Category: Blog

A church for an extraordinary time

We do not live in interesting times. These are extraordinary times. Artificial Intelligence is taking the digital age to a new level. AI is either the saviour of humankind by allowing us to progress technologically at a lightning pace and potentially solve all kinds of problems. Or it's the advent of a super intelligence which … Continue reading A church for an extraordinary time

Now that the deadline has passed

Since Nov. 1, 2022, congregations displeased with the adoption of Remits ‘B’ and ‘C’ which approved parallel definitions of marriage have had the opportunity to embark on a journey toward Voluntary Withdrawal from The Presbyterian Church in Canada. It’s a time-limited offer which expired on May 31, 2024. Now that the deadline has passed . … Continue reading Now that the deadline has passed

Are we on the right track?

Until it was axed, Plugged In was one of two magazines I would literally read cover to cover. It was filled with reviews of TV shows and films from a Christian family perspective. It was well written and relevant and exactly what this young dad needed. The other was The Presbyterian Record – intelligent, newsy … Continue reading Are we on the right track?

What do you need right now?

Leafing through the fall 2023 edition of Presbyterian Connection, the denomination’s quarterly newsletter, I find plenty of stories about social justice and activism: racism, aboriginal rights, climate, poverty, hunger, sexuality and affordable housing. There’s content on church business: use of property, social media, travel tales, congregational renewal and stewardship. There’s the usual multi-page spread of … Continue reading What do you need right now?

A new front emerges

Opposition to Physician Assisted Suicide/MAID. Like a typical town hall meeting, Renewal Cafés provide a glimpse into the mind of Christ within the evangelical wings of The Presbyterian Church in Canada. We send an invitation, accept RSVPs and open the door. The conversation then takes a life of its own. The invitation to the July … Continue reading A new front emerges

Christianity and Liberalism

Classic 1923 text by J. Gresham Machen comes to life again. In this diverse world of ours, we live side-by-side with colleagues, friends, neighbours and even family members who hold sometimes radically different political views, lifestyles and opinions about life. The Presbyterian Church in Canada has never been wholly unified. Progressives and traditionalists have been … Continue reading Christianity and Liberalism

Physician Assisted Suicide

The following is a summary of the work of the Committee on Church Doctrine regarding Physician Assisted Suicide and the responses of General Assembly since 2017 Report from the Committee on Church Doctrine 2017 Introduction Canada’s changing attitudes towards Physician Assisted Suicide (PAS; See “Definitions – A word about words” below for explanation of terminology) … Continue reading Physician Assisted Suicide

Resources to Understand Physician Assisted Suicide

During the July Renewal Café, it was suggested that the issue of Physician Assisted Suicide/Death (also known as Medical Assistance in Dying) might be the emerging issue for evangelical Presbyterians. The tone of our Café conversation backed it up. The church appears to be deeply divided. On the one hand, otherwise faithful congregants and elders … Continue reading Resources to Understand Physician Assisted Suicide

The domesticated church

Renewal Day 2023. Like wild animals removed from their natural environments, are today’s Western believers overly domesticated and thereby innocuous? Have we allowed ourselves to be tamed under the control of the ruler of this world in order to fit in and not be too offensive? Cory McKenna, the speaker at our 2023 Renewal Day … Continue reading The domesticated church

You are Peter

Matthew 16:13-18 is a fascinating conversation. And revealing. It sheds as much light on the relationship between Jesus and His people today as it did about the dynamics He had with His disciples. The problem then was that the world rejected The Son of God outright. To the Rulers of the Visible World (the Roman Empire) He was a nuisance to be controlled or eliminated. To the church of … Read more

Wear the Fruit, Keep it Fresh

In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul has pointed words about sin in church. Basically, we are not to permit it. Don’t dine with sinners. Cast them out. For those in The Presbyterian Church in Canada who adhere to traditional and Biblical sexuality, it’s a bit late for that. The opportunity passed decades ago. Church law caught … Continue reading Wear the Fruit, Keep it Fresh

Thank God for Holy Spirit revival

You’ve probably seen the news of what’s going on at Asbury University, a private Christian college in Kentucky. It started during a regular chapel service on February 8 – but didn’t stop. “After the benediction, the gospel choir began to sing a final chorus—and then something began to happen that defies easy description. Students did … Continue reading Thank God for Holy Spirit revival

Renewal Fellowship raises its flag

"Voluntary associations" already exist in the PCC, committee told. Among the tasks given by General Assembly to a special committee in response to racism last year was to look into the idea of establishing voluntary associations to provide places of community. Renewal Fellowship’s response was sent in late January. To the Special Committee on Listening, … Continue reading Renewal Fellowship raises its flag

The Joy of Orthodoxy

There are fewer things more joyful than talking about our faith. It’s the stuff which keeps us together. Traditional, historic, evangelical, Christ-centred faith – preservation of orthodoxy, for want of a better name – is why Renewal Fellowship exists. What exactly is orthodoxy? In the view of the Oxford English Dictionary, it’s “belief in or … Continue reading The Joy of Orthodoxy

Let’s be “inclusive” of orthodoxy

Has “liberty of conscience and action” replaced “no divisive course” as the touchstone phrase in our polity? Ministers, elders and deacons promise in our ordination vows to “follow no divisive course but to seek the peace and unity of Christ among your people” and the wider church. It’s widely quoted and tacitly accepted, even though … Continue reading Let’s be “inclusive” of orthodoxy

Is Revival a Lost Dream?

Is the evangelical revival of The Presbyterian Church in Canada a lost dream? Not necessarily. The PCC may be officially affirming. It’s entirely possible that “liberty of conscience and action” regarding participation in ordinations and adherence to traditional definition of marriage may just be short-term accommodations. And it’s disheartening to see a majority of commissioners … Continue reading Is Revival a Lost Dream?

Does it Matter in the Long Run?

The denial of “balance and respect for both definitions of marriage” appeared to be a watershed moment at General Assembly 2022.[i] It revealed what many in orthodoxy have suspected – or feared: That The Presbyterian Church in Canada (PCC) is officially “affirming” in accordance with the adoption of Pathway ‘B’-- “inclusion” – in 2019. The … Continue reading Does it Matter in the Long Run?

Stand Our Ground

Good news! The church is growing! The latest annual statistics from the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary indicate that there are fewer atheists around the world today (147 million) than in 1970 (165 million) and the report expects the number to continue to decline into 2050. Almost 2.56 billion … Continue reading Stand Our Ground

Prayer and Care in a Divided World

As we work towards the renewal and revival of the church in accordance with Biblical orthodoxy, The Renewal Fellowship is focusing on two priorities in 2022: prayer and pastoral care. To be effective in those two things, we need to understand our church and the world in which we exist. The following essay is intended … Continue reading Prayer and Care in a Divided World