Alex Finds Hope in James Christie and is hoping that he is choosen Moderator of the United Church

I do not know any of the candidates running for moderator. I know nothing about any of them except from what I have heard from them in their speeches to General Counsel and by reading their profiles that are on the General Counsel's website at http://gc40.united-church.ca/about/candidates.

I have never been to presbertry, or a General Council, but I am just a disabled bricklayer living with AIDS and High Functioning Autism.

After listening to all of the different speeches giving by the different candidates for moderator, I feel most moved by James Christie. I find all of the candidates to be very impressive, but James Christie is the candidate that speaks to me and gives me hope.

I find him to be the candidate taht has the best ability to communicate, influence and lead not just General Counsel for the United Church but the world wide church. He comes across best on the Internet as being charismatic, sincere, and well prepared to lead both by example and by his ability to inspire hope.

He says in his speech that Hope is the one gift he is most blessed with, and the one thing that is what he has most to offer the church. It is a hope founded on the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

As I live my life, it is hope that sustains me and hope that I need the most to go on with my life. It is hope that I fear losing, and need to have reinforced by others. It is hope that I have found on WonderCafé that makes me believe that the church is important to me and the world and the people that I care about. Hope based on the ethic of the life and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

I am also impressed by the fact that of all the candidates running He speaks French in his presentation and as leader of the United Church of Canada, I find that his excellence in both English and French will help inspire all Canadians. In my world I deal with both Anglophones and Francophones who desperately are looking for a spiritual leader that speaks to them.

He also addresses in his speech the demons that most challenges my faith and hope, the Aids Pandemic and specifically the situation in Africa. He offers hope that we in the UCC and in Canada can break the silence and can name the demons responsible; racism, materialism and militarism/empire. The solutions he says lies in an agenda of hope based on; unity among the churches, peace among the religions, and community amongst the nations.

I can not be sure I got it right but listen to him speak for yourself.

Also in reading his profile he says "A young United Church minister, the Rev. Richard Delorme, with

a vocation for engaging teens, brought me to the United Church of Canada." Richard was my minister in Aylmer, and I knew him well, so I know that James understands the gifts of diversity in the church including those who are GLBT.

His Profile is at http://gc40.united-church.ca/files/wb2_5_nominees.pdf#page=4

Comments

NormSeli

Posted on: 08/12/2009 23:33

Alex, you're absolutely right in your assessment of Jim Christie.

I was there to hear his speech/vision - and he was exactly as you suggested. He was passionate, compelling and charistmatic. His language skills are above reproach, his sense of hope, his intellect... his vast experience in the United Church, across Canada and the world would make him a terrific moderator. The other's were also very good, and I don't know for sure who's going to get my vote... I have until Friday to think about it, sleep on it and wonder a little bit...

I suspect that Maya's speech was better in person that on the internet as her use of powerpoint and images was very effective, but didn't come across as well on the video... Other than that, I thought that the all the videos were very good representations of what I saw today in Kelowna.