Christ Church Cathedral Representative:

Anna de Aguayo

I had the opportunity, thanks to the generosity of our Cathedral, to be able to accept the invitation extended to us from the cathedral’s Diocese in northern B.C., Caledonia, to participate in their Synod. With fellow guests from Ottawa and Vancouver churches, we were welcomed with open arms in to the lives and homes of Greenville families, ate sea lion stew, watched the eagles soar, prayed and sang together and had a great time.

The best way to summarize the events of this year's Caledonia Synod is as a coming together of two stories of exile. The first story came from Archbishop Crawley, Metropolitan of B.C., in his address to the Synod on Saturday, April 17. He made a link between the frequent tensions over the nature and direction of the Temple when the ancient Hebrews returned to Jerusalem from exile and the tensions within our present-day Church. It is the return from the margins of society - the ability to have power to build again - that may be unfamiliar and disconcerting to many of us. The increasing search by young people for spiritual peace and fulfilment from the church, though in new and innovative ways, is the hope for the Communion. The rise of a new kind of spirituality amongst the young - the Generation X - is an opportunity to engage again in community building.

The president of the Nishga Tribal Council, Dr. Joseph Gosnell, in his address to Synod, similarly described the public antagonism to the passage of their treaty, as the problems of exiles wanting to come home. Over 100 years ago, the leaders of the first Nishga land petitions were refused entry into the B.C. legislature. He described the thrill and joy as Premier Glen Clark ordered the legislatures old iron gates to be thrown open so that the Nishga leaders and elders were able to proudly walk up the steps, through the front door, for the first time. The treaty's time has come, he said, and with it the Nishga will take their place again in the life, economy and politics of B.C. The traditional dancing and singing that followed his speech joyously echoed the vigour and strength that the Nishga will bring with them.

These two stories of homecoming - the building of a church community for a new generation and the return of the Nishga to the fabric of B.C. life - were received with mixed reactions by the delegates to the Synod. As for many of us, local issues flavour any major plans for the future. The needs of the Peace River district for more autonomy, the amount of funds committed to the TEE Center and Native Ministry by the diocese, the debt burden of the Cathedral rebuilding were at the forefront of many minds.

Large incorporated northern dioceses, such as Caledonia, have distinct issues: the parishes are far away from each other, stipended clergy are few, volunteers stretched, shared ministries are frequent, travel time are long and communications are difficult, community numbers are susceptible to fluctuations in the local economies, costs are high. People, however, are perhaps more closely tied to each other than in a big urban diocese: they don't just see each other at church but their lives overlap and intertwine. Jobs, leisure and life histories overlap to a degree that makes urbanites realize that we are missing a certain something. Thus the announcements, at this Synod, that Bishop Hannen and Reverend Ian Mackenzie will be retiring struck deep. They will be deeply missed by many.

Caledonia has a number of features that set it apart from other diocese within the communion, and for an outsider such as myself, make it fascinating. For instance, on the Nass River, there is a renewed interest in the church participation among the school-aged Aboriginal children which is, slowly, also bringing their parents back. The Church Army, long a fixture in many of the Aboriginal communities in the North West, is constantly negotiating and re-negotiating its relationship with more traditional Anglican practices. It brings an enthusiasm for God but also frequently a challenge to church hierarchy. The creation of shared ministries in the Eastern end of the Diocese with Presbyterian and United churches is creating a situations for intriguing blended ministries.

Again, I can't thank enough all those involved for making my stay there so enjoyable. Best wishes and blessings are sent to us all from Bishop Hannen of Prince Rupert, Dean Houghton of Terrace and, in particular, the community of Old Massett. I deposited a number of documents regarding the Nishga Treaty and the Caledonia diocese with our archives so please feel free to peruse at your leisure. Congratulations are forwarded to Rosemary - there were many questions and enthusiastic reactions to our video of Sunday eucharist and liturgical dances!