Our Story
In November 2022, a conversation took place between a group of pastors and friends who were facing disaffiliation from their denominations for their stance on the full inclusion of sexual minorities in their churches. The initial conversation goal was prayer, lament and mutual support for these pastors and their faith communities.
Concerned that this could be a broader trend in Canada, our Conveners began to collect the names of individuals and churches across the country reporting similar experiences.
From December 2022 to March 2023, our Conveners held Focus Groups with anyone who wished to share their experiences. Over these four months:
55 pastors and ministry leaders attended one of six focus groups.
4 formal meetings were held with similar organizations emerging in the United States.
8 formal meetings were held with Canadian denominational leaders
35 additional private conversations took place, with people including:
camp directors, parachurch leaders, seminary professors, chaplains & spiritual directors
For every story shared, several others were nearly identical. It became evident that, regardless of theological tradition or denominational affiliation, there were commonalities in what the Spirit was doing in different Canadian contexts. A common theme emerged: pastors and church communities, given a choice, would have stayed in their denominations and associations, but that was no longer an option. These long-time faithful leaders were not disgruntled or angry but deeply grieved.
From rural to urban, east to west, the experience was almost repeatable. The "tip of the iceberg" for disaffiliation was the theological and practical inclusion of sexual minorities. However, the Focus Group data surfaced additional, widely held theological and discipleship tensions, including how we understand scripture, the person of Jesus, the role of women in ministry, love of neighbour, Christian nationalism, and even fundamentalism. For many Canadian evangelical denominations, a radical commitment to the centrality of Christ and the ability to differ on other matters was no longer sufficient for affiliation, licensing or credentials. Something was changing.
Our Conveners heard many similarities in denominational processes and the outcomes of people’s experiences when attempting to raise these concerns within their denominations. By the end of the Focus Groups and other conversations, stories had been shared from individuals within each of the following denominations:
Canadian Baptists of Western Canada
Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec
Catch The Fire
Christian Reformed Church of North America
Christian and Missionary Alliance
Evangelical Missionary Church
Fellowship Baptist
Foursquare Church
Free Methodist Church of Canada
Mennonite Brethren Conferences: Ontario, British Columbia, and Manitoba
Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada
Quaker Evangelical Friends
The Salvation Army
Vision Ministries
Vineyard Canada
And various independent evangelical (or evangelical adjacent) churches
Spring 2023 - Discernment
March 27-28, 2023, our Conveners scheduled two days of on-site discussion and collective discernment at Crieff Hills in Southern Ontario for anyone willing to pray and discern. Those gathered represented different provinces, settings, traditions, sexualities and ethnicities.
The discernment retreat gathering featured rich times of prayer and lament, where pastors and leaders held space for one another and for the ways, the beloved Church in Canada has fallen short of its calling to bring blessing and flourishing to our cities and towns. There was a consensus that the Spirit was asking this group to step out in faith, trust and humility to continue listening, gathering and connecting. It was an actual “It Has Seemed Good to the Holy Spirit and to Us” moment. A rich and dynamic fellowship quickly emerged among the attendees, despite many only meeting for the first time.
These are your words, hopes and dreams for the church in Canada.
Over two days, the group discussed the major themes from the Focus Groups and other conversations. These are the words and longings of fellow Jesus followers from across Canada who were interviewed in the Focus Group process:
There is an urgent need for a new Canadian association/movement for those who are already or soon to be, denominationally homeless, including:
Belonging, community and care for individuals, pastors, leaders and church communities estranged from their previous denominations, movements or associations.
Spiritual commissioning, a reimagined ordination process and credentialing
Administrative support for pensions, benefits, payroll, policy, etc.
Minimal and flexible structures that allow for shared power, mutual accountability, and space for God to disrupt and transform for the sake of his kindom among us.
A posture of radical grace and non-aggression towards previous traditions and organizations while pursuing Spirit-led justice and inclusion
Opportunities for relevant co-learning, formation, discipleship, resilience building, and contextual resource sharing for pastors and leaders in 21st-century post-Christian Canada.
Encouragement and collegial support for churches that desire to be centred on Jesus and nurture the virtues of worship, discipleship, love of neighbour and radical hospitality.
A big tent that can accommodate churches, para-church organizations, youth ministries and individuals.
Space that supports other forms of Christian ministry, such as chaplains, spiritual directors, and other kinds of Christian spiritual leaders who long for community and conversation.
New funding and governance models that can support existing communities and begin dreaming of starting new churches formed with the posture of the Good Table
An emerging Canadian theological expression featuring:
A thick and integrated Jesus-centered, justice-minded, fully inclusive, egalitarian, and diverse (LGBTQ+ and BIPOC) theology.
Deep roots in scripture and the historic ‘Jesus Way’ gospel tradition of God’s self-giving love.
Ecumenical unity, respect and curiosity for the best in each theological tradition.
A value for Indigenous voices, a lament for how the church has harmed Indigenous peoples and a desire to have reconciliation and repentance at the foundation.
The desire to keep the mystery and presence of the Holy Spirit front and centre as God is an active agent and avoid calcification
A passion for mutuality and shared power, including:
The need to learn from one another and create collaboratively across theological tradition.
The welcoming of diverse voices, which have typically been silenced in the church in Canada and the importance of meaningful roles for women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ leaders in the creation of new structures
The importance of Indigenous reconciliation, taking seriously the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action for the church and decolonizing work in how leaders and pastors approach collaboration and the creation of new initiatives.
Acknowledgement of past and future mistakes—this collective will make mistakes and, therefore, will embody a humble posture to receive correction, repent, change course, and be forgiven.
After two more weeks of prayer and discernment, it was agreed to form working groups from across Canada to begin wrestling with the following topics:
Community Care: How can we care for those who are hurting and foster safety in the emerging network?
Theology — how can we articulate these values we sense God is bringing forward?
Governance — what structures and approaches could work to safeguard what the Spirit is birthing?
Over 150 individuals from the earlier rounds of conversations and Focus Groups, plus new conversation partners, were all invited to join any of these three Working Groups. The groups met online over Zoom multiple times beginning in the Late Spring of 2023 to share their research and findings in October. In many cases, these groups resulted in new local connections being made organically, with like-minded folks beginning to meet one another for meals, prayer, and fellowship.
First public gathering
On October 14, 2023, the Good Table gathered for its first national gathering in-person and online, for anyone who had expressed interest so far, from the earliest Focus Groups to the current Working Groups, and anyone else—a list nearing 300. Approximately 80 people were in attendance, whether on-site at 22 Willow in Waterloo, Ontario, or online via Zoom. Once again, people were present from across the country and across many denominations and traditions—with individuals having flown in from as far as Vancouver and Halifax.
Throughout the day, the three Working Groups each presented their current progress to the assembly, who then broke into groups to discuss and provide feedback. Throughout the day, people described a strong sense of the Spirit’s presence along with visible emotional outpouring—there was a powerful sense of wonder and awe at the goodness of what was being shared, and how much had come together in just under a year.
Towards the end of the day, communion (the eucharist) was shared. Then any individual who had been disaffiliated, or rejected from ordination, or not offered a path toward ordination, was invited to come forward for public blessing and prayer. Again, this was a powerful time with many tears shed and a rich sense of “being seen by God” and community. Numerous impactful stories emerged of what the Spirit was doing in people.
At the closing of the day, all those individuals who represented churches or faith communities currently in urgent need of support were invited to come and make themselves known.
Summer of 2024 Update
Since the Fall of 2023, we have been quietly, carefully and prayerfully working behind the scenes. Not everyone involved at The Good Table or the Working Groups can be made public with their involvement, but this fantastic community is growing! Here are a few short updates to celebrate!
Over 500 conversations with leaders across Canada have now taken place. We continue to hold space for grief, lament and hope weekly with pastors and leaders. We want to hear your story.
We’ve created an incredible board of pastors and leaders committed to building a new association here in Canada, and we are working with a charitable law expert toward charitable status.
We continue to accept invitations to speak to churches and church boards and host small local gatherings, like the one in Vancouver, in May 2024.
We have a benefits and pension specialist who is willing to connect with any pastor or church board who needs advice.
We have compiled a credible list of organizations across Canada that can offer licencing for those who need to perform marriages sooner rather than later.
We recognize your identification of the need for Pastoral processing groups and local connection groups and are set to launch hubs in Regions across Canada. You want to be together. We are hoping to launch this more formally in the Fall of 2024.
We are creating some bare-bones affiliation statements that we hope will appeal to the broader diverse community so we can make a map of churches on the website. We receive requests weekly from people looking for a place to call home.
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Why so many words? Radical Transparency
Those currently leading the Good Table are committed to the value of radical transparency with open and honest dialogue. This means we want to honestly represent all that has happened and keep sharing the broader story of this movement's beginning.
No one is being paid for this work; it is all volunteer and has moved at the pace of life. This grassroots network exists because of the generosity and time investment of those who need a place to call home in Canada.
This is the story of The Good Table thus far.
This website was established immediately following the gathering on October 14 to provide a source of information and connection as word continues to spread.
