Conversion: A call to walking together
“… Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity …” (Ephesians 5 :14-15).
To you, brothers and sisters, grace and peace in Christ.
This passage from Paul calls us as disciples to spiritual awakening, urging us to rise from spiritual slumber, receive Christ’s light, and live wisely by making the most of our time in a world facing evil, not as foolish people but as those who understand God’s will and opportunities. It’s a call to purposeful living, emphasizing walking in wisdom and light.
I am writing this second pastoral letter as we enter the season of Lent. According to the liturgical church calendar, Lent provides us with the opportunity for self-examination, prayer, fasting and repentance; and to read and meditate on God’s holy word (BCP, p 265) so that we may be adjusted to God’s will. This lenten season, beginning on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, I invite you to join our faith community as we undertake a special journey of meditation on the commandment to love God and our neighbour, and consider the meaning of this fundamental recommendation in our daily lives as disciples. That’s why I have titled this message: ‘‘A call to conversion and to walking together’’.
In fact, to convert means precisely turning one’s heart back to God, turning one’s eyes to Him, letting one’s ears listen to His word and obey His commandments. In this perspective, the most important thing is not what we do but what God wants to do for us. As long as our hearts are kept open to God and His love, there is already a good chance that Lent bears fruit in our lives. Good fruit of conversion, that is the result of a deep transformation of our being as God our Father intends it.
One of the positive consequences of that conversion is walking together, being reconciled to one another. This makes us truly God’s family and Christ’s church. In this way we will know how to care for one another by loving each other as God has loved us, and make our world an anticipation of the Kingdom of God, a kingdom of joy, justice and peace. Our families and communities will be transformed as well.
For this to be possible, fasting, prayer and almsgiving are being suggested as ways of spiritual training. I invite you to follow the one you feel is the most appropriate way for your personal growth as a disciple of Jesus Christ. Together we will therefore walk forward in our life’s journey. Let us have the courage to stand before God and review our priorities in accordance with what He asks us to be.
One of our priorities this year is the review of our Safe Church Policy as, in the course of the last year, serious concerns have been raised about the effectiveness of the past policies. This lenten season offers us an opportunity to better understand how vital this work is. Our parishes and faith communities need to be safe spaces, in which people can bring their hopes, their dreams, and their vulnerabilities and open themselves to the healing and transformation we have been offered in Christ.
As I announced to the Synod on October 4, 2025, I would like to reaffirm my unwavering commitment to working to restore trust in our relationships. It is therefore our collective responsibility to implement a more effective Safe Church Policy. I am aware that the people of our diocese have high expectations on this matter. For that reason, Diocesan Council has commissioned a Safe Church Review Committee to conduct a thorough review of our policies and write a new, permanent policy which will be aligned with best practice, both in its process and in its care for those who have been harmed. To do that work well, however, will take time, but it is important to safeguard our communities now.
It is with this in mind that the Chancellor, the Vicar General, and I have worked to develop an nterim Safe Church Policy which is clear, simple to use, and will ensure that any complaints are addressed in a fair and impartial manner, and that both complainants and accused parties receive appropriate pastoral and spiritual support during the resolution of any issues raised. That interim policy was unanimously adopted by Diocesan Council at its meeting in January for immediate implementation.
That policy is already on the website of the diocese. Please read it. It is important that you understand both the standards to which we are now accountable (Section 3) and the process for resolving any issues which arise (Summarized in Appendix I). Please note also the guidelines for working with children and youth (pp. 29-30). Any complaints which arise need to be brought to the attention of the Ombudsperson, whose contact details are available on our website.
I wish you a fruitful lenten season! May we hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church, wake up from our slumber, rise from the dead so that Christ may shine upon us.
With every blessing in Christ,
The Rt Rev’d Victor-David Mbuyi Bipungu
Bishop of Montreal
