A letter from the leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, Anglican Church of Canada, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and The Episcopal Church

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As sisters and brothers in the Lutheran and Anglican/Episcopal traditions, and in the spirit of full communion between our respective Churches in Canada and the United States, we the Primatial/National/Presiding Bishops of the Anglican Church of Canada, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and The Episcopal Church are happy to say that, in the last ten years, we have intentionally deepened our own partnerships. We have done this through our annual “4 Way” meetings, joint Advent and Lenten devotions, and shared public statements on issues that concern the human family and our common home, the earth itself. We rejoice in our genuine friendship, and are grateful for the mutual support and encouragement we enjoy in the exercise of our ministries.

Our churches are all holding their respective Conventions, Synods and Assemblies during 2018/2019. We pledge our prayers as bishops, clergy and laity come together to deliberate over matters of concern unique to each Church and those common to all of us. We pray that in the midst of all the demands on our attention to matters domestic we not lose sight of our calling as the Church to be “in and for the world” (World Council of Churches, The Church: Towards a Common Vision, 2013).

We invite the members of our Churches to join us in prayer during the periods of these churchwide gatherings:

Anglican Church of Canada General Synod – July 10-16, 2019, Vancouver, British Columbia
Decisions include:

* Election of new Primate
* Canonical changes to empower the continuing emergence of structures to support the formation of a self-governing Indigenous Anglican Church within the Anglican Church of Canada
* Proposed amendments to the National Canon on Marriage
* Memorandum of Mutual Recognition of Relations of Full Communion

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada National Convention – July 11- 13, 2019, Regina, Saskatchewan

Decisions include:
    
* Election of a National Bishop
* Consideration of:
    * “The Call to Journey Faithfully with Those Who Are Dying”
    * “Reimagining Our Church: Public Ministry in the ELCIC”
    * Memorandum of Mutual Recognition of Relations of Full Communion
    * Signing on to “A Common Word Between Us and You” and initiation of a joint ACC-ELCIC program of Muslim-Christian engagement

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Churchwide Assembly – August 5-10, 2019, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Decisions include:

    * Elections for Presiding Bishop and for Secretary
    * Celebration of 50th anniversary of decision to ordain women
    * Consideration of:
    * “Declaration of Inter-Religious Commitment”
    * “Faith, Sexism, and Justice”
    * “Declaration to Persons of African Descent”

Almighty and ever-living God, source of all wisdom and understanding, be present with those who take counsel for the renewal and mission of your Church. Teach us in all things to seek first your honor and glory. Guide us to perceive what is right and grant us both the courage to pursue it and the grace to accomplish it; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

We pledge not only our prayers, but also our continued commitment to explore more deeply how to live into our communion partnerships and our common witness to Jesus Christ whose prayer is this, “that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (John 17:21)

Archbishop Fred Hiltz (Anglican Church of Canada)
National Bishop Susan Johnson (Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada)
Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America)
Presiding Bishop Michael Curry (The Episcopal Church)

Over 150 delegates, special guests and visitors from across Canada will gather in Regina, SK this week to participate in the 2019 National Convention of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada. The convention, under the theme Called to Journey Together: The Ministry of Reconciliation will take place July 11-13 at the University of Regina campus.

((During the three-day convention, delegates will hold elections for Secretary, Treasurer, National Church Council, Court of Appeal and National Bishop, while discussing a number of significant motions. Business sessions will include morning and evening worship, as well as several presentations spread out over the agenda to lift up reconciling with creation, journeying with Indigenous Peoples, and journeying with people of other faiths.

“Attending National Convention is like coming to a family reunion,” said ELCIC National Bishop Susan C. Johnson. “Even if you haven’t been before, you will be welcomed like family, have the chance to meet people from across the church and across the country, and you will be able to re-establish old friendships while making new ones. Our church is doing exciting things, and you have the opportunity to be a part of the decision-making that sets the groundwork for the future of our church.”((

The ELCIC National Convention takes place every three years and includes clergy and lay delegates, partners, special guests, visitors, volunteers, and staff.

Delegates will consider over 22 motions throughout the three days of convention on important mission and ministry relating to: The Call to Journey with those who are Dying; a resolution on single-use plastics; Reimaging our Church – Public Ministry in the ELCIC; Resolution on Respect for LGBTQ2SIA+ persons; and many more.

The ELCIC is will once again present the ELCIC In Mission for Others Leadership Award at convention. This award recognizes an individual – either rostered or lay – who has made an outstanding contribution to the life and work of the wider church over several years. Nominations were made from across the church; this year’s recipient will be announced Thursday evening.

Further information on the ELCIC’s 2019 National Convention is available online at: elcic.ca/In-Convention/2019-Regina/default.cfm

A live webcast will be available for convention. It can be accessed at elcic.ca/In-Convention/2019-Regina/livewebcast.cfm

All local media must be accredited in order to attend this event. Forms for accreditation can be found at the following link: elcic.ca/In-Convention/2019-Regina/media.cfm

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 114,592 baptized members in 525 congregations. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches. Material provided through ELCIC Information is intended for reproduction and redistribution by recipients in whatever manner they may find useful.

For more information, please contact:

(Trina Gallop Blank,
Director of Communications
600-177 Lombard Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 0W5(
204.984.9172
tgallop@elcic.ca

“We are called to be together, and to journey together. Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I will be in your midst,” said Rev. Dr. Martin Junge, general secretary of The Lutheran World Federation, in his sermon at the opening worship service of the 17th National Convention of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC), meeting at the University of Regina, in Saskatchewan, July 11-13.

Special guest Rev. Dr. Martin Junge preached, while ELCIC National Bishop Susan C. Johnson presided over the service. Roughly 150 delegates gathered in Regina, while special guests, visitors and volunteers were also in attendance. Thursday afternoon’s opening worship service marked the official opening of convention, highlighted by the singing of hymns, sharing peace, Holy Communion and a handcrafted confession.

Local elder Betty McKenna greeted the assembly and formally welcomed those gathered on Treaty Four Territory. Following the greeting, convention participants took part in a service of confession, assembled by Debbie Hill, Arlene Granbois and Doreen Topp, with the help of Regina Indigenous Christian Fellowship minister Bert Adema. The personalized confession was shaped in a way to continue onward in the journey toward reconciliation.

In his sermon, Rev. Dr. Junge shared the story of Nicodemus (John 3), comparing the similarities between the idea of being ‘born again/born from above’ and the theme of the 2019 ELCIC National Convention, Called to Journey Together: The Ministry of Reconciliation.

“It is not because of who we are, and it is not because of what we do, but it is because of who God is, and what God does in Christ,” said Rev. Dr. Junge. “We are justified, liberated, invited to receive a new life, which doesn’t come forth from our doing – our being, but it comes forth because of what God does, and who God is.”

The convention agenda further includes the proposal of 22 significant motions on important mission and ministry relating to: The Call to Journey with those who are Dying, a resolution on single-use plastics, Reimaging our Church – Public Ministry in the ELCIC, Resolution on Respect for LGBTQ2SIA+ persons, and many more; the elections of Secretary, Treasurer, National Church Council, Court of Appeal and National Bishop; the Report of the National Bishop, as well as several presentations spread out over the agenda to lift up reconciling with creation, journeying with Indigenous Peoples, and journeying with people of other faiths. The ELCIC In Mission for Others Leadership Award will also be presented to the 2019 recipient.

More information as well as a live link to the ELCIC’s National Convention is available on the ELCIC website https://elcic.ca/In-Convention/2019-Regina/default.cfm.

Marlin Bennie Aadland died peacefully at the age of 82 on May 30, 2019 in Surrey, B.C.

Aadland was elected to serve as the first Bishop of the British Columbia Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) in 1985 and served for three terms until 1998.

“Marlin had a deep faith, was a brilliant teacher and had an outstanding sense of humour. I give thanks to God for his faithful service to God and the church,” says ELCIC National Bishop Susan Johnson. “Our prayers are with his wife Jeanette and all who mourn Marlin’s death.”

He earned his B.A. degree at Augsburg College in 1962, followed by an MDiv. from the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Saskatoon in 1966. In 1981, he completed his doctorate degree from the Boston University School of Theology.

Aadland served as pastor in Lutheran parishes in Wetaskiwin, Burnaby and Vancouver.

He is survived by his wife of almost 55 years, Jeanette (nee Quenzer); children Jeff (Effie) Aadland and Jill (Robin) Smalley; and grandchildren. He is lovingly remembered by his sisters Vivian Brown of Loreburn, SK and Sharon Wankel of Saskatoon, and their families.

Funeral service and reception will be held on Friday, June 7, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. at Mount Olive Lutheran Church (2350 148th St. Surrey, B.C.). In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Saskatoon or Canadian Lutheran World Relief.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, together with the Anglican Church of Canada, lifts up the Seventh Sunday of Easter as Jerusalem and the Holy Land Sunday.

Congregations and ministries are encouraged to include the following prayer, and other possible recognitions on Sunday, June 2, 2019.

Further resources from the Anglican Church of Canada are available here: www.anglican.ca/gr/provinces/jerusalem/sunday/.

A Prayer for Peace in Jerusalem and the Holy Land
– Seventh Sunday of Easter

God of all peoples, acknowledging the significance of Jerusalem and the Holy Land in the history and lives of Jews, Christians and Muslims; and aware of political and social conflicts in the State of Israel and surrounding nations, and global involvement and tensions focused on this region; we pray for justice and lasting peace, compassion and hope for all peoples of these lands. As you hear the cries of those who suffer, grant them new life. Continue to uphold the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Jordan and the Holy Land and Bishop Ibrahim Azar, the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem and Archbishop Suheil, and supporting organizations and agencies working for the wellbeing of all. Amen.

***UPDATE as of April 1, 2019: The Government of Canada has announced that donations designated to Cyclone Idai will be matched until April 14.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC), through our partner Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR), calls on its members to respond through prayer and financial aid in support of relief efforts in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi following the devastation of Cyclone Idai. The powerful storm, which made landfall in Mozambique on March 15, killed at least 750 people and has left hundreds of thousands displaced from their homes.

“We pray for all those affected by Cyclone Idai,” says ELCIC National Bishop Susan C. Johnson. “We pray for the people of Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe, for the dead, the injured, the displaced, and all who mourn the effects of Cyclone Idai. We pray for generous support of all who will work to bring relief and aid.”

Needs have only increased in the days since the storm. Damaged infrastructure is complicating humanitarian efforts and damaged water systems are intensifying the risk of waterborne illnesses like cholera. Children are particularly vulnerable and many have been separated from their families.

CLWR is responding to relief efforts through its partnership in the Humanitarian Coalition, a national coalition that will raise funds to support a quick and effective response to the crisis. Donations received by CLWR will support response through ACT Alliance, which includes organizations on the ground in all three affected countries who are well-positioned to deliver immediate response.

As part of the ELCIC’s Disaster Response Fund, $5,000 will be forwarded immediately to CLWR to assist with relief efforts.

Individuals and congregations wishing to support relief efforts can donate as follows:

* Make a designated offering donation for “Cyclone Idai” through any ELCIC congregation.
* Call CLWR at 1-800-661-2597 (locally at 204-694-6502) to donate by credit card or go online at https://www.clwr.org/cyclone-idai.
* Send a cheque made payable to CLWR and mailed to CLWR, 600-177 Lombard Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3B 0W5. Please indicate that you wish to contribute to “Cyclone Idai.”

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) National Bishop Susan C. Johnson has written an open letter to Muslim friends in Canada and Muslim neighbours in New Zealand, following the attack at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.

A pdf of the letter can be found here. The text of the letter follows:

Grace and peace to you.

Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you, says the Lord. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands. —Isaiah 49:15-16

Early Friday morning, we received with shock the news of the attacks that occurred at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. I am heartbroken and lled with horror at the massacre of innocent people gathered for prayer in the Al-Noor Masjid and Linwood Islamic Centre.

In those early hours, I called on the members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada to join me in the following prayer:

God of consolation, we mourn the two mass shootings at mosques in Christchurch. We pray for the victims, the injured, their families, and all who are now afraid of further violence. Strengthen us to stand with our Muslim neighbours against all forms of Islamophobia and to work to end gun violence. Amen.

In 2015, our ELCIC National Convention endorsed the document Welcoming the Stranger. In this action, we af rmed that our “faith teaches that compassion, mercy, love and hospitality are for everyone: the native born and the foreign born, the member of my community and the newcomer.” We joined with people of all faiths on a journey toward peace, respect and true community.

In January 2017, I called for prayers and solidarity following the attack that occurred during Sunday night prayers at a Quebec City mosque. I urged the members of our church to “reach out in a genuine expression of love for our neighbour as we stand in solidarity… and speak out against all forms of racism and violence against Muslims.”

At our upcoming National Convention this July, we will continue to work towards further relationship and the support of Christian-Muslim engagement in communities across Canada.

I am inviting every community in our Church to embrace our Muslim sisters and brothers; to stand with our Muslim neighbours against all forms of Islamophobia; and to consider how we might reach out to one another in our communities, in gestures of support and human solidarity.

In times of shock, horror, and dif culty, people of faith look to the God of mercy for comfort, strength and hope. It is God’s steadfast presence and love that leads toward healing and restoration of spirit that helps us to choose the ways of peace.

The nurturing of interfaith relationships and respect for persons of other faith communities is of the utmost importance as we seek to worship and follow the God who always remembers and cherishes each of God’s children.

Yours in Christ,

Susan C. Johnson,

National Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

Where do you see ‘people in mission’ in our community?

In our churches? On the playground? At work? At rest? In recreation?

The ELCIC Program Committee for Worship (PCW) is putting out a call for images to be used on worship bulletin covers for the 2018 – 2019 liturgical year based on the theme People in Mission.

The images of People in Mission can be as diverse as your imagination. How do you see people in mission in the world around you? Are you surprised by what you see, or maybe encouraged? Are there any images that challenge us and let us see mission in a different way?

Please submit images for the second half of the bulletin series by March 18, 2019 in an email to: BulletinPictures@gmail.com and include the following information:

• Photographer who took the image(s)

• Location where the photo was taken

• Story behind the photo – why did you take this photo?  How does it show people in mission to you? Include the name of the congregation, if appropriate.

• Completed Copyright Transfer and Confirmation of Consent to use Images, available on the Canadian Church Bulletin website at churchbulletins.ca.

o   As needed, there are also Consent to use Image forms available at churchbulletins.ca – both for youth under 18 years old and adults.

o   Consent is only needed for images where the main subject is recognizable. Images of a crowd in a public place (for instance, a worship service) do not require consent. Consent can of course be verbal, but a signed form is best.
 
Since the bulletin covers require a square image, your photo may be cropped to fit as needed. From a practical point of view, any jpeg (.jpg) image that is 2.6 MB or more in size can work.  Images must be submitted by March 18, 2019.