Training Labourers for the Harvest

A letter from Bishop Charlie about the development of a diocesan theological college.

My dear members of ANiC,

You may remember in my Charge to Synod last year, that I spoke of my keen desire, in the final days of my calling as Diocesan, to address how we ensure we are always preparing a growing team of labourers for the harvest: ministers who are Biblically faithful, Gospel sharing, filled with the Holy Spirit, loving the Anglican way and heritage, thoroughly equipped for every good work, trained for church planting, and who are well able to handle accurately the Word of truth. To that end, you may have heard that I have appointed an excellent Diocesan Task Force, under the leadership of Bishop Stephen Leung, which is commissioned to design a comprehensive Diocesan strategy for the recruitment, discernment of call, theological training, strategic deployment, and ongoing care of our clergy.

In keeping with this, I have also had the clear and growing sense that our ANiC clergy need to be formed in a comprehensively Anglican way which is reflective of what is sometimes described as the ‘three-streams’ nature of our diocese. I believe that to fulfill this it is necessary that we have a Diocesan Theological College. This college would be residential, and clearly representative of the Catholic, Evangelical and Charismatic traditions within Anglicanism. It would be a college for the training of both women and men. It would facilitate Anglican spiritual formation which would be centered on the chapel life of the college – with the regiment of daily Morning and Evening Prayer, and Feast Day Eucharists. The academic program would be primarily the study of the Scriptures (including Biblical languages) together with church history and historical theology. In keeping with our diocesan vision there will also be a focus on church planting and a commitment to our five priorities.

I confess the extraordinary and gracious provision to Good Samaritan Church of a large building in the heart of the city of St. John’s, Newfoundland has given me a sense that the Lord is wanting to do a very special thing there, and perhaps this is where our Diocesan Theological College might be housed. I have written to Good Samaritan and asked if they would be willing to house such a college and allow theological students to be involved in the Good Samaritan worship and outreach while studying at the college. Their Parish Council has unanimously endorsed such an idea.

So, I have appointed a working group, chaired by Canon David Short, which is working on the possibility of launching a Diocesan College in St. John’s. An anonymous donation has allowed the diocese to hire the very gifted and experienced Dr. Gary Graber as Advisor to the Bishop on Theological Education. Dr. Graber is a member of the working group and he is considering the accreditation and legal requirements of launching a new college. He will present a paper to me with his findings by September 1, 2021.

I am writing to you dear friends because I would greatly appreciate your prayer and interest in these important developments.

In my tenure as Diocesan, I began with a deep sense—which I believe was from the Lord—that I was to give myself as Bishop towards promoting what I called five priorities. Ever since then we have been praying and labouring that these five priorities: bold witnesses, biblically grounded, loving children and youth into the kingdom, on mission, and planting and growing churches would become transformational realities in every ANiC congregation. These five continue to be my passion and deep concern. I am extremely grateful for how we as a Diocese and as congregations of ANiC have grown more and more in these five areas. As long as I am Bishop I intend to promote the five priorities and ask you to continue to pray and do so as well.

What I want you to understand in this letter is that just as I felt I was led by the Lord to promote the five priorities during my tenure as Bishop, so now, as we continue to pray and labour in that direction, I am convinced that addressing the training of labourers for the harvest as a diocese is absolutely essential. I believe it’s essential to fulfilling those five priorities, to ensuring we remain faithful to the Bible, and to facilitating consistent growth as we seek to make disciples of all nations by building Biblically faithful, Gospel sharing, Anglican churches across the continent.

Since Synod 2020, I have shared my vision and growing burden for the establishment of a Diocesan Theological College with the House of Bishops, ANiC Council, our Archdeacons and of course with Bishop Stephen’s newly formed Task Force on Ordination, Clergy Training and Theological Education. All have been tremendously encouraging. Our House of Bishops has been providing wise counsel as to how to proceed. 

We are just beginning. We understand this is an immense and complex challenge but I am convinced we are to head in this direction and let the Lord confirm what is His “good and acceptable and perfect will”. (Romans 12:2)

Please pray with us. We will try to give you updates along the way as we ask the Lord of the Harvest to raise up labourers for His Harvest. (Matthew 9:37,38)

Every blessing,

+Charlie

The Right Reverend Charlie Bishop
Diocesan Bishop