"The Anglican Church of Canada's General Synod has requested bishops and deans to focus, for 22 days, from May 31 to June 21 [2017], on renewing the church's commitment to support the work of the Anglican Fund for Healing and Reconciliation through prayers, participation in awareness-raising campaigns and donations. Early this year [2017], Council of General Synod (CoGS) agreed to dedicate the undesignated proceeds of Giving with Grace, General Synod's annual fundraising campaign, to replenish the fund. For the next five years, the fund -- created in 1992 as part of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement -- will focus on language recovery". General Secretary, Archdeacon Michael Thompson, "stressed that while the Anglican Church of Canada has met its legal obligations under the settlement agreement, 'we're far from finished with our spiritual and moral obligation to continue to support the healing work that is underway among those survivors and in those communities'."
"The diocese of Toronto has given a $100,000-grant to the suicide prevention program of the Council of the North. The council administers the Anglican Church of Canada's mission and ministry in the North, where suicide rates are four to five times higher than the national average. 'The issue of suicide is pandemic in aboriginal communities, [especially] among youth', said Archbishop Johnson, bishop of the diocese of Toronto and metropolitan of the ecclesiastical province of Ontario. 'Money won't cure it', but programs 'that have some history of making a difference are worth supporting', he told the 'Anglican Journal'." "The unrestricted grant is a tithe from the diocese's Ministry Allocation Fund (MAF). Proceeds from the sale of the diocese's properties go to the MAF which allocated 10 per cent of the proceeds to support innovative ministry 'beyond the diocese', said Archbishop Johnson".
"After producing a joint church calendar with the United Church of Canada for more than 40 years, the Anglican Church of Canada has decided to go it alone. Work is underway to produce the 2010 Canadian Church Calendar which will feature Anglican-only photographs of church settings across Canada. .... The calendar is more than a century old, with the first edition being published in 1905 by the Missionary Society of the Church of England. The early versions depicted the work of missionaries and also provided information on the church year. In 1964, the missionary society selected 'Canadian Churchman', forerunner of the 'Anglican Journal', to take over the calendar. It was first promoted and sold across Canada through the Woman's Auxiliary and later through Anglican Church Women. The decision to produce an Anglican-specific calendar was endorsed by the 'Anglican Journal' board. Larry Gee, advertising business and financial manager of the 'Anglican Journal', says that 'the newspaper's share of proceeds from the sale of the Canadian Church Calendar represents approximately 10 per cent of its total revenue'."
"Augsburg Fortress Canada and Four Corners, the alternative trade program of Canadian Lutheran World Relief have entered into a partnership to provide Canadians with more options for buying fair trade products. Home decor items, fashion accessories and fair-trade certified goods such as coffee, tea, and chocolate are now available at the Anglican Book Centre in Toronto and the Augsburg Fortress Bookstore in Kitchener, Ont."
"The Rt. Rev. Ronald Francis Shepherd, who served as the 10th bishop of the Anglican diocese of British Columbia, died at the age of 86 on Oct. 24, 2012. Shepherd left behind a legacy of 'holy and prayerful life', said Archbishop David Crawley, former bishop of Kootenay and former Metropolitan of British Columbia, in his homily. Others remembered Shepherd's sharp wit and exceptional intellect. Born July 15, 1926 in Victoria, B.C., Shepherd and his family moved back to Victoria in 1983, when he became rector of St. Matthias Parish. In 1985, he was elected bishop of the diocese of British Columbia, a position he held until his retirement in 1992". [Text of entire article.]
"Bishop Gregory Kerr-Wilson of the diocese of Qu'Appelle has been elected the new bishop for the diocese of Calgary. He will be installed Sept. 29 [2012] at Calgary's Cathedral Church of the Redeemer, and succeeds Bishop Derek Hoskin, who has retired. The election took place June 15 [2012] at St. Peter's Anglican Church in Calgary. In all, five candidates were considered for the position. Bishop Kerr-Wilson describes himself as an 'evangelical, charismatic Catholic with liberal and conservative tendencies'. He is focused on local leadership 'rather than simply thinking about survival', he says. 'The church's capital is its people and their faith'." [Text of entire article.]
"The 'Anglican Journal' received 10 awards, including two awards of excellence (first prize) and two awards of merit (second prize) at the annual Associated Church Press (ACP) conference in Indianapolis, April 3 to 6 [2013]. Founded in 1916, the ACP is the oldest interdenominational religious press association in North America".
"Col. John Fletcher, archdeacon of the Anglican Military Ordinariate of the Canadian Forces, has been appointed Chaplain General and will assume command of the chaplain branch in Ottawa this fall [2013]. Fletcher, who will be promoted to the rank of brigadier general, succeeds Brig. Gen. Karl McLean, another Anglican padre, who will retire in September [2013]. Canadian National Defence Minister Peter MacKay announced Fletcher's appointment along with other Canadian Armed Forces senior promotions and appointments, on Feb. 6 [2013]. Fletcher has had wide experience as a military chaplain and has also served various national ministries of the Anglican Church of Canada. He has represented the ordinariate at General Synod, the church's governing body, and has served as a member of the Council of General Synod. He has also served on the communications, information and resources committee and as a member of the board of directors of the 'Anglican Journal'." [Text of entire article.]
"The Primate's World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) is contributing $20,000 to ACT Alliance's aid for people in Mali who are fleeing armed conflict after a military coup in March 2012. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that 380,000 people have left northern Mali since the start of the conflict, with 230,000 internally displaced and 150,000 fleeing as refugees to Mauritania, Niger, Burkina Faso and Algeria. PWRDF noted in a statement that the refugees are straining resources in host communities, which are recovering from a food crisis in 2012. 'Water, food, shelter and medical care are needed immediately'." [Text of entire article.]
"Same-sex couples in the diocese of Quebec will soon be able to receive a blessing of their civil union. Quebec's diocesan synod, which met Nov. 2 to 4 [2012], passed a motion supporting Bishop Dennis Drainville's wish to permit the blessing of same-gender unions. The motion also requests the creation of a working group to advise the bishop on how a 'pastoral response' can be implemented for those seeking to have their union blessed". [Text of entire article.]