CIDA cuts to KAIROS will devastate human rights work overseas

(Toronto) The Canadian government's decision to cut funding to KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives will have a devastating impact on KAIROS' overseas partners and the thousands of marginalized people in local communities they support, KAIROS announced today.

KAIROS, a church based non-governmental organization that represents seven of Canada's largest denominations, works on a range of social justice issues, including human rights in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. An official from CIDA called KAIROS executive director Mary Corkery on Monday afternoon, November 30th, to inform her that CIDA would no longer fund KAIROS. Corkery was told that KAIROS no longer fits CIDA priorities. No other explanation or information was provided.

KAIROS' current contract with CIDA expired in September, but it had received an extension until November 30th, the day it was informed of the cuts.

"We are disheartened that this longstanding relationship and decades of support by the Canadian government has been ended," says Corkery. "KAIROS and the millions of Canadians we represent through our member churches and organizations do not understand why these cuts have been made."

In a message to Bev Oda, Minister for International Cooperation, requesting an explanation, Corkery writes, "I know of no precedent for the Canadian International Development Agency ending a decades-long funding relationship with a major Canadian organization without notice in writing, with no reason and no transition plan".

[Canterbury • ACNS4675] Grateful for the gracious guidance of the Holy Spirit, the Inter-Anglican Standing Commission on Unity, Faith and Order held its first meeting in Canterbury, England from 1 to 8 December 2009.

The Commission has been established by the Lambeth Conference, the Primates' Meeting, and the Anglican Consultative Council. It builds on previous work done by the Inter-Anglican Theological and Doctrinal Commission, the Inter-Anglican Standing Commission on Ecumenical Relations, and the Windsor Continuation Group. It reports to the Standing Committee of the Anglican Communion.

The Commission devoted this first meeting to developing a vision that gives expression to its mandate. It sees its role as being a communicative and connection-making body which models and promotes communication and connection-making in the Anglican Communion, within a confident and vibrant expression of our shared faith and life, participating by God's grace in the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ.

by Dan Dyck

[Mennonite Church Canada • Winnipeg] Mennonite Church Canada leaders have logged another event towards the denomination's collective "1,000 Acts of Peace" initiative.

On Oct. 17, Bruce Adema, Director of Canadian Ministries for the bi-national CRC and current president of the Canadian Council of Churches (CCC), and Robert J. Suderman, General Secretary of Mennonite Church Canada hosted a Symposium on War and Peace together with the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) of Canada at Bethel Mennonite Church in Winnipeg.

The Symposium was the product of discussions between Suderman and Adema, after a May 2008 CCC event in which Suderman presented a paper entitled Faith and the Public Square: The church's witness to peace (see www.mennonitechurch.ca/tiny/1203).

WCC dialogue questions relevant for Mennonites says Neufeld

by Steve Plenert, Mennonite World Conference News Service

[Strasbourg, France] How and where does the global church discuss issues such as the nature and mission of the church, sources of authority and moral discernment in the churches? One long-standing forum for important discussions such as these is the Faith and Order Plenary Commission of the World Council of Churches. This body, while not officially decision-making, gathered in Kolympari, Crete, 7-13 October 2009.

The topics mentioned were the key themes of the conference under the heading, "Called to be the One Church." More than 150 participants from many countries and a wide range of church traditions gathered to listen, discuss and dialogue.

Glad tidings for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon arrived a few days before Christmas with the appointment of Msgr. Donald Bolen of Regina as seventh bishop of the diocese.

Pope Benedict XVI's appointment of Bolen as bishop was announced Dec. 21 in Rome. The diocese of Saskatoon has been without a bishop since September, when former bishop Albert LeGatt was inaugurated as Archbishop of St. Boniface, Manitoba.

Bolen, 48, is presently serving as vicar-general of the Archdiocese of Regina, and pastor of St. Joseph parish, Balgonie; St. Agnes at Pilot Butte; and St. Peter's Colony, Kronau.

Bolen is also the chair of the Archdiocesan Ecumenical Commission, a position that reflects his strong background in ecumenical study and service, including seven years serving in Rome on the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, from 2001 to 2008.