Quebec’s largest evangelical church launches new association
Joel Coppieters
Quebec Correspondent
quebec@christianweek.org
LONGUEUIL, QC–After going it alone for four years since their withdrawal from the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada (PAOC), Eglise Nouvelle Vie has launched a new association to respond to what the church's leaders believe is the beginning of a widespread renewal throughout French-speaking countries of the world.
Association Chrétienne pour la Francophonie (ACF) has been in development for over a year, but was officially launched at an all-day conference held in the church's sanctuary on Wednesday, April 11. While the vast majority of the several hundred pastors and para-church ministry leaders who attended were from Quebec, there were representatives from several other French-speaking countries.
"With 3,500 people in attendance now," says Nouvelle Vie pastor Claude Houde, "it was tempting to just keep focusing on ourselves and our own continued ministry growth. But as a church, we felt the time had come to look beyond ourselves in this strategic way."
Blaikie to set up faith and politics institute at University of Winnipeg
After 28 years in parliament, Bill Blaikie, MP for Elmwood Transcona in Winnipeg and deputy leader of the New Democratic Party, announced he will hang his hat at the University of Winnipeg (UofW) next fall as adjunct professor in both politics and theology departments.
He hopes to continue a legacy begun by the original social gospel leaders—Tommy Douglas, J.S. Woodsworth and Stanley Knowles—to spur thought on the relation between faith and politics.
UofW Dean of Theology, James Christie—also president of the Canadian Council of Churches (CCC)—has proposed a new program called the Centre for Theology and Progressive Public Policy, due to launch in the fall of 2008.
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Christian Booksellers Association abandons ship after long struggle
The board of Christian Booksellers Association Canada (CBA) has decided to call it quits and let the organization die a natural death due to marketplace challenges.
"As an organization, we were struggling to keep the ship going," says Lando Klassen, CBA Canada board chair and owner of Abbotsford's House of James bookstore. "Many people thought the ship was stuck in the water. The board needed to abandon ship."
Klassen describes the decision to close the Guelph-based CBA Canada office on April 30 as "heart-wrenching." Talk about CBA Canada's future had been going on for a couple of years, but with membership dropping and suppliers buying less booth space at the convention, serious discussion began in January.
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More churches opt for criminal record checks
A growing number of churches are routinely requiring that anyone applying for a paid or even a volunteer position submit to a criminal record check.
It is well worth the investment, says Brian Ward-Hall, the Vancouver-based sales director of BackCheck, which promotes itself as Canada’s largest provider of pre-employment background checks.
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“Christians only” real estate ad cause for concern
A real estate listing received more media attention than prospective buyers after stating the buyer “must be a practicing Christian.” The property was a two-story cabin on land leased by Arlington Beach Camp and Conference Centre, operated by the Free Methodist Church since 1960.
Shortly after the religious restriction was publicized by a CBC radio program, the ad asking $179,000 for the cabin could no longer be found. Independently of each other, both the private owner and the Saskatchewan Real Estate Commission asked Century 21 to remove the ad. The commission was concerned that the phrase “must be a practising Christian” cannot be properly interpreted by a real estate agent.
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Finishers Canada refers mid-life Christians to missions opportunities
Approaching retirement and wondering if there’s more to life than golfing or babysitting your grandkids? You’re not alone. An estimated 200,000 evangelical Christians in Canada are expected to retire in the first decade of the 21st century.
They are part of the healthiest, best-educated generation of mid-lifers ever, and Canadian missions organizations—at the initiative of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada—have joined together to help make the most of their senior years—ensuring they finish well.
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