Rev. Steve Black Inducted Rector of St. Thomas

Like many churches, St. Thomas Anglican Church in Vancouver finds itself amongst the “nones” – a generation of people who have no religious connection. In this context the ministry of priests and parish communities becomes more challenging and more necessary. Archdeacon Richard Leggett made the comment during his sermon at the service inducting the Rev. Steve Black as Rector of St. Thomas.  

A Service of Induction was celebrated on the evening of February 18 at the East Vancouver parish. Archbishop John Stephens presided at the service. Archdeacon Rob James, the Archdeacon of Burrard, administered the Oaths and Subscriptions and presented Rev. Black with his new license. Archdeacon James also welcomed Rev. Black to the archdeaconry of Burrard and highlighted the cultural, socio-economic, and religious diversity of the neighbourhood.  

In his sermon, Archdeacon Leggett recalled being summoned for jury duty before he began his theological studies and serving on two juries. Both cases ended badly for the prosecution, but for different reasons. In one case, the prosecution couldn’t overcome the jury’s intrinsic biases. In the second case, the jury didn’t find the prosecution’s witnesses credible.   

North American society today and its high percentage of people who either “no longer participate in religious life; who will in no way be involved in religious life; who never have connected with religious life, and those who have not yet connected,” requires Christians to “bear credible witnesses to a skeptical world,” the archdeacon said.  

Archdeacon Legget said that credible witness takes the shape of: 

• Service that responds to and advocates for the real needs of real people in real neighbourhoods; 

• Worship that gives ‘new skins’ for the ‘old wine’ of apostolic witness to the God who has created this good earth, the Christ who empowers us for reconciliation and the Spirit that inspires curiosity and openness; 

• Evangelism that seeks out the ‘never haves’ and the ‘not yets’ with an invitation to be part of a community of help, hope and home; 

• Education that encourages questions into the mystery of God rather than repetition of dubious certainties, and 

• Pastoral Care that empowers good people to act when bad things happen in their lives and the lives of others. 

“This is the credible witness a skeptical jury needs to experience in word and deed,” he said.  

While that makes ministry more challenging, the archdeacon said both Rev. Black and the parish community at St. Thomas have the gifts needed to serve the neighbourhood. 

“The good news is that you are not alone in what we proclaim as our vocation.  You and this Parish community have the gifts needed to serve this neighbourhood.  You and this Parish have partners, whether Anglican or not, whether people of religious faith or not, who are as committed as you and this Parish are to working to shape a world where we and all God’s children can be free,” said Archdeacon Leggett.  

St. Thomas has been at its present location in the neighbourhood since 1912 and has a history of discerning ways to respond to the needs of the civic community with social service and outreach programs. In 2020 the Association of Neighbourhood Houses of BC and the South Vancouver Neighbourhood House awarded St. Thomas the 2020 corporate Good Neighbour Award.