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Associated Parishes issues challenge to reclaim Jesus' ministry
2002-113-8
5/7/2002
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[Episcopal News Service]
Out of the experiences of September 11 and its aftermath, as well as an encounter with First Nations people, the Council of Associated Parishes for Liturgy & Mission concluded its meeting at the Sorrento Conference Center of the Anglican Church of Canada, near Kamloops, British Columbia with a statement challenging the church to reclaim the mission of Jesus.
Council members responded to an invitation to speak of their own reactions to the events of September 11. AP's president, the Rev. Clayton Crawley, Sr., vice president of the Church Pension Group, told of his moving experiences as a volunteer chaplain.
The Most Rev. David P. Crawley, metropolitan of the Province of British Columbia and Yukon and archbishop of Kootenay, gave a frank talk about the continuing controversy over residential schools, which resulted in the dissolution of the Diocese of Cariboo and the resignation of its bishop. Churches in the former diocese are continuing to function, but without the normal infrastructure. Overall responsibility rests in the hands of Archbishop Crawley as metropolitan.
Council members attended Eucharist at a small First Nations parish church on the outskirts of Merritt and were invited to lunch by parishioners in the adjacent parish hall. A visit was then paid to Lytton, site of some of the more egregious offenses against residential school students. Most of the buildings of the residential school were burned some years ago in a fire; the old stone chapel, scene of the some of the acts of abuse inflicted upon the students, is still standing deserted. It has since been deconsecrated.
In token of its increased concern with mission, the council agreed to use the initials APLM (Associated Parishes for Liturgy & Mission) in future instead of the familiar 'AP.'
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