Thoughtful lay and clergy leaders across the country are helping the whole Canadian church to move away from a theology of scarcity to one of abundance, of generosity. This shift – which is really a move from maintenance to one of mission – is clearly noticeable and, frankly, about time! Helping committed Anglicans in Canada to become generous, visionary stewards of their financial resources for the work of God through the church is the mission of the Office of Financial Development.
Our hope is to encourage Anglicans to understand that “stewardship is living into a vision of mission in a concrete way” as someone once said. Or to put it another way, “stewardship is what we do after we say, 'We believe'.” We help make it possible for people to live out lives of faithful, responsible and generous stewardship – in order to make a difference – in the life of their parish and wider church, and in the lives of those who need support the most.
We have learned that people grow spiritually when they give generously. Generous giving gives people a sense of happiness and fulfillment, knowing they are expressing their response to God's generosity. These are people who have prayerfully reflected on thoughtful sayings like, “When we can share, that is poetry in the prose of life” (Dr. Sigmund Freud), or “Consider your possessions loaned to you by God” (St. Catherine of Siena, 14th century.)
We have learned that people grow spiritually when they give generously. Generous giving gives people a sense of happiness and fulfillment, knowing they are expressing their response to God's generosity.
We have also learned over the years that parishes, dioceses, General Synod and other Anglican entities which have developed a compelling, visionary case for support, with a clear sense of mission and purpose, are those which are likely to receive gifts – ranging from outright annual gifts of cash, or “planned gifts” of listed securities, gift annuity proceeds, to insurance policies, and above all, bequests. Where there is strong lay and clergy leadership, where the theology of generosity is emphasized, rather than a theology of scarcity, there we will find healthy communities of faith and programs with strong financial foundations.
Following the approval by General Synod 2004 of the document, Serving God's World, Strengthening the Church: A Framework for a common journey in Christ, our office now focuses on stewardship education and financial development in partnership with dioceses and parishes, and continues to include a strong emphasis on gift planning. The Anglican Appeal is also a part of the work of this department. But we don't stop there. We work very closely with the Anglican Foundation of Canada, The Primate's World Relief and Development Fund, and the Anglican Journal Appeal, encouraging gifts, bequests and charitable gift annuities.
It may sound surprising, but working closely together this way is a relatively new development . We have discovered over the years that there tends to be some confusion as to who does what. This edition of MinistryMatters is intended to help sort that out. The wonderful thing is that we have options, choices, so that donors can direct their gifts to the areas of greatest personal interest. So staff and national boards are committed to working together, sharing calendars, resources and learning what works – all in the interest of our donors and prospective donors.
The Office of Financial Development helps coordinate all this and, particularly, helps all components of our church focus on the emerging, exciting opportunities of gift planning – the responsible stewardship of accumulated assets. In addition to having three staff members at Church House, the Office of Financial Development works closely with 14 regional or diocesan financial development consultants and a number of diocesan and parish volunteers. These include many allied professionals – lawyers, accountants, insurance brokers, and estate planners. We provide print resources, now all available on CD for local adaptation, and personal quotations or illustrations for prospective donors. We provide educational opportunities through regional or local workshops and actually visit donors upon request to offer guidance and to explain how their gifts will make a significant difference for the work of God.
Our big challenge during the next six years will be to give strong, practical leadership to “raising the funds required to implement the Framework.” The implementation of this plan will require new funding to support both existing work and new areas of mission and ministry. We have begun this initiative, with the full support of the national Financial Management and Development Committee, the Council of General Synod, and key, visionary leaders of our church. Stay tuned! For more information about the Office of Financial Development and resources available for stewardship education and gift planning, contact -
Archdeacon John Robertson
Telephone 416.924.9199 ext. 268
Toll-free 1-888-439-GIFT
Email: jrobertson@national.anglican.ca
