A publication of the Renewal Fellowship

A publication of the Renewal Fellowship

Channels

Introducing Channels Magazine

The Renewal Fellowship within The Presbyterian Church in Canada was founded in May 1982, and during the next year, plans were made to begin a magazine to reassure isolated and sometimes discouraged Presbyterians in Canada who wanted renewal that they were not alone. Word associations with media, communication, and television channels resonated with the old hymn, “Channels only, blessed Master”, and suggested the name Channels. And so, Channels – intended to be an instrument of blessing for The Presbyterian Church in Canada – debuted in the fall of 1983.

Over the next 23 years, some 66 issues were published. Channels succeeded in placing the Renewal Fellowship within a broader national and international context. Publishing articles written by internationally known authors such as Eugene Peterson, James I. Packer, Michael Green, Darrell Johnson, and John G. Stackhouse Jr. helped members of the Renewal Fellowship to realize that they were a part of a much wider movement.

Recognizing the high quality of this magazine prompted a desire to make a digital archive of all 66 issues. Each article is presented in text format, and at the bottom, a searchable, downloadable PDF copy of the issue opens at the page where the article originally appeared. Enjoy!

Daily Faith

Conquering Fear

By Edward P. Mason — FEAR! That is a word which conjures up events or incidents in life which are gladly and hopefully forgotten during one’s life-time. Of course, some fearful long-past event is remembered, still causing feelings of fear and anxiety. The word “fear” itself denotes “sudden calamity” or “danger.” It involves the emotions of pain or … Read more

Biography

Margaret Avison, Poet

By J.H. (Hans) Kouwenberg. Margaret Avison, pictured on the cover, has an urbanized, educated imagination. Many of her poems have thoughtful and intriguing word choices. The poetry in her second volume, The Dumbfounding, revealed a deep Christian faith which had not been evident in her earlier work. … Read more

History

1991 Annual Meetings

On March 1 and 2, we gathered at St. Andrew’s Church in Whitby, Ontario to worship, to plan and to hear Dr. Joel Nederhood (pictured on the cover) speak on the subject, “The Uniqueness of Jesus.” A searchable, downloadable PDF with photos of the Annual Meetings appears here. Photos by Jack Harewood.

History

“Good-bye” is Never Easy

By A. Donald MacLeod.  I have been called to a church in the United States. On August 31 twenty-four years of service as a minister of the Presbyterian Church in Canada will have been concluded. A retrospective review is perhaps not out of order, a chance to pause long enough for reflection and recall. … Read more

History Mission

The Dayspring

By David D. Stewart. On the wall of the Memorial Hall in Zion Presbyterian Church, Charlottetown, PEI, is the picture of a ship, the Dayspring, whose birth came about in response to martyrdom and whose career was associated with the first great period of Canadian Presbyterian missionary outreach. … Read more

Leadership

Passing the Torch of Leadership

By Brian C. Stiller. As we look at churches and organizations today, we can see that there are many in need of torch passing. But either the senior leader desperately holds on too long with no attempt to train or give opportunity to the younger, or the tension produces so much conflict that the younger leader heads off … Read more

Sexuality

Beachhead at Lachine

By William Manson. The determined resistance to discipline at Lachine is only the start of an aggressive campaign to push the Church to change its 1994 ruling that homosexual practice a not Christian option. Those who are pushing for change are not on sabbatical. … Read more