Malaria society researches unique tea to combat disease

Efforts could lead to drop in malaria cases around the world

By Allison Barron ChristianWeek Correspondent | June 14, 2015

VANCOUVER, BC—A Canadian organization is determined to eliminate malaria one cup of tea at a time.

Artemisia annua, a plant native to Asia, is used to produce anti-malarial drugs; the Bye, Bye Malaria Society maintains that regularly drinking tea steeped from the plant can cure and prevent malaria. It is an inexpensive solution for the poor, and the Society is conducting experiments in India to determine its effectiveness.

Stuart Spani, president of the Bye, Bye Malaria Society, learned about simple malaria clinics, called ZoClinics, operating in Mizoram, India in 2005. He was inspired to help. In 2012, Spani and his grandson visited five countries in Africa to set up a network for establishing ZoClinics there.

“It was at this point I recruited four friends and formed the Bye, Bye Malaria Society,” says Spani. “The name came from the fact that when the first African ZoClinic technicians received their microscopes, one held hers up and proclaimed ‘Bye, bye malaria!’”

Spani learned about Artemisia annua from missionaries at Mission Fest Vancouver; one was from Africa and another from Indonesia. They were both using the plant as a cure and preventative for malaria.

“I began to research this plant and our society started to work closely with a German group called Anamed,” Spani says. “The founder, Dr. Martin Hirt, has a doctorate in pharmacy and had worked as a medical missionary in Congo for six years. While there he found modern medicines were either unavailable or too expensive for the poor to use and he made a deep study of traditional medicines.”

Spani says he was encouraged by Anamed’s success stories, among them a patient who had repeat malaria every month for 10 years, but who has been free of malaria for more than four years after being treated with Artemisia.

“I traveled to Mizoram this past March with the plan to conduct an experiment in one village this year, and begin to build a network to attempt to eradicate malaria in the entire state by 2016,” says Spani.

The Society initially went to the village of Darzo, though the experiment grew when two villages nearby heard about it and wanted to be included.

“A similar experiment has also been set up and planting has started in five Anglican dioceses in Rwanda, Africa, and we are in early talks to do the same thing in both Togo, Africa, and Sierra Leone, Africa,” says Spani.

As a Christian organization, Spani says the Bye, Bye Malaria Society believes Christian principles can solve problems and are determined to make agricultural villages better places to live.

“No one has tried using [the tea] for eradication on this scale, but we do know that even if it doesn’t eradicate malaria it will reduce the amount dramatically,” says Spani. “We will use the internet to let the world know the results and pray that many others will follow the example.”

See www.malaria-defeated.org for more information.

About the author

Allison Barron
ChristianWeek Correspondent

Allison is a writer, editor, and graphic designer with a BA in English from Canadian Mennonite University and a Certificate in Publishing from Ryerson University. She currently manages Area of Effect magazine and is a missionary with Geekdom House in Winnipeg, MB.

The lost art of rest: Why we all need the sabbatical

Leaders need to be “a living sacrifice…not a burnt offering.”

By Steven Sukkau | June 14, 2015

In a culture obsessed with productivity, and enamoured with work ethic, what has become of the sabbatical? Taking an extended leave to deliberately cease work-related activities is more often seen as a quaint notion, almost outdated, for another time and place.

Yet, when a weekly day of rest was handed down from God through Moses to the Israelites, (Exodus 16:23-30) their feet still soggy from crossing the bottom of the Dead Sea, the mandated Sabbath was a shocking commandment in comparison to the orders of their slave drivers.

Pharaoh, the self-styled god of Egypt, ruled over a culture obsessed with production, work for work’s sake, in sharp contrast to Israel’s God who now demanded a cessation of work every seven days.

Modern Christians are faced with a similar shock when it comes to the Sabbath time and the sabbatical.

“Our culture is closer to Egypt than we’d like to admit,” says Mark Buchanan, author of The Rest of God: Restoring your soul by restoring Sabbath. “Our work culture is defined by productivity and accomplishment.”

While North American culture isn’t obsessed with building pyramids, the comparison remains.

“We don’t have glowering task masters,” Buchanan says. “But we have a system that says, “Produce, or be labeled as lazy.””

The sabbatical becomes almost an act of defiance and subversion, and takes “a tremendous amount of courage,” Buchanan says. “It has to do with how we define ourselves. Our culture places value on producers, we believe we are what we do, but God says we are beloved children.”

Like the baptism of Jesus, Buchanan says God affirmed His favour and blessing on Jesus and His identity, before Jesus began his ministry, before He did anything.

Christians need to rediscover the art of rest through Sabbath time, moving from a position of producing to a position of receiving, which goes beyond a simple vacation or lying on a beach with the phone turned off.

The concept of the sabbatical comes from the Hebrew word, “Shabbat” which means to stop or cease.

While some may be tempted to use their sabbatical to pursue education, or visit other churches, as some pastors might be, Buchanan says it’s really a calling to cease any work-related activities.

A better picture is the concept of letting the farmland lie fallow, Buchanan says. “In that rest there is replenishing. The rain falls, nitrogen seeps into the soil… farmers are quick to see the imagery and importance of the sabbatical.”

It’s waiting expectantly, letting your heart lie open under heaven like a field lying fallow, to receive what God has for us.

Some employers may not provide set sabbatical times. But that shouldn’t let anyone off the hook, says Wanda Malcolm, professor of pastoral psychology at Wycliffe College in Toronto. She explains anyone can become deliberate with time set apart for ceasing work.

“Not everyone has the luxury of a sabbatical,” Malcolm says. “But our leaders ought to be really intentional about Sabbath time, within our day, week or season, and where work permits.”

Whether it’s an hour in the morning, half a day once a week, set aside for ceasing our work and looking to receive from God.

“I tell my students they need to be a living sacrifice,” Malcolm says. “Not a burnt offering.”

Winnipeg-based author and pastor Jamie Arpin-Ricci is currently preparing to leave on sabbatical and says as someone who serves in full-time ministry, this kind of rest is especially important.

“We often find ourselves serving and giving from our whole person to the needs of whole persons,” he says. “In truth, we are all human. This is why so many pastors and missionaries burn out.”

If Christian leaders are to continue serve and be healthy individuals, Arpin-Ricci says, the space for lying fallow, for Sabbath time, is essential.

It’s the reason Malcolm has also started the Wycliffe Wellness Project, what she hopes to become an online resource for those who are interested in understanding more about what it means to be well in order to serve well over the whole lifespan of one’s ministry life. Currently she is also working on an assessment tool, to help people see the pattern of stress and satisfaction in their lives.

“It gives them a chance to stop back and say, “What can I change?” Malcolm explains, whether it’s creating more space for reflection, working on relationships or saying “no” to certain opportunities. “Many see things they could adjust to enjoy ministry more.”

Malcolm hopes ministers especially realize they are not exempt from the need for rest, and instead take the lead when it comes to Sabbath times.

“They need to model the importance of Sabbath rest,” she says.

About the author

Steven Sukkau

Online database aims to preserve Canadian Christian heritage

Encyclopedia honours leaders of the past and future

By Steven Sukkau | June 14, 2015

Those behind a new Online Encyclopedia of Canadian Christian Leaders are hoping to chronicle the faith lives of influential people who have helped shape a country.

Created by retired Christian author and faith-political journalist Lloyd Mackey, the project is part of his work earning a Doctorate of Ministry at Tyndale Seminary. The vision is to create an online database of leaders from the first 150 years of Canada’s history as a nation.

“I want to include leaders from across the years,” Mackey says. “And some future leaders who are starting their important work now.”

So far, leaders include those such as writer and tireless worker for women’s rights Nellie McClung (1873-1951) who called Western Canada the “Land of the Second Chance” and others like Albert B. Simpson (1843-1919), founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance. As one writer put it upon Simpson’s death, “His epitaph is written in the hearts of countless multitudes at home and abroad… no one in this age had done more effectual, self-denying service for Christ and His Gospel.”

Mackey hopes the project becomes a collaborative effort between historians, teachers, journalists and others with an interest in Christian history in Canada. He is looking for more suggestions for leaders to include, as well as more writers to contribute. Mackey hopes the database will include over 200 entries by July of 2017.

“We recognize that Christian leaders come from different categories of life,” Mackey says, adding each entry falls under government and politics, Church, business and philanthropy, media, entertainment and the arts, healthcare, and education.

For potential entries Mackey looks to answer the question, “What is it about an individual that they have shown leadership and brought their Christian faith to bear,” he says, while trying to keep in mind the importance providing a cross section of leaders across the denominational spectrum.

“As long as they are Christ-centred and biblically based,” Mackey says.

The online nature allows researchers to access the data from anywhere in the world, though Mackey says the project is not a wiki that anyone can edit. Mackey is currently bringing together an editorial board to review and edit entries as they come in.

“This is a valuable tool for historians and theologians,” Mackey says, helping Canadians see how Christian faith has been shaped through gripping stories of real people who have lived out their beliefs.

To learn more visit www.canadianchristianleaders.org or to suggest leaders for inclusion e-mail Mackey at lloydmackey@shaw.ca.

About the author

Steven Sukkau

Sociology studies prepares heart and mind for service

Where do seminaries stand on the social sciences?

By Steven Sukkau | June 14, 2015

LANGLEY, BC—What does sociology and Christianity have in common? While the divide between theology and sociology exists, Trinity Western University (TWU) professor of sociology, Michael Wilkinson, says seminaries are coming around on the social sciences.

“We’re coming back to the beginning, when seminaries wanted ministers to be informed on social sciences,” he says, noting Canadian churches at the beginning of the 21^st century believed sociology informed ministry to become more effective.

The discipline moved into the secular universities and became a state profession in the early 1930s, but Wilkinson says Christians and Christian higher education is again looking to learn how to better serve their world and communities through the understanding of social sciences.

“Many Christian universities put less of an impact on sociology than say, psychology, but I think that could change,” Wilkinson says.

He has seen how an education on contemporary social issues has been useful not only for student pursuing social work, but also for seminary students looking to enter full-time ministry.

“It can be very easy to be overwhelmed by society’s issues, they’re so complex,” Wilkinson says. “Students say, “I can’t make a difference,” but you can make a difference.”

It starts by being informed on how society operates, and understanding what the world looks like.

“You can’t change the world through social change until you understand how society works,” he says. “Understanding why a society works and how is a big step in identifying the root of the problems… and how you can take action.”

The combination of a sociology education and faith prepare students to make an impact.

“You give them the tools, and your beliefs shape your work,” Wilkinson says.

There are plenty of social problems, and it’s impossible for any one organization to solve them all, he says. But one organization can address at least one problem or more.

“We need specialists in all fields,” Wilkinson says. “Together we can create a flourishing society.”

TWU launched its sociology degree program five years ago, Wilkinson says, and it is going strong.

It was while attending TWU and taking First Nations Studies that Jenny Shantz’s dream to minister to first nations youth in Vancouver became tangible. Mentored by a professor with a passion for social justice and native relations, Shantz says she came to understand history from other perspectives.

One project included conducting interviews on a reserve over a weekend.

“I was learning so much,” Shantz says. “But I needed to live in a native community to understand where they are coming from, and how reserve life functions.”

After earning her bachelor of arts with TWU, Shantz returned to university for her teaching degree. She went on to develop an after-school program in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside while working at Union Gospel Mission, and later lived and taught for two years in Driftpile, a Cree community in Northern Alberta.

The experience and education she says were critical to the role of supporting First Nations people in Vancouver, who are diverse in languages and traditions.

In 2007, Shantz helped found Inner Hope, a youth ministry in East Vancouver serving at-risk Aboriginal teens.

It all stems from her faith and convictions that this is God’s work.

An analogy that explains Shantz’s convictions is the story of the paralytic being carried to Jesus, only for the man’s friends to lower him from the roof to get close to Jesus.

“The youth we work with are paralyzed, paralyzed from addiction, poverty and abuse,” Shantz says. “There are times you need friends to pick you up and take the roof apart… it’s about breaking down barriers. That’s Christian love, to say, “your circumstances do not define you.”’

As Christians we are all called to break down these barriers, she says, and give the hurting a chance to “walk and jump again”.

Mady Sieben is a third-year International Studies major at TWU and says it was an International Justice Mission video on present-day slavery that flamed her passion for social work and justice.

“I was blown away,” Sieben says. “I thought slavery was abolished; I was confused that it still existed.”

She began devouring information and books on slavery and the more she learned, the more she found social work a perfect way to make a difference.

Her International Studies courses include everything from political science to global policy and current events.

“Education is key,” she says. “It’s easy to be ignorant about what’s going on, and if you don’t know fully what’s happening it’s hard to make a difference.”

She says the training prepares students with a well-rounded understanding of how the world is constructed. Combined with the spiritual growth Sieben has experienced at TWU, she feels she has the knowledge and the passion to take a stand.

“The closer I get to the Lord, the more on fire I am for justice,” Sieben says. “Any time injustice is present, it breaks His heart. He wants everyone to see his or her God-given worth.”

About the author

Steven Sukkau

Creator’s Arts Centre encourages students to dance outside the box

“We make no apologies for the fact that Creator’s was founded on Christian principles and I make no apologies myself for being a Christian woman”

By Allison Barron ChristianWeek Correspondent | June 9, 2015

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KELOWNA, BC—For Laura Elliott, the artistic director of Creator’s Arts Centre (CAC), running a Christ-based organization means managing a dance studio with Christian principles at its base.

“We encourage people,” says Elliott. “We encourage them to take risks, to be bold, to laugh, to cry, to dream, to push hard, to explore, to lift each other up and to be the best artist they can be.”

The dance studio has more than 200 students, and the faculty creates class recommendations for each person based on what will benefit him or her as an individual.

“They are not just ‘dancers,’” says Elliott. “They are individual people who need encouragement because they are people, not because they’re creatives.”

“We believe that all people who come through our door—regardless of age, gender, ability or religious affiliation—deserve to be treated with love and respect. We strive to find a place for them at our studio where they can be challenged and grow physically, emotionally and spiritually.”

With its choreography, costuming and music choices, CAC strives to honour God with performances that are age appropriate and meaningful, even though a large percentage of their student base doesn’t identify with a particular faith background. Students come to CAC because they value things like love, encouragement, excellence, and age-appropriate content, says Elliott.

“I’m very honest with everyone who comes in this door that we are not a church and we do not profess to be everyone’s version of Christianity,” says Elliott.

She says the studio has received some flak in the past for allowing a variety of music to be used, as long as it doesn’t contain swear words, drinking, drug or sexual references, and isn’t appropriately aggressive or mature for the age of the students who are dancing to it. Some families believe only praise and worship music is acceptable.

“To that type of person, we are a huge disappointment as an organization because we don’t fit into their box of Christianity,” Elliott says.

She says although those working at the studio believe both that music is powerful and that they need to be careful in the messages they expose students to, they don’t choose to draw a line at secular music.

“It’s a tricky line to walk as an organization. On the one hand we have families who feel we are not ‘Christian enough’ and on the other families who would never come back because we prayed before the start of a performance and they were offended.”

“We make no apologies for the fact that Creator’s was founded on Christian principles and I make no apologies myself for being a Christian woman—I just walk out my faith the best I can in this place and in the rest of my life.”

About the author

Allison Barron
ChristianWeek Correspondent

Allison is a writer, editor, and graphic designer with a BA in English from Canadian Mennonite University and a Certificate in Publishing from Ryerson University. She currently manages Area of Effect magazine and is a missionary with Geekdom House in Winnipeg, MB.

Ontario physicians stand up for conscience rights

Doctors protest ruling requiring participation in controversial procedures

By Craig Macartney Senior Correspondent | June 7, 2015

ORILLIA, ON—The Christian Medical and Dental Society (CMDS) has taken the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) to court in defence of conscience rights for Ontario medical professionals.

CMDS members believe their Charter rights of freedom of conscience and freedom of religion are being violated by a new policy the College issued in mid-March, which requires all Ontario physicians to refer patients for controversial procedures such as euthanasia and abortion.

“Our feeling is that we have a Charter right not to have our consciences infringed and that the College has to demonstrate exactly why they feel there is a requirement to infringe the conscience rights of Christian physicians,” explains Larry Worthen, executive director of CMDS.

Worthen says they object to the policy on several grounds in addition to its requiring doctors to make controversial referrals. He explains the policy vaguely refers to “emergency situations” where physicians would be required to actually perform procedures that go against their conscience or religious beliefs.

“They talk about an ‘emergency situation,’ but they don’t define what an emergency is,” he states. “That leads us to ask what kind of emergency. How are our conscience rights protected if all someone has to do is invoke this ‘emergency clause’ and that would require us to do something that goes against our consciences?”

Worthen’s concern has a historical precedent. Abortion was first legalized in Canada in 1969, but then only in cases where there was risk to the woman’s health. However, numerous pro-life organizations say that by 1988, when the Supreme Court of Canada struck down all Canada’s remaining laws restricting abortions, the “woman’s health clause” was being loosely used to include her financial or even social health.

Worthen says both the College and various abortion and euthanasia advocate groups are aggressively targeting Christian physicians.

“The attitude of the College is that if people are not prepared to do these things they should leave medicine. We would like the courts to clearly send a message to the CPSO that they can’t trample on the conscience rights of physicians. We have a right to practise. We have a right to our profession. We want to continue to serve our patients and not be forced out of the medical profession.”

Diane Haak, an Ontario anaesthetist and also the president of CMDS, says her obligation to her patients has never been in conflict with her faith until the College issued their recent policy. She says her colleagues have always respected her decision not to be involved in providing anaesthetics for abortions, however, under the new policy, she won’t have that right.

“I hope I never have to deal with that situation. I have thought it through and would not leave the province to avoid this happening, nor would I go against my moral belief that I can’t be involved with abortions. If that situation arose I would have to face the College.”

Haak says she believes there is an intentional agenda against the Christian faith by a small, but increasing group of people.

“It’s puzzling that they would make this decision when it is unnecessary to do so. The procedures that are morally controversial can all be self-referred. It is a big dilemma for Christian physicians and I believe [these attacks] will start to move into other work sectors.”

However, despite the current climate, Worthen is hopeful.

“I’m quite optimistic about this [court challenge]. In the recent Carter case [on euthanasia], the Supreme Court of Canada clearly stated that no one could be forced to perform an abortion or participate in euthanasia. They also said that participation in euthanasia is a conscience issue. We feel that is a signal to people like the CPSO that they have to accommodate people who do not agree with ending the lives of patients, whether in the womb or otherwise.”

While they wait for a court date to be set, CMDS has launched a fund-raising campaign, with a goal to raise $150,000 to cover legal fees.

About the author

Craig Macartney
Senior Correspondent

Craig Macartney lives in Ottawa, Ontario, where he follows global politics and dreams of life in the mission field.

Lessons from Mike Duffy

Does “always did it this way” make it right?

By Henry Friesen | June 7, 2015

Canadian senator Mike Duffy couldn’t have imagined the recent twists and turns his life has taken. His political metamorphosis from butterfly to caterpillar could hardly have been more dramatic!

What happened? And why? Until Duffy’s autobiography provides his version of the facts, the clues are coming from the news wires. How he endeared himself to his political cronies while bending the rules. How he kept meticulous notes of his deeds and misdeeds. And how he knows more, but is waiting for the right moment to spill the beans.

As the story of the senator’s financial transgressions slowly winds its way through the courts, some bigger questions have arisen. It appears the rules governing senator expenses are not really rules. Suggestions maybe, but definitely not rules as you and I understand the word.

Perhaps Canada’s first senators really were stellar where ethics and money were concerned, but we’ll never know. It seems senator accountability has never been obligatory. And the little that may have been required of them was kept safe within the hallowed senate halls. Until now!

The recent audit of many senator expense accounts reveals that Duffy has a lot of company. That’s not surprising when the shades of grey embedded in the rules practically invited diverse, sometimes creative, interpretations.

Some might argue that the dollars misspent by senators are just a drop in the money bucket, and not worth the cost of audits and courts. Others counter that the principles at stake far outweigh the price tag of the investigation.

On a corruption scale, Canada compares favourably with the rest of the world. A “world corruption map” produced annually by Transparency International rates Canada as 10^th out of 175 countries.

On the face of it, that sounds great! Canada’s yellow colour contrasts sharply with the bright reds in most of the world. But should that provide any comfort? Realistically, how can Canadians withstand a world saturated with corruption? New financial rules in the senate would definitely help, but that is only the tip of the iceberg.

If there were more transparency on Parliament Hill, would it have been necessary to drag Duffy’s case through the courts? Likely not, but if this is what it takes to motivate positive change, all Canadians should be grateful.

Should Senator Duffy be given a hero’s crown or the boot? Think about it! He has become a lightning rod, giving senators a unique opportunity to improve their financial act and regain trust. Let’s hope they don’t squander it. And let’s make sure the political leaders we elect understand that substantive change is needed.

There are also lessons much closer to home. The next time you complete your income tax return, make sure you are not part of the problem. Not reporting income or exaggerating expenses affects the same government coffers Duffy took advantage of. Keeping Canada from sinking to Third World status begins with you. Hero or not, consider hanging a picture of the senator prominently in your office as a reminder!

Henry Friesen is a chartered accountant near Winnipeg who deals with many “Duffy type” questions.

About the author

Henry Friesen

Henry Friesen is a chartered accountant who lives in a small town near Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Faith group supports politicians through challenges of leadership

Leading Influence pioneers chaplaincy services for elected officials

By Allison Barron ChristianWeek Correspondent | June 6, 2015

VICTORIA, BC—“God has always been interested in leaders,” says Tim Schindel, president of Leading Influence, an organization that supports men and women serving in politics. “Throughout history, He has placed His people in their lives and circles to serve and minister to them in significant and meaningful ways.”

Founded in 2006, Leading Influence has been serving at the B.C. Legislature since 2007. Today it has chaplains in British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan.

“We are pioneers in providing chaplaincy services to elected officials in Canada,” says Schindel. “We function as a relationally based ministry of presence with no political agenda.

For Christian politicians, Leading Influence provides regular prayer times, office visits with a pastoral focus and regular ongoing care. For politicians who are not believers, care is expressed by demonstrating sincere interest, concern and support for them as individuals, Schindel says, regardless of their political ideology.

Leading Influence focuses on relationship building to express the love of Jesus to people who may normally be unreceptive.

Schindel says most politicians face daily challenges filled with high expectations, long hours and endless criticism by the public and the media.

“Add to that list the stress that comes along with being responsible for everything from the economy, public safety, the environment and education and life becomes pretty intense,” he says.

“Part of what we do is position ourselves to be available in the midst of the storm and to be a source of comfort and strength while we point people to the source of comfort and strength.”

Schindel believes one of the best ways Christians can serve their political leaders is to pray for them.

“It’s important to understand that God has placed these people in positions of leadership and authority over us,” he says. “We don’t always understand why or agree with positions and decisions, but our first responsibility is to pray that God will guide them and direct them as they lead.”

Schindel says another way Christians can get involved is to become political leaders themselves.

“Our world needs good and godly people who understand that political service isn’t about ‘imposing’ our worldview,” he says, “but rather…serving our world through humble and gracious leadership.”

For more information, visit www.leadinginfluence.com.

About the author

Allison Barron
ChristianWeek Correspondent

Allison is a writer, editor, and graphic designer with a BA in English from Canadian Mennonite University and a Certificate in Publishing from Ryerson University. She currently manages Area of Effect magazine and is a missionary with Geekdom House in Winnipeg, MB.

Photography charity takes a step of faith

Charity unites hundreds of photographers around the world for Haiti school

By Steven Sukkau | June 4, 2015

VANCOUVER, BC—A young couple’s bold step of faith is galvanizing hundreds of photographers to make a change in Haiti. Jamie and Randy Watson are behind an ambitious fundraising project uniting more than 500 photographers from across Canada and around the world for one cause.

Participating photographers hold photo shoots in their hometowns and cities, pledging to donate their fees to build a school in Mellier, Haiti. So far, The School Sessions have helped raise more than $43,000 for the town still devastated by the 2010 earthquake. The money will go towards purchasing the land where the school will be built. Organizers hope to raise another $150,000 to build the school in a follow-up event in 2016.

For the Watsons the experience has become a testament to what faith can do if you’re willing to take the step, and having the faith to press on when you don’t reach your goal as soon as you’d hoped.

“There was so much fear of failure,” Jamie explains, at the outset of launching such a big project. “But ultimately it’s not our project.”

The realization that they could only trust God with the dream they were given was comforting, Jamie says.

“Without faith you just look at tangible things, but by faith we’re seeing how many people have been encouraged,” she says. “So many negatives can turn into positives with faith.”

The couple hopes to raise the remaining $150,000 by holding another School Sessions event next April to complete the school building project. The couple is encouraged they will reach their goal after the tremendous support they received this year.

“When we started the initiative earlier this year, we could only hope that it would take off like it did,” says Jamie, a photographer in Vancouver. Jamie put out a call to her friends and peers, asking if they would sign up and donate 100 per cent of their profits from a portrait session to the cause.

“We are so touched to have had such an amazing response from photographers willing to support this program,” Jamie says.

The couple is excited for what the project will mean for children in E.C.C.A School in Mellier and the lasting impact it will make in their lives.

It all began when Randy travelled to Haiti after the 2010 earthquake rocked the country. As a carpenter, Randy was helping with disaster relief building projects and saw first-hand the need for a new school after visiting teachers in Mellier. An estimated 5,000 schools were destroyed, including E.C.C.A School, leaving students without an adequate facility to learn. Today, students in Mellier gather in make-shift shelter to be taught by teachers who volunteer their time.

In 2014, convinced they needed to take action, the Watsons decided to combine their two passions: Jamie’s photography and Randy’s carpentry, for a single project, and the School Sessions were born.

“If I can make my business about other people and not just about myself, that would be a game-changer,” Jamie says. “We are super excited for what this means for the children at the E.C.C.A. School.”

Learn more at theschoolsessions.com.

–

About the author

Steven Sukkau

When the Church gets messy

We need to take the time to discern before passing judgement

By Tim Perry ChristianWeek Columnist | June 3, 2015

It only takes a few seconds to share that tweet or tap out a Facebook message skewering someone for their “unforgivable” mistake. And if the message goes viral, as we’ve seen in recent days in the North American media, the perpetrators will pay with their reputations and even their jobs.

We can take a lesson from history here.

The persecution that took place under Roman emperor Diocletian (284 to 305 CE) was especially severe in North Africa. As a result, the question of how or whether to re-admit Christians to worship who had recanted their faith was very difficult, especially when they were priests or even bishops.

Some insisted that lapsed believers could not return, or if they could, it could only be after a protracted and public period of repentance. Priests and bishops could never return to their former roles. Others were more lenient. After a period of repentance, mercy and forgiveness should determine the course. Priests and bishops could also return to their ministries.

St. Augustine was convinced by his reading of the parable of the wheat and the tares (Matthew 13:24-30), that the Church would never be pure until the Final Judgment. Until then she would be a mixture of sinners and saints, people resisting grace and resting in it. Communities should not be too quick to judge who’s in or not, even among the leadership.

I wonder whether some of my friends on the religious right and the red-letter left could learn from Augustine’s reluctance to rush to judgment. On just about every hot-button issue today, we find Christians divided amongst ourselves. To our collective shame, we far too easily call down the judgment of God on those who disagree with us.

We act in this way because we want a pure Church. We want to presume upon the judgment of God; we want to short-circuit the path to the Day of Judgment. We want, if I may put it more provocatively, to present God with a holy Church of our own making all the while refusing to receive the holiness that is God’s gift in Christ to His Church. We act this way because we are sinners as much as our opponents are.

When the behaviour of believers becomes a scandal to their unbelieving neighbors, the Church needs time to discern the source of the scandal. If the scandal is rooted in fidelity to the gospel (as with Stephen in Acts), then the Church celebrates a prophet, a saint, or possibly a martyr. If the scandal is rooted in persistent sinfulness (as with the immoral brother in 1 Corinthians), then the Church disciplines even to the point of exclusion from the community.

What is lost in so much debate today is precisely the wisdom and time needed to discern. We want to identify who’s right and who’s not and pass sentence right away. But that is not how the Church should work. Discipline working rightly recognizes that every situation is different, and even someone caught in serious sin (like those who lapse under persecution) may need restoration with a gentle hand rather than condemnation.

Instead of skewering someone online for their latest failure, leave room for the Church to be messy. Leave room for the Church to discern. Leave room for the judgment of God.

Tim Perry is rector at Church of the Epiphany in Sudbury, Ontario. He blogs about theology, religion, politics and sometimes the blues at texasflood.ca.

About the author

Tim Perry
ChristianWeek Columnist

Tim Perry is rector at Church of the Epiphany in Sudbury, Ontario. He blogs about theology, religion, politics and sometimes the blues at texasflood.ca.