Executive Council Welcomes Ascension Church as Ministry of Edmonton Diocese

The Executive Council has authorized Bishop Stephen London to develop a Deed of Recognition for the Ascension Church of South India as a Recognized Ministry of the Diocese of Edmonton.

At the June 19th meeting of the Executive Council, the Rev. Canon Scott Sharman briefly described the history of the Church of South India (CSI), an ecumenical partnership of Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian and Reformed Christians. A member of the Anglican Communion, the CSI includes 24 dioceses and 4.5 million people of different social backgrounds. The Most Rev. Thomas Oommen, CSI, Moderator from the Madhya Kerala diocese, visited the Edmonton diocese in 2018 to lead a confirmation service at All Saints’ Cathedral with then Bishop Jane Alexander. 

The Ascension Church is a congregation of the CSI located in the Edmonton diocese, though governed by a foreign diocese. As a recognized ministry, its relationship with the Edmonton diocese will be modelled on similar arrangements created in the dioceses of Toronto and New Westminster.

Executive Council guests Alpha Zachariah and Mimi Abraham, members of the Ascension Church, shared the history of the Ascension congregation, which was formed in 2016. The congregation initially worshipped at St. Luke’s and is now at St. Augustine’s of Canterbury, Edmonton, with a core membership of about 30 families. A priest licensed in the New Westminster diocese commutes here for a service every second week. 

There was discussion about whether the proposed ministry would be held to the standards of our diocese regarding, for example, acceptance of the 2SLTBTQ+ community. Bishop Steve indicated that they will be expected not to undermine those standards. The priest would be called from South India but licensed in the Edmonton diocese and subject to our Bishop. 

In recent years, the Edmonton diocese has increasingly entered into ministry arrangements that do not fit the definition of a parish, prompting the introduction of and adoption of Canon 13 by the 69th Synod last fall. Sharman noted, in response to a question from the Executive Council, that recognition of the ministry could be an interim step towards eventual parish status. 

As a Recognized Ministry, CSI will have representation in synod but will not be subject to diocesan apportionment, though they may choose to contribute financially to the diocese.