MISSISSAUGA, Canada, January 30, 2003 — They started arriving early this morning. Christians of every denominational stripe and from every corner of Canada came to the Delta Meadowvale Hotel and Conference Centre in Mississauga, for the first annual Connexions 2003 partnership training conference.
Old friends greeted each other with warm hugs, and strangers introduced themselves with handshakes. They exchanged business cards and jokes. They discussed their ministry problems and considered solutions. And all of that took place before the symposium had even begun.
| Billed as the first such conference for Canadian Catholic, Protestant and Evangelical ministry leaders, the three-day seminar attracted 110 registrants from 75 different Christian organizations nationally. |
Billed as the first such conference for Canadian Catholic, Protestant and Evangelical ministry leaders, the three-day seminar attracted 110 registrants from 75 different Christian organizations nationally. Connexions was designed to train Christian executive leaders in the theory and techniques of developing strategic alliances; a concept used for years by secular companies to build their businesses.
The Canadian Bible Society initiated the event
David Duncan, Chair of the Steering Committee planning the event, and Distribution Manager for The Canadian Bible Society, said the conference was birthed in the heart of the Bible Society two years ago. The Canadian Council of Churches, the Catholic Biblical Association of Canada, The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, The Salvation Army, Scripture Union and Wycliffe Bible Translators of Canada then partnered with the Bible Society to organize the conference.
Prior to his welcoming remarks, Rev. Glen Pitts, National Director of the Canadian Bible Society told Bible Network News, "A conference of this nature is long overdue. We're actually not just here to talk about unity and partnering, but to really begin to forge alliances."
It was clear early on that registrants weren't about to miss any opportunity for making such alliances. When Pitts invited those in the group to greet one another, the noise level in the room could only be described as a din.
'We're all in the cause of spreading the gospel together'
Ron Mainse, Vice-President, Partnering Ministry for Crossroads Christian Communications Inc., said he came primarily for the purpose of networking and connecting with leaders from other ministries. "We're all in the cause of spreading the gospel together," said Mainse, "so it's always good to join hands with others."
Pitts introduced Keynote speaker, Archbishop Marcel Gervais, commenting on the denominational diversity of those in attendance and reminding the group, "if we're going to work together, we've got to do it in love."
For his part, Gervais, a former chair of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, opened his remarks quoting Psalm 133, "How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity."
Noting the historical differences between Catholics and Protestants, the Archbishop commented that today, there remain many areas of living in which both groups are weak and defective. He said he suspects that the malaise affecting the Roman Catholic Church is affecting the Protestant Church also, and concluded, "We can be stronger together."
'I came to find ways to work together'
Following the keynote, Debra Gill, Executive Officer, Diocese of the Arctic, Anglican Church of Canada said, "I came, just like the Archbishop (said), to find ways that we can work together, regardless of our denominations."
Donald Peters, Executive Director of the Mennonite Central Committee Canada, travelled from Winnipeg hoping, "to learn from what other church groups are doing in development, particularly in the Northern part of Canada."
The Atlantic Baptist University in Moncton, New Brunswick sent Brian McArthur. He said he looked forward to exploring "what's happening across the national scene."
When asked to comment on the first two hours of the conference, McArthur added, "Good start. Good start."
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