New church structures for a new church future
Dear colleagues, Last Friday, the Ministry Seminar for students in the first two years of the M.Div. discussed Bivocational: Returning to the Roots of Ministry [...]
The Bible in Christian Life
Dear colleagues, Here is an obvious statement: for Christians, the Bible is important. That thought has recurred for me several times in recent weeks. I [...]
Giving what we have to build the church
Dear colleagues, This summer, I visited Manitoulin Island, the island that separates Georgian Bay from the rest of Lake Huron. Manitoulin is important to me [...]
Priestly ministry and party membership? An election day reflection
Dear colleagues, When he was Archbishop of Cape Town, Desmond Tutu instituted a policy that prohibited clergy from being members of a political party. The [...]
Lancelot Andrewes and the integration of scholarship and prayer
Dear friends, As the weather turns and the school year shifts into a new gear, I find myself thinking about the integration between the life [...]
“Thus chosen, now, O Lord, we ask…”
Dear colleagues, One of the hymns at our recent retreat had the refrain: “Thus chosen, now, O Lord, we ask for faith in your unfailing [...]
“Before we can evangelize people, we need to teach them about the sacred”
Dear colleagues, This spring, I had the chance to spend a little time with my seminary classmate and friend Steve Blackmer. Steve is now the [...]
“The church is a safe place to take risks”
Dear friends, One of my favourite definitions of church is this: “The church is a safe place to take risks.” (It’s not clear where this [...]
Theological Education and Professional Ministry: Luxury or Necessity?
By the Rev. Dr. John Simons, principal When I was a student in theology (divinity, as we called it then), we were informed that the [...]