Editor J.H. (Hans) Kouwenberg reflects on the Lay Revolution, a phenomenon changing the face of North American Christianity, and reflected in the skill of a layman in the layout and production of Channels and a laywoman as Book Editor. … Read more
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!
Can Spiritual Maturity Be Taught?
By Roberta Hestenes. Who leads the church in developing spiritual maturity? Presumably the pastor. And where does the pastor learn it? The churches figured it was taught at seminary; the seminaries assumed it was caught at church. … Read more
1992 Annual Meeting
On March 6 and 7, many Presbyterians concerned about renewal, met at Willowdale Church in Toronto for the Annual Meeting. Photos by Jack Harewood … Read more
Assembly ’91
Addressing the 117th General Assembly the Moderator, John Allan, identifies the challenges within and without the church, and Christ’s answer to those challenges. Our society is no less pluralistic than the society of Paul’s day, in which Christianity flourished. … Read more
Executive Director’s Report Summer 1997
Calvin Brown compares how the Canadian Presbyterian General Assembly dealt with Darryl Macdonald, a self-confessed practising homosexual, and how the American Presbyterian General Assembly dealt with the amended and greatly weakened “Fidelity and Integrity” Amendment … Read more
Testing the Diversity of the Presbyterian Church within Canada
By Jonathan Dent. Jonathan Goforth used the Revivalist models of Finney and Moody in China. In meetings, he prayed, sang hymns, taught the Word, and called for testimony. Hours were spent in the confession of sin and repentance. Revival broke out wherever Goforth went. … Read more
The Renewal Fellowship and Our Theological Colleges
By Lincoln G. Bryant. At the 1986 Annual Meeting, discussion identified six areas through which members of the Renewal Fellowship Within The Presbyterian Church In Canada can work for the renewal of our theological colleges. … Read more
Preaching for Today, by Clyde E. Fant
Reviewed by J.H. (Hans) Kouwenberg. Incarnational preaching: “the incarnation is the truest theological model for the mysterious divine-human preaching event, which is neither all of the human nor all of God, but which partakes of both with precisely the same degree of mystery and humility” … Read more
Worship Workshop – Can These Dry Bones Live?
Calvin Brown presents this new song by the Rev. Roland Wells Jr. of St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church. … Read more
Image & Chaos: The church and homosexuality
By William Duffy. Homosexuality is not in accordance with God’s creation of his purpose for our lives or our good. There is no question that in God’s eyes it is an abomination – a perversion of what he created which was, and is, very good. … Read more
A Time for Honesty
By A. Donald MacLeod. The mental health of ministers should be on the top of the agenda for any who are seeking renewal in the church. Too often this concern has been crisis-oriented, dealing with sickness rather than prevention. … Read more
Two Tracks – One Goal: How Alcoholics Anonymous Relates to Christianity, by Cal Chambers
Reviewed by Kit Schindell. This excellent book would be of great help to any Christian who is addicted… to alcohol, to street drugs, to prescription drugs, to food, to sex, to work. … Read more
Developing a Vision
By J.H. (Hans) Kouwenberg. Before we can consider what our future vision for ministry might be, we ought to consider what our vision for ministry has been. One way of doing that may be to consider who we are when we worship. … Read more
1994 Annual Meeting
Photos by Jack Harewood. On March 4 & 5, about 200 met at Central Presbyterian Church, Cambridge, Ontario, for the 1994 Annual Meeting. Eugene Peterson, from Regent College, was the speaker. … Read more
A Presbyterian Lay Training Centre
Rev. Cal Brown, Convenor of the B.C. Synod Committee on Church Growth, outlines the plans for the development of a Presbyterian Lay Training School, to be located in British Columbia, with the encouragement of the National Church Growth Committee and the General Assembly. … Read more
Women Under Stress, by Randy and Nanci Alcorn
Reviewed by Shirley Charleson. While much research on the subject of stress has been done on men, it is most often women who are crying out for help. … Read more