October 31, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

News Release

ANGLICANS PREPARE FOR POST-CHRISTIAN FUTURE

Clergy and lay representatives of the Anglican Diocese of Qu’Appelle spent the weekend preparing for life in a post-Christian world.  The 74^th Synod of the Diocese met at St. Martin’s Roman Catholic Church Hall and at Luther College High School in Regina.

Delegates heard from the Very Reverend Kevin Martin, Dean of St. Matthew’s Cathedral in Dallas, Texas, who spoke about the challenges of ministry and evangelism in a time when participation in church life is now the exception rather than the rule.

“The alliance between Church and State, which existed for more than 1,000 years, is over,” Dean Martin said.  “But this means that our experience is more like that of the early Church in the first three centuries.  And that is very exciting.”

In addition to discussing financial and organizational issues, delegates and visitors participated in workshops on ministry, worship, outreach and evangelism.  They also heard from the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Regina, the Most Reverend Daniel Bohan, the Evangelical Lutheran Bishop of Saskatchewan, the Reverend Cindy Halmarson, and the Anglican Archbishop of Keewatin and Metropolitan of Rupert’s Land, the Most Reverend David Ashdown who is a former priest of the Qu’Appelle Diocese.

On Sunday, the Diocese celebrated 125 years of ministry with a special worship service, presided at by the Right Reverend Gregory Kerr-Wilson, the 11^th Bishop of Qu’Appelle.  The first Bishop of the Diocese, the Honourable and Right Reverend Adelbert Anson, son of the Earl of Lichfield, was consecrated by the Archbishop of Canterbury in June 1884.

“It has been an encouraging weekend of work and worship,” said Bishop Kerr-Wilson.  “The fact that we were meeting in facilities belonging to other faith communities is a sign of how things have changed and are changing.  We are working to strengthen our parishes and our members to do their own ministries in the world.”

The Anglican Diocese of Qu’Appelle covers the southern third of Saskatchewan, with more than 70 congregations.  There are more than 9,000 Anglicans in southern Saskatchewan according to the last census.

-30-

The worship service to celebrate the Diocesan anniversary will be held at the Luther College High School gymnasium, 1500 Royal Street (Dewdney Avenue and Royal Street) beginning at 11:00.

For further information, contact:

The Reverend Malcolm French

(306) 550-2277

quappelle.anglican.ca