"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".
The Rt. Rev. Fraser Lawton and Ms. Cynthia Haines-Turner presented two resolutions that pertained to the 2018 budget. Before members voted by consensus, Bishop Lawton noted that the motion from the Financial Management Committee Report (#007-04-17-11) had been amended into two motions.
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That this Council of General Synod encourage and support a conversation about a shared strategy between Indigenous Ministries and Council of the North Diocesan leaders as to how to allocate the new money for Suicide Prevention provided in the 2018 budget and 2019-2022 forecasts.
That the National Executive Council approves that, in view of the substantial increases in the grants to Assisted Dioceses, which are not guaranteed in block grants from the Apportionment beyond 1976 nor from the Appeal beyond 1978, the Primate's Council on the North and the Bishops of Assisted Dioceses be requested to report, by September 15, 1976 to the Program and Administration and Finance Committees, on their proposals for new forms of ministry in the North and new means of funding. CARRIED
Anglican clergy in the North are eligible to apply to a special bequest for help in defraying the costs of educating their children.
The Marguerite Arletta Cooper Bequest is to be used "for the education of a child or children of a minister or missionary" of the Anglican Church in the Canadian North.
"Proceeds from the recent 'Amazing Grace' project, which captured the interest of Anglicans across Canada and raised more than $91,000 for the Council of the North, will go towards the establishment of a suicide prevention program with paid staff". "The council intends to hire a part-time suicide prevention co-ordinator by Sept. 1 [2009] who will lay the foundation for the program. The co-ordinator will be hired for a two-year contract and will work out of the synod office of a council member diocese".
"Council of the North members gathered in Edmonton from Feb. 9 to 11 to decide how best to use donations from Anglican parishes, groups and individuals that amounted to $160,000." "More than $80,000 came from the Amazing Grace project, in which parishes and groups, sang Amazing Grace and sent video to the General Synod office in Toronto ... About $80,000 also came from individuals and groups across the country". "The council settled on two spending priorities. The first is suicide prevention and intervention because suicide rates, particularly among young people, in the remote communities are among the highest in the world." "The other priority is training and leadership development." Bishop David Ashdown, Council chair, particularly mentioned "training in congregational development and stewardship. Each diocese will propose a leadership training program to be discussed when the council meets in April [2009]".
Anglican bishops in the north of Canada have told the bishops of the United Kingdom that an anti-fur publication supported by 41 of them has violated the dignity of aboriginal peoples and threatened the livelihood of 50,000 trappers.
The Council of the North has noted that the increased costs of General Synod may mean fewer delegates will be able to attend.
In discussions of how northern ministry can best be supported, the bishops noted that the Letting Down the Nets plan proposes an endowment be created that would benefit the Council of the North.