By Matthew Coutts, National Post
A sight more commonly saved for Sunday, or not at all, greeted commuters leaving Union Station this morning: Anglican bishops in their ecclesiastical vestments welcoming them with a smile.
Wearing the white pointed hats, or mitres, and flowing gowns reserved for the leaders in the Anglican community, several area bishops gathered to invite passerby back to church.
Four bishops, including the Bishop of Toronto Colin Johnson, and several volunteers, canvassed Union Station as part of an international Christian initiative that designated September 27 as “Back to Church Sunday.”
“People have been falling out of the habit of going to their churches or places of worship,” said Bishop Philip Poole, area bishop for York-Credit Valley as he handed out simple cards inviting the recipient to be a guest at their local church.
“This isn’t about Anglican proselytization, this is about promoting a return to your place of worship.”
Bishop Poole said while most people will rush past to get to work, many people stop for a brief chat. Some of the most receptive were people from other religions, he said, who were open to discussing their connection to the their faith.
Dressed in a flowing baby blue gown, known as copes, Bishop Poole caught the eyes of a number of pedestrians as Bishop Linda Nicholls chatted with a young man while wearing a similar white and red outfit nearby.
Churches across the country have suffered from declining attendance in recent years. Judging from the reaction of many early-morning commuters, it will take more than one friendly handshake to fill church pews again.
The scowls and bleary eyes often associated with the morning rush hour were prevalent in the commuter crowd Thursday morning. One woman, having spotted the bishops upon injecting herself into the sunlight from Union Station, muttered a bewildered, “What the Hell?”
“One person asked, ‘are you real popes?’” said Bishop Nichols, adding that while it was not to right denomination, it was at least a start.
In one half-hour period, about a dozen people stopped to greet the two bishops stationed at the main entrance, with more accepting the invitations as they passed.
Paul Mitchell, an active Anglican, recognized Bishop Poole as he passed on his way to work.
“They need to do this more often,” he said, suggesting other denominations are much more active in pamphleteering. “It’s an outreach program, I think it will really help.”
Mr. Mitchell said he frequently volunteers at his local church, in downtown Toronto, and often bribes his friends with a Sunday brunch if they attend with him.
“When you get up to go to work in the morning, you feel a little down. But when I get up on Sunday to go to church, I’m excited. It’s a great feeling.”
The Anglican bishops were in mixed company outside Union Station, as half a dozen young women in kilted dresses handed out birthday cards for Alexander Keith’s.
At least one passerby briefly thought the two groups were together before having the confusion sorted out.
However, the Anglican Church and Alexander Keith’s do share one thing: those who like it, like it a lot.
A sight more commonly saved for Sunday, or not at all, greeted commuters leaving Union Station this morning: Anglican bishops in their ecclesiastical vestments welcoming them with a smile.
Wearing the white pointed hats, or mitres, and flowing gowns reserved for the leaders in the Anglican community, several area bishops gathered to invite passerby back to church.
Four bishops, including the Bishop of Toronto Colin Johnson, and several volunteers, canvassed Union Station as part of an international Christian initiative that designated September 27 as “Back to Church Sunday.”
“People have been falling out of the habit of going to their churches or places of worship,” said Bishop Philip Poole, area bishop for York-Credit Valley as he handed out simple cards inviting the recipient to be a guest at their local church.
“This isn’t about Anglican proselytization, this is about promoting a return to your place of worship.”
Bishop Poole said while most people will rush past to get to work, many people stop for a brief chat. Some of the most receptive were people from other religions, he said, who were open to discussing their connection to the their faith.
Dressed in a flowing baby blue gown, known as copes, Bishop Poole caught the eyes of a number of pedestrians as Bishop Linda Nicholls chatted with a young man while wearing a similar white and red outfit nearby.
Churches across the country have suffered from declining attendance in recent years. Judging from the reaction of many early-morning commuters, it will take more than one friendly handshake to fill church pews again.
The scowls and bleary eyes often associated with the morning rush hour were prevalent in the commuter crowd Thursday morning. One woman, having spotted the bishops upon injecting herself into the sunlight from Union Station, muttered a bewildered, “What the Hell?”
“One person asked, ‘are you real popes?’” said Bishop Nichols, adding that while it was not to right denomination, it was at least a start.
In one half-hour period, about a dozen people stopped to greet the two bishops stationed at the main entrance, with more accepting the invitations as they passed.
Paul Mitchell, an active Anglican, recognized Bishop Poole as he passed on his way to work.
“They need to do this more often,” he said, suggesting other denominations are much more active in pamphleteering. “It’s an outreach program, I think it will really help.”
Mr. Mitchell said he frequently volunteers at his local church, in downtown Toronto, and often bribes his friends with a Sunday brunch if they attend with him.
“When you get up to go to work in the morning, you feel a little down. But when I get up on Sunday to go to church, I’m excited. It’s a great feeling.”
The Anglican bishops were in mixed company outside Union Station, as half a dozen young women in kilted dresses handed out birthday cards for Alexander Keith’s.
At least one passerby briefly thought the two groups were together before having the confusion sorted out.
However, the Anglican Church and Alexander Keith’s do share one thing: those who like it, like it a lot.
Colin Johnson, Anglican Bishop of Toronto, hands out '‘back to church'’ invitations outside Union Station this morning. Photo by Aaron Lynett, National Post
Read more: http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/toronto/archive/2009/09/24/sleepy-commuters-meet-anglican-bishops-bishops-meet-commuters.aspx#ixzz1Ah4mNjaB
