 My journey through the British Isles has continually been full of new experiences. Lach and I attended the British Isles Mission Centre conference and had the privilege of ordaining Wayne Farmer to Bishop.
Then we headed out with Andrew and Jewell Bolton towards Scotland to meet with seekers. Along the way we visited inspiring historical sites that are helping us better understand this context.  By: Apostle Shannon McAdam
What a time we find ourselves in. In a world where chaos and division seem to reign, you have instead embraced a spirit of “Yes” to unity and “Yes” to gathering in your commitment to moving Onward Together. This is not a small thing. We have said no to the voices of division and separation in the world, and said yes to Christ-centered invitational community. “Who knows what the Spirit of God yet can do…?” asks Hymn 77 Gather Your Children. The Spirit of Pentecost is alive and at work in Canada. Most recently, all necessary approving bodies in the church have also said “yes” to our proposal to create one mission centre. This approval is a vital step along the way. Our first mission centre conference as one Canada Mission Centre will be online and will take place January 17, 2026. As we move onward together, we will embrace a new model of leadership. In the past, we have experienced a variety of models, including individual Mission Centre Presidents; single-line combined Mission Centre President & Mission Centre Financial Officer; volunteer individual Mission Centre President; and volunteer Mission Centre President teams. These most recent teams, and a movement across the church, have indicated that shared leadership is a valuable model moving forward. For our Canada Mission Centre, we will adopt a model where five directors will share the duties that have traditionally been Mission Centre President responsibilities, as well as adding additional supports, ministries, and programs to help us expand our possibilities. It is with deep gratitude for a series of whole-hearted “Yeses” from Canadian leaders that I share the new director team for Canada: Lanette Vawter will be our newest employee of Community of Christ in Canada in her role as Director of Leadership Development. We know that helping our leaders grow and develop, and identifying emerging leaders, are both crucial to the sustainability of all we do. Lanette brings a depth of experience in leadership development from the nonprofit sector, and extensive spiritual direction training and practice. She has been a volunteer pastor, so knows deeply what that experience is like. Lanette’s passion for inclusion and belonging will encourage ministers and disciples across Canada to open their hearts to God’s call in their lives. Lanette will begin her work in January 2026. Leandro Palacios has been internally transferred to the role of Director of Communications. Leandro’s clear vision for how we present ourselves as Community of Christ in Canada in ways that inspire others to join us is essential to our Onward Together plan. If you have not yet experienced Leandro talking about how we Celebrate Mission—I hope you can watch a recording of it very soon! You will go away inspired to designate a communications officer for your congregation and to start celebrating. John Hamer has also been internally transferred. His new role is Director of Outreach and Innovation. This role will help John focus on taking the learnings from Beyond the Walls and our Creating Connection programs forward to grow creative, daring, innovative mission across Canada. Finding ways to connect curious people to a sense of belonging in community is exciting work, and I am eager to see how this will allow John to continue expanding his Seventy ministry. Vonda DenBoer, as previously announced, is our Director of Camping and Campgrounds. Thank you for your support of Vonda this summer as she has traveled to reunions and begun to get to know the scope of, and passion for, camping in Canada. Her role will ensure that our strong camping programming will endure no matter where we find ourselves gathering together. Sam Smalldon will continue to ground our work together as our Director of Operations, assuming the necessary structural titles of Bishop of Canada and Mission Centre Financial Officer. In addition, Sam will assume the Mission Centre President of Record title. This will ensure the administrative aspect of the Mission Centre President role continues as we embrace the new shared leadership model. Thank you to all our members, friends, and seekers across Canada for your ongoing generosity of time, talent, treasure, and testimony that allow this strategic plan to move forward. Your patience through this time of transition and your support of these new directors are deeply appreciated. I cannot wait to see what happens next as we move Onward Together!  Hello from Dunfield House in the United Kingdom!I spent a weekend at Dunfield house as I begin my travels in the UK and Europe over the next few weeks. I was welcomed with warm hospitality, experienced beautiful sights (including wild ponies!), and enjoyed fun camp activities like campfire and swimming. It has been fun to see what is the same and what is different here. In spite of the small differences, I feel very much at home.
 This week I write to you from home just after returning from two weeks of in-person leadership meetings in Independence, Missouri.
Leaders from around the world gathered to share the sparks of hope we’ve seen in our fields since World Conference. (Lach and I were excited to include stories from Canada!) And together we made plans for how to move forward with prophetic agility, fanning the flames of those sparks of hope!  The World Church has created a playlist of Leader Profiles on the Community of Christ YouTube channel. These profiles are a chance to hear directly from those who have accepted calls to lead with vision, humility, and love.
Of special note are interviews with our newly ordained apostles: Shannon McAdam, Matthew Frizzell, Carrie Welch, Kat Hnatyshyn, Adam Wade, and Joey Williams. Click the links below to watch the interviews.  Dear Community of Christ staff, leaders, members, and friends in Canada,
As we reflect on this past year, we are overwhelmed with gratitude for the ways we have worked together as a faith community to respond to the world around us. Your dedication to leading congregations, campgrounds, camps, retreats, and a wide variety of programs has been truly inspiring. We also deeply appreciate your participation in dialogue sessions and polls, helping us collaboratively discern and shape our future. We give special thanks for the support and collaboration of our dedicated affiliate and partner organizations such as: Zerin, Sionito, World Accord, Encounter World Religions, The MOM Project, and Agape House. Your work continues to extend the mission of Christ and magnify the impact of our shared efforts across Canada and beyond. Looking to 2025, we are excited about the further implementation of our Canada strategic plan, the creation of a single mission centre for all of Canada, and the opportunities this brings for greater connection and shared vision. At the global level, we anticipate with joy the ordination of a new prophet-president for Community of Christ. And as Mary courageously said yes to the angel, we, too, will have opportunities to say yes in new and meaningful ways, answering the call to serve our community in the coming year. May the joy, hope, love and peace of Christ fill your hearts this Christmas, and may the new year bring blessings and renewed purpose as we journey together. With love and gratitude, Art & Laura I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you. - Philippians 1: 3-4  Please join us in expressing our heartfelt thanks to Sam for his interim service earlier this year and in welcoming him to his new appointments as Bishop of Canada and Financial Officer of the Canada West and Canada East Mission Centres. Sam's commitment and expertise have already made a substantial impact, and we look forward to his continued leadership in advancing our mission and supporting our community. 
 Apostle Art Smith brings Christmas greetings to the church across Canada in this video made especially for you. He has graciously provided it to us in both English and French. See videos below. English Version:French Version: Apostle Art Smith shares his Canadian Thanksgiving well-wishes to the church in Canada and offers his gratitude for the engagement in a recent survey concerning the future of the church. View the video below and share it with others who might appreciate it. Community of Christ Apostle Art Smith shares a "day in the life" with us from the Community of Christ Temple in Independence, Missouri, USA. In this video, you'll get a window into Apostle Art Smith's life, a mini-tour of the Temple, details about the church organization, and more. Enjoy! |
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