By Steve Clarke, Retired Institutional Partnerships and Program Manager, Compassion Canada

It is a special honour for me to be able to reflect back on a 40-year period – over the time from the beginnings of the Canadian Council of Christian Charities (CCCC) [1] R&D Group – to the Canadian Christian Relief & Development Association (CCRDA) – and finally to the Kentro Christian Network.

In this piece it is my goal, in particular, to write just a few words about the very first grouping of like-minded relief and development professionals – that is, those people who formed and nurtured the CCCC R&D Group. The R&D Group was launched in 1984 with a three-fold goal: 1. to promote the sharing of expertise, information and experience; 2. to encourage collaboration among interested CCCC agencies; and 3. to enhance relief and development activities.

I was first introduced to the R&D Group in early 1992, about six months after I began my career as a Program Manager at Compassion Canada. At that time, it was made up of about eight member organizations. I recall the then Steering Committee leader, Ray Elgersma, of the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC).[2] What I recall most about Ray was his consummate Christian personality: Ray was a strong leader, deeply relational, and overflowing with a deep faith, finally, he was a thoroughly trained relief & development professional. I then observed that a highly similar and warm like-mindedness was also exhibited by each of the other pioneering R&D Group members.

From the outside (but also within our sector), we all appreciated the professional inputs from secular groupings such as the Canadian Council for International Cooperation (CCIC) [3] along with the then-fledgling provincial councils such as the Ontario Council for International Cooperation (OCIC). That said, deep within our hearts we all experienced a faith-based yearning. It informed us that robust relief and development work requires attention to the whole person – body, mind, soul and spirit. We know that through Christ’s redemption active in each of us, He equips us to serve men and women holistically.

Throughout the 1990s the R&D Group agency membership numbers grew steadily. Education materials were created, responses were made to government policies and issues in development and relief concerns. Finally, seminars and meetings were staged for members to facilitate inter-agency communication and encouragement. It was very much like Kentro’s current work, but of course at a considerably smaller scale, in this earlier period.

In this era, two particular events stood out to me more than any others:

The first was in 1993 when the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) [4] held a “Churches & Development Dialogue.” Christian non-government organizations from the R&D Group were heavily involved in creating a government developmental practices, norms and ethics document known as “Christian NGOs and CIDA: Guiding Principles, Understandings and Affirmations” (October 1995). This key document guided eligibility in CIDA funding from that point forward. It also gave the government a benchmark document when it sought to forge funding partnerships with other religious faith groups.

The second event was the R&D Group’s most bold effort of all in staging an annual members forum. In the year 2000 it spearheaded a robust joint conference in Banff with the American Association of Evangelical Relief & Development Organizations (AERDO) [5]. For the very first time, Christian relief and development sector professionals across North America engaged together side by side on key issues.

By this time, the R&D Group had grown considerably in membership. In 2003 the agency membership number stood at 18. The CCCC had kindly provided administrative support over the years. Nonetheless, it was now becoming clear to everybody that a change was needed. It was time to allow the R&D Group to become its own corporate identity. In 2006, the R&D Group worked in collaboration with CCCC to become the independent, federally incorporated, registered charity it is today.

In 1994 the R&D Group became the CCRDA – which then became incorporated two years later. The pattern, beginning as early as 1984, had now been firmly set: Consistent excellence in collaboration would continue amongst these faith-based members in ongoing sharing of sector expertise.

I would like to commend the following leaders and their organizations for guiding the R&D Group to take the next major step in becoming the CCRDA:

Emmanuel Isch (Steering Committee Chair), of World Vision Canada; Bev Carrick of CAUSE Canada; Wayne DeJong of the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee, Marilyn Smith of Canadian Baptist Ministries: The Sharing Way, and David Johnson, the Liaison with the Canadian Council of Christian Charities. It was my privilege to serve alongside these dedicated individuals on the Steering Committee in 2004 at this time of transition.

I would also like to give a special citation of deep thanks to our talented and devoted staff Coordinators over this period, and then onward into the CCRDA era: Colleen Mechler, Lynnita Weber, Julie Hufnagel, Elizabeth Faulkner and Joella Reitsma.

In the Bible, James 2:26 tells us that both faith in Christ – and works of service in grateful response to His redemptive work in our lives – are balanced dual measures of Christian maturity in our faith walk.[6] The brothers and sisters of the R&D Group held this powerful “faith plus works” core value as their cooperative understanding from 1984 to 2004. This balanced relationship with Jesus Christ plus action commitment remains the bedrock understanding in today’s mission, vision and work of the Kentro Christian Network.

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[1] Later rebranded  as the Canadian Centre for Christian Charities.

[2] Later rebranded as World Renew.

[3] Later rebranded as Cooperation Canada.

[4] Later rebranded as Global Affairs Canada.

[5] Later rebranded as the Accord Network.

[6] “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” – James 2:26 (NKJV)