Alex
Alex Finds Hope in James Christie and is hoping that he is choosen Moderator of the United Church
Posted on: 08/12/2009 18:12
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
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
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Alex
Posted on: 08/12/2009 18:23
Darn I can not edit this title Alex Finds Hope in James Christies is hoping that he is choosen Moderator of the United Church
It should be Alex Finds Hope in James Christie and is hoping that he is choosen Moderator of the United Church
EZed
Posted on: 08/12/2009 18:32
*The Squirrel agrees that Jim presented well...and would do well. Perhaps even convince GCO to move to Winnipeg.
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Posted on: 08/12/2009 19:22
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 also endorse James Christie.
Go James go! Whoop whoop whoop! Go James! Go James! Go James!
AaronMcGallegos
Posted on: 08/12/2009 20:15
Got the changes you wanted to make Alex.
CindyBee
Posted on: 08/12/2009 20:30
What did he mean when he said that luck had nothing to do with the disparity between Europeans and Africans? Did he acknowledge colonialism or not?
DKS
Posted on: 08/12/2009 20:32
*The Squirrel agrees that Jim presented well...and would do well. Perhaps even convince GCO to move to Winnipeg.
God help us all if that happens.
My only knowledge of Jim is that my uncle was Clerk of Session in a congregation where he was minister and had a huge fight with him.
EZed
Posted on: 08/12/2009 20:32
Aaron wrote: "Got the changes you wanted to make Alex."
EZ Answer: Suuuuuure. Alex's endorsement gets administrative support. Mine gets a disclaimer. I cry foul.
EZed
Posted on: 08/12/2009 20:34
DKS wrote: "my uncle was Clerk of Session in a congregation where he was minister and had a huge fight with him."
EZ Answer: One of your relatives got into a huge church fight? No way. Can't believe it.
Alex
Posted on: 08/12/2009 20:44
What did he mean when he said that luck had nothing to do with the disparity between Europeans and Africans? Did he acknowledge colonialism or not?
I think he meant that luck had nothing to do with Africa's situation in comparison to the Europe. Luck is not a Christian concept I believe. But he went on to say that the racism, materalism, and militarism/empire had everything to do with Africa's situation. I think that those three "demons" are at the root of colonialism
DKS
Posted on: 08/12/2009 20:47
EZ Answer: One of your relatives got into a huge church fight? No way. Can't believe it.
My grandfather was a member of Montreal Presbytery for more than fifty years. The stories he told of the church fights there make today's stuff look like a bun fight. The late Prof. George Johnston attempted to have my father barred from a Conference staff appointment on the grounds of heresy. I've been 363'd.
AaronMcGallegos
Posted on: 08/12/2009 20:51
Suspicious squirrel.
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Posted on: 08/12/2009 22:16
*The Squirrel agrees that Jim presented well...and would do well. Perhaps even convince GCO to move to Winnipeg.
God help us all if that happens.
You don't like Winnipeg? What's wrong with Winnipeg? Beautiful city. Home of the Dutch Maid ice cream parlor.
Alex
Posted on: 08/12/2009 22:47
*The Squirrel agrees that Jim presented well...and would do well. Perhaps even convince GCO to move to Winnipeg.
God help us all if that happens.
You don't like Winnipeg? What's wrong with Winnipeg? Beautiful city. Home of the Dutch Maid ice cream parlor.
There's nothing wrong with Winnipeg, except that it is not Ottawa. GCO should be in Ottawa, after all everyone knows that anything that is important in Canada should be decided in Ottawa.
DKS
Posted on: 08/12/2009 22:47
*The Squirrel agrees that Jim presented well...and would do well. Perhaps even convince GCO to move to Winnipeg.
God help us all if that happens.
You don't like Winnipeg? What's wrong with Winnipeg? Beautiful city. Home of the Dutch Maid ice cream parlor.
Not for our National office. And I don't eat ice cream. Ever.
DKS
Posted on: 08/12/2009 22:48
*The Squirrel agrees that Jim presented well...and would do well. Perhaps even convince GCO to move to Winnipeg.
God help us all if that happens.
You don't like Winnipeg? What's wrong with Winnipeg? Beautiful city. Home of the Dutch Maid ice cream parlor.
There's nothing wrong with Winnipeg, except that it is not Ottawa. GCO should be in Ottawa, after all everyone knows that anything that is important in Canada should be decided in Ottawa.
Makes sense to me. Barrie would also work.
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Posted on: 08/12/2009 22:50
Not for our National office. And I don't eat ice cream. Ever.
Fair enough.
Hey, our head office is in Guelph of all places.
DKS
Posted on: 08/12/2009 23:12
Not for our National office. And I don't eat ice cream. Ever.
Fair enough.
Hey, our head office is in Guelph of all places.
Guelph would also work for me.
Pinga
Posted on: 08/13/2009 01:02
Needs to be close to an airplane hub for international & national flights.
Alex
Posted on: 08/13/2009 02:34
Well then I nominate Montreal. Direct flights to every part of Canada and the world. Plus cheap real estate, including some church property that could be renovated for GCO, and cheap housing for it's employees. Closer relations with the church that has the most Christians, plus large numbers of people belong to other religions. Plus all the benefits of being in an multicultural city from which we GNC can work toweards closer relat The best labour laws to protect workers, large numbers of francophones, anglophones and allophones.
Plus its close to Ottawa
and not so far from southern Ontario for good train and bus connections.
Pinga
Posted on: 08/13/2009 03:11
hmmmm
DKS
Posted on: 08/13/2009 07:14
Needs to be close to an airplane hub for international & national flights.
Guelph is a short ride down the 401 to PIA.
Pinga
Posted on: 08/13/2009 09:04
My sense from flying into Toronto with people who were connecting to Toronto, that many US hubs do not fly into Montreal.
If one looks at Air Canada -- their main hub is Toronto
Unsure what WestJet's is, possibly hamilton
Pinga
Posted on: 08/13/2009 09:04
My sense from flying into Toronto with people who were connecting to Toronto, that many US hubs do not fly into Montreal.
If one looks at Air Canada -- their main hub is Toronto
Unsure what WestJet's is, possibly hamilton
YouthWorker
Posted on: 08/13/2009 10:52
Winnipeg is the longitudinal centre of Canada. Therefore it should be the centre of the United Church of Canada.
Plus, if multiculturalism and French language are important factors, need I remind you that we are in the midst of Folklorama -- the largest multicultural festival of its kind in North America? Need I also remind you that we have the strongest French-speaking community outside of Quebec?
If air travel is important, need I remind you that we have an international airport -- which is currently being replaced with a newer international airport that will truly be international (not just American and Canadian flights)?
If human rights and social justice are important to the church, need I remind you that we are in the process of building the Canadian Museum for Human Rights -- the only museum of its kind in North America, and likely the only of its kind on a much grander scale? We are also a hub for social justice organisations, with many having their head offices here or at least a satellite office, and this will increase as the museum nears completion.
If the United Church offices are essentially a meeting space for the church and its governing bodies, then wouldn't it make sense to locate the offices in Winnipeg, home of The Forks, a historic meeting place reaching back for centuries?
United Church offices should relocate to Winnipeg.
Panentheism
Posted on: 08/13/2009 11:19
Richard on another topic said we should just pray because it is up to the people at gc - a joke that went around is no one is running for moderator this year - in some areas it is anyone but jim.
EZed
Posted on: 08/13/2009 11:21
*The Squirrel is exceptionally skilled at derailing threads.
DKS
Posted on: 08/13/2009 11:58
*The Squirrel is exceptionally skilled at derailing threads.
Whch confirms the rumour about the Squirrel and nuts.