Dear brothers and sisters,
I am thinking and praying for you today on Christmas Eve!
I give thanks to the Lord for your faithfulness and your wonderful ministry to the glory of God and your effort to build up His Kingdom ministry.
2018 has been a year in which we faced quite a number of challenges and experienced the Lord's miraculous provision.
We give thanks to the Lord for the consecration of Peter Klenner as one of our bishops, the collation of Edmund Ho and Philip Tse as our two Canons, and our welcoming Canon Edmund to be one of the members of our National Leadership Team.
We also give thanks for God’s provision of a building, finances and community support for a new Youth Shelter in Thunder Bay under the leadership of Scotland Morrison and the Urban Abbey, provision and progress on phase 2 of Vintage Garden in Toronto, and the beginning of St. Luke the Healer, a new church plant in Windsor, ON under the leadership of Rev. Mark Story.
We also note some major changes for our clergy this year, including:
Rev. Dr. Ed Hird’s retirement as Rector of St. Simon's Church, and St. Simon’s joining the Anglican Network in Canada in July.
Rev. John Cox retired as Rector of Jericho Road in October and Rev. Mike Watson (from AMiA) became the new interim Rector of Jericho Road in Port Alberni in December.
Rev. Jennifer Wickham resigned as Rector of HUB Ottawa, and our congratulations go to Jennifer as she was collated as the Vicar of St. George's Church in Coventry, England in May.
I just spoke with Rev. Tom Needham on the phone today, and he shared the good news that he is well now! As you know, some health issues had caused him to be unable to join us in this years’ Summit. Tom also wants us to know that he is confirmed to be cancer free after five year’s of cancer treatment.
Let's rejoice over how the Lord has been leading us in 2018! May we prepare ourselves to be used by the Lord in the coming year as we enter the year of "Raising Up Mentors", and as we initiate a new process of leadership development with the next generation of leaders God is calling into the Anglican Mission.
I am thankful for my first Sabbatical Leave of three months - from January to March 2019. My plan for this time of rest is to rest! As well, I will have an opportunity to write "Micro-Macro Discipling" in Chinese; to attend a course entitled “Anglican History” organized by Nashotah House Episcopal Seminary, which will take place in the Anglican Study Centre in Rome, Italy; and to go to Sabah to serve the clergy and people of the Anglican Diocese of Sabah with Archbishop Kolini, by the invitation of Bishop Melter. While I am on my Sabbatical, Bishop Peter will be the primary overseer for the Mission in Canada - please contact him with any needs or questions you might have.
May you have a Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!
In Christ,
+Silas
Apostolic Vicar, the Anglican Mission in Canada