CBWC News

A month of heavy monsoon rains in Pakistan have left more than 20% of the country underwater as this poor and violence-torn country experiences the worst natural disaster in its history.

More than 20 million people have been affected, with 8 million requiring emergency aid. Millions have been left homeless and many forced into makeshift settlements. More than 1,500 people have died so far and as the waters continue to rise, the threat of waterborne diseases like cholera threaten to kill thousands more.

Donate Through CBM

Although Canadian Baptist Ministries has no pre-existing missions in Pakistan, it is arranging to donate funds raised through the Canada Food Grains Bank. These funds will be multiplied 4:1 by CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency) and will be used for desperately needed emergency food relief. Severe food shortages are expected because so much cropland has been submerged by the flooding.

To make a donation to CBM for Pakistan, go to www.cbmin.org All donations made between August 2 and September 12 will be matched dollar for dollar by the Canadian government.

To read more about the flooding in Pakistan, click the link

Social Justice News

A boatload of Tamil migrants landed in Victoria on August 13, sparking an intense wave of controversy over Canada’s immigration and refugee laws. What do you think our response as Christians should be? For a summary of the events and issues so far, read more.

Alberta News

Gull Lake Centre is celebrating its 90th anniversary on August 13 and invites everyone to join them as they rejoice in all the good things that have come out of nearly a century of camping. This celebration starts at 2 pm at the Centre and will continue into the evening.

Steve Roadhouse, Gull Lake Centre’s new Executive Director, says the party will be a celebration not just of the camping ministry but will be an opportunity to “thank God for his continued blessing and for providing time and time again so that camp could continue to run and people could be invited into relationship with God and with others.  We are so thankful for what God has done year after year, summer after summer, memory after memory. We serve a very good God.” 

Gull Lake is expecting to welcome as many as 730 campers and more than 50 students to their Leadership Training and Discipleship (LTD) program this summer.

Click the link to read more.

Social Justice News

On June 25, Canadian Baptists of Western Canada became part of a coalition of 23 churches to sign a letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper urging him to take action towards global nuclear disarmament to ensure we live in a world without nuclear weapons. This marks the first time the churches belonging to the Canadian Council of Churches have acted as a collective body on the nuclear disarmament issue.

The letter was signed by our Executive Minister Jeremy Bell, with the approval of the CBWC Board of Directors. It was brought forward to the Board by the CBWC’s new Justice and Mercy Task Force. It was also signed by Tim McCoy, Executive Minister of our sister denomination, the Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec, as well as by representatives of the Reformed, Mennonite, Anglican, Lutheran and other churches.

Advocacy

To read more the letter sent to Stephen Harper, click here
To read the cover letter, click here

Canadian Baptists have signed this letter because we are committed to the shalom of God and believe that we must act to usher in God’s kingdom of mercy and justice through many methods. Not only are we called to personal, practical action to usher in God’s kingdom of mercy and justice, we are called to address the root and systemic causes of injustice and to take collective action collective action to right systemic injustices as well as personal and practical action that provides immediate relief.