Displays show wide range of church life

The Anglican Book Centre sold books … and golf shirts. Nuns talked about their vocation. Theological students talked of their colleges. Supporters and opponents of same-sex blessings offered their views. Fabric artists displayed vestments. Anglican Journal gave away water bottles.

During breaks at synod, delegates wandered across the hall from the gymnasium where the plenary sessions were held to a hall that contained about 60 display booths reflecting a wide range of Anglican activity.

The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund, under a giant sign announcing its new initiative on AIDS in Africa, collected donations and informed synod members of its work.

Anglican Book Centre manager Dan Graves said that a new biography of former primate Archbishop Edward “Ted” Scott, Radical Compassion, sold particularly well, as did videos about former primate Archbishop Michael Peers and about the sacrament of baptism. Shirts bearing the Anglican Church of Canada’s crest also attracted attention, he said.

Men and women in the distinctive robes of their orders hosted the Conference of Anglican Religious Orders booth.

Both Integrity, an organization of gay Anglicans and supporters, and the traditionally-minded Essentials group maintained booths, as they have for the past several synods. Essentials invited delegates to bring their lunches to a tent on campus where dessert was served and Integrity was generally acknowledged to have the widest range of nibbles, from Smarties to trail mix.

Kendra Hastie, at a booth sponsored by the Anglican youth program, Ask and Imagine, said interest picked up after director Judy Steers spoke about the program on the plenary floor in connection with the church’s strategic plan. The plan calls for youth conferences.

Anglican Journal had free water bottles for thirsty delegates, checked subscription information and educated delegates on its work and mandate.

Volunteers In Mission, a church program that sends volunteers overseas, “piqued people’s interest” with their booth, said volunteer Lorna Reevely.