On this first day of September, many students across Canada are already back at school. MPs and Senators also return to Parliament this month after a summer hiatus. In our latest monthly roundup, you’ll find updates on what to watch for in the new session of Parliament as well as other updates including:
-
information about a new pastoral needs study from the EFC research team
-
how the EFC is responding to a policy that bans chaplains from referencing God in public spiritual reflections
-
upcoming EFC staff speaking engagements
-
and more
New pastoral needs study
The EFC Centre for Research on Church and Faith is conducting a new study on pastoral needs. The research team is seeking to learn about the obstacles and opportunities to sustaining current pastors or discerning pastoral vocations.
The team has already begun consulting with EFC affiliate leaders across Canada to discuss how this study can meet their needs. The CRCF believes the findings will help key stakeholders develop pastoral candidates to meet current and future pastoral needs in churches.
Read more about this new study in the latest Canada Watch and watch for more details at TheEFC.ca/CRCF. Do you have questions or perspectives you’d like to share with the researchers as the project begins? Contact the research team at research@theefc.ca.
Banning chaplains from referring to God
The EFC has sent a letter to the Defence Minister urging him to rescind the new policy that forbids military chaplains from not only praying, but also from referring to God or the divine in spiritual reflections at official public events. The EFC asked the minister to replace the policy with a more inclusive approach.
EFC senior ambassador Bruce J. Clemenger has also written a reflection on the policy. Read his thoughts at TheEFC.ca/PreventingTalkingGod.
Parliament resumes this month
The House of Commons resumes on September 21 and the Senate on September 28, and there are a couple of significant dates related to government legislation to watch for this month. September 17 will mark 6 months until MAiD for mental illness takes effect. The federal government is presently deciding how it will respond to the deadline. Bill C-218, which if passed would stop the provision of MAiD on the basis of mental illness, will likely be voted in late September or October. Stay tuned for updates on Bill C-18 at TheEFC.ca/C-218.
EFC senior ambassador, president speaking at major events this month
EFC senior ambassador Bruce J. Clemenger is giving a paper this week at the International Consortium for Law and Religious Studies conference, being held in Palmero, Italy. The Consortium brings together scholars and legal experts to promote the study of law and religion. The title of Clemenger’s paper is The Myth of State Neutrality.
EFC President David Guretzki is speaking on the Church in Canada at Tyndale University’s 50th anniversary banquet on September 25.
Preaching Jesus Christ in a complex world
How can preachers proclaim Christ in ways that are faithful without becoming partisan and without dismissing our neighbours of other faiths? These and other questions around the theme of preaching Christ today will be discussed Oct. 25-27 at the Lester Randall Preaching Fellowship, an annual October conference in Toronto organized by a partnership of churches in collaboration with Acadia, McMaster, Tyndale, Wycliffe and other seminaries, colleges and universities. Planning committee member Janice Ivory-Smith introduces this year's theme of preaching Christ today in her new post at the Faith Today website.