TORONTO (CCN) — Lawyer and ordained minister Janet Anstead will be commissioned as the new general secretary of the Canadian Council of Churches (CCC) during an ecumenical worship service in Mississauga, Ontario, Nov. 18. Anstead began as the new general secretary Sept. 1, succeeding the Rev. Peter Noteboom, who held the position since 2018.
As a minister of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), a Protestant denomination present in both Canada and the United States, she is familiar with global ecumenical networks and events.
“As Disciples, Christian unity has always been our polar star,” said the resident of St. Thomas, Ontario, in an interview with CCN.
“A general secretary, I am the voice of the Canadian Council of Churches, and the Canadian Council of Churches is the voice, to some extent, of when the churches can speak in unity together,” she said.
The CCC, of which the Catholic Church is a member, is a forum where representatives of the churches meet twice a year to decide what issues of common concern they will work on together by way of projects, discussion groups or joint statements. Anstead and CCC staff then steward these projects and priorities, seeking cooperation with like-minded partners.
Anstead’s first weeks in this new role have been full of meetings to learn about the work of the CCC. She also attended a pilgrimage on Indigenous reconciliation, organized by the World Council of Churches in Vancouver in September. A group of between 15 and 20 ecumenical delegates met there, including the general secretary of the World Council of Churches, the Rev. Jerry Pillay, and other ecumenical leaders from across the world.
“Indigenous reconciliation is a big priority for the Canadian Council of Churches,” she said. “At our governing board meeting in November, we will be discussing ways in which we can continue that work in a meaningful way.”
Anstead’s denomination is mostly liberal progressive, similar to the United Church, although some local congregations have a more traditional profile. This latitude is generally accepted. A distinctive feature is that Disciples celebrate the Lord’s Supper every Sunday, and daily at denominational gatherings, which is unusual for Protestants. Out of her own experience as a minister in a small community, Anstead recalled that oftentimes she was asked to perform funerals for people who did not have a church affiliation.
“I found that to be a very meaningful ministry, because that’s when people need to know God’s love, and that they are not alone,” she said. “So many times I’ve heard, “Mom or Dad wasn’t religious but they had faith.”
During the many years of its existence, the CCC has been instrumental in many and varied ministerial and social justice projects, among them the Canadian Interfaith Conversation, projects in military and prison ministry, refugee issues and peace work.
“For instance, Project Plowshares is a program of the Canadian Council of Churches. It is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. It is the largest peace research institute in Canada,” she said. “The staff are so impressive in their credentials and their knowledge. Arms deals, the weaponization of AI and other technologies, and even the militarization of space. It’s just wonderful work that they’re doing here.”
Anstead said her goals and priorities are set by the representatives of the churches.
“I want to fulfill that,” she said. “But coming out of a background of pastoral leadership, I would be interested in exploring opportunities to engage with churches not just at a leadership level but also at a congregational level. Developing resources, guest speaking, education, what have you.”
Bishop Bart van Roijen of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Corner Brook and Labrador, Newfoundland, is one of two bishops who sit on the CCC’s Governing Board. He said Anstead’s intent of linking the national dialogue with local initiatives resonates.
“I think most local people really don’t have an idea what’s happening on the national level,” he told CCN.
In Van Roijen’s diocese, the ecumenical situation is a bit unusual because Newfoundland fishing villages were set up along denominational lines, so typically everyone in the village is of the same church. In larger towns there are multiple churches and exchanges do happen.
“But are we really moving the conversation forward at the local level? Not as much as wanted.”
Van Roijen also explained that the Catholic Church has many bilateral dialogues underway, especially interfaith dialogues, which complicate its role in the CCC.
“We don’t want to endorse something that will jeopardize either a national dialogue in Canada or an international dialogue that might be happening somewhere else,” he said.
This situation can sometimes lead to tension in the CCC, as other member churches would like to speak out more strongly on a given topic, he explained.
While the challenging international environment impacts the work of the CCC, collaboration with the U.S. National Council of Churches have intensified.
Noteboom, who stayed on as general secretary emeritus for fundraising and special projects, ushered a joint U.S.-Canadian project called North America – Turtle Island Regional Ecumenical Theological Institute (NATI-RETI), that ran for the first time this past summer.
NATI-RETI was a two-week immersive learning program for young U.S. and Canadian theologians and pastors centered around theological schools in Detroit and Toronto.
“The initiative came from the World Council of Churches, but we made it our own,” he said.
According to Noteboom, the idea was to bring global ecumenical discussions to different parts of the world. For the CCC, which depends on fundraising, this kind of program is “a huge lift,” but there are plans to run it again in 2028, he said.
“The energy and excitement were infectious,” he added.
On the topic of local ecumenical initiatives, when asked how Catholics can be more involved in the work of the CCC, Anstead pointed to several programs and initiatives, such as the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in January and the World Day of Prayer in March, sponsored by the Women’s Church Council of Canada.
“Congregations could come together with some of their neighbours down the street and host a gathering,” she said.
She also said financial support for the work of the CCC is also welcome. “We can only say yes to as many things as we have the resources and capacity to do,” she said.
The commissioning service for Janet Anstead will be held at Queen of Apostles Renewal Centre in Mississauga, Ontario, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. The event is open to the public.
