165 Years of Christ Church, Hope
Parables can be tricky things to deal with. They are frequently in the lectionary readings. We can “think we already know what they are about and their punchline,” Archbishop John Stephens said during a Sunday Eucharist service on November 8, 2026, at Christ Church, Hope. The service was marking the parish’s 165th anniversary.
The parable of the wise and foolish bridesmaids was part of the readings for the service. Looking at that parable through a different lens may offer a new insight. That new understanding can help us understand what God is trying to tell us - in this case, that the light is most important thing. We must bear the light signalling God’s nearness for others. Something the community at Christ Church, Hope has been doing for more than a century and a half.
The archbishop suggested there could be a different way to look at the two groups of bridesmaids. “I wonder if camp number one had actually prepared pretty carefully. I wonder if they had tried to work out exactly how much oil they would need for their lamp. Let’s see… the bridegroom is supposed to arrive at 9:00pm, there are no clocks being changed this year, and the average amount of oil burned per hour when the lamp is lit is this much when there is no south-westerly breeze, and the premium oil we purchased burns a little slower than the regular grade and so we should be fine with just the oil we have. We are good. And the other camp, maybe, just thought, wow, well we have no idea what the oil burning rate is when there is a full moon and so we will just buy another flask of oil just to be sure... let’s just go with that. I wonder if the conversation went more like this,” he said.
The archbishop added, “the parable is really about the light coming from the lamp not the oil itself. We need the oil, our faith, it is true but it is needed to help provide a light.” Christ Church, Hope has been a bearer of that light for 165 years.
“For 165 years, this place has been handing out oil, so to speak so that indeed a new light can shine in and all who might come through these doors. For 165 years this church has been a beacon when more beacons are needed to show that indeed there is a greater path and a greater way through this life. One centred on grace and love. May your light so shine before others that they may see your good works and glorify God in heaven. God knows this is needed in our own lives and in the world of this day,” said Archbishop Stephens.
As it was Remembrance Sunday, the service continued with a moment to remember all who have fallen in war. The parish also remembered parishioners who have died recently. At the end of the service the congregation recognized the Warden, Paul Thiessen, and parishioner Lynn Barker who were inducted into the Order of the Diocese of New Westminster the day before. A special blessing was also offered to a group of neighbours who care for church garden.
The parish gathered after the service to celebrate their anniversary with a potluck and fellowship. They gathered in the parish hall which includes a replica in one corner of the living room of the Rev. Pringle, the first priest to minister to the parish. Before building the church, Rev. Pringle built a library. He wanted to offer the miners who lived there a place to gather that didn’t involve drinking, and a place to learn. In tribute to the Rev. Pringle’s library, the living room replica is now home to the parish library. Books ranging from popular fiction to those with a spiritual focus are available to borrow from the library corner. While many things have changed in 165 years, some thing never change.
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Photo: At the start of the service, Archbishop John Stephens chats with the children in the congregation about the parish and belonging to the wider diocese.