Mission and Vision Statement

We are a Christ-centered, biblically faithful, welcoming community, worshiping in the historic Anglican tradition. Together, we find forgiveness, salvation, hope and joy while serving our neighbors, both locally and globally.

We share the good news of Jesus Christ and seek the wellbeing of others. We are a compassionate congregation where everyone can feel at home. We value biblical teaching, prayer, joyful worship, and warm fellowship. 

Our History

Resurrection Anglican was born from a desire for an orthodox and biblically rooted Anglican church within the Okanagan Valley. We began in the home of the Rev. Bruce and Linda Chamberlayne, under the Episcopal oversight of Bishop Trevor Walters. In September 2012, we moved into the historic Benvoulin Heritage Church. 

Parish Priorities

Resurrection Anglican is supportive of our Diocesan priorities: 

1. Biblically Grounded 2. Bold Witness 3. Loving Children and Families 4. On Mission 
2. Planting and Growing Churches.

Christ-centered 

We gladly proclaim and submit to the unique and universal Lordship of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, humanity’s only Saviour from sin, judgement and hell, who lived the life we could not live and died the death that we deserve. By his atoning death and glorious resurrection, he secured the redemption of all who come to him in repentance and faith.

Spirit-led 

We rejoice in the gospel of God through which we have been saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. Because God first loved us, we love him and as believers bring forth fruits of love, ongoing repentance, lively hope and thanksgiving to God in all things.

Biblically faithful 

We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Word of God written and to contain all things necessary for salvation. The Bible is to be translated, read, preached, taught and obeyed in its plain and canonical sense, respectful of the church’s historic and consensual reading.

Liturgical Worship

We rejoice in our Anglican sacramental and liturgical heritage as an expression of the gospel, and we uphold the 1662 Book of Common Prayer as a true and authoritative standard of worship and prayer, to be translated and locally adapted for each culture.

Our Faith

We believe in:

• The supreme authority of the teaching of Holy Scripture
• The triune nature of the one God, and the personal divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ.
• The sinfulness of each and every person and the universal need of salvation.
• The sinless life, atoning death, bodily resurrection and ascension, heavenly reign and future return in glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.
• The essential realities of salvation encompassing the forgiveness of sins through justification, regeneration and adoption into the Father’s family, union and communion with Jesus Christ and the personal indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the practice of holiness, moral transformation into the image of Christ, and the future resurrection of the body for eternal life.
• The Jerusalem Declaration 2008
• The preaching of the Word of God, the fellowship of the church, the ministry of the sacraments, and personal prayer – as the principal means of God’s grace.

Our Worship

For Sunday worship we use the Ancient Renewed Text for Holy Eucharist, commonly called the Lord’s Supper or Holy Communion, from the 2019 Book of Common Prayer.On occasion, we use the Kenyan Rite. A priest officiates the service accompanied by deacons, and lay readers who participate in the weekly liturgy reciting Psalms, Scripture readings and the Prayers of the People.  

Special Services

• Advent and Lenten Retreats – Several times a year, we offer day-long retreats focusing on growing in our walk with God. We accomplish this through teaching, music, prayer, and shared meals, ending with Communion.
• Christmas Eve Service – many visitors, with attendance often to capacity.
• We combine Shrove Tuesday pancake dinner with an evening Ash Wednesday service
• Palm Sunday – procession with palm crosses.
• Good Friday service.
• Easter Sunday – we have many visitors.
• Harvest Thanksgiving service.

A Few of Our Ministries

Resurrection Kids:  Ages Kindergarten-Elementary at Resurrection we love our kids and desire to point them towards Jesus. Our aim is to help develop each child’s relationship with the Lord in an environment that is safe and fun using God’s Big Story (GBS) curriculum. 

Music: We are a singing church! A quote credited to St. Augustine “”He who sings well prays twice”. The goal of our music ministry at Resurrection is to assist the entire congregation in singing praises to God. Our desire for congregational worship is helped immensely by the fact that we meet in a heritage church building with the most incredible acoustics.

Hospitality: At Resurrection our hospitality ministry is exactly that – a ministry. We meet in our hall, and if the weather is nice outside, we enjoy the outdoor gardens. Every few months we have a Fellowship Lunch, and all are welcome!

Men’s Breakfast: Meeting on Wednesday mornings at a local restaurant to share a meal and devotional time together.

Women’s Ministry: There are four or more activities every year including walks, art themes, and day retreats. All have a focus on worship and community. 

Mission: In addition to supporting local outreach programs such as the Kelowna Gospel Mission, we support a missionary in Florida, Cuba and the Karon for Jesus ministry in Senegal.

Our congregation regularly supports the Anglican Relief and Development Fund Canada. (ARDFC)

Our Congregation

Resurrection Anglican is a multigenerational church family. We come from a wide variety of backgrounds, including cradle Anglicans, new Anglicans, and people who are exploring the Christian faith.

We have a high level of participation by members in our worship services. 

There are 42 members on our parish roll, with a weekly average attendance of 46, and we have over 70 people on the parish contact list.

Resurrection Anglican continues to have the wonderfully collaborative support of the Rev. Ken Light, Honorary Assistant, and two Permanent Deacons, the Rev. Jonathan Wiebe and the Rev. Penny Dennert, and the Rev. Alvan Lewis, retired.  

Mark Tromsness is our Music Director. 

Our Wider Community

The City of Kelowna

Resurrection Anglican Church is situated in the City of Kelowna, located in the Southern Interior of British Columbia and is part of the Regional District of Central Okanagan which has a total population of 239,864. Kelowna is the largest community in the district, with a population of 156,101. The City is situated on the east bank of Okanagan Lake, which is 110 km long. Kelowna residents and visitors are minutes away from downtown cultural events and festivals, beaches, water sports, cycling and walking trails, parks and green spaces. Hiking, fishing, and camping are a short drive away and, in winter, there is snow shoeing, snowmobiling, X-country skiing, and downhill skiing. Kelowna is a city for out-door enthusiasts. 

Resurrection Anglican is situated on Benvoulin Rd, which according to the Society of Hope, due to the construction of mid-rise buildings in the area the population within 1 km is estimated to increase by 2,000 people by 2025.

Climate

Kelowna has a warm summer climate, and moderate winter conditions (by Canadian standards). Daytime temperatures in the summer months average 27.4 C. The average temperature in the winter months average between -0.3 C and -7.7 C. The climate facilitates a robust variety of fruit crops in a multitude of orchards, and vineyards. This area is known worldwide for its high-quality wines and ciders.

Churches and other religions

According to the 2021 census, religious groups in Kelowna included:[72]

• Irreligion (76,215 persons or 53.8%)
• Christianity (56,270 persons or 39.7%)
• Sikhism (3,665 persons or 2.6%)
• Islam (1,560 persons or 1.1%)
• Hinduism (1,090 persons or 0.8%)
• Buddhism (895 persons or 0.6%)
• Judaism (530 persons or 0.4%)
• Indigenous spirituality (95 persons or 0.1%)

Education

Primary and Secondary public schools in the Kelowna area are part of School District 23 Central Okanagan. There are also several private and Christian Schools in Kelowna. Kelowna has a large population of post-secondary schools as it hosts the Okanagan Campus of the University of British Columbia, as well as Okanagan College, Focus College, Justice Institute of British Columbia (Okanagan Campus), Sprott Shaw College (privately owned), The Centre for Arts and Technology (privately owned), VanWest College (privately owned).

Local Services

Emergency services are provided by the Kelowna General Hospital, the British Columbia

Ambulance Service, Kelowna Fire Department, Central Okanagan Search and Rescue and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Homelessness

Women make up nearly half of Kelowna’s homeless. In other Canadian cities, the overwhelming majority of homeless are males.

On 12 May 2003, the Kelowna Homelessness Networking Group conducted a limited census, and enumerated 198 people: 54 individuals from the street and 144 individuals in shelters.

On 24 February 2016, as part of the Government of Canada’s Homelessness Partnering Strategy, the Central Okanagan Foundation conducted a coordinated Point-in-Time (PiT) Count of Kelowna’s homeless population. The survey found at least 233 people were homeless, and another 273 were living in temporary housing.

Overdoses and addiction

According to the 2023 BC Coroners Service report released on Jan. 24, 101 people in Kelowna died due to unregulated drugs in the last year, which is a significant increase from 84 deaths in 2022.

First responders in Kelowna were called to 2,274 overdose or poisoning incidents in 2023.

Surrounding Communities

• Lake Country – 23 km to the North (approximately 17,136 population)
• Vernon – 51 km to the North (approximately 58,584 population)
• West Kelowna – 8 km to the West across the Lake Okanagan (approximately 39,041 population)
• Peachland – 25 km to the Southwest (approximately 6,098 population)
• Summerland – 46 km to the Southwest (approximately 10,677 population)
• Penticton – 62 km to the Southwest (approximately 43,432 population)