Calgary minister could be the next moderator for United Church of Canada
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Perhaps not always literally. But it's a metaphor that the Reverend of Hillhurst United Church in Calgary has carried close to his heart for the over 30 years that he has served as a minister in Alberta.
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'When you do that, you have a relevant faith,' Pentland said, one that is current and inclusive.
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During his 20 years as spiritual leader at Hillhurst United Church, Pentland has grown the church from a financially struggling institution with fewer than 100 core worshippers to a 'corporate' church that today sees 350 worshippers a week. Boasting an 'affirming' nature that is inclusive to all communities, regardless of religion, ethnicity or identity, it has grown to be a success story among the United Church of Canada.
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Nominated as a candidate by the Chinook Winds region of the United Church, Pentland's potential ascension to the role could mark the first time a Calgary minister has been elected in over 20 years.
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The last minister from Calgary to take over the role was Bill Phipps who served as moderator between 1997 to 2000. Currently, Dr. Carmen Lansdowne serves as the church's 44th moderator.
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Pentland and Phipps share a lot in common, namely their views on inclusivity for the LGBTQ+ community and their propensity for risk and innovation.
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'One of the things I see in the world right now is that we're very good at othering each other,' Pentland said. 'We (say) you're over there and I'm over here, but the distance between us actually won't (help us) get to know each other. Part of my job is to help us not other each other or judge each other.'
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Regardless of race, religion, ethnicity or identity, Pentland said he believes 'everyone is spiritual.'
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Bad religion, he said, is when the faith creates a 'separateness .. instead of a connection.'
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Winnipeg Free Press
25 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Trump thinks owning a piece of Intel would be a good deal for the US. Here's what to know
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — President Donald Trump wants the U.S. government to own a piece of Intel, less than two weeks after demanding the Silicon Valley pioneer dump the CEO that was hired to turn around the slumping chipmaker. If the goal is realized, the investment would deepen the Trump administration's involvement in the computer industry as the president ramps up the pressure for more U.S. companies to manufacture products domestically instead of relying on overseas suppliers. What's happening? The Trump administration is in talks to secure a 10% stake in Intel in exchange for converting government grants that were pledged to Intel under President Joe Biden. If the deal is completed, the U.S. government would become one of Intel's largest shareholders and blur the traditional lines separating the public sector and private sector in a country that remains the world's largest economy. Why would Trump do this? In his second term, Trump has been leveraging his power to reprogram the operations of major computer chip companies. The administration is requiring Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices, two companies whose chips are helping to power the craze around artificial intelligence, to pay a 15% commission on their sales of chips in China in exchange for export licenses. Trump's interest in Intel is also being driven by his desire to boost chip production in the U.S., which has been a focal point of the trade war that he has been waging throughout the world. By lessening the country's dependence on chips manufactured overseas, the president believes the U.S. will be better positioned to maintain its technological lead on China in the race to create artificial intelligence. Didn't Trump want Intel's CEO to quit? That's what the president said August 7 in an unequivocal post calling for Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan to resign less than five months after the Santa Clara, California, company hired him. The demand was triggered by reports raising national security concerns about Tan's past investments in Chinese tech companies while he was a venture capitalist. But Trump backed off after Tan professed his allegiance to the U.S. in a public letter to Intel employees and went to the White House to meet with the president, who applauded the Intel CEO for having an 'amazing story.' Why would Intel do a deal? The company isn't commenting about the possibility of the U.S. government becoming a major shareholder, but Intel may have little choice because it is currently dealing from a position of weakness. After enjoying decades of growth while its processors powered the personal computer boom, the company fell into a slump after missing the shift to the mobile computing era unleashed by the iPhone's 2007 debut. Intel has fallen even farther behind in recent years during an artificial intelligence craze that has been a boon for Nvidia and AMD. The company lost nearly $19 billion last year and another $3.7 billion in the first six months of this year, prompting Tan to undertake a cost-cutting spree. By the end of this year, Tan expects Intel to have about 75,000 workers, a 25% reduction from the end of last year. Would this deal be unusual? Although rare, it's not unprecedented for the U.S. government to become a significant shareholder in a prominent company. One of the most notable instances occurred during the Great Recession in 2008 when the government injected nearly $50 billion into General Motors in return for a roughly 60% stake in the automaker at a time it was on the verge of bankruptcy. The government ended up with a roughly $10 billion loss after it sold its stock in GM. Would the government run Intel? U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told CNBC during a Tuesday interview that the government has no intention of meddling in Intel's business, and will have its hands tied by holding non-voting shares in the company. But some analysts wonder if the Trump administration's financial ties to Intel might prod more companies looking to curry favor with the president to increase their orders for the company's chips. What government grants does Intel receive? Intel was among the biggest beneficiaries of the Biden administration's CHIPS and Science Act, but it hasn't been able to revive its fortunes while falling behind on construction projects spawned by the program. The company has received about $2.2 billion of the $7.8 billion pledged under the incentives program — money that Lutnick derided as a 'giveaway' that would better serve U.S. taxpayers if it's turned into Intel stock. 'We think America should get the benefit of the bargain,' Lutnick told CNBC. 'It's obvious that it's the right move to make.'
2 days ago
Moving to Canada no easy road for these people fleeing Trump's America for political reasons
Robert Apgar-Taylor vividly remembers the day he and his husband, Robert Taylor, crossed the border into Canada, fleeing the changing political climate in their native United States in hopes of a safer life in Canada. We took a picture at the border. It was winter, said Apgar-Taylor. We wore our plaid shirts and hats, and showed our immigration papers with the moving truck behind us. We were so excited. To avoid confusion, this story refers to Apbar-Taylor's husband as Rob. The couple made their move to Canada in December 2022. Apgar-Taylor, a former reverend at the United Church of Christ, had just been appointed to a United Church of Canada parish in London, Ont. When Trump was first elected [in 2016], we thought about leaving, but we thought we were overreacting and things couldn't get that bad, he said. But things turned out to be just as bad as we imagined. Enlarge image (new window) Apgar-Taylor, left, and his husband, Robert Taylor, arrived at the Canadian border in December 2022. 'We were so excited,' says Apgar-Taylor. Photo: Submitted by Robert Apgar-Taylor Since Trump began his first term in 2017, the couple watched with anguish and became increasingly uncomfortable with the changing political climate in their country. First, there was the removal of a page (new window) dedicated to the 2SLGBTQ+ community from the White House website, just hours after Trump's inauguration in 2017. In 2020, there was the violent repression of anti-racism protesters (new window) with rubber bullets and tear gas outside the president's residence. The attack on the U.S. Capitol (new window) came a year later. I couldn't believe that the Constitution and the safeguards of civil society were being dismantled and that people were blindly following [Donald Trump], recalls Rob, a Washington, D.C., police officer at the time. As an openly gay pastor, Apgar-Taylor said he received a death threat while working in Maryland. But the final blow for the couple came in 2022, when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade (new window) , which guaranteed the right to abortion nationwide. Fifteen seconds after hearing the news, Rob looked at me and said, 'That's enough. We have to go,' Apgar-Taylor recalled. Dozens of requests about resettling The two aren't the only ones who've looked to move to Canada since Trump's arrival in politics. In the two weeks following Trump's re-election in November, the couple received about 30 messages from Americans asking how to settle north of the border. The United Church of Canada, for its part, reports it has been contacted by about 20 American clergy members interested in obtaining positions in Canada since January. Previously, it received only three to five such requests annually. Enlarge image (new window) Uncomfortable with the changing political climate in his home state of Texas, Lawrence now serves at First-St. Andrew's United Church in London. Photo: CBC / Prasanjeet Choudhury A few kilometres from the parish where Apgar-Taylor now works, another American oversees Sunday service: Rev. Joshua Lawrence at First-St. Andrew's United Church, also in London. The civil rights activist from Texas moved to the southwestern Ontario city with his wife, Amariee Collins — who is of African American descent — and their young son four years ago. They made the move to escape what the pastor sees as an increase in racism and intolerance since the rise of the Trump-popularized Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement. There have been acts of violence, Lawrence said. "Black churches have been burned (new window) in the South. The issues of slavery, the emergence of the Ku Klux Klan ... white terrorism. All of these things have begun to resurface in other forms." The reverend, who believed he was ministering in a progressive parish, quickly saw new tensions surface within his own congregation. Trans families consider leaving U.S. after Trump's re-election (new window) He said he received an email suggesting that his wife leave the parish. Then, he was shown the door because his values were deemed too liberal. He added that in his former parish, openly displaying his support for the 2SLGBTQ+ community and the fight against racism, as he does now in Canada, would have been risky. I often wondered if I could do it without risking threats or the church being attacked, he lamented. Because the open carrying of firearms in public places such as churches can be done legally in Texas, Lawrence became worried about the potential for violence. We packed our things and left, perhaps faster than necessary, but we were scared and didn't know what might happen. Becoming Canadian not so simple While Apgar-Taylor and Lawrence are now enjoying their new Canadian refuge with their families, the challenge of obtaining Canadian permanent residency is far from over. Both men have work visas linked to the United Church of Canada. They expected to obtain permanent residency after six months to two years in Canada, but Ottawa's recent lowering of permanent immigration thresholds thwarted their plans. For example, Apgar-Taylor and Rob still haven't been able to become homeowners because until they obtain permanent residency, they will have to pay a 25 per cent foreign buyers' tax in Ontario. The situation forced Apgar-Taylor to postpone his prostate cancer surgery for three months, when the couple had to urgently move out of their rented apartment. I couldn't have surgery and move at the same time, he said. I was devastated. As for his husband, he had to give up his career in law enforcement and now works nights in a warehouse. Lawrence and his wife are often forced to live far apart since the trained midwife and ultrasound technician still hasn't been able to get the qualifications to work in her field in Ontario. She spends several weeks a month in the United States so she can earn a living. There were times when we wondered if we had made the right decision, said Lawrence. In an emailed statement, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada stated that immigration processing times depend on various factors, including immigration targets, file complexity, security checks and the timeliness of applicants responding to requests for information. 'The door is closed' Willoughby says U.S. citizens applying for immigration to Canada because they're unhappy with the Trump administration don't have an easy or automatic path to citizenship. Photo: CBC / Prasanjeet Choudhury Immigration lawyer Greg Willoughby has heard similar stories from U.S.-born clients who face barriers trying to immigrate to Canada. From his small office in downtown London, he regularly gets calls from Americans, including parents of transgender children, who seek to escape the U.S. administration's policies. When Trump was first elected, I received calls from people asking if there were specific immigration options for Americans, and the answer is 'no,' said Willoughby. He pointed out that Americans must qualify through a points system set up by Ottawa to assess them as potential immigration candidates. If you're not a young person in your 20s or 30s with a degree from a Canadian college or university and a few years of work experience in Canada, you won't be able to get enough points. He noted a growing number of Americans are turning to humanitarian and compassionate applications, though their chances of success are slim. It's not the Vietnam War anymore, and we no longer welcome draft dodgers. It's the same for transgender people. The door is closed. 'A recovering American' Enlarge image (new window) Originally from New York state, Apgar-Taylor likes to tell parishioners at Riverside United Church in London that he's 'a recovering American.' Photo: CBC / Prasanjeet Choudhury Despite the obstacles, Apgar-Taylor, Rob and Lawrence remain hopeful of their future in Canada. My name is Rob, and I'm a recovering American, is how Apgar-Taylor sometimes likes to open his sermons. In the basement of their home, the reverend and his husband contemplate the photos of their children and grandchildren in a family tree painted on the wall. We miss them every day, said Robert. Both feel that returning to the United States is not an option for them. Enlarge image (new window) Apgar-Taylor and his partner Rob, left to right, say they're holding off buying a house in Canada because, not being citizens, they'd have to pay a 25 per cent foreign buyers' tax in Ontario. Photo: CBC / Prasanjeet Choudhury The year Apgar-Taylor and Rob moved to London, two of their friends were assaulted back home in separate attacks because of their sexual and gender identities. You don't realize how much you're holding your breath until you don't have to hold it anymore. That's how it feels to be in Canada, said Apgar-Taylor. With files from Andrew Lupton
CBC
2 days ago
- CBC
Moving to Canada no easy road for these people fleeing Trump's America for political reasons
Robert Apgar-Taylor vividly remembers the day he and his husband, Robert Taylor, crossed the border into Canada, fleeing the changing political climate in their native United States in hopes of a safer life in Canada. "We took a picture at the border. It was winter," said Apgar-Taylor. "We wore our plaid shirts and hats, and showed our immigration papers with the moving truck behind us. We were so excited." To avoid confusion, this story refers to Apbar-Taylor's husband as Rob. The couple made their move to Canada in December 2022. Apgar-Taylor, a former reverend at the United Church of Christ, had just been appointed to a United Church of Canada parish in London, Ont. "When Trump was first elected [in 2016], we thought about leaving, but we thought we were overreacting and things couldn't get that bad," he said. "But things turned out to be just as bad as we imagined." Since Trump began his first term in 2017, the couple watched with anguish and became increasingly uncomfortable with the changing political climate in their country. First, there was the removal of a page dedicated to the 2SLGBTQ+ community from the White House website, just hours after Trump's inauguration in 2017. In 2020, there was the violent repression of anti-racism protesters with rubber bullets and tear gas outside the president's residence. The attack on the U.S. Capitol came a year later. "I couldn't believe that the Constitution and the safeguards of civil society were being dismantled and that people were blindly following [Donald Trump]," recalls Rob, a Washington, D.C., police officer at the time. As an openly gay pastor, Apgar-Taylor said he received a death threat while working in Maryland. But the final blow for the couple came in 2022, when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, which guaranteed the right to abortion nationwide. "Fifteen seconds after hearing the news, Rob looked at me and said, 'That's enough. We have to go,'" Apgar-Taylor recalled. Dozens of requests about resettling The two aren't the only ones who've looked to move to Canada since Trump's arrival in politics. In the two weeks following Trump's re-election in November, the couple received about 30 messages from Americans asking how to settle north of the border. The United Church of Canada, for its part, reports it has been contacted by about 20 American clergy members interested in obtaining positions in Canada since January. Previously, it received only three to five such requests annually. A few kilometres from the parish where Apgar-Taylor now works, another American oversees Sunday mass: Rev. Joshua Lawrence at First-St. Andrew's United Church, also in London. The civil rights activist from Texas moved to the southwestern Ontario city with his wife, Amariee Collins — who is of African American descent — and their young son four years ago. They made the move to escape what the pastor sees as an increase in racism and intolerance since the rise of the Trump-popularized Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement. "There have been acts of violence," Lawrence said. "Black churches have been burned in the South. The issues of slavery, the emergence of the Ku Klux Klan ... white terrorism. All of these things have begun to resurface in other forms." The reverend, who believed he was ministering in a progressive parish, quickly saw new tensions surface within his own congregation. He said he received an email suggesting that his wife leave the parish. Then, he was shown the door because his values were deemed too liberal. He added that in his former parish, openly displaying his support for the 2SLGBTQ+ community and the fight against racism, as he does now in Canada, would have been risky. "I often wondered if I could do it without risking threats or the church being attacked," he lamented. Because the open carrying of firearms in public places such as churches can be done legally in Texas, Lawrence became worried about the potential for violence. "We packed our things and left, perhaps faster than necessary, but we were scared and didn't know what might happen." Becoming Canadian not so simple While Apgar-Taylor and Lawrence are now enjoying their new Canadian refuge with their families, the challenge of obtaining Canadian permanent residency is far from over. Both men have work visas linked to the United Church of Canada. They expected to obtain permanent residency after six months to two years in Canada, but Ottawa's recent lowering of permanent immigration thresholds thwarted their plans. For example, Apgar-Taylor and Rob still haven't been able to become homeowners because until they obtain permanent residency, they will have to pay a 25 per cent foreign buyers' tax in Ontario. The situation forced Apgar-Taylor to postpone his prostate cancer surgery for three months, when the couple had to urgently move out of their rented apartment. "I couldn't have surgery and move at the same time," he said. "I was devastated." As for his husband, he had to give up his career in law enforcement and now works nights in a warehouse. Lawrence and his wife are often forced to live far apart since the trained midwife and ultrasound technician still hasn't been able to get the qualifications to work in her field in Ontario. She spends several weeks a month in the United States so she can earn a living. "There were times when we wondered if we had made the right decision," said Lawrence. In an emailed statement, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada stated that immigration processing times "depend on various factors, including immigration targets, file complexity, security checks and the timeliness of applicants responding to requests for information." 'The door is closed' Immigration lawyer Greg Willoughby has heard similar stories from U.S.-born clients who face barriers trying to immigrate to Canada. From his small office in downtown London, he regularly gets calls from Americans, including parents of transgender children, who seek to escape the U.S. administration's policies. "When Trump was first elected, I received calls from people asking if there were specific immigration options for Americans, and the answer is 'no,'" said Willoughby. He pointed out that Americans must qualify through a points system set up by Ottawa to assess them as potential immigration candidates. "If you're not a young person in your 20s or 30s with a degree from a Canadian college or university and a few years of work experience in Canada, you won't be able to get enough points." He noted a growing number of Americans are turning to humanitarian and compassionate applications, though their chances of success are slim. "It's not the Vietnam War anymore, and we no longer welcome draft dodgers. It's the same for transgender people. The door is closed." 'A recovering American' Despite the obstacles, Apgar-Taylor, Rob and Lawrence remain hopeful of their future in Canada. "My name is Rob, and I'm a recovering American," is how Apgar-Taylor sometimes likes to open his sermons. In the basement of their home, the reverend and his husband contemplate the photos of their children and grandchildren in a family tree painted on the wall. "We miss them every day," said Robert. Both feel that returning to the United States is not an option for them. The year Apgar-Taylor and Rob moved to London, two of their friends were assaulted back home in separate attacks because of their sexual and gender identities.
