it’s time to walk the walk. They need to make structural changes and not take an incremental approach.”

St. John, York Mills plans to hold similar events with New Democratic Party leader Andrea Horwath and Progressive Conservative leader Patrick Brown in the coming months.

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Evelyn and Robert Longworth, long-time members of St. Michael and All Angels, Toronto, first heard about the project from Didi Erb, the wife of the late Rev. Canon John Erb, a former incumbent. “She said she was part of a group getting various lanes named in Toronto,” says Mrs. Longworth. “She suggested Bishop Brown, and I thought that was perfect.”

Bishop Arthur Brown was the incumbent at St. Michael’s from 1963 to 1981, when he was consecrated suffragan bishop of Toronto. “We were the first couple he married there, 51 years ago,” says Mrs. Longworth. Mr. Longworth was also one of Bishop Brown’s churchwardens in the 1970s.

After hearing about the project, the Longworths learned that city councillor Joe Mihevc was asking Ward 21 residents to submit names that capture the spirit of the ward. “He encouraged people to submit names from various times and places in the community,” says Mrs. Longworth.

Ten lanes in Ward 21 are being named in 2016, with another 10 to follow next year. The project is intended both to commemorate local history and to help first responders and city services navigate the streets.

As part of their submission, the Longworths sent letters to everyone whose home backs onto the lane, which starts on Wychwood Avenue just opposite St. Michael’s and continues west almost to Christie Street. “I must have printed about 50 or 60 letters. Nobody complained,” says Mrs. Longworth.

In fact, she received several letters of support from neighbours. “One was from a woman who said she didn’t go to the church, but she knew how involved he had been in the community,” she says.

Bishop Brown, his wife Norma and their three daughters lived in the rectory next door to St. Michael’s and were active members of the neighbourhood. “He wasn’t just a minister at the church; he got involved more than someone who just showed up on Sunday morning. I think it was because he had children in the community,” says Mrs. Longworth.

Perhaps his most lasting legacy in the area is the St. Michael and All Angels Day Care Centre, founded in 1976 and still flourishing today. “The daycare was founded because there was nothing available for kids over two years old at that time,” says Mr. Longworth. “There was a private daycare in the church, but once the kids turned two and a half, they all had to go to different places.”

After he left St. Michael’s, Bishop Brown continued to provide advice and financial support to the daycare until his death in 2011. One of his daughters, Carrie Brown, was the centre’s longest-serving supervisor.

The Longworths also want to recognize Bishop Brown’s advocacy around race relations and multiculturalism, something he is still known for across the diocese. “He was very active in promoting the West Indian community, and he had a strong sense of the of the civil rights movement in the States,” says Mr. Longworth. Bishop Brown invited many dignitaries to St. Michael’s over the years, welcoming guests such as Premier Bill Davis and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

That welcome was also extended to newcomers from around the world, whom he invited to take on leadership roles in the church. “He appointed our first black warden and one of the first female wardens probably in the diocese,” says Mr. Longworth. “St. Michael’s became a socially active church largely because of him.”

A ceremony to celebrate the new name took place on April 29, with remarks, songs and an official unveiling of the sign. Joanne Brown, Bishop Brown’s daughter, the Very Rev. Duncan Abraham, dean emeritus of St. James Cathedral, and Councillor Mihevc attended.

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