Professional Documents
Culture Documents
JUNE 2016
June 2016
The Revd John Watton, a new Bishop for the Anglican Church of Canada, elected on April 30th, 2016, in Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador.
Pictured above, the Bishop-Elect receives congratulations from Archbishop Percy Coffin, and Archdeacon Perry Cooper. Bishop-Elect Wattons
Consecration is scheduled for Wednesday June 29th, 2016.
deeply grounded in
the life of religion and
spirituality.
In our radically
changed time, it is
vitally important for the
Church to discern the
ways in which Gods
Spirit speaks through
and into the diversity of
our world. My own sense
(from being listened to,
and by learning how
to listen) is that there
is something deeply
built into us that longs
to share and receive
the gift of our stories.
Each voice is equally
important and must be
heard at the table where
we will trust God to build
the beloved community,
using us as living stones,
helping us unite years
of experience, failure,
devastations, success,
healing, and lessons
learned, all of which
anglicanlife in Newfoundland&Labrador
JUNE 2016
Bishop David
Torraville, of the
Diocese of Central
Newfoundland,
is about to retire.
Before we let him
off the hook, for
his final column
in Anglican Life,
Bishop Torraville
agreed to an
interview, allowing
us all to learn a little
bit more about him.
Anglican Life : How
do you feel about your
decision to retire, and
what are you most
looking forward to
being able to do?
I was actually
eligible for retirement
last year but knew I
was not ready. At this
point I am. Im looking
forward to a little down
time, some time to sit
around in the morning
and do some reading.
I am looking forward to
not being scheduled,
to not knowing what I
will do next week.
Anglican Life :
What were the biggest
challenges that you
faced during your time
as Bishop of Central
Newfoundland?
The biggest
challenges locally
have been around
personnel issues with
clergy and dealing with
hurt and disappointed
parishioners. I have
not always felt that I
could do what people
wished and in such a
small and close knit
diocese that often
meant disappointing,
and even angering
colleagues, friends and
acquaintances.
Our concerns
around sexuality have
been challenging.
In the early days of
my episcopate these
conversations were
very angry, with people
questioning why the
church would even
consider changes.
M o re re c e n t l y a n y
conversations I have
had, have been more
measured. While it is
c at h e d ra l c h o i r,
cassock and surplice,
and traditional music
then the Melanesian
brothers and sisters
in traditional dress,
dancing the gospel
procession, to a south
pacific drum beat,
carrying the bible in
a canoe to the middle
of the congregation. It
was a moment of awe
and wonder. On a visit
to Tanzania, there was
meeting Bishop Francis
Loyo of the South
Sudan, a man who had
been imprisoned and
tortured and separated
for seven years from his
family during the civil
war, whose smile lights
a room, and whose
laughter proclaims
the joy of the gospel
more strongly than any
sermon I have ever
heardor preached.
Then, there have been
the Sundays which
my wife, Karen and I
spent in congregations
around the Diocese,
sharing worship, cups
of tea and marvelous
conversation. Since
Karen retired, she has
taken up photography
and it is such fun to
see her pictures of
churchesof windows,
and shadows, of
textures and interesting
elements that the
people who worship
there weekly often
miss but are delighted
to see as she shows
them. Karen and I have
met such faith and
devotion; people who
are so committed to
their various ministries
and service; clergy and
layity, young and old.
I can have a troubling
week at the office and
then on Sunday we
meet devoted sides
people, the smiling
teen passing out the
bulletins, the small
child intrigued by that
funny hat, and all I can
do is give God thanks
that somehow this is
where God put me.
anglicanlife in Newfoundland&Labrador
JUNE 2016
Bishop Torraville, taken at St. Martins in Gander, just minutes before the electoral Synod began on April 30th.
All of us in the
province of
Newfoundland
and Labrador wish
Bishop David all
the very best in his
retirement!
Anglican Life:
Please share with our
readers some of your
priestly or episcopal
accomplishments
anglicanlife in Newfoundland&Labrador
JUNE 2016
On April 10th, just after Easter and before the fishing season started, Christ Church, Bonavista, had a Blessing of the Fleet service
to honour its fishers and fish-plant workers, and to glorify God for his generosity to us and ask his blessing of safety. Various pieces
of fishing gear including nets, traps, buoys, and oars were displayed, as well ship models and local paintings. Reg Butler, our own
St. Peter, explained the purpose of each of the fishing items. Revd Shaun also explained how toilet plungers are used by fishermen
on Lake Galilee, in Israel, to make a popping sound to scare fish into their
nets. From the Gospel of John that day, we learned that trying to do things our
own way as a church does work very well, but when we do things Gods way, it
results in overwhelming success.
On the left we can see the many pieces of fishing equipment that were brought
into the church for the service of Blessing the Fleet.
Above we can see Everett Russell and several paintings, done by local artists,
which depict the fishing life.
anglicanlife in Newfoundland&Labrador
JUNE 2016
Ordinations
The Revd Catherine (Kay) Short
was ordained to the sacred
priesthood on April 14th,
2016, at the opening of Synod
for the Diocese of Western
Newfoundland. Kay is pictured
here with her fellow clergy and
Archbishop Coffin.
The Revd
Tryphena Vallis,
ordained a
deacon on April
29th, 2016, at
St. Martins in
Gander. She
is pictured
here with
Archbishop
Coffin, Bishop
Torraville, and
the clergy and
lay readers of
the Diocese
of Central
Newfoundland.
anglicanlife in Newfoundland&Labrador
JUNE 2016
On April 3rd, St.Mary the Virgin Anglican Church in St. Anthony bid a sad
farewell to the Revd Paul Findlay, who has been the Rector for nearly
four years. After the morning service, a pot luck meal was served in the
hall downstairs for Father Paul and the congregation. On behalf of the
congregation, gifts of a hooked wall hanging (showing St. Anthonys
Lighthouse), and a picture of the church were presented by Robert Mesher
(the Rectors Warden) and Lorelie Cull (the Peoples Warden). A homemade
quilt was presented on behalf of the ACW by Evelyn Rumbolt and Ruby
Johnson. We wish him well in the Parish of White Bay.
Circulation: 19,000
Revd Paul performing for his 24th, and last time with the band Glad Tidings Guitar Group.
Pictured are Letty Noble, Paul Findlay, Linda Coffin, Albert Kinsella, and Gail Hancock.
anglicanlife in Newfoundland&Labrador
JUNE 2016
Columnist
The Obvious
Ron Clarke
Columnist
Maybe I need to be a
little more creative in
how I prioritize my time.
Spring is the perfect
time for renewing and
recharging, everywhere
we look we see new life.
The trees and flowers
are out in bud, birds
are building nests. It is a
time for new beginnings
putting aside all that
which hinders and
starting fresh; time to
look for opportunities in
which to serve Christ and
his church.
The promises we
make in our Baptismal
Covenant are reminders
t h at we are n ot ye t
Life is so crammed
with obvious miracles:
the miracle of birth and
renewal, the miracle
of the human body (so
amazingly complex, and
beautifully functional), the
miracle of each day, the
miracle of the seasons,
the miracle of humanity,
which through the grace
of God has achieved,
technically and artistically
amazing things. All these
we usually accept with
a myopic pragmatism
that fails to recognize the
divine grace underlying
and motivating it all.
Eyes they have and
see not, the scriptures
re m i n d u s a n d t h a t
particular scripture
applies to almost all
of us. We go through
our miraculous lives
ignoring, doubting, or
even denying the reality
of God. Far too many of
us behave as if God does
not exist. Yet in us and
around us daily, there
exists enough evidence
of our Creator for any
intelligent questioner.
In a museum in
Amsterdam many years
ago, I stood in front of
Rembrandts The Night
Watch. Nobody had to
tell me that Rembrandt
was a great artist; nobody
h a d t o p ro v e t o m e
that the painting was a
masterpiece. The picture,
the artist s creation,
spoke for itself. So Gods
masterpiece, ourselves
and our universe, daily
declare the greatness
and the glory of the GodCreator. Its as plain as the
nose on your face.
anglicanlife in Newfoundland&Labrador
JUNE 2016
Lisa Brown
On April 21st, St. Jamess Church in Port Aux Basques held a Youth Talent Night. Children from
the ages of 4 to 14 participated. It was a great evening of entertainment.
September is Coming!
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anglicanlife in Newfoundland&Labrador
JUNE 2016
The editor and readers of Anglican Life would like to take this time to thank The Revd Everett Hobbs and The Revd Greg Mercer for
their contributions to our lives through their writings in this publication. Both of these columnists have informed the editor of their
desire to retire from writing their columns, and I know that we wish them both all the very best in the future.
Thank you!
uncertainty of human
life is an incentive to live
in the present moment.
Keeping death before
our eyes is a reminder
not to postpone or
delay what requires our
attention now, to be
not procrastinating. It
grounds us in the here
and now, and urges us to
get on with living fully. It
is also about learning to
die daily, about letting
go of that which needs to
die in us. Paul counsels
us to die daily, especially
to sin.
Keeping death before
our eyes reminds us that
we will die tooand it may
be today. In the midst
of life we are in death.
The Psalmist tells us to
number our days, that
we may apply our hearts
unto wisdom, especially
about our choices and
decisions.
If we live our baptism,
we are already dead in
Christ. Our physical
Celebrating Life
anglicanlife in Newfoundland&Labrador
JUNE 2016
10
Dear Editor,
I enjoyed and identified with Bishop Torravilles Easter Message. I remember
observing a pre-celebration of a wedding of another culture a couple of years ago.
As the ceremony was taking place almost everyone (including the attendants),
except for the bride and groom, were videotaping the events.
I was thinking to myself that all anyone was going to see on the video was
everyone videotaping. It looked really silly and they were missing what was
happening right in front of their eyes.
I find that sometimes I get caught up in what I am doing (my role) instead of
what I actually see and what is being said and how I feel about it. I am not in the
moment. I think it is very important to enjoy the moment, see, and feel what is
actually happening in front of me.
Linda King
anglicanlife in Newfoundland&Labrador
JUNE 2016
11
Evangelism
Allison Billard
Columnist
Evangelism is the
preaching of the gospel
or the practice of giving information about
a particular doctrine or
set of beliefs to others
with the intention of
converting others to the
Christian faith.
As with anything else
on the Internet, this is
subject to interpretation
a n d c r i t i c a l re v i e w,
h o w e v e r, a g e n e r a l
consensus seems to
settle on the idea that
evangelism involves
sharing ones faith in
the hopes that others
might at least consider
becoming Christian.
Some things that Ive
encountered do trouble
me. In one instance I
felt like evangelism was
being pitched as an
ulterior motive to being
a decent human being.
As in, be nice to your
neighbours so that as
they come to like you,
you can then invite them
to church and convince
them to be Christians.
I know Im not the
only one who thinks that
being a decent human is
at the forefront of being
Christian regardless of
whether we proceed
to talk about our faith.
Jesus cared for those
in need, loved the
unloved, and sought
social justice, whether
others believed in him
or not. Certainly his goal
was to bring everyone
into a relationship with
the Father, but it didnt
stop him to know that it
Members of the Avalon West Deanery ACW gather together for a meal
anglicanlife in Newfoundland&Labrador
JUNE 2016
12
Harvey Locke
Article by
Sunday, April
24, 2016
was a day of
goodbyes
for the Revd
George
Spencer as
the eightysomething
year old priest
traveled the
long road that
connects the
congregations
at St.
Aidans (Port
Blandford), St.
Mary the Virgin
(Burgoynes
Cove), and All
Saints (Petley)
to visit and
celebrate
Holy Communion for his last time as Rector of the
Parish. Revd George, as he prefers to be called,
was rector of the parish for the last year and a
half or so and during that time won the affection
of many in the parish by his enthusiasm for his
ministry, his fantastic work ethic, and his very
personable nature permeated with warm humour.
We wish him every blessing in his retirement.
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anglicanlife in Newfoundland&Labrador
JUNE 2016
13
Pictured above: Bishop Lawrence Provenzano of Long Island New York, and Ms. Leslie Giddings,
entering The Good Shepherd church for the closing Eucharist.
anglicanlife in Newfoundland&Labrador
JUNE 2016
14
Harvey Locke
back row: Revd Bob Oldford, Bishop David Torraville, Revd George Spencer
middle row: Brent Clarke, Julian Rose, Joey Efford, Lucas Efford, Austin Rose
front row : Jasmine Cross, Melanie Clouter, Jessica Anderson, Sachary Rose, Tiffany Cross
In commemoration
o f t h i s , S t . A i d a n s
congregation took
opportunity to present
him with a retirement
gift of an early twentieth
century photograph of
St. Aidans. It was a small
token of the high esteem
in which he is held by
the congregation at St.
Aidans and the rest of
the Parish.
anglicanlife in Newfoundland&Labrador
JUNE 2016
15
Part five of the series on formation and theological education in our three dioceses:
Having completed
the first phase of the
Bachelor by Distance
program it was time to
move on to the second
phase. This required that
I move to St. Johns and
complete an academic
year of full time study on
site at Queens. During
this time, I completed
nine three credit hour
courses in Homiletics,
Theological Studies,
Biblical Studies, Liturgical
Studies, Pastoral Studies,
and Anglican Church
History. These courses
built on the previous
studies that I had
done. In addition to
these there were three
vocational development
seminars. Another of
the requirements for this
phase was pew sitting.
This meant attending
worship in churches of
various denominations
challenges of parish
ministry.
In phase three of the
Bachelor by Distance
program, I was required
to do four three credithour intensive courses
in Christian Education,
Systematic Theology,
Moral Theology, and
Advanced Homiletics.
Phase three also involved
a Parish Internship and I
was blessed to be placed
at St. Martins Cathedral
in Gander. This was an
unbelievable learning
experience as St.
Martins is a vibrant faith
community. Apart from
preaching and leading
worship, I had opportunity
to do pastoral visiting at
the local hospital and in
various seniors homes.
I had opportunity to take
part in funeral liturgies
and to observe wedding
ceremonies and baptisms.
I visited members of the
congregation in their
homes. I attended bible
Tryphena Vallis
anglicanlife in Newfoundland&Labrador
JUNE 2016
16
Kevin Smith
Columnist
grandchildren might
divide his or her
estate into eight equal
portions. Each child and
grandchild will receive
an equal portion and
the final portion might
be split between that
persons local parish,
your diocese or the
Anglican Church of
Canada.
G i ft s i n w i l l s a re
indeed sacrificial gifts.
But the sacrifice need
not deprive those you
love mostnor should
they be a struggle for
you as you put your
affairs in order.
Would you like to
talk about gift planning
o p t i o n s ? I f y o u a re
interested, please feel
free to contact me.
Queens College
Launches
Continuing
Education For
Clergy
Submitted by
Dr. Rick Singleton
anglicanlife in Newfoundland&Labrador
JUNE 2016
17
On April 26th, the ACW of St. James Church in Port aux Basques hosted an Ecumenical
Fellowship. 126 women attended, enjoying worship, music, skits, and plenty of great
food.
Submitted by
In the photo: The Most Revd Percy D. Coffin, The Revd Jeffrey Petten, Fred Billard (Chaplain)
Andrew Chislett, Noah Farrell, Jennifer Herritt, Mackenzie Herritt, Caden Upwards, Callie Morgan
Specker and her parents Tyler Specker and Stacy Parsons.
In the photo: The Most Revd Percy D. Coffin, The Revd Jeffrey Petten, Brooke Bryan, Dalton Bryan,
Landon Chislett, Selina Croucher, Heidie George, Mandi Harvey, Amber Hatcher, Christopher
Hatcher, Julissa Hodder, Andrew Keeping, Randy Keeping, Sarah Keeping, Dannie Neil and Skey
Semour
anglicanlife in Newfoundland&Labrador
JUNE 2016
18
In this 100th
Anniversary year of the
Battle of the Somme,
Va l e r i e a n d I h a v e
had the privilege of
visiting Beaumont
Hamel Memorial Park
in Northern France. In
the battle for Beaumont
Hamel, and because of
the horrible losses to the
regiment, communities,
and families of the small
island and nation of
Newfoundland in 1916,
the identity of a people
was forged. Beaumont
Hamel is etched in the
collective memory of
every Newfoundlander.
W h e n Va l e r i e a n d I
walked into the fields of
Beaumont Hamel, it felt
like home. It felt like we,
as Newfoundlanders,
were part of that place.
Th e i c o n i c Ca r i b o u
memorial and the Salt
Box style interpretation
centre certainly affirmed
what we were feeling in
our hearts. But looking
out unto the trenches,
battlefield, and cemetery,
the warm feeling of
home was chilled by the
memory of the brutal
realities of war. Standing
near the famous Danger
Tree, a landmark where
the regiment was
ordered to gather, the
war cemetery loomed
in the distance. We read
the names of many of the
fallen Newfoundlanders
aloud as we prayerfully
moved over that holy
ground. And as we did,
we had a great sense
of being at one with the
Newfoundlanders who
lost their lives. At one
with them in the one Life
that is God. These are our
dead. This is our land. This
is our memorial. Yet as I
was walking prayerfully
anglicanlife in Newfoundland&Labrador
These photographs of Beaumont Hamel all taken by The Revd Canon Gerald Westcott
JUNE 2016
19
Cynthia Haines-Turner
Columnist
At the Diocesan
Sy n o d o f We s t e r n
Newfoundland, I spoke
about the upcoming
General Synod and the
process around the vote
on the Marriage Canon
something that looms
large and brings with it
much anxiety. I ended
with a plea to those
gath ered t o uphold
General Synod, all who
will attend, and those
who will inevitably feel
hurt and alienated by
whatever the outcome is.
It is a plea I would make
to this whole Church.
The General Synod
itself, in our time together,
will devote much time to
to pray.
I truly believe that as
we approach General
Synod, our prayers
will be the one thing
t h at w i l l s t re n g t h e n
our communion with
one another. As our
relationship with God
deepens, as our wills align
with Gods, as we seek to
serve Gods mission for
Pictured left to right are Dean Bell, Ms. Pike, and Minister Byrne
The HonourableGerry Byrne, Minister of Advanced Education & Skills, signed theProclamation for Queens College Week, May
8-14, 2016, in honour of the Colleges 175th Anniversary.Representing Queens were the RevdDr. David Bell, Dean of Theology at
Queens College, and Ms. Rebecca Pike, President of the Queens College Students Association.
anglicanlife in Newfoundland&Labrador
JUNE 2016
20
On May 2nd, 2016, the ACW of St. Jamess Anglican Church in Port aux Basques held their annual Spring Sale. Approximately 865
cold plates were prepared for either take out or delivery. There was also a sale of knitted items and crafts, a bake sale table and a
white elephant table. A big thank you goes out to all the ACW members who helped to make this happen.
anglicanlife
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