The Niagara Declaration

 

Just yesterday I learned of this statement (declaration) "on the liberties of the Church in Canada from sea to sea" authored by Dr. Joe Boot "in collaboration with" Dr. Aaron Rock, Dr. Michael Thiessen, Andre Schutten, and Pavel Stroilov.

Please consider the following appeal found on their website (italics and highlighting are my own):

"In Canada, as blessed recipients of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for generations and heirs of the Christian Parliamentary tradition and English Common Law, we have long been able to take our freedoms and liberties in the faith for granted. Tragically, those days have waned, and we all share culpability for the declining situation and loss of the pervasive influence of the Scriptures. In our generation, with the undeniably radical cultural shift over the last sixty years, we are confronted with increased political, institutional, and legal opposition to the faith. Christians are facing an attack on our historic liberties and Charter freedoms.  These include (but are not limited to) various persecutions in the form of media propaganda, speech and human rights codes, Supreme Court decisions regarding Christian institutions and end of life issues, municipal and provincial bylaws regarding sexuality and gender, indefinite emergency restrictions and lockdowns, and proposed amendments to the Criminal Code that could radically curtail the freedom of Christian leaders, churches and parents (cf. the federal bill to criminally ban so-called “conversion therapy”). 

 

In facing these serious threats to freedom, we urgently need a united and collective witness bridging denominational distinctives, that gives voice to our concern for the ongoing freedom and liberty of Christ’s church and the propagation of the Gospel in our nation. Such a collective stand can be used to great effect as part of a united Christian engagement with civil authorities when God-given and historic liberties are threatened or trodden upon.

 

Originating in a gathering of Christian leaders in the Niagara region in the fall of 2020, this document is a humble attempt to rally the Christian Church in this nation around a common confession as it relates to church and state and the protection of our civil liberties. History proves that freedoms not fought for are soon forfeited; if the church loses its freedom, freedoms will be lost for all. We can no longer afford to be complacent. For the sake of our children and grandchildren, our neighbours who need the Gospel, and our beloved nation of Canada, we must prayerfully and courageously seek to stem the tide to the glory of God and for the kingdom of His dear Son.    

 

Our prayer is that you will seriously consider joining Christian leaders right across our nation in signing this potentially historic document as we seek to bring various faithful Canadian churches together around our common commitment to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, freedom for the Gospel, and constitutional liberty for the churches."


The elders of Faith Presbyterian Church have agreed to sign the document.  I would urge you to read the declaration and present it to your elders for their prayerful consideration.  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Church of God & Ray Tinsman

  I have been asked repeatedly about our connection with the Church of God (COG) in Aylmer.  When the questions first started to come I had never spoken to Henry Hildebrandt and knew very little about his church.  In the weeks and months that followed I spoke with Henry on separate occasions and in person. At that initial meeting with Henry I asked him a series of pointed questions.  I was concerned.  I was glad his church was open, but I had heard rumors of heresy and cultish behaviour and wanted to hear it from him.  Ordinarily I might have dismissed a group like his outright. But the COG Aylmer was one of the very few churches in Ontario that remained open through the lockdowns, and I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. So, I asked him about his view of Scripture, his view of salvation, his understanding of the person and work of Christ and so on.  And I came away mostly satisfied.  There were clear differences between us, but on the main points it seemed as if we agree
Read more

Our Compromise in the Face of Covid-19: An open letter to the Church

Dear brothers and sisters, greetings in the name of King Jesus.  I am writing to you (as I have written to my own Session) because I believe that we - the Church in North America - have let the Lord down.  Like Peter we have made big promises, but in a moment of trial we have in this way denied Him.  We have compromised and we have sinned.  I don't say that lightly.   Many better men than me hold an entirely different position. Still, I believe our decision to submit to the government is wrong.  I believe it’s seriously wrong.  I believe one day we will look back on this with sorrow at how easily we gave in to the pressures of government and society.   I know it’s well intended but still wrong.   As you know churches almost everywhere (including our own) have closed.  Gathering together for worship has been replaced almost everywhere by live-streaming, so that there is no more ‘meaningful’ gathering of believers for the preaching of the Word and the administration of the sacram
Read more

On Baptism

Image
For 12 years I enthusiastically subscribed to the Westminster standards.  I signed my copy of the Solemn League and Covenant , I taught my children the catechisms, and I prayed earnestly that they would grow up to subscribe in full to the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF).  For much of that time I was convinced that given enough time I could persuade any Baptist of the error of his ways.  I even went so far as to tell some Baptists brothers that withholding baptism from their children was sinful.  I grieved when Presbyterians became Baptist; and if you had told me of a man who had gone from being a Baptist to a Presbyterian only to become Baptist again I would have felt embarrassment for him.  Sounds more like a ship “tossed to and fro” (Ephesians 4:14) than a man.  But here I am writing to say that I am that man.  Even four months ago I was certain I would always be Presbyterian.  But after a period of prayer and intense study I have concluded that I was wrong.  Here, in brief,
Read more