News - Page 63 of 63 - Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

ELCIC Participates in Ceremony to Reaffirm Aboriginal-Church Covenant

May 21, 2007 Site Admin

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC), along with representatives of eight other Canadian church denominations reaffirmed a covenant recognizing the rights of the nation’s Aboriginal peoples during a ceremony which took place following a full day of worship and conversation between delegates and members of the ELCIC’s National Convention and the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC)’s General Synod.

Titled, Towards the Constitutional Recognition and Protection of Aboriginal Self-Government in Canada, the covenant reaffirmed a previous statement by the leaders of Canadian Christian Churches on Aboriginal Rights and the Canadian Constitution which was signed 20 years ago on February 5, 1987.

During the ceremony church leaders repeated a pledge committing to “the vision of a new relationship between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples based on sharing, respect and the recognition of rights and responsibilities.”

The rededication ceremony occurred during a joint all-day liturgy service held by the ELCIC and ACC. Both churches are holding their national conventions in Winnipeg this week. The ceremony also coincided with National Aboriginal Day.

The 1987 covenant marked a major step forward in reconciliation between Canada’s Aboriginal peoples and the church, and recognizes Aboriginals’ rights to be distinct peoples, to an adequate land base and to self-determination.

Following the ceremony, at news conference held by KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives, leaders praised the rededication. “This is a spiritually significant event,” said The Rt. Rev. Mark MacDonald, the first-ever national indigenous Anglican Bishop, noting that the ceremony took place on the first day of the summer solstice.

Representatives at the news conference expressed confidence that covenants, such as the one with the churches, will help in making constitutional advances for Aboriginal people.

“It gives us hope and keeps our faith alive that some day we will succeed,” said Clement Chartier, president of the Metis National Council. “Our people are a spiritual people, by and large. We believe it’s important to work with the churches and move forward.”

ELCIC National Bishop Raymond Schulz said his church urges an early resolution to native land claims, many of which have dragged on for years.

Archbishop Andrew Hutchison, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, said progress has been made since the 1987 covenant was issued. The Anglican Church has formally apologized for its role in residential schools and reached a financial agreement on compensation to those affected.

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 174,555 baptized members in 620 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, Manager of Communications
302-393 Portage Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 3H6
204.984.9172
tgallop@elcic.ca

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Hymn Competition Winner Announced

May 11, 2007 Site Admin

Keri Wehlander of Nanaimo, British Columbia has been named the winner of the Hymn Text Competition. Wehlander’s submission, "From the Waters of Creation", set to the tune of Nettleton, was selected by the Joint Anglican Lutheran Commission (JALC) following the review of almost one hundred submissions. The competition was created to develop a new tune, familiar to both the traditions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) and the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC) who will be gathering for a joint day together while in Winnipeg in June for their respective National Convention and General Synod meetings.

Upon announcement of the winning submission, the JALC issued the following:

Keri Wehlander of Nanaimo, British Columbia, has written, "From the Waters of Creation", set to the tune Nettleton. "One of the strengths of the hymn," writes the Rev’d Dr Richard Leggett, one of the members of the Joint Commission charged with selecting the winner, "is its evocation of the many saving acts of God associated with water and God’s continuing work among us. I particularly appreciate the recurrent phrase that God’s grace continues to flow in the world. "

"From the Waters of Creation" will be sung at the joint gathering of the Anglican Church of Canada General Synod and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada National Convention on June 21 in Winnipeg.

Deep thanks go out to all who made submissions. "We received entries from across the country, from men and women, clergy and laity, young and old. The quality was high. I was particularly struck by the Canadian character of the imagery throughout the hymns," commented Eileen Scully, the General Synod staff person who served the Joint Commission’s project.

For further information, please contact:

Trina Gallop
Manager of Communications, ELCIC
(204) 984-9172

Convention Notes: ELCIC and ACC Joint Day on June 21, 2007

May 1, 2007 Site Admin

In less than two months, delegates representing the parishes of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) will gather in Winnipeg, Manitoba for the 11th Biennial National Convention of the ELCIC. Over the next few weeks CONVENTION NOTES will share information and highlights on the upcoming gathering.

For more information, please contact:

Ms.Trina Gallop

, Manager of Communications
302 – 393 Portage Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 3H6
204.984.9172
tgallop@elcic.ca

The second article in this series is on the ELCIC and Anglican Church of Canada (ACC) joint day which will take place on June 21, 2007. This article is written by the Rev. Paul Johnson, Assistant to the Bishop for Ecumenical Relations. Further information, including specific information for delegates, is available on the ELCIC website at www. elcic.ca (click on the link to 2007 National Convention).

Joint Day, ELCIC and ACC – June 2007

On a beautiful Sunday morning in July of 2001, in the arena at Kitchener-Waterloo, members of the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC) General Synod and delegates to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) National Convention, along with many local members and friends, came together to celebrate the Full Communion relationship between our two churches. There was great jubilation in the congregation, and at the end of the morning, during the recessional music, the Primate of the ACC, Michael Peers, and the National Bishop of the ELCIC, Telmor Sartison, were dancing in the sheer joy of the moment.

Six years have passed. In many ways our two churches are closer than ever. In other ways we realize that there are many differences yet. But, most importantly, we continue to celebrate the Eucharist together, in the full communion which is Our Lord’s desire for all Christians, and we work together in many and various ways, including the full exchange of clergy. There have been and remain numerous instances of ELCIC pastors serving Anglican congregations and ministries, and ACC priests serving ELCIC congregations and ministries, as together we seek to make the best use of the gifted people which God has given us.

On a Thursday morning in Manitoba, the longest day of the year, and National Aboriginal Day, also known as 21 June 2007, our two churches will meet once again, as both bodies hold their national assemblies in Winnipeg. We will spend the day together at the Winnipeg Convention Centre, from nine in the morning until four in the afternoon, celebrating our relationship, giving thanks to God for it, as we gather in worship to celebrate our one Saviour, the risen Lord Jesus Christ, to whom the one church belongs. In a day structured as a Eucharistic (thanksgiving) service, about a thousand of us will sing together, pray together, study together, and feast together, at a shared luncheon and most especially at the Lord’s table.

The featured speaker for the day will be Dr. Sallie McFague, Distinguished Theologian in Residence at the Vancouver School of Theology. Her most recent book is Life Abundant: Rethinking Theology and Economy for a Planet in Peril. The focus for the day is water, that which gives us life both literally – no living creature on this planet can do without it – and spiritually, as water comes together with the promise of God to bring us into the church of Christ.

The Scripture readings for the day are Isaiah 55.1-11, Psalm 107.33-43,Revelation 22.1-5 and John 4.7-15. The liturgy is built from Evangelical Lutheran Worship, our new primary worship resource (along with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, or ELCA); our Anglican partners have expressed a strong desire to be introduced to that which is most important to us, the framework we use as we gather for worship Sunday by Sunday. The musician for the day is our National Convention Musician, Mark Sedio, the Music Director at Central Lutheran Church (ELCA) in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The National Bishop, Raymond Schultz, and the Primate, Andrew Hutchison, will share in presiding, in the Thanksgiving for Baptism, that which makes us one, and in the celebration of the Meal which keeps us one. Everyone will be assigned to a table group for the day, half Anglican, half Lutheran, with other factors to keep it all interesting, and each group will spend the day together as we worship in Holy Communion, song, prayer, Scripture, study, and share food together. It promises to be a rich day of fellowship, of growing together, as we give thanks to God for our Full Communion relationship six years in, and recommit ourselves to this shared journey into which Christ has called us.

Rev. Paul Johnson
Assistant to the Bishop for Ecumenical Relations – ELCIC

Hundred Years After Mission Conference Gave Impetus to Start of Ecumenical Movement, Kobia Calls for Ecumenically Responsible Evangelism

April 30, 2007 Site Admin

On the threshold of the 100th anniversary celebration of the 1910 Edinburgh World Mission Conference, widely regarded as the symbolic starting point of the modern ecumenical movement, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia offered a sober analysis of the past century’s achievements and failures, and called for an "ecumenically responsible evangelism".

Speaking today in Edinburgh, Scotland, at a meeting to prepare the 100th anniversary celebration of the landmark event, Kobia affirmed: "We need a new Edinburgh and can only hope that the celebration we foresee for 2010 will be a step in that direction."

Such a re-edition depends on involving today’s newer and most dynamic mission movements, Kobia said. These "are to be found among Christian traditions not represented in any of the formal fora that exist as a consequence of the structures of last century".

Only after acknowledging Christianity’s new face, the result of the "spiritual revolution brought by the Pentecostal and charismatic movements and churches," can a "fruitful theological dialogue on priorities and disciplines in mission" be envisaged.

In that sense, it is particularly urgent that mission "be understood and practised in a way that does not lead to an increase of hatred and violence". New forms of "non-aggressive evangelism" must keep "the bold witness to Christ and God’s kingdom in creative tension with respect for men, women and children of all convictions".

For Kobia, "ecumenically responsible evangelism" means "a proclamation which, while critical of human pride and sin, makes it clear that God wants peace and not war, life and not death, unity and not division, forgiveness and not vengeance".

Healing of memories

Reflecting on the famous Edinburgh motto "the evangelization of the world in this generation," the WCC general secretary acknowledged that 100 years later, the number of Christians in the world is proportionally the same: roughly a third of the world population.

"Realistically speaking, it doesn’t make sense to just repeat the Edinburgh watchword," Kobia argued. Instead, and in view of the extent to which both the world and the landscape of Christianity have profoundly changed since 1910, he proposed to focus on "this generation’s mission in a globalized world".

According to Kobia, this course should include "the healing of Christian divisions, building communities of healing and reconciliation, challenging all justifications of violence, striving for peace as God’s gift, and sharing the gospel in Christ’s way".

Amongst wounded memories in need of healing is the rift between "Christians of the evangelical mission family and Christians of the conciliar or ecumenical mission family". "We should find a way to confess mutual exaggerations and disrespect" so as to favour "an authentic reconciliation process" if any progress in co-operation around 2010 and beyond is to be achieved, Kobia said.

The WCC general secretary is halfway through a 24 April – 4 May visit to the UK and Ireland.

The full text of Kobia’s keynote speech at the planning meeting for the 2010 centennial conference in Edinburgh is available at the following link: http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?id=3496

More information on Kobia’s visit to England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland, including a detailed schedule, is available on the WCC website at: http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-07-25.html

Additional information: Juan Michel,+41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363 media@wcc-coe.org

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 347 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 560 million Christians in over 110 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, from the Methodist Church in Kenya. Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.

For more information, please contact:

Ms. Trina Gallop, Manager of Communications

302 – 393 Portage Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 3H6

204.984.9172

tgallop@elcic.ca

An Easter Message From ELCIC National Bishop
Raymond Schultz

April 4, 2007 Site Admin

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.
–Isaiah 49:15 (NRSV)

What a pleasant surprise it was to visit Sweden for the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Council meeting and get some relief from North American news. The North American mood, since September 11, 2001, has been one of doomsday dread. The rationale for the Iraq war was built on that mood. The US demands for beefed-up Canadian security were based on that mood. There is a sense in the air that if one is not watchful every minute, life, as we know it, will be snatched away for good. Apocalyptic religious views such as those expressed in the Left Behind series by Tim LaHay add to the doomsday dread.

How much more Easter-centred was the mood in Europe! The gathering there celebrated a mixture of experiences, some undeniably dangerous, but others life-giving. Life is not an all-or-nothing battle. Christians who have been dealt life-crushing disasters continue to re-emerge as hopeful and dedicated evangelists for Jesus Christ. The LWF community offered the opportunity to reason through our faith together.

God, who created us out of sheer grace, has permanently adopted us in love. Nowhere do I find the Easter message more profoundly spoken then in the prophesies of Isaiah, who did not know Jesus, but who knew the promise in which Jesus trusted. Eternal life is not a future promise, but a reality in which we already exist. I disagree with those who believe that death is an illusion, but death, real as it is, cannot prevent God from preserving us in God’s own self for all of God’s life.

Let us not be ground down by doomsday worries. Let us celebrate life in fearless trust and give ourselves over to the celebration of life eternal! Easter always calls us forward into the future.

Thanks be to God!

National Bishop Raymond Schultz
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (www.elcic.ca) is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 174,555 baptized members in 620 congregations. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.