The Anglican Foundation of Canada
80 Hayden Street, Toronto, Ontario M4Y 3G2
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2024 Request for Proposals—Ecumenical Embrace
Introduction
The Anglican Foundation of Canada (AFC) is inviting Anglicans across Canada to share an ecumenical embrace with our fellow Christians from the Oriental Orthodox Churches. These church communities encompass some of the oldest centres of Christianity in the Ancient Near East. Many members of these churches—from Armenia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Syria, Eritrea, Lebanon, India, and other parts of Western Asia—have come to Canada in recent years to escape violence and political unrest, joining with established Christian communities in this country. AFC is encouraging the Anglican Church to connect with these neighbours through ecumenical outreach projects and new shared ministries so that we may learn from each other and appreciate the diversity that exists within the Body of Christ.
The late Bishop Henry Gordon Hill, a former Bishop of Ontario, traveled extensively in the Middle East and beyond in the 1980s, visiting each of the Oriental Orthodox Churches as the representative of Robert Runcie, Archbishop of Canterbury, helping to establish formal ecumenical dialogue that had not existed for over 1,000 years. Bishop Henry’s love for the people of these churches and his zeal for deepening Christian friendship led to the establishment of the Scholarship of St. Basil the Great with AFC to facilitate exchanges between members of the Anglican Church of Canada and members of the Oriental Orthodox Churches and the Assyrian Church of the East. His legacy has provided the impetus for this Request for Proposals
The following churches are included in the ecumenical embrace:
- The Armenian Apostolic Church (in Armenia and Lebanon)
- The Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt
- The Ethiopian Orthodox Church
- The Eritrean Orthodox Church
- The Syriac Orthodox Church of Syria and India
- The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (in India)
- The Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East
Criteria
Up to $75,000 in seed funding will be provided for new projects that enable connection through an ecumenical outreach project or a new shared ministry between the Anglican Church of Canada and members of the Oriental Orthodox Churches and the Assyrian Church of the East.
Submissions will be accepted from September 1 to October 1, 2024.
NOTE: New projects are the focus of this RFP. Projects that are concluded before October 1, 2024 will not be considered. If the total grant request greatly exceeds the $75,000 in available funding, priority will be given to first-time RFP applicants. Only one submission per applicant will be accepted.
(Infrastructure projects are not the focus of this RFP. Applicants for Infrastructure projects are encouraged to review the regular Grant Application process at www.anglicanfoundation.org/apply. Infrastructure elements may be a component of the project plan but not the primary purpose.)
Category A Grants: Local
Up to $5,000
Category A grants will be considered based on impact and how they support an ecumenical outreach project or a new shared ministry in a local context.
Category B Grants: Regional
Up to $15,000
Category B grants will be considered based on impact, project scope, and how they support an ecumenical outreach project or a new shared ministry in a city, diocese, or region.
Ecumenical outreach projects or new shared ministries may include:
- Christian education programs, mutual study, and public speaking events to cultivate ecumenical knowledge and awareness
- Shared spiritual formation and fellowship gatherings for laity and clergy
- Joint programs for children and youth that enhance cultural and ecumenical relationships
- Partnerships with community service providers for material support for Oriental Orthodox newcomers and diaspora in Canada
Eligible uses of funding include, but are not limited to, administrative expenses, travel costs, equipment, technical costs, remuneration, honoraria, and food.
Proposals must meet the following criteria:
- Must enable connection through outreach projects and new shared ministries
- Must involve members of the Oriental Orthodox Churches or Assyrian Church of the East in mutual planning, collaboration, and delivery
- Must come under the umbrella of:
- an Anglican Diocese, Ecclesiastical Province, or General Synod
- an Anglican church, parish, or deanery
- an Anglican theological college or religious order
- Must be endorsed by a diocesan bishop in the Anglican Church of Canada
- AFC grant may comprise up to 100% of the project budget for Category A Grants
- AFC grant may comprise up to a maximum of 50% of the project budget for Category B Grants
The AFC Board of Directors will review proposals in November 2024 and announce the grant recipients in early December. Proposals submitted in response to this request do not count as one of the four submissions each diocese is allowed per year.
Grant Facilitator:
In order to make our grant application process more accessible, AFC has launched a grant facilitation program to provide assistance to prospective applicants as they develop their project proposals and funding applications. To schedule time with one of our Grant Facilitators, please contact: [email protected].
SUBMISSION OPTIONS
Proposals may be submitted by email, hard copy, or through the Grants Portal at https://www.anglicanfoundation.org/apply/rfp/. Applications may be supplemented by multimedia if applicable. For applicants working with Grant Facilitators, the Facilitator will work with the applicant to determine the best method of submitting the application.
Fillable Submission Form – PDF
Hard copy submissions may be sent to
The Anglican Foundation of Canada
80 Hayden Street
Toronto, ON M4Y 3G2
Electronic submissions may be sent to [email protected] or by using the form below: