I remember thinking that I had really no experience in this world. Sure, I had acted as a webmaster for the web page of the Diocese of Kootenay and the BC and Yukon Anglican Youth Movement as a teenager, but editor of a newspaper? I had no clue how to design a newspaper!

Fortunately, I was well supported in those early days by the staff of the Anglican Journal,  most especially Saskia Rowley, the Journal’s graphic designer who was incredibly patient with a newbie editor that was learning the ropes. I felt supported by the other members of the Anglican Editors’ Association (AEA), all of whom were newbies at one point, too. I’ve been blessed to be a part of that community since  I began as editor (and I also served as both the secretary for two years and treasurer for two more years, too).

Most importantly, I’ve been blessed to be supported by the readership of this small, but mighty newspaper. I’ve never been wanting for content for each edition of the newspaper, and I’ve been blessed in this role to get a glimpse into the many corners of this diocese, and truth be told, I am richer for it. As I move closer to family (and yes, to a warmer climate), I will very much miss this work.

As I depart from this role, I think that some thank yous are very much in order: to the Rev’d Cheryl Kukurudz, who unfailingly sent out emails asking for content each month, and was another one of those people who supported me in this role. Thank you, Mother Cheryl – your administrative abilities and your kind and compassionate ear continues to mean the world to me, even though we’re far apart. Thank you to Bishop William Cliff, Dean Don Bernhardt TSSF, and Bishop Rachael Parker, all of whom were incredibly supportive of this paper and saw its’ value in the wider diocese and gave me the freedom to tell the varied stories of the Diocese. I personally have been blessed by your guidance and wisdom in my life.

Finally, thank you, dear reader: without you, there would be no point of creating this newspaper each month, as newspapers without readers is like a church without the people!

I won’t say goodbye forever, as I’ve learned the Church is an incredibly small place, but I will say that I hope and pray that God will continue to bless this newspaper as well as the people of the Diocese of Brandon. It has been my honour to be a part of it all, and I look forward to seeing what you all do in the coming months and years! 

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As I write this, even though I haven’t left the parish quite yet, I’m in my final days as the Rector, and I think I can resoundingly say this: saying goodbye sucks, especially when you’ve enjoyed being part of the communities you’ve been ministering to. 

I still remember vividly the drive out from Richmond Hill, Ontario to Virden, Manitoba. It was a fraught experience, truth be told. I drove through multiple snow storms in January 2017, slowly making my way from Richmond Hill to Sudbury one day, from Sudbury to Sault Ste. Marie the next, from Sault Ste. Marie to Thunder Bay the next, and from Thunder Bay to Brandon on my final travel day, where I stayed overnight with the Bishop. On my first full day in Manitoba, I had a block heater installed on my car (my dealership in Toronto didn’t believe me when I told them that I would need a block heater) and made my way out to Virden. They welcomed this city slicker and over time, he became more and more a part of the community. I would eventually meet my congregations in Elkhorn, Melita and Reston and would get involved in those communities, over time, too. I’ve grown to love all four points of my parish, and I daresay they’ve grown to love me too.

Perhaps that’s why saying goodbye and farewell sucks so much. While I know that God has called me into new adventures, I have loved the adventures that I’ve been part of while here. I am not the minister that I was when I started on January 14, 2017, and I have the people of Virden, Elkhorn, Reston and Melita to thank for that. 

However, as the book of Ecclesiastes tells us, “to everything, there is a season,” and over time, I realized that my season as the Anglican priest in Virden was ending. “All good things must come to an end,” as the old saying goes.

It has been a good thing for me to be here. As I leave this place to continue my ordained ministry, this time in BC, I carry the lessons learned from each of you. Your resilience in the face of challenges and boundless love for one another have inspired and strengthened me. The love and support of these communities as I ministered here has been incredible, and I will be eternally grateful for all of it. 

While saying goodbye is never easy, I am comforted by Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” While our paths may diverge, I know that God will continue to work in this community, as He has done since time immemorial.

I extend my heartfelt thanks to each of you for your warmth, kindness, and the countless ways you have enriched my life. Take care of yourselves and may God’s grace and peace be with you always.

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He’s right in that a new season is dawning on us in the Diocese of Brandon. By the time you read this in late November or early December, we’ll know the name of the eighth Bishop of Brandon. It will be a wonderful day, I’m sure. It’s definitely one I’m looking forward to as I prepare this edition of the Mustard Seed.

I’ve also taken those words to heart as a new season is about to dawn in my own life. On November 5, it was announced that I have accepted an appointment as the Rector of St. John the Baptist, Sardis (Chilliwack, BC) in the Diocese of New Westminster, effective February 1, 2024. My last Sunday as the Rector of the Tri-Valley Parish will be January 14, 2024.

I will continue to be the Editor of the Mustard Seed until the end of the publishing year in June, but will do that work from BC, for most of this work can be done from behind a desk, no matter where that desk is. Even though I won’t be resident in the Diocese anymore, I will need your help even more to keep me abreast of the things that are happening in the Diocese of Brandon!

It has been a joy and privilege to be here in the Diocese of Brandon since my arrival as a wet behind the ears layman on January 14, 2017. I have been blessed by each one of you, and I leave here in gratitude for all the experiences that I have had. 

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all that you have done for me. This is a bitter sweet goodbye for me. I arrived as a newbie in the role of rector, and I leave as a more experienced priest. This is a testament to the hard work and dedication we not only see in my own parish, but throughout the diocese!

May God continue to bless you in your varied ministries throughout our beloved Diocese.

The post A Note from the Editor: December 2023 appeared first on The Mustard Seed.

In one of those God inspired moments, the main worship services of the conference were held on the Friday and Saturday of the Pentecost ember days. Four times a year, during these “ember days”, we pray for the whole ministry of the church: both those who exercise their ministry through their baptism, as well as those who exercise their ministry through their diaconal, priestly and episcopal vows. In my sermon at the final Eucharist, which took place on the Saturday ember day, I spoke of how my own vocation story started in that very place: I moved away from Fredericton in 1996 thinking that I had a vocation to be a church musician. God did call me to be a church musician, but only called me to it for a short period of time (which does happen in vocations). It would be later that He would reveal to me that I was called to be a priest. Celebrating the Eucharist, “the source and summit of the Christian life”, in one of the places that formed me, in one of the places my heart will always live, was a powerful moment, one that I will treasure for the rest of my earthly ministry.

We’re about to enter into a time of discernment in our own diocesan life, a time where we pray for a very specific vocation: for somebody to be called to be the eighth Bishop of Brandon. That work will begin shortly, and I’m sure that the pages of the Mustard Seed over the next few months will reflect that work that we will be doing.

But before we do that work of calling the eighth Bishop of Brandon, we need to pause and give thanks to God for calling Bishop William into our midst for a period of time. I’m sure that I can speak for many of us when I say that this Diocese is incredibly grateful for the work that he has done here. He leaves here after seven years of fruitful ministry, one where the Gospel was preached, disciples made, and saints equipped for the work of ministry. He has very much made his indelible mark on this place.

Fare well, Bishop William. Thank you for all you have done here, and may God bless your ministry in the Diocese of Ontario. Our loss is truly their gain.

Grace and peace,

The post A Word from the Editor: September 2023 appeared first on The Mustard Seed.

We’ve just completed my fifth year as the Editor of the Mustard Seed. I am absolutely amazed how how this year has flown by. At the end of the publishing year, I always want to lean back in my office chair and reflect on the past 10 months of publishing.

I am always amazed at how the Diocese has supported this paper over the years – this truly is a paper that reflects the life of the diocese, since we have people from both “north and south” contributing to this paper and telling their stories.

I am incredibly grateful for those who, month by month, contribute photos and stories about what’s going on in their parishes. It may seem like a small  event, but what the reporting of these events does is remind all of us that there is life here and that there are other Anglicans around the area, doing things just like we are.

For many of us, it’s time for a break for the summer. Things slow down and the living becomes easy, as it were. As you do that, I’d like you to pause and pray for those who will be busy this summer at Anglican Memorial Camp and camps throughout the province.

It is a pleasure to edit this newspaper and to hear the stories from around the Diocese. I wish you a pleasant summer, and I look forward to ‘seeing’ you for our September 2023 issue!

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As The Mustard Seed drops in your mailbox (or on your computer screen), we’re about to head into what is known to many Christians as “the Paschal Triduum” – or in plain English, “the Great Three Days” (Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday.) During these three days, we commemorate Jesus Christ’s betrayal, trial, crucifixion and death.

In these days, we commemorate some pretty emotional events, and for some, hearing the events of this week have drawn tears to their eyes wondering: “O who, am I, that for my sake, my Lord should take frail flesh and die?” (to quote the hymn My Song Is Love Unknown.)

To hear that the Son of God, who was present at the creation of the earth, born into human form, who is part of the Holy and Undivided Trinity was crucified like a common criminal is hard for us to hear – how could the crowds have turned so quickly on Jesus Christ – the one who preached of the Kingdom of God? How did this go wrong so quickly? Why call Good Friday good – the Son of God was crucified, after all?

These are all good and normal questions, if we look at the whole story from a human point of view (which makes sense, since we’re humans). However, in all of this, God used the events of the Paschal Triduum to work out our relationship with Him.

To use the words of the old hymn There Is A Green Hill Far Away: “He died that we might be forgiven, he died to make us good; that we might go at last to heaven, saved by his precious blood.” The events of Good Friday are not good in that we watched Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the World, hung on the cross like a common criminal. I highly doubt that those who gathered around the cross (and in that room following these events) thought any of this was “good”. The man who they believed was going to change the world was not only dead, but had died a humiliating death. In their eyes, it was all over – the good times had come to an end, and now all that was left to do was to mourn their friend, their master, their Lord.

However, as has been done more times than we mere mortals can count, the Father used these events and turned them on their face. St. Paul describes God’s wisdom this way: “For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.” (1 Corinthians 1:25). The Father turned these events on their head, and made them good for humanity – the humanity that He loved so much that he sent his only begotten Son into the world, not to condemn it, but that in order that the world might be brought into a right relationship with Him.

These events are good in that we are now, through Jesus’ work on the cross, reconciled to a God who loves us more than we can ask or imagine. So, my friends, as you prepare to hear once more the stories of Holy Week and the Paschal Triduum, I invite you to enter once more into these events, to hear the stories, “and trust in his redeeming blood, and try his works to do.” These events are hard for us to recount, but it is the story of our salvation. In Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, “beneath thee hell defeated lies; thy captive people are set free, and endless life stored in thee.” (The Lamb’s High Banquet Called to Share, Common Praise [1998], #214)

May you and yours have a blessed Triduum, and a joyful Eastertide celebration. He is risen, indeed, alleluia!

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The simple answer is this: we do not (and can not) fully understand the presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Add to that the fact that as Christians, we don’t all agree on the presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Some (like Roman Catholics, and some Anglo-Catholics) believe in transubstantiation, the theological concept that the substances of the bread and wine offered at the Eucharist change into the Body and Blood of Christ, while the accidents (or what it looks like) remain as they had previously been. There are others that believe in sacramental union (like Lutherans), where Christ is “truly and substantially present in, with and under the forms of the consecrated bread and wine, so that communicants eat and drink the holy body and blood of Christ Himself as well as the bread and the wine.” Ask an Anglican, and the common thought is something changes in the Eucharist, but how that change occurs is a mystery.

While I believe that the exact mechanics of the presence of Christ in the Eucharist remains a mystery to us mere mortals, I believe that the presence of Christ in the Eucharist is real and very present. The Eucharist is more than a mere memorial to me (although when we do partake in the Eucharist we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes). I believe that that presence of Christ as found in the Eucharist has strengthened me throughout my life. Let me tell you a story about the Eucharist in my own life.

I remember back to my seminary days at Huron College at Western. As any seminary-trained priest can tell you (and will, if you let them), seminary is a time filled with highs and lows. I remember on more than one occasion where I was feeling those lows that come with the seminary experience. As I was going through those lows that happen from time to time, my thoughts turned to the Eucharist, and how I could always count on that to help strengthen me spiritually to be in seminary.

How did it strengthen me as I worked through all the changes that come with being in seminary, though? Well, to be frank, I didn’t really know how the Eucharist strengthened me as I did this work. I just knew that after attending the Eucharist, I felt better and strengthened to do my work in the world. If you had asked me how it all worked, I probably would have said, “it’s a mystery to me”. I knew that Christ is present in the Eucharist, but if you were to press me for more details, I wouldn’t have been able to give them to you.

The presence of Christ in the Eucharist is very much a mystery, and theologians have been spilling ink on it since the early days of the Church. I imagine that they will continue to do so until that day that Christ appears on earth once again. However, until that day where we will meet Jesus Christ face to face, we can and will meet him in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. This presence is a mystery, but in this case, a little mystery isn’t a bad thing. When we lean into the mystery of Christ’s presence in the Eucharist, whenever we receive Him in the Bread and the Wine, our relationship with the Holy and Undivided Trinity is strengthened, and we are strengthened to go forth into the world to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love our neighbour as we have first been loved by God.

The next time you approach the altar to receive the Body and Blood of Christ, may you be renewed by Christ’s presence in the Eucharist, and may your soul be fed so that you can live a life that reveals the Father’s love to the broken world around us.

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Photos by Lynne Tolton

As the congregation gathered before the service at St. Mark’s, Minnedosa on September 25, the bell tolled 55 times to mark each year of the Rev’d Garry MacDowall’s active ministry. This took place before Garry celebrated the Holy Eucharist for the final time at St. Mark’s, Minnedosa. 

In attendance at this service were family, friends  and parishioners from far and wide, including the Rev’d Canon Joy Ruddock, the Rev’d Gordon Stevenson, the Rev’d David Holmes from Stettler, Alberta, the Rt. Rev’d Jim Njegovan, as well as his grandson, Jamie Gibbons.

During the service, Lynne Tolton read a tribute to Garry’s ministry at St. Mark’s, Minnedosa saying, “what a celebration we are having today” and that the day provided “a great opportunity to reflect on our memories and stories of Garry.”  

Garry and his wife Judith first moved to Minnedosa in 2003, following his retirement as the Rector of St. Mary’s in Brandon. Throughout his time at St. Mark’s, Minnedosa, he contributed to many projects  within the church, such as collecting pledges to lose weight, with the proceeds going towards a new elevator installed in the church, as well as his work supporting ministries in St. Vincent. 

Following the service, John Cullen provided some music entertainment during a lunch where much visiting was had by those in attendance.

In retirement, Garry and Judith have moved back to the Brandon area.

Congratulations on your retirement, Garry! 

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MK+: Tell us a little about yourself!

JF: I was born in Victoria, BC. Both my parents served as Anglican military chaplains in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), so we moved around Canada often. I have lived in Victoria, BC; Suffield, AB; Cold Lake, AB; Petawawa, ON; Ottawa, ON; Fredericton, NB; Toronto, ON; and now Brandon! I did my undergraduate degree at St Thomas University in Fredericton, where I received a BA with honours in Philosophy. I attended seminary at Trinity College at the University of Toronto, and graduated with an MDiv this year. I am preparing to serve as a military chaplain. The Diocese of Brandon is where I will obtain the civilian ministry experience required for military chaplains. This year has been a big one for me because, in addition to graduating from seminary, completing Basic Training, moving to Brandon, and being ordained, on Thanksgiving weekend I am getting married to the woman I love, Samantha.

MK+: What brought you to the Diocese of Brandon?

JF: At least two things have brought me to the Diocese of Brandon. First, I have great respect for Bishop William. I first met Bishop William at the Ask and Imagine program at Huron College in 2013. My experience at that program was a major moment in my formation as a Christian and laid the groundwork for my discernment of my call to ordained ministry in the years that followed. Thus, when I had to find a bishop under whom to be formed in the first couple years of my ministry, Bishop William (and therefore the Diocese of Brandon) seemed a natural choice. 

Second, I think that God is doing really interesting things in this diocese, and that He is calling the church in this diocese to share in this work. The Diocese of Brandon is at the vanguard of the important work of reconciliation with indigenous peoples, and of supporting distinct, Indigenous Christian identities and communities within the Anglican tradition. The Diocese of Brandon also has a long tradition of lay leadership, which will likely be crucial for the wider church in the years to come. Thus, there is lots to learn here, and there are many opportunities for experiences which I can bring with me wherever my ministry takes me.

MK+: Have you had any experience with the Diocese prior to your ordination?

JF: I was blessed with the opportunity to complete a virtual placement in the Tri-Valley Parish under the supervision of the Rev’d Matt Koovisk in the summer of 2021. The placement was a great experience- I learned a lot, and Fr. Matt was an excellent supervisor. I look forward to visiting the Tri-Valley parish in person soon!

MK+: What made you decide to go into ordained ministry?

JF: A few things brought me to ordained ministry. First, I grew up surrounded by strong role models for ordained ministry. My parents are both Anglican priests and my grandfather on my father’s side was a Baptist minister. I saw that they were doing interesting and important work which made a positive impact on the lives of others. Second, I have long been involved in various aspects of church life – parish council, committees, altar guild, lay reading, biblical and theological studies, and so forth. I found all this volunteer work to be rewarding and enjoyable, so it seemed natural to make a career out of it! Finally, I am particularly drawn to the specific context for ordained ministry for which I am preparing- military chaplaincy. Military chaplains have a major positive impact on morale and operational effectiveness in the CAF. As religious leaders who are ordained- or in possession of an equivalent qualification- chaplains care for CAF members and their families in ways which are distinct from any other caregiving profession. In these troubled times, I am grateful to be able to serve both God and country.

MK+: What excites you about moving to the Diocese of Brandon?

JF: I am excited to serve under Bishop William, to share in the important work the diocese is undertaking with Indigenous communities, and to learn from the lay leaders who are crucial to this diocese. I am also excited to experience a region in which I have never lived, but in which many of my forebears settled as Mennonites.

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