In Mission for Others: - BC Synod

Report of the DeanGreater Vancouver ConferenceBENEDICTION, DUNBAR, EMMAUS, FAITH, FIRST, GLORIA DEI, GOOD SHEPHERD, GRACE,LIVING FAITH, MOUNT OLIVET, MOUNT ZION, NEW LIFE CHINESE, OAKRIDGE, OUR SAVIOUR,REDEEMER, SPIRIT OF LIFE, ST. PETER'S ESTONIAN, VANCOUVER CHINESEThese are the names of the eighteen congregations that form the Greater Vancouver Conference (GVC).The ministries of Lutheran-Anglican Mountaintop Ministry (SFU), Lutheran Campus Centre (UBC) andLutheran Urban Mission Society are also located within the GVC. All these names reflect geographical,faith, ethnic and even chronological emphases, but they certainly do not convey the stories of the peopleand ministries of the congregations and of the conference as a whole. (I wonder if there will come a timewhen we name or rename one of our congregations “Last Lutheran Church.”) Even the name of ourconference may need to change since “Greater Vancouver” has been re-branded and re-named “MetroVancouver.”The words from the prophet Isaiah for the Fifth Sunday in Lent can be a word of hope to the Church whencongregations are feeling caught in a time of change and transition, a time of questioning the Church’srelevance in a context that prefers to describe itself as “spiritual but not religious”, in a time when themajority of people do not want to belong to religious institutions of any kind.“Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, who brings outchariot and horse, army and warrior; they lie down, they cannot rise, they are extinguished,quenched like a wick: Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I amabout to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in thewilderness and rivers in the desert.” (Isaiah 43:16-19)As the people of the Greater Vancouver Conference we often feel caught between the stories of formerdays and yet trying to be hopeful and perceptive enough to see “the new thing” God promises to do. Forsome of the congregations in the GVC it has meant stepping out in faith and calling a new pastor (Grace,Burnaby; Oakridge and Dunbar, Vancouver); for two congregations (Augustana and Christ) it has meantlaying aside the former things and taking hold of a new thing, i.e. a new entity as Spirit of Life, Vancouver;for another congregation (Basel Hakka, Vancouver) the “new thing” has meant severing its ties with theELCIC; for one congregation (First, Vancouver) it has meant providing sanctuary for Mikhail Lennikov,who is now joined by his family in residence at the church.As a conference we continued to grapple with what God is calling us to do and be. On February 14, 2009sixty-four people from fourteen different congregations/ministries attended the GVC Epiphany EducationEvent which was held at Mount Olivet, North Vancouver. Rev. Dr. Greg Mohr and Rev. Dr. Alan Lai wereour presenters as together we explored the missional church and emerging churches models, models thatinvite us to reclaim the nature of the church in mission that seeks to be meaningful to the contemporarycultures and mindsets. Following the presentations the participants then engaged in lively discussionsabout the implications for their own contexts. As requested, a follow-up event was held on October 31,2009 at Grace, Burnaby.We met in convention on September 26, 2009 at Good Shepherd, Coquitlam. In addition to the usualbusiness matters, we heard from Tita Valeriano, a representative of the Lutheran World Federation,followed by “Stories of Hope” about the impending merger of Christ and Augustana and the story ofsanctuary at First Lutheran. Following a brief discussion of “Next Steps – New Leadership: The Processof Electing a Bishop” we concluded the convention with Holy Communion.Such conference-wide events have contributed to some basic pieces of being church, like getting to knowone another, hearing each other’s stories, and sharing in worship – Word and Sacrament in action.Unfortunately, nothing is planned for this year other than the annual conference convention.British Columbia Synod Section E | 1