Surely this is a hard blessing. He is still carried in those Hands, but they no longer gently cradle him. They bend and push and squeeze him. The Song, though, doesn’t falter. You are my child, my beloved.

Forty days and nights with nothing but those Hands and that Song, and the young man is hungry. He wonders – through the hot days and cold nights – about the shape of this blessing, then if it ever happened. After 40 days, the stones, polished round by the wilderness wind and sand, begin to look uncomfortably like bread. The new voice is convincing, pragmatic. But he’s grown up in a world where people are forever turning something holy into something convenient. Is bending the holy uniqueness of stones to meet my desire so different from hammering at the holy shape of another life till it conforms to the shape of my own hunger? Sand in his eye – he blinks. And the stones look like stones again. Holy.

The Hands that held him seem to pause from their bending, pushing, squeezing. The Song continues. You are my child, my beloved.

He pitches himself to his feet and sees a stadium full of applauding hands, garlands. He sees himself accomplished, recognized, celebrated. A sense of destiny engulfs him, and then a sense of providence, and then the adrenalin rush in his gaunt body, the leaping climax, and those Hands, sweeping down from the sky to cradle him before he reaches the ground. Though he can feel those Hands catching him in his vast and powerful vision, he can no longer hear the Song, drowned out in the roar of the crowd. A lizard brushes against him. His feet feel the earth, same dirt shared by lizard and messiah, then something like wind, something like a Hand, pushes his hair back from his face, and the Song fades back in, … my beloved.

The lizard scurries away. Then his legs give way to hunger and exhaustion and he sprawls backwards as the dust rises around him. He can’t find power to stand on his own feet. Where will he find power to follow the godly haunting in his soul? He has seen Herod once, living on borrowed power. He has seen the Roman governor from a distance – Herod’s landlord, Rome’s tenant. He knows Rome’s power, the single-minded, soul-draining power of will imposed by chariot, sword and cross. If he had power like that he could use it … he wouldn’t use it to … it could … then something like lightning pitches him backward into the scrub. He would, it couldn’t … And Hands soft as pillows lift him close to something like the warmth of a beating sun. The Song is so close and so deep it rises up through his body, through skin and bone and muscle, to his own beating heart. You are my child, my beloved.

His mother’s courage has chosen his life as her work. By courage now he chooses his Father’s work as his life. The work of beginning done, he limps out of the desert and into a life whose power will be suffering, his status – a servant; his mission – to become bread.

Becoming bread. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asks. On the road to Jericho, Bartimaeus sees, and takes up himself the work of becoming bread. Matthew loses count of what doesn’t matter, then counts to one, and takes up himself the work of being bread. Flacid-willed overeager Simon becomes Rock, and takes up himself the work of becoming bread. Saul muttering threats becomes Paul breathing grace; John Newton slaver is amazed by the same grace; nine lepers (the other nine) – do we dare to dream that they did not return because they could not wait to take up themselves the work of becoming bread to the households and neighbors and lovers who welcomed them (or not) home?

Jesus leaves the stones be. They are stones for God’s holy reason. Hungry Jesus takes up himself the work of becoming bread. Hands kneading, yeast rising, baker singing. Hungry fed. The bread has no need to impress the hungry. People stuffed with cake may not notice the bread, people selling caramel corn may not admire the bread, but hungry people will find it. Pierced Hands will break the bread. It is not that bread becomes the Body of Christ, but that the Body of Christ becomes bread. This mystery set in motion when Hands first lifted. This mystery of the One who takes up himself the work of becoming bread. This mystery, kneaded by choosing and compassion, by suffering love, by naked bruised abandonment. This mystery, cradled by hands that placed him in the tomb, then by Hands lifted again from death. This mystery, becoming our bread. This mystery, who calls to us, drenches us, lifts us, drives us, tests us, this baker who sings to us:

You are my child, my beloved.

Putting words into the mouth of someone else, let alone the resident CEO is a task that a communications underling approaches with some trepidation and not a small measure of due consideration. So it was that when I recently crafted a statement on behalf of the Primate to mark the death of Yasser Arafat, the words, though brief to the point of terseness, were not without consideration. But the statement did not matter. I wrote a headline on it that said “Primate expresses condolences on the death of …”

With more than three decades of this type of thing under my belt, I should have known better, should have known that so many people never read beyond the headline or that even when they do the words in bold type at the top have colored their reception of the message; I should have known that there would be some who would take the word “condolences” as meaning that the Primate was saying Yasser Arafat had been a splendid fellow, which is exactly what he had told me not to say. I should have known that the subtle distinction between a pastoral expression of sadness directed to the Palestinian people would be read by some as a statement to the effect that … well, that Yasser Arafat had been a splendid chap.

I got emails. Now Peter Blachford, the new treasurer of General Synod and a man who thinks about these things, has said that the social importance of and major difficulty with email is that it has created the expectation of an instantaneous response. An email is something that zips through the ether and I imagine there is a substantial number of people who, having hit “send” remain seated at their computer awaiting a fresh message. The ability to meet the expectation of instantaneous response, sadly, is something that diminishes in direct proportion to the number of emails received. This means that email is not necessarily a very friendly medium. I get a lot of emails, not all of which, sadly, get answered. There is, for one thing, the sheer volume of them, but there is also an attitude in me when I read bluntly critical messages, that there is no point to a reply – that my critic's mind is firmly made up and all conversation is futile. This is almost always a mistake. I know this because now and again, especially when there is a flurry of negative comment over something, I focus on a single writer and attempt to get his or her attention. I attempt to communicate … just to see if we can sort things out and get beyond the innuendo of the initial communication.

On the Friday after the death of Arafat, I got an email, addressed to “Sir:” and that tore a strip off me and my headline. I answered. My response, likewise was to “Sir:” and I firmly expected that to be the end of that. It wasn't. Over the following three days, there was an exchange that got more and more civil and that eventually mellowed, like a sweet marinade, both my critic and me. On Monday morning, the farewell-this-is-now-enough email I got was addressed to “Dear Sam…”

This, then, is about communicating and the opportunities that it provides.

It's not the first time that something like this happens. Some of my closest friendships by correspondence have been created from vitriol that dissipated and dissipated and metamorphosed through an exchange of sentiments that convinced both me and the person writing that neither of us were ogres or insensitive to logic and the breadth of vision that exists among human beings.

Andrew Hutchison, the new Primate, has said a lot about this kind of thing and the way he puts it is to underscore the vital importance of drawing people into the conversation. People who feel alienated, he has said, usually do so because decisions are made that affect them and on which they are not consulted. Andrew's primacy is less than a year old and already, this vision he has of Anglicans actually in communication with each other – speaking and listening to each other everywhere in the church – is emerging as a hallmark of his young primacy.

Where we let things fall silent too quickly, we are forever after denied the knowledge of what might have been. We are denied the wisdom that might have flowed from that knowledge and we are denied the experiences and the richness of another. We are denied the opportunity to listen and learn.

Riding to work on the subway early one morning recently, I watched a woman sleeping across the aisle from me. A lot of people sleep on the subway. The train lurched to a stop and the woman emitted a snoreful snort, and she looked up and our eyes met and she smiled briefly as though she's been caught in the act of something, and then she left the train, gone. I wonder who she was…what she is like … what, if anything, we have in common. … I wonder what she had to say about things.

When I was a university student, much younger in years and outlook, poetry used to pour out of me like water from a leaky faucet and although most of these things are mercifully lost or forgotten, a few lines have stayed with me across the decades. When I was much younger in years and in romanticism, I wrote:

I wonder how we can know
That any of the people
Who brush by us in this city
Were not meant to become part of us
forever. …

I have always thought that there is another set of “Uncomfortable Words” – words that are also part of our church. For some, words like “evangelism” or “witnessing” strike a difficult chord while for others, incense, Sanctus bells and vestments are enough to provoke indignation. Then there are words that cross all liturgical and political stripe and are almost painful to speak: “fund raising,” “stewardship” and other words that describe the need for money come to mind. We find ourselves uncomfortable because parishioner Smith or Jones has money, the church needs money and the issue then becomes how to get it from him or her?

As long as the church's approach to raising money it needs for ministry is to find ways to pry it out of people, we will have stewardship issues in the church.

This issue of MinistryMatters is about those unspeakable words that cause us discomfort. As you see from the variety of articles it contains, the issues are critical and the timing could not be better. For many of us, the struggle with stewardship, money and fundraising goes right back to seminary days. We came into ordained ministry with a sense of arrogance about these things. We assumed that our parish would respond so well to our ministry that “stewardship” would not be necessary. I want to share two key principles that hopefully can begin to change our thinking about the use of all God's gifts in ministry.

The first is the importance of you and I taking seriously the stewardship of our own resources. We frequently offer excuses – low stipends, inadequate travel allowances time demands and poor rectories – as reasons why we do not examine our own sense of giving to the church. All of those factors may be valid but the biblical concept of stewardship does not allow for excuses. It only allows for honesty. I do not believe that we can have any integrity in our preaching about this subject unless we are prepared to practice it ourselves.

“The gift is an expression of our joy over the birth of Jesus and our friendship for each other.”

The second principle comes from a recent workshop on prayer. The leader of the workshop, in encouraging people to develop the prayer ministry in their parishes, made the point that prayer needs to permeate the life of the parish. To have an occasional prayer group or a once-a-year sermon on the subject simply tells people that it is not an important part of the parish life. In a similar way, stewardship and the need for adequate funding for the church needs to be before people in a regular and consistent way. It is not so much a matter of jamming it down people's throats as it is in week-by-week reminders to people of their responsibility.

I was recently in St. John's Cathedral in Saskatoon and part of the announcements included “A moment for stewardship” done beautifully by a lay person. Another valuable resource is the weekly stewardship reflections done by Archdeacon Michael Pollesel of the diocese of Ontario (See www.ontario.anglican.ca.)

There is a story which you have probably heard before and which you may even have told yourselves that bears repeating as we begin to think about the need for giving, sharing and stewardship.

An African boy listened carefully as the teacher explained why it is that Christians give presents to each other at Christmas. “The gift is an expression of our joy over the birth of Jesus and our friendship for each other,” she said. When Christmas day came, the boy brought the teacher a seashell of lustrous beauty. “Where did you ever find such a beautiful shell?” the teacher asked. The boy told her that there was only one spot where such extraordinary shells could be found – a certain bay several miles away. “Why it's gorgeous,” said the teacher. “But you shouldn't have gone all that way to get a gift for me.” His eyes brightening, the boy answered, “Long walk part of the gift.”

I commend this issue of MinistryMatters to you. There are, as I begin my primacy and as we begin a life together in the context of the Framework, very real financial challenges before the church at every level. My hope is that stewardship may grow in your understanding and in importance, enabling you and the people of your community to become both the walk and the gift.

After consultations with the dioceses, it was decided to conduct a direct-mail campaign to give individual Anglicans across Canada an opportunity to support mission and ministry in Canada's North, the Indigenous Healing Fund, and the work of our church partners overseas. Authorized by the 1992 General Synod, the Anglican Appeal was designed to ensure that the valuable work done by partners in Canada's North and overseas received the attention and the financial support it deserves. Today, all dioceses participate in some way. In some cases, the Appeal revenue is shared with the dioceses benefiting local ministry projects. Without parish support, this essential work at home and overseas would simply not be possible.

The work the Appeal supports is diverse and wide-ranging. It helps further the work of Partners in Mission. Our church has mission partnerships around the world. Financial assistance is channeled to partner churches in Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the South Pacific.

The church is expanding rapidly in many countries, often beyond the resources of the people to sustain it. Growth strains the capacity to provide spiritual nurture and pastoral care.

The church is expanding rapidly in many countries, often beyond the resources of the people to sustain it. Growth strains the capacity to provide spiritual nurture and pastoral care. Overseas, the Appeal helps theological students finish their education despite countless hardships. It provides opportunities for local people to receive training as clergy or lay leaders. The benefits go far beyond the church walls, as these leaders are often involved in important work in their communities, such as running day care centres for poor families and ministering to those with HIV/AIDS. When they see that something is lacking in their community, they are the ones who provide the leadership to work for change. Without your support, their potential to help their community would be lost.

The need for clergy in Africa is so great that often they are ordained before they finish their training. Scholarships provide assistance to African theological students in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa, and Rwanda. The Rev. Samuel Githinji, a priest from the diocese of Eldoret in Kenya, recently studied in Toronto. Samuel can now offer his church a broader perspective on ministry. At the same time, he enriches the Canadian church with his experiences, leading to a deeper understanding of what it means to be Anglican. Contrasting the Canadian church to that in Kenya, Samuel explains that the church there is very young and has far fewer ordained clergy. Instead, there is a strong tradition of involvement from lay people. “People expect to be involved in their church,” he says.

With such a large number of adherents, it is not surprising that diversity is one of the characteristics that defines the Anglican church. The scope of Anglican Appeal is just as diverse. In Myanmar, it means educational resources in several languages for Sunday school and young people's religious education. In Brazil, it provides help to people living in a garbage dump to build safe, clean housing. In Jerusalem, the Appeal supports the Episcopal Church's efforts to work for peace in the Holy Land. In Uruguay, it means a warm and clean shelter, as well as medical and emotional support, for HIV/AIDS patients who have little money or family help. While these partnerships are of immeasurable help to overseas dioceses, they are also intimately connected to parishes at home. Over the years, more than 30 Canadian theological students have gained invaluable experience by being placed with international church partners. Another partnership program, Volunteers in Mission, matches Canadian volunteers to requests and requirements of international partners. From teachers of English as a second language, to medical practitioners, to daycare workers, Canadians are in demand to help serve partner churches overseas. These Canadians then return to share their new perspective on the church and the world with their home parishes.

Closer to home, the Appeal supports the Council of the North dioceses, where enormous distances and a scattered population make it very difficult to minister to parishes. The Appeal helps to provide opportunities for local people to train as lay leaders or ordained clergy without having to leave their families, jobs or communities. The training at schools such as the Arthur Turner Training School in Pangnirtung, NWT, is culturally appropriate, structured to the needs of the community, and provides much needed leadership to the Northern church. Arctic Bishop Andrew Atagotaaluk, himself a graduate of the school, has said that, “volunteers can be great teachers or counselors, skills which are highly valued in their community. Everyone has a gift they can contribute to their church.”

Closer to home, the Appeal supports the Council of the North dioceses, where enormous distances and a scattered population make it very difficult to minister to parishes. The Appeal helps to provide opportunities for local people to train as lay leaders or ordained clergy without having to leave their families, jobs or communities.

The Appeal also supports the church's Indigenous Healing Fund, which was established to provide support to Indigenous people for healing and reconciliation. The Healing Fund makes no compensation payments to individuals, but rather, gives grants to community groups for projects of collective healing, and restoration of language and culture. The Fund contributes to many projects such as traditional healing circles, youth activities, and language recovery. For instance, a young aboriginal person receives training to help counsel others who are struggling with the effects of attending a residential school many years ago. The fund also supports Tumivut (which means “Our Footprints” in Inuktituk), a transitional centre offering hope to homeless youth in Toronto.

These are just a few examples of the work being done here at home and around the world. Wherever the Anglican church lives there are dedicated Canadians working towards positive change with energy and imagination. Not everyone can be in Uruguay or Iqaluit. But you can support the people who are there doing God's work. You too can be a partner in the transforming power of God's love by supporting the Anglican Appeal.

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

In working together, we have learned that all of our development partner relationships must be ones based on shared values, equality, mutuality, transparency, inclusiveness, and solidarity. Through these relationships, we have received far more in knowledge, faith, and sense of justice than we have given in financial contributions. PWRDF is a better organization for having participated in these partnerships; the Anglican Church of Canada is better for the development partnerships that it has supported over the years.

PWRDF does not actually implement development projects; we leave that important work to the people who know best what their communities and countries need: our development partners. Our responsibilities in a partner relationship are to raise the funds necessary for project implementation, to raise awareness among Canadian Anglicans about the issues being addressed by PWRDF supported projects, and to advocate for change towards a more just world.

Building partner relationships is a slow process of developing confidence and trust in one another through shared values, sharing understanding of best practices in development, and through living up to promises that are made. In the same way that our partners commit themselves to implementing activities that will respond to community needs and address root causes of injustice, PWRDF commits itself to raising sufficient funds to sustain the projects over time. Often specific projects are funded through a three-year funding agreement; sometimes partner relationships continue for 10 to 15 years. These long-term relations require long-term financial planning. Long-term relationships mean that PWRDF needs to have, over the long term, the financial stability to be able to transfer funds as needed on a regular basis throughout the life of the project.

This organizational commitment to financial stability as a pre-requisite for long-term financial planning is motivating PWRDF to look with ever greater interest at planned giving. Just as PWRDF is developing long-term relations with our development partners, it is also building long-term relations with planned giving annuitants. The negotiation of terms and conditions of the annuities provides PWRDF with a unique opportunity to have a clearer understanding of what funds will be available in the future. As we build on this firm foundation of generous annuitants, the financial future of PWRDF is both brighter and more secure thanks to an increased number of planned giving annuities. Planned giving is an option that makes sense to the potential annuitant, to PWRDF, and to our development partners.

Financial security is especially important when taking on such an important challenge as the global pandemic of HIV/ AIDS. PWRDF is building a Partnership for Life for a generation without AIDS, basing this new initiative on the repeated, insistent requests of our development partners to become more fully engaged in the global struggle against HIV and AIDS. We have no alternative but to stand in solidarity with our partners in their times of greatest need.

Just try to picture yourself in a world devastated by AIDS, where more than three million people die every year, where there are more than 17 million children orphaned by AIDS, where essential services in health care and education are drastically reduced through the deaths of teachers, nurses, doctors, lab technicians from AIDS, where food supplies can no longer be guaranteed because of the deaths from AIDS of farmers, transport workers, produce intermediaries, and market vendors, where the life expectancy has dropped from 62 years to 47 years because of the horrific mortality due to AIDS. How would you respond if most of your ministry was given over to pastoral care of the sick and dying, counseling to dying mothers and children, to a seemingly endless series of funerals?

The image that comes to mind when trying to comprehend how to respond in the face of the global HIV/AIDS pandemic is that terrifying moment when you lose your footing and feel yourself drawn upward into the cresting wave just as it crashes down, dragging you along with it. Important lessons that one learns swimming in the surf are to stay close together, conserve your strength and not get carried away by the force of the current.

The image that comes to mind when trying to comprehend how to respond in the face of the global HIV/AIDS pandemic is that terrifying moment when you lose your footing and feel yourself drawn upward into the cresting wave just as it crashes down, dragging you along with it. Important lessons that one learns swimming in the surf are to stay close together, conserve your strength and not get carried away by the force of the current.

We have learned similar important lessons from our partners in eastern and southern Africa as we face the challenges of HIV/AIDS together. We will stand firmly with them in solidarity throughout this crisis. We are doing our best to ensure that there are always resources available from PWRDF to meet their needs. By focusing on small community based responses to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, we are building a firm, faith filled and hopeful foundation that shows people in Africa and Canada that the global pandemic can be faced up to, challenged, and eventually overcome.

Let me tell you about two PWRDF supported projects that help people cope with the forceful impact of AIDS on all aspects of individual and community life across Africa. On Dec. 1st this year, churches across Canada held AIDS vigils based on the experience of the women in the Point of Light project in Etwatwa, South Africa. Low-income women have been trained as foster mothers to provide home care, pastoral advice and counseling, and supportive activities to AIDS affected mothers and their children in the last weeks and months of life. As the family prepares for the inevitable death of a parent, these foster mothers are there with warm meals, consoling words, prayer, and assistance with daily activities. To ensure that the memories and experience of a lifetime are not lost, the women make memory boxes, filling them with photos, letters, legal documents, medical records, words of advice, recipes that will keep the mothers alive in the hearts and minds of their children long after they are gone. Not only will the memories be passed on from generation to generation, but this model of home care and transfer of knowledge and values will be passed on far beyond Etwatwa as community after community faces up to the onslaught of HIV/AIDS.

In PWRDF, our lives have been enriched by a long-term relation with the diocese of Kampala in the Church of Uganda. We have much to learn from them, as Uganda is the only country in Africa that has managed to reduce the prevalence of HIV/AIDS. With the support of PWRDF, the Mothers' Union and the diocesan development staff have mobilized women in the diocese to stand up to HIV/AIDS. Together, the women of Kampala diocese maintain a program that includes home visiting, pastoral care, HIV prevention and education programming, inter-generational work to ensure that families stay together and grow together, encouraging nutrition counseling and traditional medicine to combat infection, income generation projects to ensure that family autonomy can be maintained, education of youth to encourage changed behaviour and healthy sexuality.

The sea is very, very rough and the currents are strong. A great wave is about to crash over us and tragedy is all around. Yet our faith is strong, our belief in our partners is unshakeable; we are in this struggle against HIV/AIDS for the long haul. Think about becoming a planned giving annuitant to make sure that the resources are there at every step of the way as PWRDF works with its development partners to guarantee a Partnership for Life for a Generation without AIDS.

Volunteers in Mission is a program where Canadian volunteers are assigned to work for partners overseas who have asked for their services., usually for a period of two years. One of the responsibilities volunteers agree to accept is to communicate regularly with parishioners back home. Here is a sampling among recent letters.

I am lodged in the principal's house for the next couple of weeks, as my little house is occupied temporarily by an Australian priest, Father Ken, here to mark senior papers, apparently. Outside "my" house is a lovely frangipani tree, with its lush white blossoms; and looking up as I write, there are several trees sporting pink and red blossoms also. On my arrival here yesterday afternoon, I was touched to find "my" stairway (all the houses are elevated), festooned with hibiscus blossoms, arranged by the acting principal's wife, Mother Rose, and her small granddaughter. This is customary, apparently, and a really nice welcome.

Let me backtrack a little, and describe how good God has been to me all through this journey. You know how concerned I was about my luggage, especially the large suitcase. Well, praise God, it was accepted, and checked straight through to Port Moresby (on payment of some excess luggage fees, of course.) What a relief, and a surprise.

The journey itself went smoothly, with good service all along the way. It was tedious, of course, especially waiting around for five hours at Heathrow London. I could locate no trolley, and my hand luggage seemed to weigh a ton after all the walking from the aircraft to the terminal, and hanging about there. The overnight in Brisbane, however, was really quite a pleasure. I did locate a trolley there, and there were showers available, and the seats, lacking armrests, were very comfortable to lie on. The transit lady even loaned me a blanket, so I was all set.

The bishop of Port Moresby (capital of Papua New Guinea) met me there the next day. Coming in by air the island looked lovely, with tropical vegetation, a low atoll and reef somewhat off shore, and the blue of the Pacific Ocean. No trouble with getting into the country; glad to find all my luggage had come with me safely, and I emerged into the concourse to find only a row of uniformed ladies awaiting passengers, each with a name card. Wheeler was not amongst them! What to do now?

But the bishop was there, outside the door, trying to get my attention, as no one but official folk and passengers have access to the international terminal! Peter Fox looked decidedly scruffy; had it not been for his pectoral cross, I'd have thought him a real down-and-out! He manfully loaded all my luggage into his car, and we went home for a cup of tea.

Peter, Angie and Daniel, 12, do not live in the bishop's house. It is rented out to provide much-needed funds for the diocese; so the Foxes occupy the rectory of St. Marin's Church, Boroko, while that rector lives in the curate's house -- there is no curate. At first the diocese hoped that Peter Fox would be both rector and bishop, but he soon arranged things as they are now. Resources are very limited, much of the diocesan money coming from rentals of property around Port Moresby.

The diocese has a wonderful AIDS project in hand -- Anglicare -- where non-judgmental assessment and counselling is given, and which is involved in intense education work around the issue of HIV.

The diocese has a wonderful AIDS project in hand – Anglicare – where non-judgmental assessment and counselling is given, and which is involved in intense education work around the issue of HIV.

A second-hand clothing shop is being run by unemployed Anglican youth, providing benefit all around. I attended three services at St. Martin's - two offered by the bishop, and the Sunday mass offered by the rector. He has a parish of about 300 families, and more than 150 children in Sunday School, as well as a thriving youth group.

In the airline magazine I had read about a fabric-printing workshop being run by City Mission as a project for unemployed youth, so Angie was kind enough to take me there, and I bought three T-shirts for kids' Christmas gifts. On Friday evening I took the family out for a nice meal at the Airways Hotel. Daniel was able to have a swim in the pool while the three grown-ups enjoyed a cold beer. There was a good buffet outdoors, very nice.

I did find Port Moresby disconcerting in one way, though I had been warned. The whole St. Marin's compound is fenced-in, and Angie never leaves it except by car. There is a night security guard, and the Foxes lock every door whether they are in or out, having had a couple of break-ins. So, one is a prisoner, in a sense. I would love to have walked around the block, for instance, but that is a no-no. Everyone told me it would be different here at Newton, and in a way, it is. This is a fairly large compound, and apparently I would be perfectly safe walking around it. The Anglican sisters and brothers are a longer walk away, safe for two people, so I hope to do that at some point.

For more information about the Volunteers in Mission program, please contact Jill Cruse at jcruse@national.anglican.ca or Clem Thomas at cthomas@national.anglican.ca

Today, the Anglican Journal Appeal has become a cornerstone of the newspaper's existence – and for good reason: readers truly seem to appreciate the opportunity to support their church newspapers. Over the years, donors have supported the Journal – and its publishing partners, the church's 23 diocesan newspapers – with donations totaling more than $3 million. Of that total, more than $1.1 million has been returned to those dioceses that participate in the Appeal. The Journal's share of net proceeds to the end of 2003 totals more than $1.3 million.

The generosity of our donors and the results of the appeal are critical to the continued success of the newspaper. Funded in part by General Synod, Anglican Journal has been able to rely less on the national church in the last decade due to the results of its appeal to readers. Simply put, the appeal has provided the newspaper with $1.3 million in operating funds that did not have to come from the national church. Thereby freeing that amount to support others work and ministries.

(Anglican Journal has four streams of funding: the appeal, a grant from General Synod representing paid subscriptions, advertising and proceeds from the sale of the Canadian Church Calendar, a joint project of the Anglican Church of Canada and the United Church of Canada.)

The Journal Appeal is especially indicative of the readers' support for the newspaper. Many donors send in notes along with their donation; the remarks range from protests and comments on church policies to compliments to Anglican Journal staff for a job well done. In fact, the Journal has received more than 100,000 donations during its 11-year period. Journal staff are continually discussing different ways of conducting the appeal, including how to reach those who are not traditional donors.

So, where does the money go?

Without the support of our readers, the look of the Journal would change dramatically. Every $5,000 in donations pays for the production of four pages in the Journal. If our appeal revenue falls by $25,000 this could mean that five issues would have to be reduced in size. The bottom line is that the support from our readers is instrumental in the production of the newspaper. Your donations can mean the difference between a robust publication with news, features, reflections and images that reflect the breadth of the Anglican church in Canada and abroad, or a bare-bones newspaper with only the top news stories of the day.

Mailed at an average cost of $0.14 per copy (which is split evenly between Anglican Journal and the diocesan newspapers), the church enjoys a tremendous bargain in reaching its constituents.

Also, increased donations mean that we can open our pages to more freelance writers and different photographs and art. The Journal continues to be recognized among its peers as one of North America's leading religious publications - both for its art and editorial content.

While the public face of Anglican Journal is generally understood to be the monthly newspaper (the most visible element), the work of the Journal is much more than simply the monthly publication. The Journal's circulation department is responsible for the circulation lists and data management for the whole national church plus all diocesan newspapers. Put simply, circulation staff are the keepers of all the church's lists. They make approximately 6,000 changes to the database every month and they also conduct on-going negotiations with the federal government that allows the newspaper to reach readers as inexpensively and efficiently as possible.

Mailed at an average cost of $0.14 per copy (which is split evenly between Anglican Journal and the diocesan newspapers), the church enjoys a tremendous bargain in reaching its constituents.

While the appeal assists with the costs of producing the Journal, a number of our diocesan partners have indicated that they wouldn't be able to produce a paper at all if it were not for the financial assistance that they receive from our readers. Some diocesan newspapers have stopped their own local appeal and rely solely on the Journal Appeal.

As we send out the final receipts for the 2004 campaign, it is heartening to look back at the Anglican Journal Appeal over the years. The Journal has seen a tremendous growth in response to its requests for financial support. At its inception in 1994, the Journal received $209,503 from 7,100 readers. During the 2003 appeal, the last appeal for which final figures are available, we received $490,976 from 15,344 readers. This represents a revenue growth of 134 per cent. Revenue from the 1999 appeal of $132,617 represents the lowest response to our appeal, while revenue of $505,076 in 2001 represents our highest response.

In 2000 the Journal initiated a direct mail campaign and the response has been encouraging. During the last four appeals the Journal has received more than $1.9 million, compared to $1.1 million during the first six years.

Most donors give to the appeal by cash, cheque or credit card. Another method that is growing in popularity, though, is online donations through CanadaHelps.org. With a “Donate Now” button on the Anglican Journal home page (www.anglicanjournal.com), readers may contribute to their newspaper at any time during the year. Credit card information is secure and tax receipts are issued immediately upon the donation being received. While only 11 donors used the electronic method in 2003, more than 90 people donated online to the newspaper in 2004.

(Tax receipts for all other methods of donations are issued annually. Respecting privacy legislation, the Journal keeps all information related to the appeal confidential.)

As part of the Agreement, the Anglican church undertook to establish a Settlement Fund and raise $25 million to be made available for compensation to those who had been abused in the schools between 1920 and 1969. When each claim is settled, the government pays 70 per cent and the church, from this fund, pays 30 per cent. Once the total $25 million has been expended, the church's obligation comes to an end, and the government will pay 100 per cent of any later claims. Validation and the assessment of the amount to be paid for any claim are left in the hands of the government, although the church retains the right to be present at hearings if it wishes.

In an amazing 80 days, from late November 2002 to early February 2003, the Anglican Church of Canada mobilized itself and 30 dioceses in response to the signing of the Agreement. Through special synods or meetings of executive councils, General Synod and each diocese ratified the agreement and signed notes committing themselves to raise their share of the $25 million over the next five years.

Just 18 months into this effort, more than half the funds have been raised ($13.9 million). Six dioceses have contributed their total amount, and others are engaged in various fundraising projects to meet their commitments. Anglicans are responding generously, convinced that our obligations to these former students -- Anglican children -- stem from our belief that it is the right thing to do.

So far, more than $3.5 million has been paid out to victims of abuse, almost all resulting from pre-trial settlements. The government has established an alternative dispute resolution process (ADR) to expedite the claims and to provide a less adversarial setting for the hearing of claims than is available through court processes. To date, more than 800 applications have been received, 175 of those involving Anglicans. Only a few have been actually heard, but the process is moving ahead with emphasis on the elderly and the sick whose claims will be heard first.

There are many critics of the ADR process, but it is resolving claims. The Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples and other aboriginal groups continue to critique the program because it appears to be overly bureaucratic, because awards vary by province, because the church still requires a full release before a claimant receives compensation, and because they feel the process is too complicated. To begin, a 34-page questionnaire needs to be completed in applying for ADR. The church continues to challenge the government in the operation of this program, and continues to review its own role in the adjudication and healing process.

When an ADR hearing is scheduled, the Anglican church is prepared to have a representative present, not to argue the legal points, but to support the claimant, and participate in any ceremony of healing. The claimant is asked if he or she would like the church to be represented, and we respond accordingly. To date we have had representation at three such hearings, and will be present at several more that are in the planning stage.

There are many critics of the ADR process, but it is resolving claims. The Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples and other aboriginal groups continue to critique the program because it appears to be overly bureaucratic, because awards vary by province, because the church still requires a full release before a claimant receives compensation, and because they feel the process is too complicated.

Indeed, from the beginning of the flood of litigation, we have been clear that our first goal is healing. The lives of many were damaged by the residential school experience, not just the students who attended, but their descendants and family members. The Anglican church's Indigenous Healing Fund (see accompanying article) which was established in 1991 has made just under $1.7 million in grants to local community and church organizations that have developed healing programs. In 2004, $300,000 was available from the General Synod budget to provide resources for this work.

In 2004 the Episcopal Church in the United States, our sister Anglican church, gave us an unrestricted gift of $250,000 (U.S.) This was in response to the residential schools issue that has hit us hard over the past many years. The Council of General Synod decided to give 30 per cent of this gift to the Healing Fund, and to share the rest with the dioceses who have incurred legal costs over the years.

The Settlement Fund will be fully in place by 2008, and no more fundraising for it will be required. Our financial obligation will be finished. All former students whose claims have been validated will receive compensation, and the church can carry on with its regular mission work, including the crucial work of healing and reconciliation with the nation's indigenous peoples.

I express my sincere thanks to all those faithful Anglicans who have contributed through their dioceses to the Settlement Fund, and to the many volunteers and clergy who have given leadership to ensure that our obligations have been met.

The Healing Fund is completely separate from the Anglican Church of Canada's Settlement Fund which is dedicated to paying financial settlements to individual former students of the residential schools who have validated claims of sexual or physical abuse. The Healing Fund makes no compensation payments to individuals, but rather, gives grants to community groups for projects of collective healing and restoration of language and culture.

The following are three brief examples of projects that have been funded.

In 2003, the Preparing for the Future group of the Metlakatla Band received a Healing Fund grant for its work in bringing the community together through reviving traditional activities. The Metlakatla elders of this community teach the Sm'algyax language. They also instruct their children and grandchildren in the harvesting and preparation of traditional foods, as well as in the making of cedar bark baskets and regalia. Young people are taught traditional dancing and the rituals of traditional feasts, and weekly story-telling gatherings are also organized. Most importantly, through these various activities the elders teach respect for all living things, people, animals and plants.

In 2004, the Healing Fund supported a project in London, Ont., called Language, the Healing Portal. This project responds to the need identified by native communities, both on-reserve and off-reserve in southwestern Ontario, to provide learning situations that preserve, protect and teach native languages. The languages chosen were Ojibwe (Anishnabe culture) and Oneida (Iroquoian culture), as these languages are prevalent among most of the native populations in the London area. This initiative enhances oral and cultural preservation and supports those people who have a desire to learn their mother tongue.

The Healing Fund makes no compensation payments to individuals, but rather, gives grants to community groups for projects of collective healing, and restoration of language and culture.

In 2003 the Healing Fund supported Tumivut (which means “Our Footprints” in Inuktituk), a transitional center for homeless youth in Toronto. This unique facility provides critical accommodation, programs and services to 52 male and female, aboriginal and non-aboriginal homeless youth who may reside at Tumivut for up to six months. Tumivut was a featured project in the October 2004 Anglican Appeal material.

General Synod budgets $300,000 a year to the Healing Fund, most of this allocation coming from the diocesan apportionments to General Synod, and some from the Anglican Appeal. The Healing Fund is directed and managed by a full-time staff coordinator, and by a Healing Response Committee, which is composed of an equal number of indigenous and non-indigenous members. The Healing Response Committee reports to the Council of General Synod and to the Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples, ensuring that the whole church owns the work.

As of April 2004, the Indigenous Healing Fund had dispersed just under $1.7 million in grants to support community and church-related group projects. The types of projects supported are summarized below.

As of April 2004, the Indigenous Healing Fund had dispersed just under $1.7 million in grants to support community and church-related group projects.

The Healing Response Committee designates one third of its yearly budget of $300,000 to support projects initiated or endorsed by Anglican dioceses across Canada. The other two-thirds of its budget is available for non-church community groups. In all cases, every effort is made to build a relationship with the group or community undertaking the project. This is an important part of the church's ongoing concern to begin to build right relationships with Indigenous groups and communities. Both staff and committee members have visited projects in order to learn about the work and demonstrate the church's interest in, and commitment to, being part of the long-term healing journey.

The Indigenous Healing Fund does not actively solicit donations from individual Anglicans, instead receiving its money from a General Synod budget allocation and from the Anglican Appeal. It is worth noting that all Anglicans support the work of the Healing Fund through their regular parish offerings. At the same time, many choose to give additional support through their donations to the Anglican Appeal, or in some cases through direct donations to the fund.