Stories from those who attended Assembly 2010 in Antalya Turkey. Moving Beyond Antalya It was General Assembly 2010. I went there, I returned. God gave me an opportunity, I seized it. I brought back an experience which marked my life. More... Thu, 2 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500 C'était l'Assemblée Générale 2010 . . . J'y suis allée, j'en suis revenue; en d'autres mots, j'ai ramené une expérience qui a marqué ma vie. Dieu m'a donné une opportunité, je l'ai saisie, et le résultat m'amène ici, dans le magazine de l'Alliance. Thu, 2 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500 The Committee of Credentials examined the delegate report list and certified that there were 518 accredited delegates of whom 387 were official workers and 131 were lay delegates. In addition there were 132 corresponding delegates, 108 family and friends and 20 intercessors. The total number of participants in this Assembly, from all categories, was 778. LEGISLATION General Bylaws Amended the General Bylaws to clarify the start of the term of the President Article III, Section 1 has been amended to read (final paragraph) The term of office for elected members shall not exceed six years with one-third of the Board elected at each General Assembly. Persons are eligible for a further term of service on the Board after a lapse of four years following the completion of the last term. The term of office of the President shall commence on August 1 following his election. Corporate Bylaws Did not amend the Corporate Bylaws, leaving the term of office for the President at four years, rather than six. The four-year term will continue to apply to District Superintendents. District Constitution Amended the District Constitution to identify the composition of the Committee on Nominations Article II (Organization and Government, Section 4 - Elections/Appointments has been amended to read (with the existing subsections being renumbered accordingly) 1. Committee on Nominations. The District Committee on Nominations shall be composed of Chair, Vice Chair and Secretary who shall be elected by the District Conference two years before the conference at which they will report, plus three other members appointed by the District Executive Committee. Local Church Constitution Amended the Local Church Constitution to use wording approved by Canada Revenue Agency and to clarify the necessary approval for Church bylaws. Article XII (Property and Records, Section 1 - Property has been amended to read (with the existing sub-sections following) This church will be operated without purpose of gain for its members, and any profits or other assets of the organization will be used solely to promote its objectives. Real property may be acquired, disposed of, improved or encumbered by order of the Board, subject to the approval of the membership and the District Executive Committee. Article XV - Bylaw has been amended to read Church bylaws may not be in conflict with this Constitution. Bylaws and subsequent revisions become valid upon adoption by a majority of the votes cast at a duly called meeting of members and approval of the District Executive Committee. A copy of the bylaws must be filed with the district. Elected the following to the Board of Directors Term: 2010-2012 (2-year term) Jeofre Barrun Official Worker Canadian Pacific District Term: 2012-2018 (6-year term) Lorne Fredlund Official Worker Western Canadian District Laura Hahn Official Worker Western Canadian District Wilson Kaan Official Worker Canadian Pacific District Enoch Wong Lay Person Eastern Canadian District Continuing members of the Board of Directors Term 2008 - 2012 (4-year term with two years remaining) Frank Jeske Official Worker Canadian Midwest District Norma Reynolds Lay Person Canadian Midwest District Mike Wilkins Official Worker Central Canadian District Term 2008-2014 (6-year term with four years remaining) Michael Gagnon Official Worker St. Lawrence District Gerry Gould Official Worker Eastern Canadian District Sharon Howell Official Worker International Worker Steve Kerr Official Worker Central Canadian District Elected the following to the General Assembly 2012 Committee on Nominations Bruce Edwards First Alliance Church Toronto Chair Brent Trask Rockpointe Church Calgary Vice Chair David Anderson Meadow Lake Alliance Church Saskatchewan Secretary Process for Electing the President and Process for Electing District Superintendents Adopted revised Process for Electing the President and Process for Electing the District Superintendents (Revised documents are posted on the C&MA website under Resources). FINANCE Assembly approved the audited financial statements for 2009, approved the budget for 2010 and adopted the 2010 Faith Goal of $13,620,000. STRATEGIC PLAN The Committee report challenged all members of the C&MA in Canada: "to live out the corporate and personal call of God as expressed by our leadership and affirmed by the constituency: labouring in love to live out our unity as it is expressed and mobilized in our diversity." Assembly adopted the following resolutions: That the Board of Directors evaluates the effectiveness of holding General Assembly outside of Canada including road trips with a view to the potential of more regularly conducting General Assembly outside of Canada. That the President, with clear input from all parties involved, provide an interim report on the progress of the Seamless Link pilot project to General Assembly 2012. That the President, in partnership with the District Superintendents, investigate and implement a way to respond to the justice and compassion needs of our nation. ROUND TABLES The Round Table discussions examined the present statement on ordination. A number of issues were identified that need clarification. The President outlined a path for future discussion on the issue of ordination and whether our understanding of ordination has gender implications. A large percentage of participants indicated that the discussion should continue. Wed, 19 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500 A cash donation from General Assembly delegates in Turkey, amounting to $10,000, has been delivered to the Canadian Embassy in Turkey, and our Ambassador has passed it on to a local charity of which he approves, for earthquake relief in Elazig. Elazig, in the eastern part of Turkey, was hit by an earthquake just as delegates from across Canada were gathering for the first-ever overseas General Assembly in Antalya, Turkey. During the course of one evening service a spontaneous cash offering for quake victims was held. During the following evening's service, Canadian Alliance President Dr. Franklin Pyles informed Turkish Minister of Culture Gemal Tekkanat and Canadian Ambassador to Turkey Mark Bailey, that the money would be forwarded via the embassy . The money will be used for shelter, food, heating and other needs to help victims "get back on track". The Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada has been active in compassion and relief activities this year, generously donating funds for victims of a number of natural disasters including the earthquake in Haiti. Tue, 18 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500 Three St. Lawrence District Networks (Greater Montreal, Eastern Quebec and Greater Quebec City) have organized rallies to call members to celebrate God's action in our midst, to envision what is ahead for our coming District Conference (Encounter at the Summit) in Gatineau (May 27-29 2011) and to get a taste of our calling to serve the nations and being "Christians and churches without frontiers" by listening to the passions and renewing of the Spirit of God who has worked in our delegates to Assembly 2010 and the Road Trips. Montreal churches had a Regional Encounter at the Summit on April 24th, Eastern Quebec (May 7-9) and Quebec (June 19). We were quite blessed with the outcomes in Montreal. Wed, 12 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500 In the fall of 1984, I received a call—not just any call mind you—it was an invitation from God to join him in his plan to redeem the world. At the time, I did not fully grasp what he was asking me to do, but in time it became clearer. Later, while in training at Bible College, as I watched a movie (The Mission) God invited me to follow him no matter where, no matter what the cost. This invitation caused me to begin to see, not only the immense world that was outside of my tiny sphere, but also the spiritual blindness of this world. It was as I began to process this, that I committed myself to going to one of the places where the light shone the least. After a time serving in a local church, the time came to go to one of these places, the Province of Québec, and 12 years later, I find myself continuing to serve alongside of others from the body of Christ, as we seek to increase God's light here. I have a renewed passion to be a catalyst for this kind of involvement This is all to say, I get missions, I get the spiritual need that permeates the world—the need to hear and be transformed by the gospel. Yet, I believe that whenever one is surrounded by great need, it is very easy to become consumed by this need, to lose oneself in the endless details of trying to meet these needs. It is therefore, easy to forget the bigger picture, to forget the great need beyond the need that is staring you in the face. And it is from this "comfort" that I was forced out in order to consider going to Turkey. Beyond the initial financial hurdle, I asked myself questions like: "Why do you need to go to Turkey? You have already travelled to a number of different countries and have experienced a number of different cultures. You already understand missions—after all, you have a master's degree in "missiology" and have been an official worker with the C&MA for the last 12 years—so what great impact could this trip have? Of course it will be good for others—particularly those who haven't yet been on a missions trip…but why me?" And as I asked these questions, God simply opened the doors in front of me, and invited me to go. So I went. And I'm so glad I did! Throughout the voyage, whether the hours on the plane, the food, the people, the clothing, the smells, the landscape, the regular calls to prayer, the blatant poverty and everything else that made up this experience, I was reminded again and again that out there, beyond Québec, lies a huge world in need. There remains much more darkness than light—and there are places in this world even darker than Québec—much darker. The reality is that Québec is beginning to shine brighter and brighter. Slowly but surely, the Church in Québec is growing. As I think about the Montreal Canadiens, and their 2010 play-off series with Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals (on paper the superior team), I observed that in the games that they lost, they started the game very well—made some amazing headway, and were up sometimes as much as 3-4 goals. They got the early goals because they put an emphasis on "offense". But when they got the lead, they began to sit-back and put their energy into holding on to what they had, instead of trying to get more—taking a more "defensive" position. Ultimately, it was this "defensive" approach that caused them to lose their games. I believe that in this moment, we, as the Church in Québec, are advancing and gaining momentum. We are on the "offensive", and we are beginning to win the battle. However, we need to maintain this "offensive" mentality; we cannot afford to take a "defensive" approach and simply try to protect what we have (a particularly popular strategy in recent years in Québec). No, we cannot relent—we must advance—if not, we will lose our "lead". One of the most strategic things that we can do as the Church in Québec, is get involved in what God wants to do in the larger world, to deliberately add our "light" to those dark areas of the world. This can only serve to strengthen, not only the Church, but the vision to carry out the mandate that God gave us, to be his witnesses in "…Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the utter ends of the earth." In returning home from Turkey, I have a renewed passion to be a catalyst for this kind of involvement, helping others, not only catch a vision for God's plan for his church to carry the gospel to the nations, but to live this vision out as well. Wed, 5 May 2010 00:00:00 -0500 Our family (myself, Janice our daughter and son) all went to Turkey to attend the conference and then went on a road trip for 8 days after. First I want to thank you and your administration for the opportunity to have been able to do this. This has been a life-changing experience for us. God used this trip to open up our minds to the great work being done by our International Workers and to create an awareness of what it takes for them on a personal level and also on a corporate level to make this ministry happen. Both my wife and I were saved in 1980 and have attended the Alliance pretty much since then. We have always been aware of the missions focus of our corporate church and have always enjoyed the many visits we have had by International Workers over the years. But I must say nothing has caused us to understand like we do now since our trip. God used this in a big way to cause all of us who went on the trip to understand more deeply and to speak to us individually on what He wants us to be doing now. We all feel this experience will change our church as it has changed us. We are praying for this to be God's plan as we move into the future. We think the idea of our conference being held in Turkey and then as many as could visiting the workers in their places of ministry after the conference was a fantastic idea. One I want to encourage you and the C&MA to consider doing again. And I don't mean in 20 years from now. I think the excitement this has created in our church and the desire by others to do this as well now, is a great way for our church to be rekindled and revive the desire to support the Global Advance Fund. If we are serious about our faith in God and His great commission then supporting the Global Advance Fund not only monetarily but in so many other ways now is a great opportunity we need to embrace. I think hosting our conferences in areas where our workers are is a good way of getting us more intimately involved in this work. Hope to see future opportunities along these lines and just wanted to encourage you today and thank you for your forward thinking vision. Tue, 27 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0500 General Assembly 2010 is now history...but our prayer is also that it has made history. As we spent months praying, planning and preparing, our deep desire was that this would not be a trip that would be only interesting, exotic and fun. We were challenged, encouraged, amazed and blessed by the Word of God brought to us, the good connections between the International Workers and great folks from Canada and the spirit of collaboration and passion that was present. ~ Richard E. Mon, 26 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0500 GATHERING People stream to the gathering place - urgency, expectation in their steps. Silhouetted against the lighted door they pass, rejoicing in their unity, anticipating the Spirit's presence, with ears that hear what He says to the churches - How beautiful is the Body of Christ! THIN PLACES (Jon Buller 's term) At times like this - God's people gathered to worship, making a joyful noise, exuberant in praise, humble in obedience, weeping with joy because our sins have been forgiven - At times like this the layer between heaven and earth, divine and human, God's Spirit and our spirits, becomes very thin - so thin that we can almost see Him as He sees us. OUT OF CONTROL (confessions of an orientationally-challenged intercessor at the Maritim) I feel uneasy, unsettled - everything's going wrong! Tears threaten, help seems distant, I feel alone, even with people all around - they don't seem to see me. I'm disoriented and loose from familiar moorings. When I ask for directions they don't understand - I don't understand! Help me, Jesus! "Child of mine, trust me! I am trying to change you, to prune away your selfishness. I'm letting you be unsettled, unsure, insecure and out of control. Now you are softer in your need, and I will be able to break you gently to weep for the people of Turkey." FALTERING WARRIOR I feel like a failure, My prayers have dried up. On my knees I fall asleep… God, help me! I'm supposed to do a job here - I'm here to intercede! Holy Spirit, breathe new strength into my weakness… give me an insight from the Word… something…anything! I turn to Daniel - he was a "prayer warrior" - maybe he'll have a word for me in my need. "O, king, we can't tell you your dream! Only the gods know, and they don't dwell with human beings," the wizards pleaded in fear. John said… "The Word became flesh and lived among us, full of grace and truth." Thank You, Spirit - Jesus knows all about my fears and failures. He is one of us! FOR INDIVIDUALS IN THE CHURCH IN TURKEY (based on Revelation 3:7-13) Before you is an open door and only One has the key to close it. Though your strength be small, you have been faithful and obedient. I see you - I know how you struggle and persevere to please Me. I love you everlastingly! Those people who are against you and your faith will end up submitting, admitting that you are my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Hope in Me - I am coming soon! Protect, guard with your life our precious relationship. I am transforming you into a strong, graceful pillar inscribed, "This one belongs to Me!" And soon, written on your heart, a precious secret between you and Me, will be your new name! WAILING WALL Tourists mingle with Jewish pilgrims; bar mitzvah celebrations for young boys, being feted with music, dance and trays of sweets; old bent women with watery eyes, beside young devout ones whose lips move and bodies sway gently to the cadence of their Hebrew prayers; mothers with babies in strollers, and toddlers by the hand; men and boys wearing white yarmulkes or black Orthodox garb; lined with the devout and the curious the Wall rears its massive limestone blocks, crevices filled with fluttering bits of paper - I, too, touch the cold, rough stone, and pray, "Jesus, please come soon - have mercy on the inhabitants of this Holy City. May they not miss the day of your visitation a second time." GOING TO BETHLEHEM We ride in a sleek, air-conditioned bus, not on a donkey. We enter through a security checkpoint complete with uniformed police carrying AK 47s, not under the harsh scrutiny of mounted Roman soldiers bearing swords. We walk through a gauntlet of honking cars and hawking vendors selling olivewood nativity carvings, gaudy beads, bottled water and "Jerusalem" caps, not through a seething mass of anxious humanity, angered by more taxation. We check in to sleep at a five star, high-rise hotel, not to bed down and give birth in a stable. Mon, 26 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0500 Assembly in Antalya, Turkey March 14 - 21 a beautiful spot on the Mediterranean speakers who brought Paul's biography and journeys in Turkey to life deepening a regard for Paul's writings buoyed by a powerpoint, compliments, and retirement gift to me indepth conversations and interactions with many pastors, lay people, and international workers (thanks for coming Pastor Tom and Connie!) challenging dynamic presentations and speakers in the evening services a memorable trip to Aspendos - restored Roman ruins breakfast with Sami Dagher uplifting worship by over 700 men and women, singing led by a worship band from Vernon pride in our denomination for its continuing focus on reaching others thankful to be able to play a part in the grand scheme of things Wed, 7 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0500 The Alliance will celebrate its 125th anniversary in 2012 with the ninth quadrennial meeting of the Alliance World Fellowship (AWF). The Quadrennial is an international convention, drawing together Alliance churches and representatives from across the world. AWF President Arie Verduijn (Holland) made the announcement to Canadian Assembly delegates meeting in Antalya, Turkey. The last quadrennial, in 2008, was held in Santiago, Chile. Although plans are still in process, the expectation is that the meeting will be held in May, in Toronto. Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500 General Assembly 2010 opened with a passionate and challenging message aimed at the more than 780 delegates gathered in Antalya. Dr. Franklin Pyles, President of The Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada reminded delegates that they were meeting at the place where Paul, Barnabas and a young John Mark began their first ministry journey, preaching to the unreached peoples of what is now known as Turkey. He reflected on how we, today, with the benefit of hindsight, would have been thrilled to participate in that "first call"; how we would probably not have deserted early in that call as the youthful John Mark did. He reminded delegates—many of whom have been visiting various parts of ancient Turkey—of the rugged Taurus Mountains overlooking Antalya and that Paul would have walked over the Rocky Mountain-like terrain. But instead of longing wistfully to have been part of that "first call", Dr. Pyles told delegates, they should rejoice that they—and the Church across Canada and around the world—is privileged to be part of the "last call". We are, he said, living out the last days of biblical history, seeing prophecies fulfilled. It is our job to do what Paul did—answer the call and reach out to the unreached people groups of the world—before the King returns. Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500 Dr. Franklin Pyles, President, gave his report to General Assembly on Wednesday, March 17. Included in the report were the following announcements: Prayer Initiative In the past we set aside one week in the spring as a World Week of Prayer. This has been used by God and had a profound impact on Alliance ministries in Canada and around the world. We rejoice in this. But such is our conviction that prayer must be an even greater cornerstone in our renewal, that this year we are moving to a new program. Our annual Prayer Directory is being updated and changed. The directory portion will be uploaded to our web pages and Alliance personnel will be able to access the information online. The Prayer component of the directory will be refocused into a more comprehensive and lasting "Alliance Month of Prayer" which will be rescheduled for October each year. Accompanying it will be new resources and stories that will show you what God is doing in the nations of the world and how you can participate in prayer. Watch for more information on this new prayer initiative coming this fall, and plan to involve your church, small groups, youth and other ministries in this time of concentrated prayer. Catching the Wind of the Spirit The term "holiness" is all-encompassing. What does it mean to be holy? How does one move towards a holiness-filled life? Our brother Rev. Sunder Krishnan has tackled this topic with his usual profound scholarly and biblical approach coupled with practical understanding. I am pleased that we have been able to work with Pastor Krishnan and with WingSpread Publishers in the United States to produce a special DVD and book package titled "Catching the Wind of the Spirit." It began as a Canadian Alliance project to produce six DVD's that contain 10 messages from Sunder covering everything from worship to outrageous giving. The project so excited WingSpread that they asked Sunder for a book and study guide on the topic and asked us to participate with them in producing the whole package for distribution to the church universal. This project will be released this spring. More information on this will be sent to our churches. Lifelong Learning Both the Lifelong Learning and Foundations of Ministry programs are now in the first stages of operation. They are the result of wide-ranging consultations between our District Superintendents, Ambrose University College and various specially appointed work groups. I have no doubt whatsoever that we will see the impact of these programs reflected in exciting and creative ways through the years. They are foundational in our drive to develop new, empowered leaders who guide us in the years to come. It is programs like these that will infuse the church with enthusiastic, creative, passionate and motivated pastors and international workers. And that should give us pause to praise God and thank him for such a time as this. Alliance.ca Magazine The concept of "rebuild" encapsulates a total mindset. It is not just about developing new programs or strategies; it is about building links between people, sharing ideas and resources, building each other up spiritually, emotionally, mentally and physically. In this past year-and-a-half since General Assembly in Ottawa, we have put some building blocks into place. Communication and resource sharing is a key component. In Ottawa we told you our new magazine Alliance.ca would be forthcoming. We are thrilled with the positive comments and reception our magazine has received. This is a tool for your church. It is not just for pastors, though we hope you will enjoy it and find the articles useful. Rather, it is for the entire church—everyone who enters your building and joins you in worship. Encourage your people to pick up a copy of the magazine when it is sent to your church. Better yet, have your ushers or your young people hand it out to them on their way out of the Sunday morning service. Make sure you order enough copies for your congregation and then let them know that it is available for them - free of charge. Tell them they can also ask to have their copy sent to their own home - also free of charge. If you want to go back and re-read articles in previous issues, they are available on our website. This is a distinctly Canadian magazine, telling the Alliance story from our perspective, with our people, our stories and our unique viewpoint. Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500 The St. Lawrence District sends out a challenge Jean Martin from Institut Biblique V.I.E., our leadership training school in Quebec, says "(We will) accompany our two dozen St. Lawrence District delegates on their 'Turkey and beyond' adventure to Niger, Poland, France, Serbia....To no one's surprise, our delegation is once more the smallest at General Assembly. But district delegates aim at coming out on top in the area of learning to listen to God in times of world opportunities. We intend to learn as we hit the road. What counts is not how long you are on the road, nor how far you travel, nor even how many you are. For IBVIE and the St. Lawrence District, what counts is what you learn and can transfer back into the sending church. Integrating one's own learning into one's local church is the key to a real seamless link. So in that regard, let it be known that IBVIE and the St. Lawrence District delegates are issuing a godly challenge to the other delegates! Let us learn, integrate and transfer back into our local churches what God is doing in our lives." Sat, 20 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0500 Albertans meet to "move beyond Antalya" Ron Brown in Calgary tells us that invitations will be sent to all 250 Albertans attending Assembly. They will be invited to come together in three locations (Calgary, Edmonton and Grand Prairie) to reflect and listen to each other "on what God was telling us during our Turkey plus road trip experience." The goal is to look at this experience and ask "how should we then live?" They will examine how they can do things differently and move forward with intention; "how best do we partner, to multiply and plant the gospel in new ways locally, nationally and globally." The events are scheduled for May 19, 20 and 21. Fri, 19 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0500 Several delegates shared with us their expectations of Assembly 2010: I am truly looking forward to what the Lord will do through the General Assembly. Evidently God is stirring up the missions passions for the many. May this be so from coast to coast (or better yet "Sea to Sea") and around the world as the Lord gives us missions strategies to reach a lost world through a revived church. ~ David C. We are attending Assembly 2010 as lay delegates. We are looking forward to connecting with each of our cluster international workers...We are going to Thailand with the Paton's...we've never met them. What a great opportunity! ~ Marilee J. Fri, 19 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0500 http://movingbeyondantalya.ca/newsstoriess3.php?command=viewArticle&ID=4¤tFeed=2