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STREET OUTREACH INITIATIVE PAGE 1
SSTTRREEEETT OOUUTTRREEAACCHH IINNIITTIIAATTIIVVEEQVOD EORVM MINIMIS MIHI As to the least of them, so to me (Mt 25:40)
SUMMER 2011
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
ON THE STREET
CHRISTIAN FORMATION
ABIT ABOUT MATTHEW
OUTREACH NEWS
22001111 CChhrriiss LLoohh PPhhoottooggrraapphheeddoonntthheeccoorrnneerrooffHHaassttiinnggssaannddGGoorree..
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PAGE 2 STREET OUTREACH INITIATIVE
OONN TTHHEESSTTRREEEETT
I work in a place where the least expected things
are always to be expected, and where God reveals
himself in the most unlikely people and places.
Why dont you to join me, on this slightly overcast
afternoon.Walking down Powell St...A black man in
his late 20s is heading in my direction.
We both stop, and he looks me in the eye:
Exorcism...Do you do exorcisms...? He asks
matter-of-factly. I tell him the truth . . . Havent
done too many lately ... Whats up? He is notforthcoming. But asks, Look, can I meet with
you...? But later . . . Ive got to be somewhere
else right now. I make an offer: St James
Church, in an hour? Do you know it...? He nods
grimly, and departs without a word. I continue
down Powell St. On my way to the mostinfamous street corner in Vancouver.
The intersection of Main and Hastings
deserves its notoriety.
Im stepping up onto the sidewalk in front
of the Carnegie Centre, when a thin white man inhis 50s immediately asks me, What do you need?What can I getcha? Hes a front man for a
dealer, standing around the corner. Hes asking
what drugs Im looking for. I shake my head,
No.
Directly in front of me, people areexchanging bills and coins, for small paper flaps,prescription pill bottles, and tiny crystals that look
like rock salt. On this corner you will find, what
our Book of Common Prayer refers to as all sorts
and conditions of men. This includes merchants,
professionals, middle class types, trades workers
on breaks, and others, all visiting this part of theneighbourhood, to score.
I enter the Carnegie, and at the front desk,
pickup the latest drafts ofFree Foodand
Resources in the Downtown East Side. Thesebrochures are the definitive, up to date listings of
whats available for people in need ofvarious
things, from a hot lunch, to emergency dental
care, to assistance with applying for replacement
Photo I.D.
Across the street on the northwest corner,
and away from the drug bazaar, groups of
indigenous men and women are talking, laughing,and milling about. You might expect that, as a
white Anglican priest, I would bepersona non
grataamong those who as children attended the
infamous Residential Schools. It is remarkable
that here there is hospitality and kindness.
I meet and catch up with 2 friends.
Vince is indigenous man in his late 20s. A
black eye and split lip are evidence that Vincesbeen in another scrap. A man not prone to
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ST.JAMESANGLICAN CHURCH PAGE 3
violence, hes very open, as he recounts thecircumstances that led to such a rough encounter.I shake my head, chiding with a smile.
For the street outreach priest,
parishioners are not only those who show up at
the church building Sunday. Our parish
membersinclude men and women just like
Vince. Residents and denizens of theneighbourhood parish of St James. And mycolleagues, on a team of seven priests, do the
same. They are all prepared to stop and connect
when encountering a friend or someone in need.
For all of us, the parish extends very definitely
into the neighbourhood, including its toughest
street corners.As I bid Vince farewell, Chris, an
indigenous man in his late 30s, smiles and says
hello. Chris has just completed a demanding
drug recovery programme. I make a practice ofcelebrating all triumphs, both great and small.
And as Chris speaks about this landmark in hislife, I have never seen him so open hearted and
joyful. I celebrate with him this major step.
To my mind, there is no recovery that is
not a miracle. And I tell him, that the Creator
must be very proud of him. In speaking with the
indigenous members of our parish, I amcomfortable referring to God openly and directly.
People in other areas of our city, on Robson
Street, or at a mall in suburbia, might wonder at astatement mentioning God. But in the DTES,
and especially among the members of the First
Nations, it is simple and natural to speak of Godspresence in our lives.
Chris and I catch up. And I head further down
Hastings.
An aboriginal man up ahead sees me
coming. Hey there, Mushum. Tall and in hisearly thirties, he leans back, against the Western
Union store window, and says nothing further.
I stop. Sorry... I didnt hear what you
said...? About a mushroom?No, he says,
mush-um
I stare blankly at him, and he can tell that I
dont get it.
, not mushroom! He shifts his eyes,
left and right; never looking straight at me. You,you are a Mushum.
He looks right and left, yet again. Am I
irritating him? It feels as ifhe cant stand thesight of me. I dont understand...? What does
mushum mean?Only now does he look straight at me.
Go. Ask an elderwhat mushum means...
Okay, I tell him. Ill do just that. And
with this, I move on. Baffled. What did I do tooffend this man?
I walk and wonder about the meaning of
mushum. It sounds like something bad. But
why...? An insult maybe?
Im walking now on Abbott Street, and I
hear the whining of a small engine. I look up to
see an old motorcyclethe kind with a sidecar
heading toward me. Painted blue, it must besurplus, World War II vintage. But then, I do a
double take at the passenger in the sidecar.
There sits a large brown doga genuine
hound. His eyes protected by goggles, a scarf
around his neck! He looks around nonchalantly,
as if taking in the sites.
No, Im not hallucinating! This is just a typicalmoment, in an average day, in the life of theDowntown East Side.
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PAGE 4 STREET OUTREACH INITIATIVE
I head back to the Church to meet the
fellow about exorcism. And for the record, I havenever done one.
From experience, the chances are this:
35% that he will show for the meeting, and 65%
that he wont. . .
I sit on the concrete front steps of St
James, and brood about how ineffective I feel.Especially when it comes to follow-up meetings.
On top of that I begin to wonder again
about what the word mushum must mean.Perhaps it means fool or phoney, or maybesomething worse... Frustration wells up, from
deep within me. I am staring at my feet... When
out of the blue, some words come to my ears...
Dontbesohardonyourself...
And as I look up, its not at all clear who
has said this...
There is no one nearby, except an Indo-Canadian man in his 30s... He strides by, and for
a moment, looks up the steps at me. Blank faced,
moving quickly. And then he is gone.
The hairs stand up on my arm. . .
Dontbesohardonyourself.
I am not sure who said this, nor do I know
what prompted his words. But I do know these
words are for me, and for this precise moment offrustration. Almost as if God himself, were trying
to tell me something...
I look at my watch; the fifteen minute
grace period has expired. Yet one more no-
show!
I think of the words just given to me. And
I can see that a noshow does not equal failure
on my part. The most I can do, at times, is to be
available. Whether someone shows up, or not, isup to them.
I go to the Church to write some log notes,
and update the prayer list. 20 minutes later, and I
head down Cordova Street, to meet my old friend
Wayne for coffee. Again, I start brooding about
the native fellow and how I must have offendedhim. . .
Down the sidewalk, two women in their
20s are laughing as they walk in my direction.
One of them looks up and stops me. You. Are
you a real
I look over at the other girl, who smiles
quietly and nods her approval.
priest...? I tell her that I am, and that
I work in this parish. Oh, Im an Anglican too.Her enthusiasm is genuine. She points to hergirlfriend. Hey. Its her birthday. Can you give
her a blessing?
So I say a blessing, for the birthday girl.
And another blessing for the one who asked. She
responds, with considerable emotion, I havent
been to Church for 10 years...Im really gladwe ran into you...Theres a reason thishappened... I point over my shoulder in the
general direction of the St James building...Ifyou ever want a place to pray, or a spiritual home,
youve got a standing invitation!
Im sitting now. Sharing a cup of coffeewith Wayne. Wayne is a traditional First Nations
artist. God has bestowed awesome artistic gifts
upon him. We reminisce and laugh about living
in Regina Saskatchewan, where both of us went to
high school. As we talk, I am reminded that
sitting across the table from me is a member ofthe Cree People. I change the topic . . .
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ST.JAMESANGLICAN CHURCH PAGE 5
Wayne, can you explain something? I ran
into a native guy this afternoon.. He called me
mushum... Its something bad --- isnt it?
Wayne responds immediately: No. Not
something bad! Waynes eyes are very serious,
as he meets my gaze. A term of respect.
Mushum means Grandfather... Like someone
who looks out for the well being of others. Itsnot something bad, Matthew. He is honouring
you. I sit in silence, just looking at my friend.
Grandfather...?
I am surprised and humbled. The
indigenous men and women I work with are not
glad-talkers. They do not use words lightly. As
Wayne and I part company, I am quiet and deeplymoved.
Tonight is the feast of Corpus Christi.
And I am back just as the evening service begins.
I will spend some time on the front step, to
welcome neighbourhood latecomers to Church.
Music rises from the choir, out the window, and
onto the street where I stand. A young Chinese
woman, in her early 20s asks if we can talk. I
nod, and move to the side, for some privacy.Donna recounts some past wrongdoing
and asks: Pastor, can God ever forgive me...?
She is sincere and speaks plainly, and I am filled
with both compassion and respect for her.
I tell her the truth..: Oh. You might be
surprised at what God can do...! Donnas
expression immediately changes, and she looks
searchingly. And I recount for her, briefly, Jesus
story of the Prodigal Son. As I stand there with
her, leaning against the wall of Church, the spicy
fragrance of incense from the procession streams
out of the windows, and flows down the wall, to
where we are speaking.The narrative, about a Father who truly
forgives, clearly makes sense to her. Donnas
facial expression and her posture both relax
visibly. She says yes to my offer of the words of
absolution. And as we are about to part, I offer
Donna one of our prayer cards, with a carefulselection of the basic prayers of the ChristianChurch.
As I put on a cassock, as the choir sings, I
pray a deeply felt thank-you to God, for the vast
privilege of doing this particular ministry, at this
point in time. This has been just one day in the
130 year connection between this neighbourhood
and this church. What a wonderful thing it is, to
be a part of it.
Copyright 2011 Matthew Johnson. The names
and descriptions of persons mentioned here have
been carefully altered to protect identities. Events
are not in their original chronology. Photographsdo not depict those who are mentioned in this
article. MJ
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PAGE 6 STREET OUTREACH INITIATIVE
CCHHRRIISSTTIIAANNFFOORRMMAATTIIOONN
Christian Formation is an integral dimension of our Outreach work. Part of this is providing resources,
in particular for Christian Prayer and Faith. For those who wish to study the Scriptures, and are street
involved or on limited incomes, SOI provides new hardcover NRSV Bibles at no cost. We also provide
Prayer Cards in
English, and in
Spanish; designed
especially for street
involved neighbours.
Our aim is to provide
the central prayers of
the Christian
Tradition; and
especially the texts
most critical for dailylife, and for moments
of crisis.
We have revised our
English Prayer Card,
adding two texts to
the collection: The
Two Great
Commandments, and
The Prayer of the
Good ThiefJesus,
remember me when
you come into your
kingdom. The
overall objective with
the prayer card is to
identify and make
available, what are
perhaps the mostsignificant and
powerful of all
Christian prayers,
that also address the life situations of our neighbours on the Street. These are fitted on a two sided
post card. SOI is most grateful to the St James Outreach Committee, and to Convenor Professor John
Conway, for underwriting this much needed ministry resource. And to Stephen Rathjen, who
accomplished design and printing of the card.
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ST.JAMESANGLICAN CHURCH PAGE 7
AABBIITTAABBOOUUTTMMAATTTTHHEEWW
Sometimes people ask about how I got into the work of street outreach. Did I begin with a degree in
social work? Did I train specifically for urban ministry? Well, No. Actually I trained as a theologian
and I could never have foreseen that Id be working in the Downtown East Side!
I began studies in political science at University or Regina. I did a couple of courses in Religious
Studies at the Jesuit College. It is there that my interests in theology and liturgy began. From there I
did a Masters degree at Regent College, and a Master of Divinity at Trinity College, University of
Toronto. I completed the course work for a Ph.D. at St Michaels College, University of Toronto,
from which I am currently on leave. I have published a number of articles and reviews in journals like
Studia Liturgica, National Bulletin on the Liturgy(Canadian Council of Catholic Bishops), and the
Toronto Journal of Theology. The biggest piece of work Ive produced is called Bibliographia liturgica
The book was published in Rome by the Vincentian Fathers.
When I hit the streets each day, I know I am not alone. I am aware of Gods presence. My
other companions include St Anselm of Canterbury, St Thomas Aquinas, and Fr Karl Rahner. Many
of their insights are universal in application. They address directly this time in history, and this placeof the Downtown East Side. Their teachings about God and the dignity of the human person, provide
a constant resource, as I move from one situation to another.
I love the pastoral work which I am privileged to do. What is fascinating to me is that my
training in theology should be so relevant to this work of pastoral outreach. Perhaps I did indeed
become a sort of theologian in practice. Although I could never have foreseen the shape ofthis
vocation, I cannot imagine any other sort of work Id rather do.
2011 Chris Loh Photographed in an alley near Main & Hastings St.
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PAGE 8 STREET OUTREACH INITIATIVE
NOTE TOFINANCIAL SUPPORTERS
If you wish to contribute to the Street Outreach Initiative, and are not a member of St James or a subscriber of
GEM please make cheques payable to the STREET OUTREACH INITIATIVE and send them to the address below.
OOUUTTRREEAACCHHNNEEWWSS
A NEW 3 YEAR COVENANT
FOR THE STREET OUTREACH
At the heart of the Street Outreach Initiative is athree way partnership, involving St James Church,
Diocese of New Westminster, and ourCommunity Funding Partners. On 13th of
October 2010, these Partners arrived at a new 3
year funding agreement, which will keep the
Outreach operating in the current year and right
through 2013. On 19 November 2010, a new
entity, the SOI Partners Executive Group, held
its first meeting at Christ Church Cathedral. In
attendance were Mr John Van Luven
(representing St James), Ms Judy Hager
(representing community funding partners), Fr
Matthew Johnson (Street Outreach Priest), and
Convenor the Ven Dr Ellen Clark-King(representing the Diocese). The Executive
Group took on the task of recasting a new
Covenant in Ministry, among the Partners. This
new Covenant was signed at the Synod Eucharist
on 27 May 2011. We are grateful to so many,
whose work has made this possible. Special
thanks go to Diocesan Staff members, Mr Rob
Dickson, and Fr Paul Borthistle (now at St
Marys Kerrisdale). Their assistance was
instrumental in the complex task of forging a new
agreement for the continuation of this work.
SPECIALIZED TRAINING
FOR CRISIS INTERVENTION
Last summer, Fr Matthew completed the trainingand instructor accreditation process with the
Crisis Prevention Institute, based in Milwaukee.He is now certified to deliver training programme
called Non-Violent Crisis Intervention. Thereare times on the street, when things hang in the
balance. Someone may be angry or agitated, and
ready to strike out at someone else, or indeed at
me. The Rules of Engagement when Im on the
street, start first with putting distance between
myself and the individual acting out. But
sometimes this is not possible. In moments like
this, words and behaviour can directly influence
what happens next, and the overall outcome.
Many of the persons encountered on thestreet have serious and untreated mental illness.
Others struggle with addictions, where drug use
itself can occasion temporary (and long term)
psychosis. Abuse of alcohol too can result in
psychotic episodes characterized by delusions and
hallucinations. Alcohol also has a disinhibiting
effect on the brain, which can result in serious
violence.
Matthew observes, [When] I see someone
coming down the sidewalk in my direction, Id
much rather encounter someone who is mentallyill, or in a drug induced psychosis, instead of
someone who is blitzed on alcohol. []Intoxicated people are less predictable, more
prone to the use of violence, and less open to the
influence of others.
Matthew has taught variations of this
programme with volunteers at St James Church,
and at other parishes. His hope is that the better
able we are to deal with people in crisis, the more
prepared we are to invite everyone, including the
street involved, to join us at the Lords Table.
CONTACT DETAILS:
Street Outreach Priest: Fr Matthew Johnson
Project Administrator: Stephen Rathjen
Street Outreach Initiative, 303 East Cordova Street, Vancouver BC V6A 1L4Telephone: 604 685 7522 Email: [email protected]