The vote in January is to elect a new Diocesan Bishop. Our General Synod, which will be voting on changing the Marriage Canon, will meet in June of 2019.janura

Happy thanksgiving, Reverend Andrea Brennan says, greeting me with a warm smile and a hug. Dressed in black jeans and earthy tones, the Fernie church minister matches the fall colours around downtown. The neckline of her loose-fitting poncho reveals the white of a clerical collar.

She pushes open the heavy wooden doors to the old stone church, revealing a long traditional hall filled with pews. Heavenly light from colourful stained glass fills the room.

Brennan is one of the most recognizable faces around town for one particular reason - she害羞草研究所檚 always smiling. For almost three years she has served as the minister of the Christ Church Anglican in Fernie.

Behind the everlasting smile is a person confident in what they believe in and not afraid to challenge the status quo.

Aside from breaking the stereotype by being a female minister, Brennan is also openly queer. She is also serving at a time when her denomination is considering marrying same-sex couples.

害羞草研究所淲hen I came out to my Bishop, I don害羞草研究所檛 think he had ever had anybody come out to him before,害羞草研究所� said Brennan.

害羞草研究所淗e害羞草研究所檚 of course, polite above all else, and he said, 害羞草研究所榃ell, I know that you will manage the mission field as best appropriate害羞草研究所�, which is Bishop speak for, you害羞草研究所檙e not going to do an altar call, you害羞草研究所檙e not going to stand up on a Sunday morning and say, 害羞草研究所楪uess what! I害羞草研究所檓 queer!害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟

Something that Brennan doesn害羞草研究所檛 understand is when people say that being homosexual is against God. She believes it all boils down to love. She admitted that there are several letters in the chapter of Paul where the prophet mentions, 害羞草研究所楢 man should not lie with another man害羞草研究所�.

害羞草研究所淭aken out of context, you can make that as an argument against homosexuality,害羞草研究所� said Brennan. 害羞草研究所淏ut within context, that害羞草研究所檚 not what he was getting at, at all.害羞草研究所�

Brennan lives her life openly and has accepted that she is known as 害羞草研究所榯he weird one in that church over there that doesn害羞草研究所檛 wear shoes, sometimes with pink hair害羞草研究所�.

害羞草研究所淚 am who God made and for people that will tell me that I don害羞草研究所檛 have a seat at the table, they害羞草研究所檙e not going to say that to me simply because of my sexuality. They害羞草研究所檒l also say that to me because of my gender,害羞草研究所� said Brennan.

害羞草研究所淏ut I keep having a seat at the table because God has called me to be there.害羞草研究所�

Brennan害羞草研究所檚 very first homily (reading of scripture) in Fernie began with an apology. This triggered some laughter in the congregation.

害羞草研究所淚 said, 害羞草研究所榣et me explain害羞草研究所�,害羞草研究所� said Brennan.

害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 do anything in a small manner, there害羞草研究所檚 nothing small about me. Not my heart, not my mouth, not my backside. Everything I do is full on, and out there.

害羞草研究所淪o I害羞草研究所檓 going to say things that are offensive, most of the time it won害羞草研究所檛 be intentional. Every now and then I害羞草研究所檒l push you intentionally to make you uncomfortable, to start a conversation.害羞草研究所�

Her speech concluded with an offer of private conversation, if someone is offended or upset by something she has said.

She recalled one day, a church goer who always sat with her arms folded, approached Brennan and invited her for tea at her home. Despite dreading a possible lecture, she agreed.

In conversation, the woman said, 害羞草研究所淚 really didn害羞草研究所檛 want to like you害羞草研究所�.

The women went on to explain that she didn害羞草研究所檛 like that she was coming from the east or that she was a woman. But when Brennan walked through the doors for the first time, the woman admitted it challenged all her preconceptions.

害羞草研究所淪he害羞草研究所檚 talking to me and she害羞草研究所檚 watching me very carefully, and she害羞草研究所檚 measuring her words very carefully,害羞草研究所� said Brennan.

害羞草研究所淚 said, 害羞草研究所榮o how do you feel now?害羞草研究所� And she said, 害羞草研究所榳ell, I love you. Because I didn害羞草研究所檛 realize that I really needed somebody to make me feel uncomfortable and to make me question why I do what I do害羞草研究所�.害羞草研究所�

The woman further explained that hearing Brennan say to them that they had permission to question why things were the way they were, opened up doors that had been closed shut for years.

From a young age, Brennan has been called to serve in some capacity and has always enjoyed helping others. As she grew older and finished her high school education, she decided to pursue a career in teaching. Almost finished university, Brennan discovered that she didn害羞草研究所檛 have the grades to enter teachers college. Instead, she decided to study English and philosophy.

Now an educated woman with a resume to pursue a multitude of careers, Brennan froze, unsure what she wanted. During this time, she attended church again and realized how much she missed it. After some time she became a layperson, with a new goal of becoming a lay-minister. When she approached her Rector about becoming a lay-minister, he instead encouraged her to consider priesthood.

害羞草研究所淚 started laughing, I didn害羞草研究所檛 realize he was serious,害羞草研究所� said Brennan. 害羞草研究所淎nd I said, 害羞草研究所榥o, I want to be a lay person, I don害羞草研究所檛 feel that God would have a use for me any more than that害羞草研究所�.害羞草研究所�

Acknowledging this, her Rector told her to keep it in the back of her mind.

While on a retreat at a convent, Brennan spent five days in silence, pondering what she should do. She left feeling encouraged and returned a year later for another five days, with a new idea of pursuing monastic life.

On the second retreat and after much discernment (meditation), Brennan approached her Reverend Mother and told her that she was thinking of becoming an Anglican nun.

害羞草研究所淪he said, 害羞草研究所業 can害羞草研究所檛 see you coming to us as a sister, as a nun, but I can see you coming back to us as our priest害羞草研究所�,害羞草研究所� said Brennan.

Brennan rejected the idea at first but realized after leaving the retreat that her Reverend Mother was right 害羞草研究所� seven years without privacy, as an extremely introverted person, was not the path for her. Not having materialistic wealth didn害羞草研究所檛 bother her and neither did a limited wardrobe, but not having a place to be alone bothered her tremendously. It was at this point that she decided to apply to Seminary.

What ultimately cemented her decision to serve was something Brennan experienced while in meditation on the second retreat.

害羞草研究所淚 was sitting on the ground and I heard a male voice call my name,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淚 looked around and there was nobody around, and I thought, that害羞草研究所檚 weird. So I continued where I was with my eyes closed in a time of prayer and meditation and then I heard, 害羞草研究所榊ou will serve me害羞草研究所�.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚 got up and ran because I thought, there害羞草研究所檚 some strange guy around here.害羞草研究所�

Writing down what she heard on a piece of paper, a sister confirmed that there were no other men on the grounds. Frightened and confused, Brennan returned to the same spot for several days, and waited.

害羞草研究所淚 waited and I said, 害羞草研究所榦kay, if in order for this to happen I need to surrender, then that害羞草研究所檚 what I害羞草研究所檓 doing害羞草研究所�,害羞草研究所� said Brennan. 害羞草研究所満π卟菅芯克�� and then I heard again, 害羞草研究所榊ou will serve me害羞草研究所�.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淧art of me was elated to hear it again and part of me was really annoyed because now I have to do something about it.害羞草研究所�

Making that decision and surrendering her life to that, Brennan explained, was very hard to do. But she said once she did, she felt an overwhelming sense of peace.

Brennan was ordained in October of 2007 at St. Paul害羞草研究所檚 cathedral in London, Ont., the same cathedral where she was baptized 40 years earlier.

Before coming to Fernie, Brennan worked at the Anglican Diocese of Huron in southwestern Ontario in a small town called Dorchester.

Asked about her drive to help people, Brennan said that in order for the world to be a better place, we have to have relationships with each other.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 easy to say things that are hateful and negative about somebody that you害羞草研究所檝e never met or somebody that you don害羞草研究所檛 know. But if you have a relationship with that person, we害羞草研究所檙e far more likely to be kind to each other,害羞草研究所� said Brennan.

She added that if we could stop looking at our differences and start looking at our similarities, and see each other through the lens of love, then we can change the world.

害羞草研究所淭he world is a broken place, a very broken place,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淎nd we can get caught in (the mindset that) everything is so broken, I don害羞草研究所檛 know what to do, or we can take our own corner of creation with our own selves and say, 害羞草研究所榯oday I choose to live from a place of love害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克��害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所満π卟菅芯克��Included in that love is that we害羞草研究所檙e all the same in God害羞草研究所檚 eyes.害羞草研究所�

In saying this, Brennan also explained that her congregation is a safe place for anyone to come.

害羞草研究所淢y congregation is so loving and welcoming to people who are same gender to people who are transgender to people who are divorcees, to single moms, single dads, to folks that are tattooed and pierced.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淭hey called a priest who is tattooed and pierced,害羞草研究所� continued Brennan, referring to herself.

Sometimes, Brennan says she has to explain to people why she has a certain piercing or tattoo behind her ear.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 a matter of conversation,害羞草研究所� she said.

Currently, the marriage canon for the Anglican Church says that the definition of marriage is between a man and a woman. June of 2019 will go down in history for the denomination when church leaders consider allowing same-sex marriage.

They will be voting to change the definition of marriage to 害羞草研究所榯wo eligible people害羞草研究所�.

害羞草研究所淚 truly believe that love comes from God,害羞草研究所� said Brennan. 害羞草研究所淪o if God sends someone for me to love that害羞草研究所檚 not traditional, does that make it any less valid than if God sends me someone who is traditional?害羞草研究所�

Christ Church, Brennan explained, is known as an affirming congregation. Brennan cannot, as stated by the doctrine of the Anglican Church, marry two same-sex people. However, if they were to be civilly married, their marriage could be blessed at the church.

害羞草研究所淢y great hope is that we change the canon,害羞草研究所� said Brennan, adding that changing it requires a tremendous amount of work.

The General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada meets once every three years. In order for the canon to be changed, the motion has to be approved at two successive Synod meetings, requiring a minimum of six years害羞草研究所� time.

Since 2002, when gay marriage was legalized in Canada, the Anglican Church has been discussing changing the canon.

By comparison, the ordination of women into the Anglican Church took 18 years to complete.

Forty years ago, female lay-leaders started a movement to change the canon and allow the ordination of women. Brennan explained that this took some time because, according to scripture, a woman must remain silent and a woman must defer. Brennan noted that although it took 18 years, it was the male clergy who voted in favour of this.

害羞草研究所淲hen the marriage canon changes, I don害羞草研究所檛 think for a second there害羞草研究所檚 going to be a line up of people banging on the door saying, 害羞草研究所榩lease, can you marry us now害羞草研究所�,害羞草研究所� said Brennan.

害羞草研究所淏ut it will be one more way that we can show we are open to all of God害羞草研究所檚 children, regardless.害羞草研究所�