Evangelism and revitalization focus of the Anglican Journal’s May issue

The May issue of the Anglican Journal is now online.

As editor Matthew Townsend points out in his editor’s letter, things are changing quickly in the era of COVID-19. This issue, which was put together by the Journal staff in mid-March, is focused dually on COVID-19 and its previously planned theme, evangelism and revitalization.

As Archbishop Linda Nicholls, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, points out in her monthly column, “the ‘e’ word” can be heard with some trepidation by Anglicans. We dug into what Anglicans think about evangelism—and how, according to some experts, the church might be uniquely poised to speak the gospel to society today.

Special to online, there are also interviews with two leading authorities in evangelism: Canon Stephanie Spellers, canon to the presiding bishop for evangelism, reconciliation and creation care in the U.S. Episcopal Church, and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, co-founder of The Simple Way intentional community and a key figure in the new monastic movement in the United States.

We also hear from National Indigenous Anglican Archbishop Mark MacDonald, who looks back on early church history to see how Christianity grew amidst pandemics—a topic immediately relevant to today.

Turning to COVID-19 news, we check in with the leaders of an Anglican Chinese ministry at St. George on Yonge in Toronto, to see how the virus has affected their community, first through friends and family in China and then at home in Canada. Anglicans wondering how to pray in this time may find comfort and guidance in their experience. The primate also offers words of comfort in her reflection on the question, “Where is God in the midst of suffering?” and Archbishop Mark MacDonald writes a pastoral letter to the Indigenous churches and disciples across the land.

Finally, you’ll find a few items of news from the meeting of Council of General Synod (CoGS) in mid-March: the initiation of a conversation on diocesan giving, as well as a call for members of the Anglican Church of Canada to help shape the national church’s next strategic plan. And in “Freely Received, Freely Given”—our ongoing look at how funds donated to the church support mission, programs and ministries—we share news of training for the launch of a parenting program in the diocese of Moosonee, with the help of the Anglican Foundation of Canada.

You can read the entire issue in PDF form here or in article form on anglicanjournal.com. You can also find the latest coverage of COVID-19 news and opinion here.