Parishes participate in Amazing Grace

By Ana Watts

Many churches in the Diocese of Fredericton, the Anglican Church of Canada and even far-flung parts of the Anglican Communion participated in the Amazing Grace project, raised money in support of the Anglican Church in the Canadian North and showed the world an amazing church.

“Across Canada in churches, prisons, college chapels, youth gatherings, and wherever Anglicans met over the last six months Amazing Grace was sung,” says Fiona Brownlee, communications officer for the Council of the North.

Enthusiastic Anglicans from New Brunswick churches quickly forwarded photos and information on their Amazing Grace participation on Nov. 23 to the New Brunswick Anglican and E News. In St. George’s in McAdam Ed Garrett used the bagpipe sounds of his accordion to make the hymn especially poignant.

In the Parish of Prince William, Dumfries, Queensbury and Southampton Edward Ferris played the hymn on his pipes at the beginning of the service and girls from a dance class in Nackawic shared an interpretive dance. Later in the service a girl in the parish who is just learning to play the violin played the first verse of the hymn as a solo, other musicians and the congregation then joined in.

“It was sung with enthusiasm, with love and with support for the Council of the North,” continued Ms. Brownlee. “It was sung in a variety of languages and to a variety of instruments. Even before the actual Sunday of singing, Nov. 23,2008, groups of Anglicans were gathering to sing the hymn. They sang to show their unity. They sang to show their love for God. They sang to give a donation to the Council of the North.”

The church in the northern part of Canada continues to struggle with the rising prices for goods, social instability in many of its communities, and the after effects of residential schools. The Anglicans who live in these communities have experienced the rest of the Anglican Church of Canada reaching out to them with love and support.

The Anglican Journal on-line and the General Synod web page continue to update the Amazing Grace story and link to some of the Amazing Videos that it generated.

The New Brunswick Anglican would be pleased to share the stories of all the diocesan churches that participated in the Amazing Grace project. Please send your stories and photographs to <ana.watts at anglican.nb.ca>.

Diocese of Fredericton