Lunch and learn with national

Faith, Worship and Ministry committee

The General Synod Faith, Worship and Ministry (FWM) committee invites New Brunswick Anglicans to join them for lunch and conversation on Sunday, March 8, at Cathedral Memorial Hall in Fredericton. The national committee will meet at Villa Madonna in Rothesay March 6 and 7, and travel to Fredericton to worship at Christ Church Cathedral on Sunday morning, March 8. On-line registration for the luncheon is necessary by Thursday, March 5, to ensure sufficient meals.

Janet Marshall, the committee chair, and Stephen Andrews, General Synod Prolocutor and bishop-elect, will be with the committee and most willing to answer questions about its work.

The FWM mandate is to respond to the concerns of Anglicans across the country as expressed through the priorities set by General Synod. Its portfolio is large and often controversial. The 16-member committee, made up of bishops, priests and lay people, plus General Synod staff, is currently tackling several issues:

Liturgical development through the translation of texts and joint liturgical work with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, as well as the preparation of principles of liturgical revision;

Theological education in preparation for a national consultation in January, 2010;

Anglican Ecclesiology, including ecumenical shared ministries, inter-church dialogues, the Covenant, and the development of a theological rational for changes to the marriage canon;

Sexuality and ethics resourcing the continuing dialogue on human sexuality.

The committee’s16 members include bishops, priests and lay people. General Synod staff members, including FWM director Alyson Barnet-Cowan aac Kawuki Mukasa, Eileen Scully and Jo Abrams are traveling with the committee. They bring to the tasks the diversities that both enrich and challenge our church today — geography, culture, age, and churchmanship. Working prayerfully, thoughtfully and diligently towards achieving the tasks set out by General Synod 2008, the committee and staff strive to be open and available to hear the hopes and concerns of the church.

So don’t miss the opportunity to hear about and discuss the important work of this committee with members and staff at Cathedral Memorial Hall at 1 o’clock, Sunday afternoon, March 8.

Diocesan Communications
24February 2009