She sings, she acts, she dances. Young Morgan Buxton of Port Alberni is an active member of Horn of Oil Ministries congregation, with a lot of skills in the performing arts. She writes her own music, and also plays the guitar. She’s pondering trying to make it on Broadway. But she’s also thinking of Christian […]
That’s a lot of pennies — and babies!
When the United Way cut off its funding to the Comox Valley Pregnancy Care Centre three years ago, the board was desperate to find a new funding source, said executive director Julie LeGoff. Blending good psychology with good branding, the ministry came up with a — supporters in 16 churches took the bottles home and […]
Lutherans help First Nations kids
Lutheran Church of Canada congregations recently helped outfit First Nations children, in a half dozen remote B.C. coastal communities, with school supplies and colourful backpacks. The joint project of the Parksville-based B.C. Mission Boat Society (MBS) and Lutheran Hour Ministries of Winnipeg “was a great way to show God’s love,” said MBS executive director Marcus […]
The Great Canadian Food Fight
Competition can have its downside but there appears to be only silver linings and no clouds involved in the Great Canadian Food Fight, which pits Victoria’s Mustard Seed Food Bank against those of two other cities to see who can raise the most food over a two-day period in October. Mustard Seed director Brent Palmer […]
U Vic prof offers insights on Ugandan anti-gay law
University of Victoria German professor Michael Hadley has been to Uganda four times since 2004 to teach ethics at a medical school there, but the latest visit at the start of the year came while the East African country was in a turmoil over a bill before parliament to make some homosexual practices a capital […]
Former priest awaiting trial for molestation
When Phillip Jacobs arrived at Victoria International Airport August 4, there was a reception party waiting for him — but not the one he was expecting. Acting on an arrest warrant issued a month before, and a fresh tip, Saanich police investigators and airport security took Jacobs — a former priest of the Victoria, B.C. […]
Controversial Twelve Tribes sect opens restaurant
Countenay’s newest eatery is also its newest religious establishment. Across the street from the Anglican church, the Common Ground Café is the communal effort of five families whose members all belong to a sect called the Twelve Tribes of Israel. The group is a controversial outgrowth of the 1970s ‘Jesus movement’; it was formerly known […]
Is fanatical religion the root cause of wars?
It keeps coming up: the contention that more people have been killed over religion than over any other matter. A friend of mine advanced it the other day. I’ve encountered it recently on an episode of CSI; on a rationalist webpage called the ; and in the book America by TV comedy host Jon Stewart. […]
Artist and political maverick Hartnell has hope for ‘lost causes’
Gregory Hartnell has lost another election. Over the years, the Victoria artist and civic activist has run for city council “four or five times” including this year, and for mayor twice. And always he loses. Isn’t this discouraging? “Hope is the operative word for Christians – and I am a Christian, and a Catholic,” responds […]
Faith unscathed by Lumberworld fire
When their landmark enterprise burned down 15 months ago, a career of dealing fairly and going the extra mile with both customers and competitors stood Lumberworld owners Dave Flaig and Clive Piercy in good stead. So did their faith. Customers not only remained loyal when Lumberworld reopened for business; but contractors who’d been shopping at the Victoria, BC store […]