General Synod 2007: In Plenary

Monica Patten
Chair, Financial Management and Development Committee

The past three years in our financial life have been both challenging and exciting. I think it’s fair to say that the move to Hayden Street, the restructuring of Anglican Book Centre, the focus on residential schools and the attention we had to pay to our own systems for managing our financial resources all took time and energy – they might be seen to be on the “challenge” side of the ledger.

And of course, we faced deficits in each of those years, albeit declining ones. Skilled staff leadership and commitment helped us make progress in all areas of our work, and the continuing support from our family of dioceses inspired us constantly to look toward the future – a future in which I believe we will flourish and grow. That’s the exciting side of the ledger.

There was much more that happened in the past three years that was exciting and encouraging. Letting Down the Nets (LDTN), approved at the last General Synod, set out to support our move to long term financial sustainability for continuing ministries at all levels of the church. Over the past three years, LDTN clearly strengthened our shared commitment to stewardship and financial development and underlined the importance of relationships, strategic planning and collaborative work, especially between General Synod and individual dioceses. Much was accomplished, in no small part because of the dedicated work of a fine group of staff, consultants and volunteers.

The Anglican Appeal continued to be an important part of our resource development, drawing the attention of hundreds of Anglican donors to mission and ministry in Canada’s North and with our partners overseas. Just as the triennium ended some new ideas were developed for future implementation, all of which I am sure will contribute to even greater interest and commitment.

The work of the triennium now ending laid a solid platform for the next step in financial development.

And the next step is an exciting one. It will confirm what we all know to be true: we are people blessed by abundance -- abundance of spirit and commitment, abundance of financial and human riches, abundance of faith. And, building on the work of LDTN, Anglican Appeal and the recommendations made in a study commissioned by our financial development staff, we are poised to move forward with a strategy that will have several elements to it.

Our newly proposed Anglican Church of Canada Development Office, under the leadership of a skilled and experienced director (still to be identified,) will continue to build the collaborative work of the various fund raising groups in General Synod and its partners – a process already begun over the past few years. It will continue to uphold the critical work in planned giving and make sure that Anglicans across the country know how they can remember their parish, diocese or General Synod as they think about their own financial futures. It will build on LDTN and strengthen Anglican Appeal. It will learn from what others are doing including, as one example, the newly shaped call to mission in The Episcopal Church. And it will bring leading edge expertise into the area of financial development so that we can tap into new resources for all our ministries, at all levels of the church.

My hope is that, over time, we’ll put exciting ideas, issues and possibilities in front of Canadian Anglicans – compelling ideas they will keenly support as part of their commitment to spirit-filled ministry and mission.

I am so pleased that the Council of General Synod, at its spring meeting, endorsed the directions proposed by the Financial Management and Development Committee which I had the honor to chair though the past triennium. Plans for this new office, which will move us to the same type of structure that many other denominations and faith groups now have in place, will unfold over the next several months.

But I, like all of you, am fully conscious that challenges remain. As a whole church, we are faced with significant issues on several fronts that are at the core of our faith and identity. Our dioceses and parishes often struggle to make ends meet. There is competition for our (individual and family) time and money. We are told that our church is dwindling in numbers because of demographic shifts, secularism and consumerism. We are reminded by others and even by some within the church of the need to be more relevant, more inclusive, and more able to clearly articulate the power of God’s love and passion for justice. There are no simple and easy answers to the challenges that confront us. When we are together in Winnipeg we will struggle with many of them, hoping to find answers or at least directions, coming from many parts of our community.

The work of finance and development will continue to evolve as the works, ministries and challenges which God puts before the church continue to evolve. I believe we can contribute to finding the way forward, lifting up the possibilities and supporting the commitment and hope that we all share for our church’s future mission and ministry.