ACA Nov. 2018 Newsletter:
1. Letter from the Chair, Dr. David Smith
2. A pre-General Synod challenge!
3. ACA/Engage a blessing to western dioceses
4. Starting a Chapter--flexibility and simplicity
5. Become an ACA Partner!
6. Prayer for the Church Universal |
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1. Letter from ACA Chair
A view that I am encountering frequently in my corner of the Anglican Church of Canada is that the church should be seen largely as an instrument of social justice and social change. The church is here mainly to make the world a better place for the poor and the marginalized, and to help to change the structures of society towards that end. The mission of the church is seen in those terms, and other traditional views of the church’s mission, such as the preaching of the gospel for the bringing of people to eternal life, and the upholding of the existing moral and political fabric of society, are neglected.
In a recent article in the Anglican Planet, I suggested that both evangelism and social justice are part of the church’s mission but in different ways: (https://anglicanplanet.net/justification-sanctification-social-justice/)
Evangelism belongs directly to the church’s mission as that is set out in the Great Commission in Matthew 28. Acts of social justice and mercy are what must be there in the life of the church for its mission to be legitimate – for its members to be truly Christian – as we see in the parable of the sheep and goats in Matthew 25.
It is important that we distinguish the ways in which these belong to the church’s mission. If we focus  on evangelism and, in general, on the “spiritual” part of our mission to the exclusion of concrete help to others, our spiritual message may turn out to have been empty. But if we focus on social issues to the exclusion of the spiritual message, we may be left with a materialistic “this-worldly” approach that doesn’t leave us any different than other secular organizations.
It seems to me that there are two ways we can place a priority on the social justice part of the church’s mission. One is to say that young people today place a high value on making a difference in the world, and are sceptical of spiritual claims, and so in order to win them over we need to emphasize the part of the church’s mission that makes the world a better place. This approach may leave the more traditional idea of the church’s mission the way it was. It’s a matter of strategy. This seems to me a reasonable line to take, with the danger being that we emphasize the tangible effects of the church’s mission to such an extent that we ourselves forget the primacy of the spiritual dimension. We need to remember that Jesus said, “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both body and soul in hell (Matthew 10:28). It is not wrong to say that the church’s mission has primarily to do with the soul.
The other way that the church as an agent of social justice can be understood is that this is really what the New Testament was saying all along, but we have misunderstood it. There is a significant school of interpretation today that says that the writings of the New Testament aren’t nearly as politically neutral as they have appeared to be – rather, that a consistent challenge to the power structures of the Roman Empire is implied. This challenge is then applied to the alleged parallel of American or capitalist hegemony in our world, and a political agenda emerges that was never before thought to have been there.
This approach is seriously troubling. Its advocates differ considerably, but in some we sense a background of what might be called “soft Marxist” assumptions about power and the ruling forces in society. Without dismissing all the insights of such readings of the New Testament, we can certainly be concerned that those kind of assumptions will change the message of the church out of all recognition. The church that views itself as an agent of social justice in terms borrowed from radical materialist thinkers will be hard to identify with the New Testament church or the historical church as we have inherited it.
--The Rev. Dr. David Smith
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2. Pre-General Synod challenge!
We recently received a $1000 donation from a faithful ACA supporter. He asked us to share with all of you his motivation for giving, as well as a challenge for everyone to prayerfully consider a donation before General Synod 2019. "This gift is given to the Anglican Communion Alliance in deep gratitude for the dedication and commitment of past and present ACA leaders: Roger Spack, Brett Cane, Murray Henderson, Roseanne Kydd, David Smith and Sharon Dewey Hetke, for their love of Christ, His Gospel and His church. May this gift encourage other lovers of Christ and His church to support Anglican Communion Alliance before General Synod 2019."
We are humbled and encouraged by this gift and these words. It is certainly the case that we need increased support if we are to continue the work we are doing, and if we are to have the kind of ACA presence that is needed at General Synod 2019 in Vancouver. God bless you as you prayerfully consider. http://www.anglicancommunionalliance.ca/donate/
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3. ACA/Engage a true blessing.
 
Sixty-two people from 5 western dioceses registered for the Oct. 13 dual-track ACA/Engage conference hosted by St. James' in Calgary. Meals and worship times were shared between the 2 groups, and were a rich time of building relationships with each other and giving praise to the God who has blessed us and sustains us in our faith. Through the struggles in our Church, I believe God is bringing us closer together as we pray for one another and gain courage.
Special thanks to the Rev. Arthur Sheffield and to Sheila & Ron Vanderputten for hosting this event, and to the hospitality teams and praise band from St. James !
Thank you also to our speakers, the Rev. Dr. Ron Kydd, Julie Moser, Steven Tighe and Ken Moser, and prayer and worship leaders the Rev. Chris Dow, the Rev. Gethin Edward and the Rev. Gene Packwood. Finally, we are so very grateful for the presence of Bishop Michael Hawkins (SK) and Archbishop Greg Kerr-Wilson (Calgary). Their words strengthened and encouraged us. Watch the next issue of The Anglican Planet for a full write-up on the conference!
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4. Start or join a Chapter
We are very pleased to announce that new ACA Chapters are springing up in both western and eastern Canada. Are you interested in starting one in your area? A Chapter can be either lay- or clergy-led, and can take whatever shape is practical in your situation. Some Chapters meet entirely by Zoom video conference, while others hold monthly or quarterly meetings for fellowship, Bible study and prayer. Write to me at anglicancommunionalliance@gmail.com for info; I can also put you in touch with a leader of our longest running Chapter in the Diocese of Niagara--Rosemary Greer, who will encourage you and give you ideas for your Chapter. We all need fellowship and encouragement, and from our ACA point of view, local Chapters are one of the best sources of that support.
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6. Prayer for the Church Universal
(from the Book of Common Prayer):
MOST gracious God, we humbly beseech thee for thy holy Catholic Church. Fill it with all truth; in all truth with all peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it Is in error, direct it; where any thing is amiss, reform it; where it is right, strengthen and confirm it; where it is in want, furnish it; where it is divided and rent asunder, make it whole again; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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