The executive director of First United Church announced earlier this week that she would like to run against Ken Sim for mayor of Vancouver during the civic elections next fall. Amanda Burrows is seeking to be nominated as OneCity Vancouver’s…
This is my fifth local books round-up of 2025, covering 12 recent books from the Christian community. Again there is a very wide range of topics. The write-ups are primarily from Amazon and publisher / author sites. Dennis & Tikvah…
A couple of months ago I wrote that I was looking forward to taking part in the General Assembly of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) in Seoul, Korea (October 27 – 31) – and that I was particularly interested to…
Last week my headline was ‘Charitable status secure, but underlying attitudes could still lead to problems.’ That is, the Liberal government reassured faith groups that the government is not considering removing the advancement of religion as a qualifying charitable purpose.…
Advent begins Sunday (November 30), but Christmas-related events are already happening in churches all around us. The various gatherings focusing on Advent, craft fairs, sing-along Messiahs, Christmas fairs, blue Christmases, singing Christmas trees, concerts, plays, readings and Christmas carols are…
There was some relief among churches and ministries across Canada when the Liberals released their budget earlier this month. There had been considerable speculation about the possibility that they would remove charitable status for religious groups. That immediate concern has…
This Sunday (October 26) will be a big day at Christ Church Cathedral in downtown Vancouver. Dean David Monteith, Dean of Canterbury Cathedral in England – long considered the ‘mother church’ of the Anglican Communion – will preach at two…
I’ve completed this week’s Church for Vancouver update at the Vancouver Airport and am sending it out from Japan. I’ll be away from October 22 until November 19. My wife Margaret and I are sharing a house in Tokyo (where…
Mission Fest has weathered some storms and has carried on – earlier this year and again next February – in Chilliwack. It’s well worth the drive for those of us who live in Metro Vancouver. But for those who can’t,…
A poll conducted in time for the Thanksgiving weekend showed that only about one-third (34 percent) of Canadians believe that “religion has a positive influence on societal values.” And that percentage is even lower in British Columbia, where 28 percent…