anglicanlife

JANUARY 2016

January 2016

A Section of the Anglican Journal

NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR

And unto him

offered myrrh,
incense, and gold.

Arise, Shine, for your

Light has come

The Most Revd Percy Coffin

Archbishop

Western Newfoundland

Photo Copyright: Nancy Bauer | Shutterstock

A man is getting weary as he browses through

a shopping mall when he
comes upon an escalator.
As he draws near he notices
a caution sign: Dogs Must
be Carried on the Escalator.
Besides being tired he gets a
bit anxious, desperate even,
as he looks around muttering
to himself, Where am I going
to find a dog?
The ancient Romans had a
wide range of gods. Among
them was the god of doorways named Janus. He is
the fellow you see with two
faces; one that looks forward
and one that looks behind.
He is also known as the god
of beginnings and endings.
It makes sense therefore that
the month that opens the New
Year is named January and
janitors are the keepers of
doorways.
Being the god of beginnings Janus was given high
praise when crops were sown,
when they were harvested
and when a child was born.
We tend to get excited with
new beginnings because they
are opportunities to do better
than we did before.
The early church had similar expectations. In the times
that followed the Day of Pentecost the church struggled
with its identity and purpose.
The early church faced the
perils of persecution just for
being what it was and skepticism ran amok. Anything that
resembled a second chance
was welcomed.
With the celebration of
the Saviour of the world fresh
in our minds we vividly con-

anglicanlife in Newfoundland&Labrador

sider our second chances as

we look behind and before.
Gods mightiest acts lead us
on to this pattern of thought.
God brought the Israelites
out of Egypt and gave them
a second chance as a priestly
people. Years later prophets
rose and kingdoms fell. Again
God acted in a way God never
acted before as his plan of
salvation is revealed not to
kings and prophets, the rich
and famous, but to shepherds.
Question: Where is Gods holiness revealed? Answer: In a
limestone cave. (The notion
of an elaborate wooden barn
is likely fictional. Wood was
scarce while the abounding
soft limestone lent itself to
natural caves and caverns
for shepherds, sheep and
rejected hotel guests.) This
is where the Word became
flesh, wrapped in rags lying
in a feeding trough. This is
why Mike Curry, the newly
appointed presiding bishop
of the Episcopal Church proclaimed, The way of Jesus
will always turn our worlds
and the world upside down,
which is really right side up.
This is our second chance.
As we cross the threshold of a
new year we remind ourselves
that God is not finished with
us yet. Creation is not over
and done with nor is redemption over and done with. As
a baptized community we
need not take on the task of
theologically explain God as
source and rigidly adhering
to an ancient ethical code.
Our task is to take part in the
creating redeeming Kingdom
of God, where it is least likely
to appear.
It matters not that the man
rode the escalator without a
dog but it does matter that
he would carry the dog he
might have.

I am the light of the world!

You people come and follow me!

If
you follow and love

Youll learn the mystery of what
You were meant to do and to be.
Voices United #87
Happy New Year,
+ Percy
Western Newfoundland

JANUARY 2016

Time and Prayer Quilts for comfort

Revd Gregory Mercer

Columnist

Time is an enemy
of prayer and so is everything that time represents interruptions,
meetings, etc. It is an
enemy of setting aside
quality time with God.
When we have to accommodate time we tend to
leave the most important
things out. Look to Jesus and see what prayer
meant to him. He prayed
when he was most busy.
There was always an urgency to Jesus ministry;
only so much time to accomplish what the Father
sent him to do. We get a
glimpse of the demands
on his earthly ministry
in the Gospel of John,
10:16, where Jesus says,
And I have other sheep
that are not of this fold;
I must bring them also,
and they will heed my
voice. So there will be
one flock, one shepherd
(RSV). Busyness then
is not an excuse. And
while there were times
when Jesus quiet time
with God and his disciples were interrupted by
the crowds this was the
exception to his pattern
of life.
Early in the morning and again at noon Jesus would send his disciples away and he would
depart to the garden of
Gethsemane or ascend
to some mountain top
and there he would enter
into fellowship with God
whom he called Father
or Heavenly Father. And
it wasnt always a matter
of talking but listening;
just being present to
God. The psalmist says,
Be still and know that I
am God (Psalm 46:10).
The busier Jesus was
and the more urgent his
work, the more he needed to pray. So what is this

claptrap about I am too

busy or If I dont do it, it
will not get done. What
can be more important
than setting aside time
to enter into prayer and
fellowship with God?
Really?
Saint Paul tells us
to pray without ceasing.
But make no mistake, this
is not a substitute for quiet time with God. What
the apostle Paul is talking
about is Gods awareness
and an attitude in which
our lives can become a
prayer. That we live in
an awareness of his presence is a great blessing. I
often find myself praying
for people throughout
the day, even offering
up prayers of thanksgiving and adoration as
I drive along in my car.
But that is no substitute
for reading and praying
the psalms, the daily
office, or even enjoying
a beautiful sunrise on a
cool and crisp autumn
day breathing the air and
giving thanks to God for
his creation.
What did Jesus
pray about when he was
alone with his Heavenly
Father? Note chapter
seventeen of the Gospel
of John, what we call the
High Priestly Prayer. In
this prayer by Jesus we
see elements of proclamation, thanksgiving,
and petition. Here we
witness the quality of
the relationship between
Father and Son. The
prayer is also a plea for
unity among believers,
both present and future
believers. Finally, it is
also a call to be holy.
Jesus wants us to live in
hope. How could this be
if we dont take the time
to nurture our own relationship with the Father
daily?
The presence of
prayer has many side
effects for others. But
equally important, Gods
peace and presence for
our own lives is a process of spending time
intentionally -- in Gods
company. Charles Allen
wrote, The better acquainted you become
with God, the less tensions you feel and the
more peace you possess (exert from Man of
Prayer).

Front row: Phoebe Payne, Fayne Keeping

Second row: Edna Read, Bessie Blackmore, Alma Porter, Claudine Matthews
Third row: Myrtle Strangemore, Loretta Skeard, Diane Hewitt, Gertie Tapp
The A.C.W. ladies of St. James Church in Port aux Basques handmade 52 quilts to be donated
to the Janeway Hospital, and to Ronald MacDonald House. These quilts were blessed by the
Revd Clayton Billard at our Church Service on November 1, 2015. Thank you to all the ladies
who made these quilts, and thank you to everyone who donated materials and monetary
gifts. May they bring some comfort, warmth, and love to the children who will receive them.
Photograph and article submitted by Lisa Brown.

anglicanlife in Newfoundland&Labrador

JANUARY 2016

I need to begin by
thanking all of the people
who have offered me their
congratulations on my
new position as the Editor
of Anglican Life. I would
like to also thank the three
Bishops of this province,
and Bishop Donald Young,
for asking me to take this
position. Finally, I would
also like to thank Fr. Sam
Rose, who has been so
very supportive during this
time of transition.
I am looking forward
to editing your paper for
you, and I look forward to
reading the articles that
you send in to me for publication. Keep the stories
coming, Newfoundland
and Labrador!
And what better time
to talk about telling our
stories than in the winter? Weve just experienced the winter solstice,
the shortest day of the
year. Winter can last a
long time here along our
beloved rocky coastline in
the North Atlantic, and we
have become a society of
rich storytellers, eager to
cozy in around the fire and
enjoy each others company (and a bit of good

Rajans touch
Some have come who
need your help
And some have come to
make amends,
As hands which shaped
and saved the world
Are present in the touch
of friends.

ther cements my understanding as he relates,

We human beings are
all fundamentally the
same. We all belong
to a common, broken
humanity. We all have
wounded, vulnerable
hearts. Each one of us
needs to feel appreciated
and understood; we all
need help.

guests, and made to feel

honoured and supported
by all whom I encountered.
In the course of the
prayers and preaching, I
listened intently to the tone
and spirit of those gathered. The themes offered
were of peace, justice,
forgiveness, and healing.
Those in prayer stood side
by side, in solidarity with all
the suffering in Paris, and
throughout the world.

John Bell, Iona

Community
WGRG 1989

Between 1978 and

1980 while living in Iqaluit,
NT, I experienced transformation in a lifelong friendship with Rajan Singh, a
boy from India, a Hindu,
and a schoolmate. In the
course of our friendship
we shared our common
love of food, sweets, dinky
cars, Lego , and all things
Star Wars . Once a month
our family would go to his
home for a meal, I would
experience the most amazing tastes and flavours. By
1980, Rajan had developed
leukemia. He and his family
moved to Montreal while
he stayed at the childrens
hospital. We wrote back
and forth for two years,
until he died.
This childhood friendship has helped shape my
experience of the world
to date, most especially in
my relations with other cultures and religions. I look to
peoples eyes and hearts
before I look anywhere
else, and in that, I try most
earnestly to understand,
empathize, and journey
together with others. Jean
Vanier, in his book Becoming Human (CBC Massey
Lectures Series 1998) fur-

Photo Gerri Lynn Mackey

Editor

Submitted by

The Revd David Burrows

The Revd David Burrows (centre) at the Masjid al-Noor Muslim Mosque

It is in this spirit that

I attended the Masjid alNoor Muslim Mosque on
November 20, one week
after the deadly attacks in
Paris that murdered 130
souls.
I went to stand in solidarity with friends; to
lament the evil and brokenness in the world, and
to show my affirmation
and love for the Muslim
community in Newfoundland and Labrador and
throughout the world. I
was welcomed, with other

I believe some of us in
the world are far too quick
to equate difference with
mistrust, unfamiliarity with
suspicion. This leads to further alienation of cultures
and peoples in our context. We need to cultivate
friendship, and learn from
the world around us.
I thank God each day
for Rajan, for Muhammad
Nazir and the Muslim
Community in Newfoundland and Labrador, for the
friendship that is offered
and received.

Photo by MANL

Emily F. Rowe

food!) I need your help

to tell the stories of the
Anglican Church in Newfoundland and Labrador.
This paper connects us as
Anglicans throughout the
three dioceses, and helps
to maintain our strong
Anglican heritage through
communities that are often
cut off from each other by
weather or by distance.
We can support each other through our paper, and
I am here to help with that.
We can get ideas from
each other, and from the
outside Church. Our own
Anglican Life comes packaged with The Anglican
Journal, and so connects
us to each other, and to
the rest of the Anglican
Church of Canada, and
even to the wider Anglican
Communion.
Thats another thing
that people in this province love: making connections with each other. Where two or three
are gathered together,
they quickly discover new
cousins and other family
connections. The desire
to connect with each other is almost overwhelming, but is also one of the
most amazing things that
I have discovered about
the people of these three
dioceses since moving to
the province more than
ten years ago.
I know that youre doing
amazing work out there in
the Anglican Dioceses of
Western Newfoundland,
of Central Newfoundland,
and of Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador. We
will work together, support
each other, get new ideas,
and make connections
along the way to further
Gods Kingdom in this
place.

Rajans Touch

Photo by MANL

Editorial

anglicanlife in Newfoundland&Labrador

ANGLICAN LIFE in Newfoundland and Labrador is the newspaper

of the Anglican Church in the Province of Newfoundland and
Labrador. A co-operative effort of the three Dioceses in
Newfoundland and Labrador, it is publishes ten issues each
calendar year with an independent editorial policy.
Anglican Life is a section of the Anglican Journal
Editor:
Mrs. Emily F. Rowe
9 Darling Street
St. Johns, NL
A1B 1V7
Email: anglicanlifeNL@gmail.com

Induction in Port
Rexton

JANUARY 2016

Article by

Cecil Piercey

An Induction Service was held at St. Andrews Church in the Parish of

Port Rexton, to celebrate the arrival of their new full time minister, the
Revd John E. K. Nicolle. The Regional Dean, the Revd Shaun OConner,
presided over the ceremonies, assisted by clergy from throughout the
Deanery, along with lay readers, wardens and othersfrom the parish.
Also included in the service were members of the Trinity East - Port
Rexton CLB Company #3805, which has been part of the parish for over
100 years. Members of the congregation gathered at the Community
Recreation Hall following the service for a social and fellowship.

Advertising Rates and other information may be obtained from:

Bishop Donald Young
34 Fraser Road, Gander, NL, A1V 2E8
Phone: (709) 256-7701
Email: jointcommittee@nfld.net

Paid Subscription Rates:
Newfoundland and Labrador: $15.00
Outside the province: $20.00
International: $25.00

Each parish is responsible for maintaining its own subscription

list - please notify your parish office of any changes. Changes
sent to parish offices may take months to take effect. Please
also send your updated information to Circulation at the
Anglican Journal (above) or to Don Young at 34 Fraser Road,
Gander NL A1V 2E8.

Photo Linda Goodyear

New subscriptions, cancellations, & changes of address should

be sent to:
Circulation
The Anglican Journal (attn. Bev Murphy)
80 Hayden Street, Toronto, ON, M4Y 3G2
(416) 924-9192 (O) (416) 925-8811 (fax)
Email: circulation@national.anglican.ca

Lay Readers present prayer books to the Revd John Nicolle

Articles and photographs: Send to the Editor (above)

Letters to the Editor:
Send to the Editor, (address as above). All letters must include
the writers name, address, and telephone number. Telephone
numbers will not be published. Anglican Life does not publish
letters under nom de plume. Letters should not exceed 300
words (one double spaced typewritten page), and are subject
to editing at the discretion of the editor.
These policies were adopted by the Anglican Life Committee.
Layout & Design by: The Editor

Circulation: 19,500

Photo Linda Goodyear

Printed and Mailed by:

Webnews Printing Inc.
8 High Meadow Place
North York, ON, M9L 2Z5
Members of the C. L. B. present water for baptism to the Revd John Nicolle

anglicanlife in Newfoundland&Labrador

JANUARY 2016

Thinking about Confirmation

The Revd Michael Li

Columnist

I attended Confirmation classes at the age of

16. Then I decided against
Confirmation at the end of
my six-month instructions.
The Vicar and my parents
did not pressure me to
receive this sacrament.Six
years later I was confirmed
by Archbishop William
Wright ofAlgoma. In my
case I was not ready for
such an important step in
my Christian walk at the
age of16.
Throughout my active Parish ministry (19732007)I had prepared many
young people between
the ages of 12 and 15 for
Confirmation. I always
asked the question why
they wanted to be confirmed. Here were some of
their answers: to become a
server, to learn more about
God/Jesus, to receive Holy
Communion, to be a true
Christian, to make myparents happy, to want God to
notice me, to go to heaven,
to be able stay home on
Sundays after Confirmation, to join the choir, to
graduate from Sunday
School, to have a good
experience, to help people, everybody is getting
confirmed at the age of
12, etc. Ready or not, they
all got confirmed. Some
of them became servers
until they graduated from
high school. Some continued to attend churchwith
their family. Unfortunately
most of them and their
parents graduated from
church soon after Confirmation.
Let us spend a moment
to think about Confirmation. In the early church,
the rite of Baptism generally included the laying on of
hands. Baptism and Confirmation were two parts of
one rite. Todays practice
of confirming young adolescents occurs when most
kids are not quiteready to
take responsibility for their

Exploring Faith students in

Labrador receive certificates

own faith. Most of them

are not ready to affirm their
own baptismal vows.
In September 1977,
Submitted by
the Synod of the Diocese
The Revd Jonathan Rowe
of Toronto requested the
Diocesan Doctrine and
Worship Committee to
produce a study paper
attempting to clarify our
thinking about the place
of Confirmation and its
relationship to Baptism.
This important document
affirms three things about
Confirmation: (a) Confirmation is an appropriate
way of reaffirming the Baptism administered to one
not old enough to answer
for oneself. (b) Confirmation is an appropriate
rite for marking the entry
into a distinctively new
dimension of Christian
life or mission. (c) Confirmation is an appropriate
rite for the restoration to
communicant fellowship
of one who has previously
abandoned it.
The role of Confirma- The Revd Jonathan Rowe (Director, Exploring Faith), Linda Bottaro, Peter Reccord, Douglas Kean,
tion is to reaffirm faith rath- The Revd Jolene Peters (Local Education Group Facilitator and Labrador Director)
er than to confirm it. While
Although they had dence course, Explor- parishes, on the DeanConfirmation should be a
been
unable to attend ing Faith emphasizes ery or Archdeaconry
rite of mature profession
the
Queens
College the community experi- level.
of faith,the DiocesandocConvocation
in
Octo- ence of the Local EduMore information
ument also points out
ber,
three
Labrador
stucation
Group.
Like
the
about
Exploring Faith
that Confirmation is not a
dents
also
received
cerfirst
disciples
gathered
is
available
from the
stage of initiation. It is not
tificates
for
their
work
around
Jesus,
students
Revd
Dr.
Alex
Faseruk,
a prerequisite for sharing
in
the
Exploring
Faith
are
formed
in
a
school
Interim
Administrator
in Holy Communion. It is
not a ceremony for grad- Program. Linda Bottaro, of discipleship. The Lo- of Queens College, or
uating out of Christian Douglas Kean, and Peter cal Education Group al- from the Revd Jonathan
education. No one should Reccord have been part lows groups of students Rowe, Director of the
ever graduate out of Chris- of the program since its who are geographically Program.
tian education. It is not a beginning in January remote to have access
puberty rite. It is not an 2013, and have recently to the same experience
unrepeatable act. It is not completed their ninth as the Exploring Faith
students in St. Johns.
the Bishops chief ministry. module.
Exploring
Faith
is
an
Groups may be set up
In 1979, the Diocese of Toinnovative
program
of
at the parish level, in a
ronto allowed children and
formation
for
Disciplepartnership or cluster of
adults to begin toreceive
ship
and
Ministry
that
Holy Communion prior to
originated in the DioConfirmation.
The problems related cese of Bangor, Wales,
to Confirmation have not and became part of
gone away with the ad- the Queens College
mission of non-Confirmed course offerings last fall.
people to Holy Com- Grounded in reflective
m u n i o n . A n a t i o n a l practice and the experichurchtask force on Con- ence of Local Education
firmation was established Groups, the program is
in 1989. The 1989 survey an excellent preparation
found, in most Anglican for ordained ministry,
parishes, that more than licensed lay ministry,
two-thirds of people con- or for those seeking a
firmed at or after the age more intentional proof 18 remained active in cess of discipleship as
the church. But few of the ordinary Christians.
12 to 15 year olds had con- Students have three
tinued church activity after exit points: after two
Confirmation. The task years with a Certificate,
force report questioned after four years with a
Confirmation as a suitable Diploma, or after six
rite for young adolescents. years with a Bachelor of
Should we continue to pre- Theology.
Unlike the emphasis
pare young adolescents
on
independent
study in
for Confirmation today?

a traditional correspon-

anglicanlife in Newfoundland&Labrador

JANUARY 2016

News from Labrador

On Saturday November 21 st the parish of
Labrador West held the
third annual Advent Family Day. This year families
gathered at St. Pauls
church to make their very
own Advent Calendar.
The idea behind this
craft was to coincide with
the chocolate advent
calendars that children
so much look forward
to each Advent season.
Each day leading up
to Christmas they will
reveal a Scripture verse
leading to the birth of
Christ. The families who

Family Day in Labrador West

Photo Jonathan Rowe

Submitted by
The Revd Jolene Peters

gathered together were

supplied with the materials needed and together made their own
unique calendars that
they can use every year
for Advent. We ended
the day with a pizza supper and our children
and adults thoroughly
enjoyed this chance to
spend an afternoon together as families and
create something that
will help them prepare
for the birth of our Lord
and the true meaning of
this Advent Season.

Peter and Shelly Kelly and their children Noah and Zoe.

Photo Jonathan Rowe

Photo Jonathan Rowe

Carolyn Wells with her children Meredith and Benjamin. Natasha Rumbolt and her children
Colin and Jenna.

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JANUARY 2016

Ordination of Chesley Lethbridge

Submitted by
The Revd Jolene Peters

Chesley of Labrador

Photo Sam Rose

On Monday November
30th celebrating the feast day
of St. Andrew the Apostle
the Archdeaconry of Labrador gathered together for
one of the most memorable
and wonderful celebrations,
The Ordination to the Sacred Priesthood of Reverend
Chesley G. Lethbridge. Reverend Chesley was ordained
a Deacon in the parish of
Lake Melville, Goose Bay
in 2003. A true servant, a
man of God and a friend to
all who are blessed to get
to meet him, Chesley was
born on March 15th 1930 in
Paradise River. He later went
to boarding School in Cartwright and at age twenty-two
married his wife Evelyn and
had three children. He now The Ven. Nellie Thomas, The Revd Chesley Lethbridge, Bishop Geoffrey Peddle, and the Revd Jolene Peters
resides in Happy Valley NL.
He has had many jobs in his
lifetime but through all of since written and published the Love of the Lord who along with his family, friends of Labrador when I say that
that there is no doubt that two books which are a rec- shines through in his life. and parish to celebrate with our thoughts and prayers will
God was at the forefront of ommendation for anyone Bishop Geoff Peddle along Chesley in his Ordination. be with Reverend Chesley in
his life. It was when he retired to read. What more can be with the Diocesan Executive There was a great sense of the days to come as he lives
in 1995 that he decided to said about Chesley except officer Archdeacon Sam joy and honour to be felt out this new ministry along
further his education by that for 75 years he has been Rose, the Diocesan Examin- that evening as we took part with his Rector Archdeacon
studying theology for five involved in church work and ing Chaplain Reverend By- in this wonderful occasion Nellie Thomas in his parish of
years, receiving an Associate is a true servant of God. To ron Barter and the Clergy of in our church. I know I can Lake Melville, Goose Bay NL.
in Theology Degree. He has be in his presence is to know Labrador gathered together speak for the Archdeaconry

Photo Sam Rose

Confirmation in Labrador West

These twelve young people received the sacrament of Confirmation on November 29th in the parish of Labrador West. They made their own stoles to wear, and
incorporated symbols of their own choosing to represent what confirmation meant to them.

anglicanlife in Newfoundland&Labrador

JANUARY 2016

James Balfours ministry in Harbour A Great Social Outreach

Grace and Carbonear
David Davis

Columnist

In the year 1774-75, the

Mission of Harbour Grace
and Carbonear, also called
the Mission of Conception
Bay, became vacant. Mr
Lawrence Coughlin, the missionary at Harbour Grace,
returned to England that
year to meet with the Society
for the Propagation of the
Gospel, the body in control
of English overseas missionaries, and he resigned.
The Revd Mr Balfour,
who was met at Trinity in the
last issue of Anglican Life
as the missionary for Trinity
Bay, asked to be transferred
to Harbour Grace and Carbonear. Mr Balfour cited the
terrible state of the economy
in Trinity Bay, due to a terrible
cod fishery the previous year,
as a reason for his request.
He could have applied to
the courts for the fees owing
by his parishioners collected
as a debt due, as was often
done in Newfoundland and
in English colonies, but he
did not want to take this step.
In 1775-76 when Mr Balfour reached his new mission
in Conception Bay he had
to face a new reality. The effect of Mr Coughlins tenure
there had split the mission
between the Anglicans in
Harbour Grace, and those
dissenting from the Anglican church (Methodists) in
Carbonear and in the settlements on the north shore.
The people on the north
shore wanted a Methodist
teacher. Mr Coughlin, before he came to Newfoundland, had been a Methodist
preacher in Ireland.
Also Mr Balfours house
was on lease, so he couldnt
use it because of legal issues,
and because of distension
among the people. He succeeded in Harbour Grace,
in spite of the problem of
licentioness , enthusisms
meaning wild living,
Methodism. (sic) Also he

complained about his salary,

a constant problem for missionaries as the cost of living
was high in Newfoundland.
Mr Balfour got the priests
house back in 1778, but the
people thought that they
owned the house, not the
church. Opposition abated,
and Mr Balfour had a success
when he acquired Edward
Freeman to be the schoolmaster in Harbour Grace,
and had him paid by the
Society for the Propagation
of the Gospel. Mr Freeman
had already taught before
being hired by the Society.
There was a terrible desire by parents that their children not lose the education
that they had carried from
England to Newfoundland.
The schoolmaster at Harbour
Grace had a high reputation,
having often had boarding
students (e.g. John Bray).
In 1782 there was a decrease in the population of
the area (3000 out of 6500),
and the turbulent time led to
much emigration to America.
Also, the French conquest of
Newfoundland had resulted
in the deporting of much
of the English population,
but the population usually
rebounded quickly.
Disruption caused by
the Seven Years War may
have caused the movement
of part of the population
from Conception Bay, as it
was one of the prime areas
ravaged by French invasions
in those years.
At this time there was a
school at Port de Grave, and
another in Carbonear. Mr.
George Fullilove was the
schoolmaster at Harbour
Grace for a few years. This
probably means that school
took place outside of the
fishing season in order not to
disrupt the family economy,
which was mostly from cod
fishing.
During those years Mr
Balfour did several rounds
of Conception Bay to visit his
parishioners. He sometimes

traveled around four times a

year, and sometimes as many
as ten times a year.
At this time, half of the
population of the bay was
Roman Catholic, which
means that most these people came from Ireland. There
were 1000 members of the
Church of England, and also
many Methodists. In 1787
William Lampen began his
long tenure as schoolmaster
at Harbour Grace.
At this same time, there
two bad years for field crops,
which were pretty important
as imported foods were
extremely rare in Newfoundland, and really out of reach
for ordinary people. Also,
1000 new people arrived in
the spring as a result of the
peace treaty in Europe between England and France.
In 1793 the population
was 1293 males, and 1131
females and 400 children;
ledgers show 3772 Protestants, and 2654 Roman Catholics. The first list of males,
females and children would
have been connected to
householders, while lodgers may have been males,
servants, or bye-boat fishers
who crossed the Atlantic
Ocean every year to fish
from the shore in their own
boats, on their own account,
or fishing servants.
In 1790 there was another bad year in the fishery,
but more important for Mr
Balfour was his bad health.
In those years, the remedies
for sickness were very few
and probably not available
in Newfoundland. He had
been in Newfoundland for
30 years, and he was released to come home with
his salary. There would no
further pay for a missionary
in Conception Bay.

Kevin Smith

Columnist

I was encouraged recently about the number of

parishes that have signed up
to accept refugee families
from war torn Syria. This is
no small commitment and requires an initial $20,000 and
a crew of volunteers to assist
the families once they arrive
here. That means support for
the families 24 hours a day
seven days a week - for a full
year. This involves everything
from helping them find housing to filling out the many applications for medical cards
etc. Other congregations are
donating funds to help the
successful parishes deal with
the cost.
This is a good thing to be
doing and certainly falls into
the category of doing Gods
work!
Another Christian outreach that sprang up in 2015
was the Furniture Bank on
the northeast Avalon called
Home Again. This organization is a child of the Eastern
Dioceses Society and Justice
committee chaired by Rev
Canon David Burrows of the
Parish of the Ascension. Essentially Home Again is a non
profit organization that aims
to fill a gap in services for
our most vulnerable citizens.
They provide gently used furniture and household items
to individuals and families
in need. So far Home Again
has helped furnish over 35
households for newcomers,
those escaping abusive situations, recent inmates and
the un- or under-employed.
Through a cycle of giving

and receiving, Home Again

not only furnishes homes
but also helps to empower
individuals and families as
they rebuild their lives.
Home Again works in
partnership with community agencies and shelters
to assist individuals who
require furniture and household goods for their homes.
Their partner agencies play
a critical role by helping to
screen potential f u r n i ture recipients. This helps
the organization focus on
their commitment to ensure that those in transition
have access to furniture and
household items so that
they can concentrate on
future success.
They have requested people to consider donating
all kinds of furniture from
dressers, tables, chairs, dishes, pots and pans and bed
linens as well as a whole
host of other items. They
do not accept items that are
soiled or stained, damaged
by pets, broken or ripped, or
from a smokers home.
They also need donations to continue this worthy work. A charitable tax
receipt will be issued for
monetary donations. Donations can be made payable
to Parish of the Ascension
Home Again Furniture Bank
Outreach. The address is 58
Smallwood Drive, Mount
Pearl, NL A1N 1B1.You can
contact them by email at
homeagainfb@gmail.com
or by calling Amy Tulk
at 330-7070 or Maureen
Lymburner at 325-4040.
This would rank well up
there in the Churchs mission to social outreach and is
definitely worthy of support.

Its easier for a child to

dream if they have a bed
to sleep in.
Kevin Smith is a gift
planning consultant with
the Anglican Church of
Canada. He can be reached
at (709) 739-5667 or by
email: kevinsmith709@
gmail.com.

@anglicanlife

anglicanlife in Newfoundland&Labrador

JANUARY 2016

Pastoral Care Week in Port

aux Basques a big success

Happy New Year!

Ron Clarke

Columnist

back row: Father Lainey, The Revd Colbourne, and the Revd Petten
front row: Joy Francis, and Maria Janes
Article by

Karen Simon

Pastor Ball, and Father Lainey

The week of October

26 to 30 was Pastoral Care
Week at the Dr. Charles L.
LeGrow Health Centre
in Port aux Basques. A
display table was set
up in the main lobby in
order to inform visitors
and staff about the pastoral services that are
offered by the Clergy in
the area of healthcare. It
also was an opportunity
for the Clergy to come
together in fellowship,
and spend some time
with the staff and the
patients.
On Thursday, and
again on Friday, the Revd
Mary Rose Colbourne offered a Blessing of the
Hands service, and a
nutritional break for the
staff. It was a wonderful
week, and it helped to
bring the staff, the patients, and the clergy
closer together.

Here we go again!
Fireworks, wild parties,
etc.! Its Happy New
Year time.
We h u m a n s a re
strange, very strange
arent we?
How vigorously, physically, we celebrate New
Years Eve!
What and why are we
celebrating??
We celebrate, I suppose, because some of
us have survived another
troublesome, dangerous
year. 2015 has been, for
thousands, millions even,
no picnic!
We survivors, therefore, shouldnt we be on
our knees in gratitude
to God for bringing us
safely through it all?
Sad to say, far too
many people today dont
depend on God. All the
good things they experience come from
LUCK. A good friend
recently survived a bad
accident. How lucky was

anglicanlife in Newfoundland&Labrador

I he exclaimed. Most
likely, a loving God really deserved the credit.
He seemed bewildered
when I said so.
Well, thank God then
for our surviving 2015!
But, what about
2016??
Internationally, nationally, locally even,
2016 seems very threatening. The whole world
seems to be in a mess.
Most of us seem very
concerned.
Instead of fireworks
and partying, therefore,
shouldnt we be turning
to God, asking our Abba
Father for all the grace,
guidance and protection
we need?
With God, of course,
there is no New Years
Eve, no time at all. So,
every day is the appropriate time to depend
on Him.
Believers as we are,
shouldnt our New Years
Resolution be:
To love the Lord our
God with all our hearts
and minds. And
To love our neighbors as (much) as we
love ourselves.

So, we must, by our
words and deeds, make
2016 a year when all
around us will see how
truly wonderful it is to be
a real CHRISTIAN!
A Happy, GODLY,
New Year to all!

JANUARY 2016

10

I am a meeting nerd Operation Christmas Child

as they debated, and then

passed, a motion to provide

for what is known in Anglican

circles as lay presidency. It

means that in very particular

circumstances, a team of lay

people will be licensed to pre-

side at local celebrations of the

Eucharist. The policy was ad-

opted because it is becoming

Cynthia Haines-Turner
Columnist

In the interest of full dis-

closure, I need to say that I

am meeting nerd. I enjoy

the business of the Church,

being a member of the Coun-

cil of General Synod and a

delegate to General Synod,

both of which are governed by
constitution and canons and

a member of the Governance

Working Group of the Anglican
Church. I read and re-read the

constitution and check it whenever necessary to determine the

process or procedure that has

to be followed in a given situa-

tion. I enjoy discussing the finer

details of motions or reports or

constitutional changes and can
see the importance and value

of every jot and tittle. I get that

not all people are as enthralled

with these details although I do

have a number of colleagues

who are.

That being said, the ques-

tion is, exactly how much do

those things matter? Because
with the best will in the world

and with flawless constitution

and canons and with the best

of all possible rules, regulations

and bylaws, there will always be

times when a pastoral situation

or a ministry setting will mean

that in some circumstances,

increasingly difficult to provide

sacramental ministry in rural

and isolated communities. Its

a problem we know well in our

Church and we struggle to find

our own solution. There are

those who question the Lutheran policy - it would not be how
we would choose to proceed

as it goes against our Anglican

practice and tradition. There

are also those who wonder if

this jeopardizes our full com-

munion relationship with the

Lutherans. As with other times
when there is a question of

Confirmation students and the Revd MaryRose Colbourne stand beside the Operation Christmas
Child boxes, which are packed and ready to go to less fortunate children of the world. These boxes
were filled by the congregation of Holy Spirit Church, and by students from LeGallais Memorial
School, in Isle aux Morts. Submitted by Dorothy Rector

which should take precedence,

the question here is which is
more important - our rules and
our way of doing things or our

relationships within the body

of Christ? When the rules limit

how we live out our faith as

Christians, which should take

precedence? Which matters

more?

Yes, good order and con-

stitutions provide a solid framework for ministry and give us

continuity with our past as peo-

ple of faith and our cherished

traditions. But in those cases

where there is a conflict and

something has to give, it should

be our human creations, not our

God-given mission. As Jesus

said The sabbath was made for

humankind, and not humankind

One hundred and twenty-five boxes were brought forward on Sunday, November 15th, at St. James
Church in Port aux Basques, and were blessed. The boxes were packed by members of the ACW
Mission/Outreach.
Submitted by Lisa Brown

for the sabbath

they do not allow ministry to

happen. In fact, there are times

when they will hamper or hinder

us from serving one another

the way we are called to do as

Jesus reminds us when he said

the Son of Man came, not to be
served, but to serve.

A case in point - I attended

the National Convention of the

Evangelical Lutheran Church

this past summer and listened

anglicanlife in Newfoundland&Labrador

JANUARY 2016

11

Discretion
Revd Everett Hobbs
Columnist

The Harvest Festival supper for St. Matthews Church in Rocky Harbour was attended by a record
number of people. All enjoyed the Jiggs Dinner supper; bake sale & sale of knitted goods, preserves,
crafts, etc.
Submitted by Dale Decker

A commissioning of Lay Readers took place on November the first, at the evening service of Holy Eucharist,
at Holy Trinity Church in Codroy. Harry Coates, Minnie Hilliard, Linda Kendell, and Elizabeth Carter were
licensed as Lay Readers in the Parish of Grand Bay. They are pictured above with the Revd Stephen Maki.
Submitted by Linda Kendell.

Martha Reeves is an Anglican solitary (hermit, anchorite) who lives in Oxford,

England. She writes under
the name Maggie Ross and
also had a blog, called Voice
in the Wilderness. One of
her publications , Writing
the Icon of the Heart, is a
collection covering various
subject. One chapter is
on discretion, and what
follows is largely from her
essay on this subject as a
Christian virtue(also called
prudence).
Discretion is about
our response to a particular situation: our action
is good rather than bad,
right than wrong, helpful
than harmful. Discretion is
doing what is necessary or
required at the time. The
companion of discretion
is discernment , and they
both come from the same
root discretio. Discretion is
to act appropriately according to truth which in turn is
discovered by discernment
(understanding the difference between what is true
and what is false).
Discretion is about
others, not me, service to
my neighbour - How can I be
helpful? It carries with it overtones of modesty, courtesy,
reticence, patience and humility, which are themselves
desirable qualities.
When we are involved
in a situation requiring our
response, discretion is deciding what is the most
helpful. We can be too helpful. Sometimes we need
to do nothing, only just be
there. Our usual response
is action. It can be easier
to act than to refrain from

anglicanlife in Newfoundland&Labrador

acting. We want to do
something, when often it
is better to do nothing. We
tend to engage in some way
or to offer advice. Things
may work out best if we just
leave them alone. We need
wisdom and patience to
recognize when our own interference only complicates
matters. We need to avoid
the quick fix.An immediate
response may make us feel
helpful and secure, but it
may simply compound the
problem. Ursula le Guin,
in The Farthest Shore has
the Magecounsel, Do only
what must be done and
which can be done in no
other way.
Discretion requires
space, silence, stillness and
waiting. An example is
the incident of Jesus and
the woman charged with
adultery in Johns Gospel.
Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, showed
discretion in dealing with
the issues and personalities
re the Anglican Communion
conflicts, displaying neither
judgment nor declaration.
Discretion for him was ,
How we work out, faithfully,
attentively, obediently, what
we need to do and say.
This means to be open to
a larger vision, rather than
the prejudices and biases
we cling to. It requires really
listening to others, treating
them as persons with something to contribute. The
prerequisite to listening is
silence. When we attain
clarity in a situation, then we
can say our Yes to God and
to neighbour.
The age we live in
doesnt make room for discretion, and the Church is affected by that environment.
We seemed programmed
for instant gratification and
immediate response, especially with social media. Discretion is unlikely
in the hustle and bustle of
our lives with the demand
that everything be decided
now.Without discretion we
will make poor choices and
decisions. Discretion for the
Christian involves God and
all the activities and distractions in our lives doesnt
leave much space listen to
him. We need to stop and
step aside to engage in
discretion.
We could make discretion a priority for the
New Year. It can help
us decide what God requires from us and how we
should respond to his call.

JANUARY 2016

12

New Crosier for

Bishop Peddle

Induction in Deer Lake

Article and photographs by

The Revd Paulettte Bugden

Submitted by
The Revd Jolene Peters

Photo Sam Rose

On November 1st, All Saints Day, the Revd Paulette Bugden was
inducted as Rector of the Parish of Deer Lake. Archdeacon John Meade
preached at the service, and also led the induction of the new Rector.
The Revd Monica Coffin presided at the Eucharist. Lay Minister licenses
were also presented during the service.

Bishop Geoffrey Peddle, Mr. Rocky White, and The Revd Jolene Peters

On November 29th, Bishop Peddle was presented

with a new crosier to use when he travels in
Labrador. It was made by Mr. Rocky White, and
incorporates both the Labrador flag, and the
spruce twig.

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