Amendments to the Ontario Heritage Act were passed in April that will offer comprehensive protection to buildings waiting for heritage status. Concerns of churches — including how they will pay for aging buildings that are designated — did not affect Bill 60, but a consultation process will be set up to address concerns. "The communication lines are open and the minister has every intention of developing guidelines that are in line with their concerns," said Carole Drouin, communications representative at the Ministry of Culture.

As one of the longest reigning popes in the history of the Roman Catholic Church, John Paul II is being remembered for many things. But Presbyterians seem to remember him for one particular contribution: his commitment to ecumenism. "The pope's interest and encouragement to the ecumenical endeavour has been a great source of strength in our work," said Rev. Stephen Kendall, principal clerk of the church. Richard Fee, Moderator, sees this as the pope's greatest contribution. "He made a genuine effort towards ecumenism and interfaith dialogue."

Assembly Council adopted a new policy for setting executive and professorial stipends that will go to General Assembly for approval. There was confusion regarding the council's role in this matter and the new policy places responsibility with the council, although assembly maintains final say.

Helping others often entails sacrifice. For Alexander Kalimbira, a professor at the University of Malawi but currently studying nutrition in Canada, putting his own needs second is something he's learned to deal with. "We challenged tradition," said Kalimbira, about the risk he and five male colleagues took when they decided to study home economics and nutrition at university. "You don't see a lot of men in Malawi taking those classes. Men don't usually cook, but in class, we had to cook. The other students jeered at us."

Churches in Ontario are trying to persuade the government to change a proposed law that could, if passed, let the province designate a property as a heritage site and saddle the owners with the upkeep — even if a congregation is no longer viable. Only a last-minute intervention in Dec. by an ecumenical delegation prevented a third and final reading of proposed changes to the Heritage Act from becoming law. Churches were not consulted during the legislative planning process, said Archdeacon Harry Huskins, an Anglican Church representative. "The government assumed that churches were backed by large national denominations with millions of dollars to maintain these buildings," said Huskins. "They didn't realize that the money comes in on the plate one Sunday and goes out the next."

The questions kept coming. And coming. For an hour, Rick Fee, director of Presbyterian World Service & Development, assured the female caller that her donation would be well spent. Her concerns are not unique. Other PWS&D staffers fielded similar calls. After giving nearly $926,000 to tsunami relief, Presbyterians want to be certain their money is well spent.

Congregations who fail to implement the church's proposed volunteer screening and training policy may find themselves without insurance to cover abuse claims. The warning comes from Michael Petersen of Marsh Canada Insurance. Petersen said the coverage "is not a warranty" against possible slip-ups or oversights in abuse protocols. He said the possibility exists for a congregation to make a claim and, if found not to be in full compliance with the guidelines, refused compensation.

Once the debris is cleared away, bodies are buried, emergency food and supplies are handed out and immediate wounds and illnesses are tended to, the long process of rehabilitation and reconstruction to tsunami-ravaged countries must begin. "We're well into rehabilitation now," said Rick Fee, director of Presbyterian World Service & Development. "We're beginning to look at more long-term issues."