BACTalk - JULY 2004

Gentlemen

Having been recently elected as your President for 2004 and 2005, I have been asked to give a "Presidents" report which I presume means spouting some words of wisdom about what my leadership of the Brotherhood Of Anglican Churchmen means to me. First, let me say that I am not a great teacher or philosopher and probably each of you knows more about the Anglican Church and the Bible than I ever will. Having said that, the BAC has a special meaning for me and the way I direct my life.

Throughout my life I have been raised in the church and committed to the teachings of our Lord but never really thought of that as anything special until the last couple of years. Through Sunday School, Junior Choir, AYPA, Servers, Senior Choir, Peoples Warden, Rectors Warden and the BAC, I have always thought that "you do what you gotta do" to help your church grow or survive. I haven’t read the Bible from cover to cover but I know what it says and it tells me what I need to do to spread the word of Jesus. We have just recently returned from our Annual mtg. & Conf. in Sarnia where we listened to Canon Harold Percy telling us we need to be proclaiming the "Word Of Jesus" not just reciting prayers once a week in an old building.

Okay, now that I’ve got that out of the way, the gloves are coming off. I want to challenge each and every man in our parishes in the Diocese to step up to the plate and make it known that you believe in the Gospel of Jesus and that you are going to fight to teach our young people what we believe. I’m not interested in special interest groups and pseudo-christians wanting to use the church as a means to legitimize their cause. I’m not even interested in clergy that view teaching the Gospel of Jesus as a "career" rather than a calling. I’ve been blessed with direct teaching from seven priests in my life. Two I don’t remember, one was a write-off, four have had a very direct impact on my life at various stages.

We are having a Visioning Day on Sept.11, 2004 (ironic date) at Huron Church Camp and it would please me to no end to have 200 men show up to voice their opinion on what the BAC means to them. Remember what your church means to you. We are not the ACW, the Junior or Senior Choir but the Men of the Anglican Church. I mentioned earlier that my life has changed in the last couple of years, meaning that not many people get to meet the one that is guiding their life (not once but twice) and I keep asking myself everyday.... why me. In the words of one of my favourite recording artists (Randy Travis), "I’m gonna have a little talk with Jesus when I get home to-night". So there you have it "gentlemen". I need your help and guidance to steer this dream over the next 2 years. Let’s borrow our secretary’s ending and go W.U.G.L.E. together.

To Serve our Lord

Mike C.

 

Retiring Chaplain’s Report to B. A. C. Diocesan Executive Council

March 13, 2004

Gentlemen:

I write this report with mixed feelings. since 1978, I have had, by and large, a rewarding relationship with Council and have been privileged to serve in all positions with the exception of Treasurer. Perhaps it is for that reason that I have found this report very difficult to write.

When one has been around that long, and is now getting 'long in the tooth’, there is a tendency to look at things in comparison to "the way things used to be." There are both advantages and disadvantages to this view. On the one hand, in order to grow, there needs to be some acceptance of change; on the other hand, change should always move us forward. There are just a few areas I would like to comment on as I leave you in the capable hands of your new Chaplain, the Rev. Canon Robin Lyons.

The Chaplaincy. I realize that for too long you were required to operate without an active Chaplain's participation and, as a result, you were required to move ahead with such things as conference planning on your own. Thanks to Bishop Howe and Chaplain Robin, that phase is now past. I trust that you will include Robin in future conference planning, particularly in the area of worship. While there is nothing wrong with involving local clergy in conference worship, it might be nice for the membership of the Brotherhood to have their Chaplain involved as well.

Conference Planning. If the 'target group' for the annual conference is to continue to be the men of the diocese, Council should decide whether or not they wish to have some input into the program and format. Provision was made some years ago for that to happen, and a Conference Co-ordinator was put in place as liaison between the local committee and Council. Whatever structure and/or process is chosen, it would be good to have such clearly stated so that everyone is on the same page.

Membership and Communication. As recent Council meetings have shown, this is an area that needs to be addressed. If the intent is to continue without a Membership and communications Secretary, the Constitution and By-Laws should be amended accordingly. When the position was instituted, the feeling was that there were definite advantages to having one person with responsibility for both areas, and I think most would agree that it worked well. The present system, it seems to me, needs some work. E-mail may work well for a lot of things but, when it comes to membership and the need to keep track of paid members and chapters, it' s hard to beat a list of names and addresses that comes in the mail to one person accompanied by a cheque.

Witness, Unite, Grow, Lead, Extend, and Build a Growing Christian Community. If these are to continue to be the Aims and objects of the Brotherhood of Anglican Churchmen in the Diocese of Huron, our Council needs to set an example. If we do not actively promote and encourage membership in the B. A. C., we do not really have grounds for bemoaning the lack of growth. The formation of new chapters, normally, requires some effort on the part of Council; it's not often that we have a situation such as the men of All Saints, Waterloo, who took the initiative on their own.

Know what you're about. We have a Handbook for guidance; we should know what is in it. I have to admit that I was dumbfounded when All Saints, Waterloo, inquired about forming a chapter and our Executive Committee did not appear to know how to apply for a charter.

Money. We have heard a lot at Council meetings about money or, more accurately, the lack of money. Income is tied to membership; no change in membership means no change in income. Expenses, on the other hand, keep rising. We keep hearing that the membership will not accept an increase in membership fees. Perhaps expenses could be cut by having fewer Council meetings.. It may also be time that the membership was asked what they want for their membership dollar. Five dollars does not buy much these days; I, for one, don't know of any other organization where you can become a member for less than a lot of folks spend on coffee in a week.

Approved Projects. Prior to the Annual General Meeting, some decision should be made regarding financial support of approved projects. The motion approved last year, while providing equal funding'. is not sustainable with present membership.

Visioning Day. Regardless of where we might like to lay blame for the delay in getting this day organized, the fact remains that two years is too long. The latest word I have is that it now looks likely to be scheduled for September. Good. This could be an important day for the future of the B. A. C. in our diocese. My hope is that it will be well-publicized and that a wide cross-section of the men of the diocese will be encouraged to attend and participate.

Assets and Resources. This is about the fifth re-write of this report because I felt the previous attempts appeared too negative. Some of you may think this one is also, but it is not meant to be. It is offered as constructive criticism, if you will. The Brotherhood of Anglican Churchmen in the Diocese of Huron has tremendous assets and resources in present and former members of Diocesan Executive Council, in the membership of the B. A. C., and in our Bishops and clergy. And, as you have heard me say before, our greatest untapped resource is in the men of the diocese who, as yet, are not members of our organization. We should not be hesitant to draw on our resources when we need them, nor should we be reluctant to make the best use of our assets, even if that means doing things in a way that is different and not the traditional way.

Thank You. It has been both a privilege and a pleasure to serve as your Diocesan Chaplain for the past two years, just as it was to serve on council in other positions for what some folks probably think was too long. The key word in that long sentence was serve. If you remember nothing else from this report, I want you to remember that word. My participation in the B. A. C. has always been a matter of service - to Christ, His Church, and the membership. My prayer is that your participation may be on the same basis because, if it is, the future of the Brotherhood is in good hands and can only move forward. Thank you.

Blessings,

The Rev. Dennis Cluley,
Diocesan Chaplain (Retired)

GOOD KARMA

This is nice reading, but short. Enjoy! This is what the Dalai Lama has to say for 2004. All it takes is a few seconds to read and think over. Do not keep this message. The mantra leave our hands within 96 hrs. You will get a very pleasant surprise. This is true for all - even if you are not superstitious .... or of what ever religious belief ... Faith ...

INSTRUCTIONS FOR LIFE

Take into account the great love and great achievements involve great risk.
When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.  Follow the three R’s

Respect yourself
Respect for others
Responsibility for all of your actions

Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck..

Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly..

Don’t let a little dispute injure a great relationship.

When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it..

Spend some time alone every day..

Open arms to change, but don’t let go of your values..

Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer..

Live a good, honourable life. Then when you get older and think back,
you’ll be able to enjoy it second time..

A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life..

In disagreements with loved ones, deal with only the current situation.

Don’t bring up the past..

Share your knowledge.  It’s a way to achieve immortality.

Be gentle with the earth..

Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been..

Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each
other exceeds your need for each other..

Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it..

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon..