New commission to explore 'creative' ideas for church : CoGS also discusses open letter said to be from Mark MacDonald sexual misconduct complainant
https://archives.anglican.ca/link/article44301
- Author
- Frankling, Sean
- Journal
- Anglican Journal
- Date
- 2023 April
- Volume
- 149
- Issue
- 4
- Page
- 1-2
- Notes
- "The church will soon have a new commission tasked with finding potentially 'radical solutions' to the demographic and financial challenges now facing it, according to a proposal introduced by Archbishop Linda Nicholls, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, in her opening statement to the Council of General Synod (CoGS) March 2 [2023] and later affirmed by CoGS" (p. 1). "Nicholls said a new strategy would be needed for the church to go forward into the post-pandemic world. It will need to respond to challenges including financial pressure 'as parishes struggle to sustain fulltime or part-time stipendiary ministry and dioceses struggle to meet multiple responsibilities at local, regional and national levels.' The national church, on the other hand, is facing the challenge of supporting ministry in regions where donations do not cover expenses, she said. A draft 2022 financial statement initially shared with CoGS, intended to be presented by the financial management committee, shows General Synod with a $1.6-million excess of expenses over revenues" (p. 2).
- CoGS also spent a good portion of its agenda discussing a letter sent by the Rev. Trevor Freeman in British Columbia. "The letter's author states that they are the victim of Mr. MacDonald’s 'acknowledged sexual misconduct,' and does not include their name. They criticize the process used by the church to handle their complaint — now in the midst of its first update since 2005 — for the lack of agency and aid they say it gave them. Their listed concerns include lack of trauma counseling, not being consulted on the announcement of MacDonald’s resignation until a few hours before it was made public and, they say, being prevented from sharing or discussing the results of the investigation into MacDonald’s conduct" (p. 2). "CoGS entrusted Prolocutor the Rev. Karen Egan and vice-prolocutor Judith Moses to write a response to the letterwriter on its behalf. Egan later confirmed to the Journal that she and Moses would be sending their response on behalf of CoGS’s by mail March 6 [2023]" (p. 2).
- "Also at CoGS, the Rev. Cynthia Haines-Turner, one of the members of the board of the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund [PWRDF], announced the agency would be changing its name to something simpler that better communicates its purpose. The board, Haines-Turner said March 3, has already struck a task force to come up with a new name" (p. 2).
- Subjects
- Strategic planning - Anglican Church of Canada
- Anglican Church of Canada - 21st century
- Anglican Church of Canada - Demographics - 21st century
- Anglican Church of Canada - Forecasting
- Anglican Church of Canada - Finance
- MacDonald, Mark L. (Mark Lawrence), 1954-
- Sexual abuse - Religious aspects - Anglican Church of Canada
- Sexual misconduct by clergy - Anglican Church of Canada
- Anglican Church of Canada - Clergy - Sexual behavior
- Nicholls, Linda (Linda Carol), 1954-
- Primate's World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) - Name