The Cost of Standing Firm — and what God did next

This week from the Pastor’s Heart, a story which will be only too familiar to many readers of this website –

“Twenty-four years ago, Anglican minister David Short found himself at the centre of a controversy in Vancouver that would help reshape the worldwide Anglican Communion.

David was leading one of Canada’s largest Anglican congregations when a dispute over same-sex blessings became a much deeper battle over biblical authority, the gospel and the future of Anglicanism.

David and his congregation eventually lost their church building. David lost his licence. The personal toll was devastating. He suffered a breakdown and spent more than two years away from full-time ministry.

But that’s not where the story ends.

Today, a growing Anglican movement in Canada is training a new generation of gospel ministers, with consequences reaching far beyond Canada.

After 33 years of ministry in Vancouver, David Short reflects on the cost of standing firm, the unexpected fruit of suffering and what the future holds for orthodox Anglicanism.

What does it cost to stand firm for the gospel? And what has God done through that costly stand?”

– Watch it all here.

Do give much thanks for our dear brother, and continue to pray for him as well as for the gospel in Canada.

See also:

Why I Walked –  by J.I. Packer

Related posts. (Mostly related – some of these search results aren’t relevant, and some links are no longer active.)

Canada’s MAiD Regime: How We Became a World Leader in Assisted Death — and How Christians Should Respond

“Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) regime has undergone one of the most rapid expansions of any assisted dying system in the world since it was legalized in 2016. Originally introduced through Bill C-14, MAiD was limited to competent adults suffering from grievous and irremediable medical conditions whose natural deaths were “reasonably foreseeable.” However, successive legislative changes and evolving clinical interpretation have broadened eligibility while reducing procedural safeguards.

Today, MAiD accounts for roughly one in every 20 deaths, meaning Canada has the second-highest rate of assisted deaths in the world. …”

– A sobering article from Ray Jennings at The Gospel Coalition Canada.

Canada steps up its war on the Bible

“The Canadian parliament has passed Bill C-9, known as the Combating Hate Act; it received Royal Assent on June 18 and the provisions come into force on July 18. Mark Carney, the liberal Prime Minister, considers that the legislation is ‘a huge step forward in our mission to build a stronger, safer country’.

Bill C-9 will usher in a ‘dark day’ for Canadians of faith. Conservative MP Brad Redekopp described the Bill as ‘a tool to enforce liberal DEI ideology while leaving fundamental freedoms dangerously exposed’. Such is the danger to the church that the legislation been dubbed the ‘Bible Ban’ Bill. …”

– Dr Campbell Campbell-Jack, retired Presbyterian minister in Scotland, wrote this opinion piece for TCW.

The State of Theology in Canada – some good news, but not a lot

“What do Canadians in 2026 believe about God, the Bible, and salvation? Ligonier Ministries Canada and Lifeway Research partnered to find out. …

Evangelicals were defined by Lifeway Research as people who strongly agreed with the following four statements:

– See the rather mixed results here. (Link thanks to challies.com.)