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Notice of a Convening of a Regular Session of Synod of the Diocese of Brandon
November 23, 2023

Notice is hereby given that the Synod of the Diocese of Brandon will be convened on Thursday, the twenty-third day of November in the year of our Lord two thousand and twenty-three, to receive financial statements, elect members of the Executive Committee and other Diocesan committees, and delegates to the Provincial and General Synods, as well as other business as may be lawfully considered. 

Registration of delegates will commence at 4:00 p.m. in the nave of St. Matthew’s Cathedral. The Synod will begin with a Eucharist at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday evening. 

If there are concerns or queries, please contact the undersigned.

Please hold the leadership of the Diocese in your prayers as we prepare for this Synod.

Yours in Christ,

The Reverend Matt Koovisk
Secretary of Synod

Notice of a Convening of a Electoral Synod of the Diocese of Brandon
November 25, 2023

Notice is given that the Synod of the Diocese of Brandon will be convened on Saturday, the twenty-fifth day of November in the year of our Lord two thousand and twenty-three, to elect the eighth Bishop of Brandon. Registration of delegates will commence at 8:00 a.m. in the nave of St. Matthew’s Cathedral, Brandon. The Synod will be called to order by the Metropolitan at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 25th. 

On the previous evening (Friday, November 24), there will be an opportunity for members of Synod to gather to watch videos provided by the candidates and to ask questions regarding procedure in advance.

Any member of Synod may submit names of persons to be considered for nomination to the Search Committee Chair, provided such persons meet the Canonical requirements and have given consent to allow their names to be proposed. 

If there are concerns or queries, please contact the undersigned.

Please pray for the Episcopal Search Committee and the Diocesan leadership as we prepare for this Synod.

Yours in Christ,

The Reverend Matt Koovisk
Secretary of Synod

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More photos are below.

The post Diaconal and Priestly Ordinations – August 2023 appeared first on The Mustard Seed.

Pictures from the occasion are below.

The post Deconsecration of a Sacred Space appeared first on The Mustard Seed.

Our General Synod was scheduled to overlap with the National Convention of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC), who have been full-communion partners with our national body for over 20 years. Partnerships at the local level aren’t as abundant in our diocese as they are in some places across the country, though we are moving to work more closely as time progresses, where possible.  Because of our proximity, we had some sessions together with the Lutherans, and we shared meals and certain times of worship, also.

We covered several of the items that were the business of the General Synod, though time didn’t allow for us to address everything on the agenda. The matters that the General Synod was unable to attend to will be dealt with by CoGS (the Council of General Synod – sort of like our diocesan executive, which handles the business of the diocese between our synod meetings).  Members of CoGS are selected by the provincial bodies of our church: Canada (composed of the civil provinces of Newfoundland, the maritime provinces and Quebec); Ontario (composed of most of Ontario); Rupert’s Land (covering northwestern Ontario, the prairie provinces, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut); and British Columbia & Yukon (self-explanatory).  When our ecclesiastical province met, it selected two of our General Synod delegates to represent the province on CoGS for the next two years: myself and Nadia Sinclair.  Please pray for us both as we move to serve the Church faithfully on this council.

For me, there were many highlights.  I saw friends that I hadn’t seen for many years: friends from seminary and friends from other dioceses that I’ve served in.  I really enjoyed hearing our national indigenous archbishop share the Gospel on multiple occasions: twenty years ago Archbishop Chris and I were in most of our seminary classes together (except for electives, although some of those as well!).  At the time we were in the midst of Bishop William being inhibited, and so many people expressed heartfelt support for him and for us – it was moving.

My primary takeaway from it is that we are one.  Sometimes it takes a little more imagination to see that, than at other times.  But we are one.  When we disagree with one another, and even more so when those disagreements feel like they are drawn along racial lines, or economic lines, or even geographical lines – when we disagree with one another, it can be easy to lose sight of the unity that we have in Christ.  But we are one, and as we hold Jesus at the centre of our life together, as we learn to seek Him first and not ourselves, as we listen to one another as brothers and sisters rather than as enemies (which seems to be the default, when we have disagreements!), we will grow in our love for one another as we know His love more greatly.

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– Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 (NRSV)

For everything there is a season. It’s the Bible’s way of reminding us that change happens. As much as we might look fondly at the past, remembering the “good old days”, for everything there is a season.

We are in the midst of some very significant change, both within our world generally, and within the Diocese of Brandon specifically. October 1 marked the end of Bishop William’s time with us as the 7th Bishop of Brandon. As you likely know, he is now the Bishop of the Diocese of Ontario, centred around Kingston.

Bishop William came to us in March of 2016 at another time of uncertainty, a time when some even questioned whether this Diocese would survive. But thanks to his stewardship, his desire to trust in God and his faith in all of us, we did more than just survive. We flourished, and in doing so, became an example of faith, commitment and reconciliation for places much larger than us.  

Just one example of this is the revival of our church camp and the vital ministry it provides to children all over the north of our Diocese.  This change only happened because of the work of Bishop William in going out and championing our camp to those with the means to support us.  

Yes, we changed,  but not simply for change’s sake, but because we listened for where God was calling us to go, and Bishop William faithfully led us. Trust me when I say this, the way was not always easy, but God does not promise easy. God simply asks that we trust in him. +William did just that.

Well, we’re again in a time of change. We are actively preparing for the election of the 8th Bishop of Brandon. At the same time, one of the larger parishes in our Diocese, St. George’s, deconsecrated their church building and moved across town to worship alongside the people of Redeemer Lutheran. They are moving, changing, to allow them to continue doing the ministry they are called to do, but do it in a new place, alongside new people.

Here at the Cathedral, we have decided to, over the course of the next few months, rent out the entirety of our parish hall, both upstairs and down. We’re also exploring other changes to the cathedral side building to allow for easier access. It is our hope that by doing this, the Cathedral’s finances will stabilize and give us the ability to do ministry well into the future, in the same space, alongside new people.  

In the north of our diocese, there have been some changes, hopefully temporary, to the number of clergy available to do ministry. And I’m quite sure that changes are happening in many other parts of our diocese too.

There will be changes in the publishing of the Mustard Seed too. Until there is a new bishop in place, the “word from the bishop” will move to letters from Archdeacon Jonathan Hoskin, Archdeacon Kara Mandryk and me.  For now, three heads will be better than one!

My sisters and brothers, I know that change can be challenging. But change, if looked at in the right way can also be a time of renewal and excitement as we see and discern what God’s new plans are for us. At the same time, even in the sea of change that we are presently in, we can hold firm to the fact that we follow a God whose unchanging love has always been with us and always will be.

So as we say farewell to Bishop William, our prayers for his new ministry in the Diocese of Ontario follow him. Thank you +William, for your wisdom, your spirit of generosity, your presence among us and the love that you showed us, each and every day. You will be deeply missed and fondly remembered.

As for us, for everything there is a season, and a new one is dawning.  

Let us embrace it.

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