ChristianWeek

Alex Awad, a Palestinian Christian and dean of students at Bethlehem Bible College, says he “did not want to force my presence at a place of worship where I was not wanted,” after being told told his presence “could split MissionFest [Toronto],” and that some “committee members threatened to leave with their constituencies if I showed up to share.”(Courtesy Alex Awad) MissionFest feels fallout from Middle East controversies Published views of Palestinian Christian draws complaints TORONTO, ON—Although the theme of MissionFest Toronto 2006 was “In Unity of Purpose,” there was discord surrounding one proposed speaker in the days leading up to the March 23 to 25 event. MissionFest sponsor World Vision Canada invited Alex Awad, dean of students at Bethlehem Bible College and pastor of a small international church in east Jerusalem, to speak during the conference’s Israel track about the experience of Palestinian Christians. read more>

Canadian scholar examines “Gospel of Judas” documents

WOLFVILLE, NS—The recent announcement of the recovery of an early document entitled “The Gospel of Judas” has caused a flurry of
e-mails and phone calls to Craig Evans, Payzant distinguished professor of New Testament at Acadia Divinity College in Wolfville, Nova Scotia.

Evans was the only Canadian expert asked in September 2005 to be part of the National Geographic Society’s secret consultant team of biblical scholars examining the ancient document.

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Court upholds religious freedom

REGINA, SK—A recent ruling by the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal has taken some of the chill out of a human rights commission verdict five years ago that essentially declared parts of the Bible to be “hate speech.”

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Ministries receive innovation awards

CAMBRIDGE, ON—Two relatively new ministries and an established Bible college are the 2006 winners of the R. L. Petersen Awards for Non-Profit Innovation.

International Justice Mission Canada (IJM) took home the $15,000 main award for its work with street children in Bolivia. The award will be used to establish an “operational field presence” which will befriend those subject to assault, harassment and extortion and rescue underage victims of trafficking and prostitution.

IJM “will become their lawyer, their champion, their protector,” says awards selection committee member Lorna Dueck.

Two honorable mentions—awards for $5,000 each—went to the Wellspring Foundation for Education and Prairie Bible Institute.

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COCHRANE, AB—Despite calling his appointment as president to the Canadian Southern Baptist Seminary (CSBS) in 1993 a “boyhood dream come true,” Richard Blackaby resigned from his position effective this summer.

Blackaby is only the second president to head up the CSBS since it opened in 1987 in Cochrane, 10 minutes northwest of Calgary. Under his leadership, the seminary added more staff and developed a masters of religious education degree, which along with the masters of divinity (MDiv) degree became fully accredited by the American Theological Society.

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Congregations need to see “invisible mothers”

CALGARY, AB—A leader in crisis pregnancy care is calling for more sensitivity from the pulpit when churches acknowledge women on Mother’s Day Sunday.

Wendy Lowe, director of the Calgary Pregnancy Care Centre, says pastors are quick to praise the visible mother, but need to be aware that many women in the congregation may be “invisible mothers”—those who have suffered the loss of a child due to adoption, abortion, miscarriage or death.

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