Primate focuses on mission at synod banquet

By Ana Watts

The church has no mission, Archbishop Fred Hiltz told New Brunswick Anglicans during Synod 2009. It is God who has a mission and it is the church’s responsibility to see it through. The primate of the Anglican Church of Canada was special guest speaker at the synod banquet held in the elegant new dining room at Rothesay Netherwood School in Rothesay. The focus of his address was the five marks of God’s mission.

“God’s mission is not just about renewal, it is about society, and the whole world, as reflected in the five marks of mission,” he said. Those marks are to:
• proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom;
• teach, baptize and nurture new believers;
• respond to human need by loving service;
• seek to transform unjust structures of society;
• strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth.

“Canada actually adds a sixth mark around peace and reconciliation,” he said. “We are on the front line of that.”

While he acknowledged the challenges of sexuality and unity in the Canadian church, he said he believes the five marks of mission have the capacity to draw us together across theological, geographic and cultural divides.

Theme for the 2010 General Synod in Halifax next year is Feeling the Winds of God, Charting a New Course. The primate is determined it will be mission focused, a time to look up and look out and celebrate … to be joyous in the Gospel, to look up in thanksgiving to God who is a faithful and sacrificial witness and who looks to the world with compassion and courage.

“We’ve been consumed with internal matters for a long time,” said the primate. “By the residential schools issue with its repentance and healing; around issues of sexuality from many perspectives. We don’t pay enough attention to the pastoral context. We must trust again in the leading of the Spirit. In our Vision 2019 project, the church looks ahead and discovers where and how the Spirit is calling us. We want you to tell us your story. Dream Baby Dream
is an invitation to all of us to be involved in the discernment process. What are your hopes and dream for your church? The responses will be collated and annotated and themes will emerge and they will be brought to Synod 2010.”

The primate talked about indigenous ministry and the extraordinary work being done by Mark MacDonald, our first national indigenous bishop. He also said he hopes to launch a major fundraising effort by 2012.

“Henri Nouwen said fundraising is not begging for money, but about establishing a mission and encouraging people to participate in that mission through generosity and sacrifice,” said the primate.

The synod banquet was the first formal outside function held in the private school’s new dining room, and head master Paul Kitchen invited the bishop to consider the school campus as a site for synod as a whole in the future.

 

Diocesan Communications
23 June 2009