Convention Edition

e-Connector
Keeping the members of CALC connected.

September 12, 2021

The convention was a hybrid event, with 28 participating at the in-person meeting at the Coast Nisku Inn & Conference Center, Nisku, Alberta, and 25 participating online. The quorum included 40 voting delegates. Many thanks to Tim Bauer who hosted and administered the online participation in the meeting.

Guests included Shalayne Eckart and James Rostad, two ambassadors from the Canadian Lutheran Bible Institute (CLBI). They gave a well received presentation on the school. Other guests included Pastor Charles Jackson of the World Mission Prayer League (WMPL) and Pastor Harold Rust.

The following were admitted as Individual Associate Members: Scott Luther Kopperud, Saskatoon, SK; Jean-Claude Maniragaba, Nyagatare, Rwanda, Africa; Robert Christopher Dean, Parkside, SK; Nyla Dean, Parkside, SK; and Sarah Margaret Dunphy, Manotick, ON. The following name was removed from the roster of Individual Associate Members: Zakaria Mandara.

The following names were removed from the Roster of Parish Pastors: Pastor Robert Christopher Dean by reason of the resignation of his call to Immanuel Lutheran Church, Parkside, SK; Pastor Zakaria Mandara by reason of the resignation of his call to St. Matthews Lutheran Church, Cornwall, ON; and Pastor Edward P. Skutshek by reason of his retirement - Grace Lutheran Church, West Kelowna, BC.

The following names were added to the Roster of Pastors; Dallas Hjorth, Medicine Hat, AB, Pastor in Extended Ministry, Good Samaritan Society, Medicine Hat, AB; Edward P. Skutshek, Kelowna, BC, Emeritus Pastor, Grace Lutheran Church, Kelowna, BC; and Connor Longaphie, Cornwall, ON, Parish Pastor called to St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church, Cornwall, ON.

The following name was removed from the Roster of Diaconal Ministers: Gary Barth Graumann, McCreary, MB - by reason of his retirement.

Five positions on the National Council became vacant at the 2021 Annual General Convention (AGC):

President	4 year term ending at 2025 AGC
Secretary	4 year term ending at 2025 AGC
Elder (*)	3 year term ending at 2024 AGC
Trustee (#)	3 year term ending at 2024 AGC
Trustee	4 year term ending at 2025 AGC

* The delegates to the 2020 virtual AGC elected Sherland Chhangur to the position of Elder for a term ending at the 2021 AGC. A successor was to be elected at this AGC.
# The delegates to the 2020 virtual AGC elected Tim Bauer to the position of Elder for a term ending at the 2021 AGC. A successor was to be elected at this AGC.

The delegates voted to increase the size of the Board of Elders from 2 to 3 and to increase the size of the Board of Trustees from 2 to 3. The candidates to these positions to be elected by the delegates to the 2021 AGC.

The following were elected to the seven vacant positions by acclamation:

PRESIDENT
Reverend James Bredeson, Victory Lutheran Church, Medicine Hat, AB
Rev. Bredeson is Victory's senior pastor. He serves with Associate Pastor Roland Weisbrot. He has served in Ministry for 39 years. He served in a wide variety of congregational settings from rural to urban to suburban in the US and Canada. His resume includes  outreach work in Tanzania and Rwanda. He served two different terms as president of the board of the Canadian Lutheran Bible Institute in Camrose, AB. Reverend Jim is married to Susan. They have two adult sons who are married with children. Their son John-Mark serves Trinity Lutheran of Leader, SK, a CALC congregation.

SECRETARY
Reverend Hein Bertram, St. John Lutheran Church, Preeceville, SK.
Reverend Bertram hails from South Africa. He has served St. John Lutheran since January 1, 2016. He has served in the South African Navy. He was trained by the Dutch Reformed Church of South Africa and served in a member congregation in Botswana and two congregations in South Africa. He is married to Glouna. They have two adult children, and two adopted grandsons. Their daughter is married and living in Saskatchewan. Their adult son lives in Namibia.

BOARD OF ELDERS
Laurie Storsater, All Saints Lutheran Church, Ottawa, ON
Since 2013, he served on the church council of All Saints Lutheran Church in Ottawa as Deputy Chair and Chair. He often lead the Wednesday morning Bible study. He worked for the federal government in Canada and overseas for 35 years in a variety of management positions. He retired as a senior executive in 2010. In Ottawa, he worked in the departments of Foreign Affairs, Solicitor General, Immigration, Privy Council Office, and National Defense. Overseas, he worked at the Canadian embassies in Lima, Rome, New Delhi, and Washington D.C. Laurie is married to Marjorie. They are in the process of adopting a nine-year old girl whom they have been fostering for two years.

Sherland Chhangur, Faith Lutheran Church, North York, ON,
Three Year Term ending the 2024 AGC. Sherland is a veteran member of our National Council. He was first elected to the Board of Elders in 2009. He served as an Elder until 2013. In 2013 he agreed to run for election to the Board of Elders for a one year term. This short term was necessary to implement staggered terms for National Council members as mandated by constitutional amendments passed by convention delegates and ratified by our congregations.   He agreed to run to fill an unexpired term on the Board of Trustees left vacant by Art Kroeker’s sudden and unexpected death and another one year term upon Ron Voss’ resignation. He served on the Board of Elders from 2016 to the present. Sherland is married to Shanta they have four married children and grandchildren.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Lowell Lovrod, Christ Lutheran Church, Sexsmith, AB
Lowell is a veteran member of the National Council. He has held various  positions on the National Council from 1994 to 2014. He has been a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Alberta since 1993. Given that his profession is that of a Chartered Professional Accountant his strengths are in areas of administration, and finances. Lowell is married to Lynn. They have a son and two daughters.

Tim Bauer, St. Peter’s Lutheran, Cochrane, AB,
Three Year Term ending the 2024 AGC. Tim's career in Oil and Gas companies involved segments in Finance and Administrations, Planning, Information Technology, Automation and Safety Systems, and leading project teams. He has been a member of a number of services and athletic organizations in the communities he has lived in. He has been involved in most ministry areas of church life and held positions on church councils including Chair over the years. He has previously been a member of the Board of Elders and recently the Board of Trustees in CALC. Tim is married to Corrina and they have two sons.

Rev. Dr. Eddie Kwok, Individual Associate Member, Burnaby, BC.
Rev. Kwok has served as: Director of Contextual Education (ILT, 2019-); Interim Pastor (New Life Chinese Lutheran Church, 2019-2021); Pastor (Vancouver Chinese Lutheran, 2011-2018); Seminary Professor (LTS Saskatoon, 1999-2010); Committee Member (BC Synod CTEL, 2000-2010); Chairperson (BC Synod Missions Committee, 1992-1996). He brings with him, the spiritual gifts of teaching, administration, leadership, discernment and wisdom. As a seminary professor and pastor, he has also been given the gifts and experience in mentoring, counselling and planning. His ministry in the wider church has also involved doing strategic planning, particularly in the areas of mission and theological education. He is a married to Janet and they have a son and a daughter.

Terms of Reference for Ad Hoc Committees

Terms of reference for the operation of ad hoc committees together with suggestions for five committees were approved by the delegates:

The Events Committee: This committee may be called upon by the Board of Elders to assist in planning and convening of the Annual General Convention, the Annual Pastors’ Conference and such other conferences and events as directed by the National Council.

Constitution Committee: This committee may be called upon by the National Council to: review and evaluate and/or propose amendments to CALC’s governing documents; and evaluate amendments to CALC’s governing documents proposed by members.

Theological Committee. The National Council may call upon this committee to study problems of contemporary life and society and study and respond to theological questions posed by CALC’s members; or theological challenges initiated by others.

Media Committee. This committee may be called upon to oversee the maintenance, evaluation, and redesign, as necessary, of CALC’s website and podcast network. The committee may also keep the National Council apprised of technological advances which could enhance CALC’s mission.

Mission Committee. This committee may be called upon to vet missionary organizations; equip members for short term missions; make members aware of opportunities for mission; and encourage church plants and foreign missions through planning and training

Our Keynote Speaker gave an excellent address to the convention. First he inspired us to see that Christians are caught in an impossible dilemma: either agree with the biblical view of sexuality and gender and be labeled unloving or change their theological views but be labeled untruthful. He laid out the way forward out of this dilemma: Christians need to redeem our understanding of love. In particular, this means helping Canadians see the difference between loving people and loving people’s identities.

His presentation honed in on Bill C-6 and’s impact on our ministries. Bill C-6’s attempt to ban “conversion therapy,” is marketed as a way to ban coercive and torturous counseling practices. Mr. Ruba showed how Bill C-6 actually bans much more than harmful counseling techniques. He explained how the specific and unique wording of the Bill will drastically affect how churches teach, counsel and preach.

He then talked about practical ways our churches can prepare for Bill C-6 and its successor. This included advice on: Why we need gendered spaces and how to create those spaces in light of the law; preparing sermons, teaching lessons and offering counseling in light of the ban; creating a Statement of Faith, including language to avoid confusion; hiring practices; and, “entrapment” scenarios including phone calls and visits.

Mr. Ruba is the Executive Director of Faith Beyond Belief of Calgary, Alberta. His biography states that he equips Christians to be effective ambassadors for Christ for everyday conversations. Mr. Ruba earned a Bachelor of Journalism and a Master of Arts degree in Political Science from Carleton University in Ottawa. Most recently he testified virtually before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights in opposition to Bill C-6, the Anti Conversion Therapy Bill.

His website can be accessed by following this link: https://www.faithbeyondbelief.ca/.

Click the button below. You will be re-directed to CALC's website. Click on "CALC ONLINE" in the navigation pane at the top of the Homepage and you will be directed to an alphabetical list of congregation's with online worship services. Click and enjoy!!!

It has been my privilege to bring you the weekly e-Connector. Publication began soon after the beginning of the pandemic and has continued until today. Thank you to all those who opened each publication. It has been a joy for me to produce and publish each edition. May God bless you all.

In Christ
Pastor Ed Skutshek