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| Churches Support Tamil Migrants |
| Diocesan-led Worship at St. Matthew's Abbotsford
Worship continues in the Parish Hall of St. Matthew's Abbotsford, Sundays at 8am. Holy Eucharist from the Book of Alternative Services. September 12th the Celebrant and Preacher will be the Reverend Helen Tervo and September 19th the community welcomes back the Reverend David Price. For information call the Synod Office, 604.684.6306 and for local assistance email Monte Worthington or Carole Keighley. |
| PWRDF Aid for Pakistan Flood Victims   Please visit the PWRDF Aid to Pakistan webpage to make a donation to the work being done to bring aid to the victims of these devastating floods. |
| September Topic 
Please download a pdf of the September Topic newspaper. Submissions deadline for the October issue has past. The deadline for submissions to be included in the November issue is October 5th, 2010 |
| Topic is accepting advertising - NOW  TOPIC, the newspaper of the Diocese of New Westminster is now accepting paid advertising. Check out the rate card and advertising policy. The deadline for the November issue is October 5th. Contact Randy Murray |
| General Synod Adopts Statement of Consensus on Human Sexuality |
| Meaning of Mission  Click to view a short film made during the delegate participation segment of Synod 2010 - Moving Back into the Neighbourhood. May 15th, 2010 |
| Doug's Ride  St. James, Vancouver parishioner Doug Ibbott is four months into his bicycle quest: Burnaby to Istanbul. Things are going very well on the Canadian leg of Doug's fundraising trip. His goal is to raise $50,000 to contribute to Clean Water for Ethiopia. Follow Doug's Ride and please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.
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| Policy on Vital, Sustainable and Strategic Parish Ministry  Diocesan Council approved the policy on Vital, Sustainable and Strategic Parish Ministry at their December 8, 2009 meeting.Click POLICY to download a copy of this very important component of the Diocesan Strategic Plan - Plan 2018
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| Diocesan Canons available |
| The Primatial Address from General Synod and Vision 2019 Video |
| Shelters List  SHELTERS for the current list of shelters and meals from Judy Graves' office. If printing copies for hand-outs please use yellow paper as the black icon on yellow paper is recognized as the sign of shelter by homeless in the Greater Vancouver area.
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| Donations accepted for Youth Coordinator Fund 
A voluntary fund set up and authorized June 9th by Diocesan Council to ensure that the Diocesan Youth Coordinator’s position continues through 2010 continues to grow thanks to the generosity of a small number who have pledged matching funds. Donate online by going to this story on the website. |
| National Church Announces New Philanthropy Initiative  The Anglican Church of Canada is pleased to announce the launch of Acts of Faith; A Guide to Supporting the Ministries of the Anglican Church of Canada. A downloadable pdf of the guide is available by clicking the link.
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| Information about same-sex blessings - |
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Last Updated On: 9/27/2009 7:07:13 AM
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No more parishes may bless same sex couples for forseeable future
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| The Rev. John Oakes of Holy Trinity Vancouver was one of a number of rectors of conservative parishes who spoke in favour a motion to continue the moratorium. Archdeacon John Struthers of St. David’s, Delta, had seconded the motion |
For the foreseeable future, the blessing of the union of gay and lesbian Anglicans will continue to be limited to eight parishes in the diocese.
By a vote closer than expected, 142 to 123, Diocesan Synod decided to continue to affirm its decision in 2005 to ask the bishop to impose a moratorium on allowing additional parishes to have the rite performed in their churches.
The moratorium on allowing additional parishes to use the rite came as the national General Synod was considering the issue, and the Windsor Report, done by a group appointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, had called for a moratorium on all such public rites.
In 2007, a motion that would have affirmed the authority of Canadian dioceses to have a rite of same sex blessing was passed by the orders of lay and clergy delegates, but failed by two votes in the order of bishops.
General Synod meets next year and will again take up the issue. The two archdeacons who proposed continuing the diocesan moratorium, Stephen Rowe and John Struthers, argued the Diocese of New Westminster should wait for the national synod's action.
Noting that some other Canadian diocesan synods have voted to ask for a same sex blessing from their bishops, Struthers said: "Others have now joined us in running the race. We no longer run alone. The finish line is in sight."
"I believe that we must stay the course of limiting the number of parishes authorized to bless same sex unions to allow the church beyond our diocesan borders to complete its work," Struthers said.
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| Asking that the moratorium be lifted on additional parishes being places of same sex blessing was the Rev. Neil Fernyhough, whose parish of St. Hilda’s, Sechelt, is now authorized to perform the blessing. (Julie H. Ferguson photos) |
The Rev. Carla McGhie of St. Clare-in-the-Cove, one of about six parishes that have voted to ask the bishop to be allowed to perform the rite, said: "We wait to practice the inclusivity that we preach, and so do other parishes." She said that couples wish to be blessed surrounded by friends in the parish that supports them.
Mark Munn of Christ Church Cathedral read a statement from Integrity Vancouver, a group of gay and lesbian Anglicans and their supporters. It said that the group feels that calls for "gracious restraint" by continuing the diocesan moratorium "is often seen as capitulation to bigotry and discrimination... Let us love God and live boldly once again."
The rectors of some parishes that opposed the blessings argued for continuation of the moratorium. The Rev. John Oakes of Holy Trinity Vancouver said the conditions that lead to the 2005 moratorium still apply.
The Rev. Al Carson said that his parish of St. Cuthbert was "strong but fragile...we hold together...but I continue to pray for a Church that is able to stay together in unity with diversity so that voices can be listened to...so that we can experience together great grace and growth standing together as diverse Christians before our Lord."
Currently, the parishes that can conduct blessings are Christ Church Cathedral, St. Paul's, St. Margaret Cedar Cottage, and St. Marks, all in Vancouver; St. Agnes, North Vancouver; St. Barnabas, New Westminster; St. Laurence, Coquitlam; St. Hilda's, Sechelt.
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