Co-Presidents’ Report 2010
Presented at the Annual Meeting, April 14, 2011
An Overview of the Year 2010–2011
The conversations and actions that take place in the meetings and events sponsored by the Christian Council of the Capital Area (CCCA) are important ways for Christians in the national capital area to work ecumenically to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ in this community, nation and world. In 2010-11, the CCCA engaged in many successful ecumenical conversations and participated in many important ecumenical actions through its member and co-presidents.
In February 2011 Ann Salmon attended the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates to support the testimony of the Church Council on Justice and Corrections as that organization seeks to deal with crime by building a peaceful, safe and just society.
In February 2011 Ann Salmon attended the KAIROS board dinner and accepted, on behalf of the CCCA, thanks for our involvement in encouraging our elected officials to re-consider the decision to cut funding to KAIROS.
In January 2011 the CCCA hosted a very successful worship service for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity on the suggested theme, ‘They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.’
In September 2010 the CCCA invited Ed Bianchi from KAIROS on Indigenous Rights to speak at its meeting in an effort to raise ecumenical awareness about the ongoing importance of building relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. Following up on Ed Bianchi’s presentation, participants in the evening’s meeting and program were asked to help create a banner that will be part of the 20 June KAIROS Cross-Canada Action in Support of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
The Christian Council of the Capital Area continued to nurture its links with the Ottawa Pastoral Care Training Program, the Algonquin College Campus Chaplaincy, and the Ottawa School of Spirituality and Theology.
The CCCA was present through Lillian Roberts in the planning for Building Bridges Partnership Project, an ecumenical and community response to the need for Canadians to engage in the Truth and Reconciliation Process.
Lillian Roberts participated in the Multifaith Housing Initiative Tulipathon in May 2010. This walkathon is a fundraising project MHI.
The CCCA is linked to a number of interfaith associations through the attendance of its members. Many of the denominational representatives at the CCCA table also serve as representatives to the Capital Region Interfaith Committee, Ottawa Interfaith and the All Party Interfaith Friendship Group.
Moving Forward:
Our conversations and our actions in 2010-11 have been broad-based and certainly in keeping with the stated purposes of the CCCA, but now we stand at a fork in the road and the decisions we make over the next few years will either give strength to our Christian voice in the capital area or cause us to stand still and do what we’ve always done.
We could continue to focus our collective efforts on hosting a successful Week of Prayer for Christian Unity event, or we could build on that focus and make our ecumenical voice heard year-round by planning and hosting a variety of events.
We could continue to focus our collective efforts on hosting a successful Week of Prayer for Christian Unity event, or we could build on that focus and make our ecumenical voice heard year-round by planning and hosting a variety of events.
We could continue to work in very broad ways on social justice issues, or we could use our ecumenical voice to do more work with KAIROS, especially in the areas of Indigenous rights and ecological realities, even to the point of forming an Ottawa-based KAIROS committee, thus using our strong ecumenical voice to make social justice advocacy work a priority in Ottawa.
We could continue to be quiet about the work we do as a Christian Council, or we could use our denominational connections to speak loudly and clearly with one voice to create many and various opportunities for ecumenical participation.
Our membership could remain as it is, or we could expand our membership to include, not only more members from our own denominations, but also members from some of the more evangelical and independent Christian churches in the area.
It is our hope and prayer that we will invest the time and the energy to making our ecumenical voice heard in the capital area. In the name of Jesus we can, individually, accomplish a bit of the Christian mission that has been placed before us, but working together ecumenically, we can certainly accomplish much more.
Respectfully Submitted,
Co-Presidents for 2010-2011
The Rev. Lillian Roberts
The Rev. Ann Salmon