Bishop Michael opened the meeting by reporting on his visit to Victoria in September and specifically the Diocese of BC’s Christ Church Cathedral for a fundraising weekend in aid of Kingcome Inlet and the village church, St. George’s.
The event on September 17th was impressive and featured Nisga’a dancers including a priest of our diocese, Reverend Michael Batten. From various sources around the ACoC (particularly through PWRDF)
$100,000 has been raised in cash and pledges to rebuild the village and the church.
Bishop Michael next reported on his visit to Holy Cross Japanese-Canadian Anglican parish in East Vancouver and their growing excitement at the imminent arrival of their new priest, the Rev Fr. Daebin Im Moses who is Korean but fluent in Japanese with experience in ministry in Japan.
Continuing his opening address, Bishop Michael reported on his trip to Lambeth Palace and the annual meeting of the Compass Rose Society. CRS is an assembly of primarily Americans and Canadians who annually give money to be used as a discretionary fund for the Archbishop of Canterbury and to support the work of the Anglican Communion. (For more information about the good work the CRS supports please click the link and visit the website.)
Bishop Michael reported that Archbishop Rowan is open and available to the people at the CRS gatherings and answers questions.
The Archbishop is very concerned about the Church in Zimbabwe which is a persecuted church and he shared information with his CRS guests about his upcoming trip to Central Africa including Zimbabwe.
On October 9th, Archbishop Rowan preached to over 15,000 people in a stadium in Harare, Zimbabwe. (On October 11th, he presented a list of incidents of intimidation to President Robert Mugabe and met that evening with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai)
He made a very brave statement about GLBT people and how they must be treated with dignity and respect. Please click the link to read the OCTOBER 9 SERMON.
Bishop Michael had two conversations with Archbishop Rowan who was well aware of the diocese’s situation regarding recent court decisions. Bishop Michael asked him if he would consider casting his eye around the communion for a possible interim appointment for St John’s, Shaughnessy. Archbishop Rowan said that he would and when he bid Bishop Michael farewell he told him that “thoughts were forming.” Since then, he has been very busy preparing for his African trip. Bishop Michael has followed up on the conversation with a letter.
Bishop Michael reported that St. Michael, Broadway has been truly rejuvenated primarily by the neighbourhood Filipino community who have embraced St. Michael’s as a place to gather for worship and community.
He as thrilled to report on the development of ministry in such a way that the ethnic make-up of the Anglican Church in the D of NW is moving toward reflecting the make-up of our neighbourhoods.
The event on September 17th was impressive and featured Nisga’a dancers including a priest of our diocese, Reverend Michael Batten. From various sources around the ACoC (particularly through PWRDF)
$100,000 has been raised in cash and pledges to rebuild the village and the church.
Bishop Michael next reported on his visit to Holy Cross Japanese-Canadian Anglican parish in East Vancouver and their growing excitement at the imminent arrival of their new priest, the Rev Fr. Daebin Im Moses who is Korean but fluent in Japanese with experience in ministry in Japan.
Continuing his opening address, Bishop Michael reported on his trip to Lambeth Palace and the annual meeting of the Compass Rose Society. CRS is an assembly of primarily Americans and Canadians who annually give money to be used as a discretionary fund for the Archbishop of Canterbury and to support the work of the Anglican Communion. (For more information about the good work the CRS supports please click the link and visit the website.)
Bishop Michael reported that Archbishop Rowan is open and available to the people at the CRS gatherings and answers questions.
The Archbishop is very concerned about the Church in Zimbabwe which is a persecuted church and he shared information with his CRS guests about his upcoming trip to Central Africa including Zimbabwe.
On October 9th, Archbishop Rowan preached to over 15,000 people in a stadium in Harare, Zimbabwe. (On October 11th, he presented a list of incidents of intimidation to President Robert Mugabe and met that evening with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai)
He made a very brave statement about GLBT people and how they must be treated with dignity and respect. Please click the link to read the OCTOBER 9 SERMON.
Bishop Michael had two conversations with Archbishop Rowan who was well aware of the diocese’s situation regarding recent court decisions. Bishop Michael asked him if he would consider casting his eye around the communion for a possible interim appointment for St John’s, Shaughnessy. Archbishop Rowan said that he would and when he bid Bishop Michael farewell he told him that “thoughts were forming.” Since then, he has been very busy preparing for his African trip. Bishop Michael has followed up on the conversation with a letter.
Bishop Michael reported that St. Michael, Broadway has been truly rejuvenated primarily by the neighbourhood Filipino community who have embraced St. Michael’s as a place to gather for worship and community.
He as thrilled to report on the development of ministry in such a way that the ethnic make-up of the Anglican Church in the D of NW is moving toward reflecting the make-up of our neighbourhoods.
AGENDA
Presentation 3.1
Beyond the Page: Archives and the TRC – Melanie Wallace
Archivist for the Diocese of New Westminster and the Ecclesiastical Province of BC and the Yukon.
Melanie thanked the Bishop for inviting her to speak.
She began by giving some background on Indian Residential Schools (IRS).
About 3 dozen Residential Schools active between 1820 and 1969 were run by the Anglican Church of Canada throughout Canada, although the church officially withdrew from the Schools in 1969 a few continued into the 1980s.
Presentation 3.1
Beyond the Page: Archives and the TRC – Melanie Wallace
Archivist for the Diocese of New Westminster and the Ecclesiastical Province of BC and the Yukon.
Melanie thanked the Bishop for inviting her to speak.
She began by giving some background on Indian Residential Schools (IRS).
About 3 dozen Residential Schools active between 1820 and 1969 were run by the Anglican Church of Canada throughout Canada, although the church officially withdrew from the Schools in 1969 a few continued into the 1980s.
There were seven schools within the dioceses of the Ecclesiastical Province.
The Archives contains records of three schools, All Hallows, Yale; St. George’s, Lytton, St. Michael’s, Alert Bay (very few references)
The Archives contains records of three schools, All Hallows, Yale; St. George’s, Lytton, St. Michael’s, Alert Bay (very few references)
Melanie pointed out that many in the D of NW are quite proud of our limited involvement in the IRS program but stressed that we need to bear in mind that the D of NW operated 2 schools from 1884-1929.
The Diocese of New Westminster paid clergy and principals, sent supplies and the Bishop performed services at the schools.
The Diocese of New Westminster paid clergy and principals, sent supplies and the Bishop performed services at the schools.
Melanie then moved to more recent times and gave an overview of the 2006-Indian Residential Schools Agreement signed by the Government of Canada, Church entities which ran Residential Schools, and the Assembly of First Nations/Inuit representatives in response to the class action suit.
Schedule N of that agreement contains the mandate of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission which is to: “Identify sources and create as complete an historical record as possible of the IRS system and legacy.” “establish a research centre” populated by these historical records.
Schedule N of that agreement contains the mandate of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission which is to: “Identify sources and create as complete an historical record as possible of the IRS system and legacy.” “establish a research centre” populated by these historical records.
There are many, many records and where the research centre is to be established is undecided.
Through Bronson Consulting, the TRC have hired 3 groups of professionals (The History Group {researchers}, Brechin Imaging {digitization} and Minis Inc. {database software}) to execute the research.
The Diocese of New Westminster and the Province have been chosen to be part of a Pilot Project where research by the pros began August 29th. Digitization of the research materials will likely begin this week. Melanie thinks that it will take about 20 weeks for the digitization to be accomplished and in excess of 120,000 images created from the records.
One of the desired outcomes is to assess missing children. Melanie with others are well into researching the school records for numbers of missing children.
The records that will be researched will include: School records, Diocesan records, Parish records (including WA/ACW). These records date range from the creation of the IRS to the present day.
Within our archives there are 3000 boxes of material, the researchers will likely go through 2000.
The Quarterly Returns were very important and were meticulously kept as their submission to the government was necessary in order that funds were paid to the school administrations for those students.
There are 80 years of Quarterly Returns from St. George’s Lytton and this is an anomaly because in most cases these very detailed records were turned over to Indian Affairs when the schools closed. However, in this case they ended up in the diocesan archives.
Indian Affairs have all the rest of the Quarterly Reports and huge amounts of data that have not been made available to the TRC. According to Melanie, at the present time the Department of Indian Affairs have forwarded very few pages of material to the TRC.
Melanie said that there is debate, tension and concern amongst the religious archivists re: copyright, privacy, metadata etc. There are some denominations who believe that the TRC is out to discredit the churches and they want to have their own researches examining the records.
When the TRC speaks to survivors seeking answers they are told that the TRC is not a government agency but the TRC tells the archives and the researchers that they are a government agency.
The TRC funding runs out in a year and a half so it will be a challenge to go through another 137 archives if the funding is not extended.
Bishop Michael asked Melanie if the Diocese could do anything to help or contribute to the process of the TRC’s public forums. Melanie asked for pastoral support as the direct contact with survivors can be emotionally draining.
Melanie says she has been yelled at by many people, none of them were survivors of Indian Residential Schools.
Break at 8:35pm
Clerical Secretary the Rev. Karin Fulcher listed the regrets and DC welcomed new Diocesan Council member the newly appointed Archdeacon of Capilano, the Venerable Lynne McNaughton. Bishop Michael announced that there had been a resignation, Carol Passmore who has moved out of the East Vancouver Deanery.
4.1 Minutes
The Minutes were adopted as circulated with one correction.
Correction: Bob Tipping was not present at the September 13th meeting.
6.2 St. John, North Vancouver - Mortgage Renegotiation Proposal
Bishop Michael welcomed the two Wardens of SJNV, Penny Connell and Linda Harrison.
Business Administrator Rob Dickson gave an overview of the Precis and the Resolution.
Penny and Linda reported that SJNV had an informal Vestry Meeting, October 9th and 40 people unanimously agreed to mount a Capital Campaign as outlined in the Resolution.
The vote was deferred to later in the meeting.
6.1 Compensation Sub-Committee - Recommendations for 2012
Business Administrator Rob Dickson led DC through the document.
Ian Robertson asked to make a friendly amendment changing the language to
"Diocesan stipend and minimum stipend scale"
Item 5 of the Motion had a typo. The amount for the West End annual allowance is 31,500 not 30,500.
A number of DC members spoke to the Motion with a focus on the wording of the reimbursement for transit fees.
Dean Peter Elliott moved a friendly amendment to #3 where three words are added to the beginning
Through Bronson Consulting, the TRC have hired 3 groups of professionals (The History Group {researchers}, Brechin Imaging {digitization} and Minis Inc. {database software}) to execute the research.
The Diocese of New Westminster and the Province have been chosen to be part of a Pilot Project where research by the pros began August 29th. Digitization of the research materials will likely begin this week. Melanie thinks that it will take about 20 weeks for the digitization to be accomplished and in excess of 120,000 images created from the records.
One of the desired outcomes is to assess missing children. Melanie with others are well into researching the school records for numbers of missing children.
The records that will be researched will include: School records, Diocesan records, Parish records (including WA/ACW). These records date range from the creation of the IRS to the present day.
Within our archives there are 3000 boxes of material, the researchers will likely go through 2000.
The Quarterly Returns were very important and were meticulously kept as their submission to the government was necessary in order that funds were paid to the school administrations for those students.
There are 80 years of Quarterly Returns from St. George’s Lytton and this is an anomaly because in most cases these very detailed records were turned over to Indian Affairs when the schools closed. However, in this case they ended up in the diocesan archives.
Indian Affairs have all the rest of the Quarterly Reports and huge amounts of data that have not been made available to the TRC. According to Melanie, at the present time the Department of Indian Affairs have forwarded very few pages of material to the TRC.
Melanie said that there is debate, tension and concern amongst the religious archivists re: copyright, privacy, metadata etc. There are some denominations who believe that the TRC is out to discredit the churches and they want to have their own researches examining the records.
When the TRC speaks to survivors seeking answers they are told that the TRC is not a government agency but the TRC tells the archives and the researchers that they are a government agency.
The TRC funding runs out in a year and a half so it will be a challenge to go through another 137 archives if the funding is not extended.
Bishop Michael asked Melanie if the Diocese could do anything to help or contribute to the process of the TRC’s public forums. Melanie asked for pastoral support as the direct contact with survivors can be emotionally draining.
Melanie says she has been yelled at by many people, none of them were survivors of Indian Residential Schools.
Break at 8:35pm
Clerical Secretary the Rev. Karin Fulcher listed the regrets and DC welcomed new Diocesan Council member the newly appointed Archdeacon of Capilano, the Venerable Lynne McNaughton. Bishop Michael announced that there had been a resignation, Carol Passmore who has moved out of the East Vancouver Deanery.
4.1 Minutes
The Minutes were adopted as circulated with one correction.
Correction: Bob Tipping was not present at the September 13th meeting.
6.2 St. John, North Vancouver - Mortgage Renegotiation Proposal
Bishop Michael welcomed the two Wardens of SJNV, Penny Connell and Linda Harrison.
Business Administrator Rob Dickson gave an overview of the Precis and the Resolution.
Penny and Linda reported that SJNV had an informal Vestry Meeting, October 9th and 40 people unanimously agreed to mount a Capital Campaign as outlined in the Resolution.
The vote was deferred to later in the meeting.
6.1 Compensation Sub-Committee - Recommendations for 2012
Business Administrator Rob Dickson led DC through the document.
Ian Robertson asked to make a friendly amendment changing the language to
"Diocesan stipend and minimum stipend scale"
Item 5 of the Motion had a typo. The amount for the West End annual allowance is 31,500 not 30,500.
A number of DC members spoke to the Motion with a focus on the wording of the reimbursement for transit fees.
Dean Peter Elliott moved a friendly amendment to #3 where three words are added to the beginning
“For supply clergy”
The Motion was Carried
6.2 St. John, North Vancouver - Mortgage Renegotiation Proposal cont’d
Bishop Michael opened the floor to discussions on this Motion.
Brief discussion took place about the ability of this parish to achieve their commitments based on past history. This parish has moved from a place of despair to its current attitude of hopefulness and renewed enthusiasm.
This parish recognizes where it’s at and they want to move forward and the diocese is listening. A further discussion continued about the precedent setting nature of this loan and how this loan could establish criteria for other parishes.
The Motion was Carried
The Reverend David Price announced that he brought some herbs and a pumpkin from the St. Dunstan, Aldergrove's Garden to Table ministry free for the taking
The Meeting was adjourned by Bishop Michael at 9:40pm
The Motion was Carried
6.2 St. John, North Vancouver - Mortgage Renegotiation Proposal cont’d
Bishop Michael opened the floor to discussions on this Motion.
Brief discussion took place about the ability of this parish to achieve their commitments based on past history. This parish has moved from a place of despair to its current attitude of hopefulness and renewed enthusiasm.
This parish recognizes where it’s at and they want to move forward and the diocese is listening. A further discussion continued about the precedent setting nature of this loan and how this loan could establish criteria for other parishes.
The Motion was Carried
The Reverend David Price announced that he brought some herbs and a pumpkin from the St. Dunstan, Aldergrove's Garden to Table ministry free for the taking
The Meeting was adjourned by Bishop Michael at 9:40pm
The Next Meeting will be Tuesday, November 8th at St. Augustine's, Marpole
Images: Top, Melanie Wallace prepares to begin her presentation. Near top right, the 2011 Compass Rose Society Dinner at Lambeth. Near top left, Archbishop Rowan Williams waves goodbye.
Middle, The Peace at St. Michael's Broadway, October 2nd, 2011. Lower right, Rob Dickson and the Venerable Ellen Clark-King welcome back the Reverend Christine Rowe to Diocesan Council.
Below, garden fresh gifts from St. Dunstan's, Aldergrove.
Diocesan Council is the decision making, governing body of the Diocese of New Westminster consisting of:
- the Diocesan Officers (Bishop, Dean, Executive Archdeacon,Chancellor, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer)
- the Archdeacons of the five Archdeaconries
- the Archdeacon who is the Director of Deacons
- two additional Diocesan Legal Officers, (Registrar and Legal Assessor)
- a Lay Secretary, a Clergy Secretary,
- the chairs of the Diocesan Standing Committees
- there are two Deanery reps either Ordained or Lay. Sometimes Deaneries have two lay reps and sometimes two clergy reps, sometimes one of each. A Deanery is a group of churches, geographically affiliated and the reps are elected at the Annual Synod Meeting.
- Synod Staff also attend meetings but are not members of Diocesan Council. They include: Business Administrator, Director of Planned Giving, Comptroller, Youth Coordinator and Communications Officer (and other staff as required).
Diocesan Synod consists of all the active clergy in the Diocese of New Westminster and 2-6 lay people elected from each diocesan parish proportionate to the size of the parish community.
Diocesan Council functions as the Synod between Synods, it is a representation of the large group that meets annually.
Diocesan Council and Diocesan Synod are both chaired by the Bishop.
Diocesan Council meets monthly on the second Tuesday of the month usually at St. Augustine, Marpole at 7:30pm. Diocesan Council is adjourned for the months of July and August.