The Induction of the Reverend Expedito Farinas as Rector of Bishop Hills’ Memorial Church St. Mary the Virgin (South Hill) on October 15th, 2013, wasn’t just the beginning of a new shared ministry but the outward manifestation of a faith community that loves God, loves each other and loves to be in ministry together.
On September 11th, 2012, St. Mary’s People’s Warden, John Wright led a contingent of parishioners to the Diocesan Council meeting held at St. Augustine’s. One of the items on the agenda for Council that evening was a Motion of Closure for St. Mary’s, South Hill. John and other members of the parish including current Rector’s Warden, Evelyn McMurtrie were exercising their right to bring forward their views to Diocesan Council at either of the two meetings (according to Canon 13) where Diocesan Council considers closure.
John began by saying that a year earlier, following the summer of 2011, that the parish was way down, there was no energy and an increasing awareness that their faith community was coming to the end of its ministry. All of a sudden at the October 1st, 2011, Vestry Meeting, the community engaged each other in a visioning process and John was shocked but delighted by the amount of energy that filled the room . They enthusiastically formed breakout groups and began to talk about what they could do.Church attendance previously had hovered at around 20 on a Sunday morning but in that fall of 2011 it grew and as of the September 2012 visit to Diocesan Council it had more than doubled in size with the added joy of children attending Sunday School.
The St. Mary’s community was ready to move forward, participate fully in the diocesan Ministry Assessment Process and seriously commit to personal evangelism in the South Hill area of Southeast Vancouver by inviting people in. They had already started this mission by implementing a direct distribution campaign of information brochures to homes and it was evident that there was an opportunity to engage the community, particularly the Filipino community who live in the vicinity.On October 11th, 2012, at St. Margaret’s, Cedar Cottage in East Vancouver, exactly one month after the St. Mary’s contingent’s visit to Diocesan Council, then- Bishop, the Rt. Reverend Michael Ingham presided over a Service of Reception of Holy Orders, welcoming the Reverend Expedito Farinas as priest in the Anglican Church of Canada following receipt of letters of transfer by the Bishop’s Office from the Philippine Independent Church, the church into which Expedito had been ordained .
The wait for letters of transfer had been a long one and over the years Expedito had served in ministry to the Parish of St. Michael’s, Multicultural Anglican Church, Broadway, a congregation with a core of Filipino-Canadian Anglicans.Over the next 10 months, Bishop Michael and diocesan leadership worked very hard with the Parish of St. Mary’s to come up with a ministry plan and that plan included continued engagement of the Filipino-Canadian community in South Vancouver and the appointment of a Filipino-Canadian incumbent, the Reverend Expedito Farinas. In August of 2013, the Executive Archdeacon, the Venerable Douglas Fenton announced that Bishop Michael had appointed Expedito as Incumbent of Bishop Hills Memorial Church of St. Mary the Virgin (St. Mary, South Hill) effective September 1st, 2013, and Father Expedito in conjunction with the Parish leadership, would be charged with developing a Filipino community while strengthening the existing congregation for its ministry in South Hill. In the appointment announcement, the Reverend Keith Gilbert was thanked for his ministry as Sunday Supply Priest during the months preceding the appointment.
And now the happy day was here, October 15th, 2013, the induction of Expedito as Incumbent. The church was near capacity, there was a very good turnout of clergy, particularly from the Burrard Archdeaconry and the East Vancouver/Burrard Deanery and a glad spirit in the church.The Very Reverend Peter Elliott, Dean and Diocesan Administrator of the Diocese of New Westminster was present to welcome the congregation, describe the process by which the new priest was chosen and administer the Covenant in Ministry between Expedito, the Parish of St. Mary’s, South Hill and the greater Church. The Executive Archdeacon of the Diocese of New Westminster, the Venerable Douglas Fenton, presented the license and read the content of the license to the congregation. The Archdeacon of Burrard, the Venerable Ellen Clark-King was the preacher and the Regional Dean of East Vancouver/Burrard and rector of St. Margaret’s, Cedar Cottage, the Reverend Heidi Brear presided at the Eucharist. There was a contingent of folks from St. Michael’s, Muticultural Church, Broadway and a good-sized group including singers and musicians representing St. Margaret’s.
Archdeacon Ellen’s sermon was a particular highlight of the evening. She began with this sentence, “Beginnings are delicate places, sites of great hope but also often of anxiety and concern.” Her message that evening of how we can interpret and live out Jesus’ commandment from the Gospel reading, John 15: 9-16 to love so ‘that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete’ was an inspiration.
Towards the end of her homily she offered Expedito and the St. Mary’s, South Hill community these words, “Sometimes we get so caught up with our duty that we forget our Christian lives should also be full of joy. I know this is a parish which knows how to celebrate together – for example sharing wonderful Thanksgiving meals as well as church picnics, this year with other parishes. This joy can be as contagious as the love we show the world – drawing people to us because they see us celebrating the life we have been given”. Archdeacon Ellen continued her address with a prayer by her favourite prayer writer, the Australian cartoonist Michael Leunig:
There are only two feelings. Love and fear.
There are only two languages. Love and fear.
There are only two activities. Love and fear.
There are only two motives, two procedures,
two frameworks, two results. Love and fear.
Love and fear.
In closing she said, “My prayer for you St Mary’s and Expedito, is that you may find yourselves on the love side of the equation, obeying Christ’s command to love and together building something new and grace-filled in this place.”
(Click to download a copy of Archdeacon Ellen Clark-King's Sermon)
Following the sermon, the liturgy continued with: The Covenant in Ministry; the presentation to Expedito by members of the Parish of the Symbols of Ministry of the Whole People of God; the presentation of Expedito by the Dean to the Parish as the leader of their ministry; the official welcome of Expedito by the Archdeacon and the Regional Dean complete with the now traditional bouquets of flowers for the new incumbent and for the wardens; the Intercession; the Peace (announced by a very happy Father Expedito) and the Eucharist. The liturgy was punctuated with a number of hymns all sung enthusiastically by the congregation and led by members of St. Mary’s and St. Margaret’s.
Other highlights of the evening included a lovely rendition of What a Friend we Have in Jesus beautifully offered by young singer, Shania Shanker and during the Eucharist, the Lord’s Prayer sung by the community in Tagalog, one of the principal languages of the Philippines.
Prior to the singing of the closing hymn and the Dismissal, People’s Warden, John Wright stood on the chancel steps and addressed the congregation and said that a great deal had changed in the life of St. Mary’s, South Hill over the past 18 month. He made reference to the line in the hymn sung by Shania, “What a privilege to carry, everything to God in prayer”, reminding everyone in the room that there had been and continues to be a great deal of praying taking place at St. Mary’s, South Hill. And that their prayers were answered. He also said “The person who is not here tonight is the person I’d really to thank and that is Bishop Michael. He worked hard to make this happen.” He also passed on his and the parish’s special thanks to Archdeacon Ellen who led the congregation in the Ministry Assessment Process (MAP) and was a great source of inspiration.
After John had concluded his remarks, the Reverend Fr. Expedito Farinas looked out to the congregation and said “words can’t explain the happiness I feel!”
Beginnings are indeed delicate places so please keep Expedito and Felly Farinas and the Parish of St. Mary’s, South Hill in your prayers as they move forward in their shared ministry together.
Images: Top "The Peace of the Lord be always with you!"Upper right, the Dean and Diocesan Administrator of the Diocese of New Westminster, the Very Reverend Peter Elliott welcomes the congregation. Upper left Rector’s Warden, Evelyn McMurtrie offers the first reading, Jeremiah 1 : 4-9. Middle right, the Preacher, the Venerable Ellen Clark-King. Middle, the Children of the Sunday School presenting Fr. Expedito with a Bible during the presentation of the Symbols of Ministry. lower left, the Dean leads the community in welcome for the new Incumbent. Lower right, Shania Shanker singing, What a Friend We Have in Jesus. Below and homepage, Homepage, Expedito with Wardens, Evelyn McMurtrie on the left and John Wright on the right listen as the license is read.