Rev. Vincent Solomon, Indigenous Ministry Developer, from the Diocese of Rupert’s Land (Anglican Church of Canada), delivered the first Rejoicing in Hope thematic presentation of the 2025 National Convention on Friday afternoon.
In his message, Solomon discussed the challenges of rejoicing in hope amid our struggles – individual and collective – and affirmed the enduring hope in the good news of Creator and Jesus.
He spoke about the resilience of Indigenous Christians, and the richness of the Indigenous church on Turtle Island. He offered insight from lived experience, and lesson from Indigenous perspective on what is means to hope and, and to rejoice in it.
“Indigenous Christians are still here. Because of people like my grandfather, because of my ancestors who believed from time immemorial that there is a benevolent being there, who loves us. Today, there are many, many churches dotted all across Turtle Island, all across Indian country, which inspire hope in a stormy land,” he said.
“One does not learn how to be and how to talk about God and how to talk about healing and how to come to a place where things are good. And where does one learn? It is only by living in a hard country where discomfort is the norm…We have hope that we can endure life’s hard goals and afflictions, like my grandfather did, and that we can have a view that is not inclined to this world and traps us here, but rather moves us from and into a place where we can rejoice despite those dark times.”
Towards the end of the talk, Solomon stated that the Canadian church finds itself at a reckoning, and invited the delegation to ruminate: “What is your reckoning as the Lutheran church? To those who sit at your collective table, what is your reckoning as the body of Christ?”
