Anglican Foundation Sunday celebrates investment in heritage, innovation

Anglicans across Canada are being invited to celebrate the first Anglican Foundation Sunday on May 2.

Dean John Wright, Anglican Foundation executive director, expressed the hope that the nationwide worship celebration “will give people a chance to learn more about the Foundation’s work and how their membership can make a difference.”

The idea for Anglican Foundation Sunday was presented to the House of Bishops in the fall of 2008 and affirmed.

Established in 1957, the Anglican Foundation has awarded more than $26 million in grants and loans to parishes across Canada for a wide variety of programs that range from bursaries for theological students to support for religious arts activities.

“This is a huge investment and one we are very proud of, but for every project we support I think of the dozens more that have gone unfunded and it makes me think about how much more we could accomplish through a strength-in-numbers approach and by working together,” said Dean Wright in a statement.

The Foundation is known for its support for repair and renovation of church buildings. “It is absolutely true that the Foundation has been a lifeline for the ongoing care and stewardship of our built heritage,” said Dean Wright. “But even this has largely been about helping churches overcome the physical barriers to expanding ministry.”

Now, the Anglican Foundation Board “is branching out into some truly innovative territory,” including support for projects like Fresh Expressions through The Institute of Evangelism at Wycliffe College, the Good Shepherd Project in the Diocese of Rupert’s Land and a virtual Sunday school program in the Council of the North.

The Foundation has prepared resources that can be used for the May 2 celebration.

A parish kit order form is available online at www.anglicanfoundation.org/parishkit.

For more information, contact: Michael Wilmot, administrative assistant, or Kavitha Gunaseelan, executive assistant, by phone, at (416) 924-9192 ext. 322 or 253, or via e-mail at [email protected]