It is a long way from a little country church to the head of the largest Christian ecumenical body in Canada. But Janet Anstead is ready for the change.
On Sept. 1, Anstead became the new general secretary of the Canadian Council of Churches. The council represents 85 per cent of Canadian Christians in 26 member organizations from the Protestant, Orthodox, Eastern and Roman Catholic traditions, the council’s website says.
Anstead succeeded Peter Noteboom, who has transitioned to a part-time position as general secretary emeritus.
The council focuses on building unity between church groups, including by hosting a national inter-church forum. It also advocates and takes joint positions on various issues, including poverty, Indigenous reconciliation, and war and conflict.
After a career in the 1990s as a family lawyer, Anstead felt called to ministry. She completed two graduate degrees in theology at Huron College at Western University in London, Ont.
In 2005, she became pastor of the Mapleton Church in Aylmer, Ont., about 30 kilometres southeast of London.
“I will bring a pastoral sensibility to my new role,” said Anstead, describing the transition from pastoring a country church to leading the national council.
“I can’t separate myself from a focus on relationship building and caring for people.”
For her, that means creating spaces where people can listen to one another and “giv[ing] voice to those who don’t have a voice. Not only in the church context, but in broader society.”
Anstead also wants to build stronger connections between the council and individual Canadian Christians who attend churches in the council’s member organizations.
“We need to connect more with the person in the pew,,” she said. “I want to reach out to Mrs. Murphy in the back pew. That’s something I’ve tried to do for 20 years,” she said.
At a time when attendance at religious services is declining, and the number of Canadians who say they have no religious identity is growing, Anstead believes the council has an important role to play in supporting and promoting Christianity in Canada.
“I think the presence of Christianity may be more important today than at any other time,” she said, noting the narrative of Christian faith “runs counter to much of the culture filled with division and individualism.”
The church can bring a different message of welcome, acceptance, love and grace, she said.
While excited by the opportunities ahead, Anstead cautioned that the council is not hierarchical and cannot tell its member denominations what to do.
“We have to respect the polity and diversity of the members,” she said. “The emphasis is on building consensus.”
Building bridges
Other topics on Anstead’s mind include peace, justice and equality, the war in Ukraine, and Christian nationalism. She also wants to focus on commonalities between member denominations and determining what it means to be a Canadian Christian at this time.
“I start with the premise of seeking the common good,” Anstead said.
Her successor, Peter Noteboom, says Anstead brings “a tremendous track record, theological insight, and professional commitment to advancing Christian unity and justice in Canada.”
Jerry Pillay, general secretary of the World Council of Churches, of which the Canadian Council of Churches is a member, commended Anstead for her “longstanding engagement in the life and witness of the Canadian churches.”
He went on to note her commitment to bridging diverse perspectives.
Doing so “requires a deep grounding in faith and the capacity to listen across differences, build trust, and accompany churches and communities in discerning a common way forward,” he said.
