Before we dig in can you share a bit about your organization and what you are seeking to accomplish?
The Wilberforce Project is an Alberta focused pro-life organization which seeks to save lives from abortion by changing public policy. We work on the provincial level, but also with Alberta's Members of Parliament. Can you share a bit about why your organization is named the Wilberforce Project? We were originally called Alberta Pro-Life, but we changed our name to The Wilberforce Project to reflect a specifically political direction to our efforts. William Wilberforce was a great British parliamentarian whose work brought about the end of the slave trade throughout the British Empire (including in Canada), and ultimately he was responsible for building the movement which ended slavery entirely in the British Empire. I noticed that your organization is focusing on changing laws in Alberta. Why was that chosen instead of nationally? We choose to focus provincially because a provincially based organization will have twice as many opportunities to build the movement as an organization only focused on the national scene. Every election builds the movement when pro-lifers are working to effectively organize. So with us being able to fight both provincial and federal elections, we have twice the opportunity to grow the movement. Additionally, there are many abortion issues that can only be dealt with on the provincial level. Public funding for abortion, parental consent for a minor procuring an abortion, etc all fall into that category. So by organizing on the provincial level we are able to build up towards fighting these other important political battles. What wins have you seen in your fight against abortion? How has this encouraged you to continue your political involvement? Probably the two biggest wins I've experienced are the defeats of M-512 and M-506 here in Alberta. These private member's motions were brought by NDP MLA Marie Renaud and called for the government to look into finding ways to increase abortion in rural Alberta. Both were defeated. How does your faith impact and inform your involvement in the fight for the pre-born? My faith is the reason why I do what I do. I have faith in a God who loves me and has set me aside as His own. Through His overwhelming love He is in the process of changing my heart to desire the things He desires. I believe he has called me to fight for the pre-born in politics, to stand up for the human rights of all human beings, and to share His love to people in this work. I pray that he continues to change my heart that my motivations might always become more pure, and my work ever more pleasing to God. As we come to the end of the interview can you share with me how people in Alberta and outside Alberta can help your cause? The two biggest things people inside and outside of Alberta can do to help our work are:
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With Reformation Day coming up, I wanted to chat with a Reformed Baptist Pastor about the reformation. Here it is. Hope you enjoy.
It was a pleasure coming to your church a few weeks ago and getting to know you. For those who may not know you, can you share a bit about who you are, where you are from, and what your passions are in life? I am Sean Crowe and I have had the privilege of pastoring Gospel Light Baptist, a Reformed Baptist church in Halifax, for the last 12 years. I also host a podcast, Age of Minority, with my daughter where we discuss how the gospel transforms the teen years (though we address gospel issues relevant to all Christians). I am from out West (Vancouver area) but went to seminary in Fort Worth Texas before moving to Nova Scotia in light of the great need for gospel churches in Atlantic Canada. My passions in life are theology and family, and in particular for the last few years, studying classical theism and enjoying time with my first grandbaby. The church that you pastor holds to the reformed Baptist doctrine. There are only a few in Nova Scotia with this perspective. So, for those who may not be aware of this doctrine, can you briefly explain what distinguishes it? Well, this is not an easy question to answer, as if you ask three different people what the word reformed means you are likely to get three different answers. That said, I will tell you how I define it, namely with three C’s: Calvinistic, Covenantal, and Confessional. It is when you get to the third of the three C’s that you find what specifically distinguishes Reformed Baptists from their Reformed Presbyterian brothers and sisters (who hold to the Westminster Confession), for the confession we hold to is the 2nd London Baptist Confession of 1689. Here is a link, if any of your readers want to look further into what Reformed Baptists believe - https://founders.org/library/1689-confession/ Being a reformed Baptist church, October 31st is probably an important date on your calendar. Can you share a bit about what historical event took place on this date and what it led to? Actually, personally I don’t put too much stock in observing special days of much any kind (besides the Lord’s Day of course), so we don’t really do anything at our church for what has come to be known as Reformation Day. That said, October 31st is an important day in our history, for it was on that day in 1517 that Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the chapel door in Wittenberg, Germany, an act of protest against the unbiblical practices of the Roman Catholic church (one primary one in particular, the egregious practice of selling indulgences). This event was the spark which set on fire the protestant reformation, which is that great 16th century movement which hearkened the people of God back to the great biblical doctrines of Sola Scriptura (we stand on scripture alone), Sola Fide (we are saved through faith alone), Sola Gratia (we are saved by grace alone), Solus Christus (it is Christ alone who saves), and Soli Deo Gloria (we are saved for the glory of God alone). What can we learn from this event and why should we care about it as Christians? One thing we can learn from what took place on October 31st, 1517, is from a famous quote of Martin Luther who when called on four years later (1521) to recant of the writings which he nailed to the Wittenberg door, he replied: “Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Holy Scriptures or by evident reason—for I believe neither pope nor councils alone, as it is clear that they have erred repeatedly and contradicted themselves—I consider myself convicted by the testimony of the Holy Scriptures, which is my basis; my conscience is captive to the Word of God. Thus I cannot and will not recant, because acting against one’s conscience is neither safe nor sound.” Martin Luther had a standard, and the protestant reformation had a standard, and as part of that tradition, Reformed Baptists have that same standard, namely, the Word of God. God has revealed Himself to us in His Word and has provided everything in it that we need for a life of godliness, and thus we must appeal to the Scripture to discern how to live and worship and function in the world. Which person of the reformation do you find interesting and what inspires you about that individual? I know I should probably say a Reformed Baptist person, like John Bunyan or John Gill, but who I find most interesting is the most famous John of the reformation, John Calvin. My contention is that if anyone wants to understand reformed soteriology, the place to start (besides the Bible of course) is the man of whom the system was named after. That said, what I find most interesting is that though John Calvin is not a Reformed Baptist, and is even very harsh in his language concerning our view on baptism, I so appreciate the way his mind worked and the way he was able to formulate his thoughts so plainly and systematically on the Scripture and the beautiful doctrines contained within. John Calvin inspires me to know the Scriptures well, preach the Word with power, and be convicted in my beliefs and practice. When I was at your church you quoted a popular statement among reformed circles- "Reformed and always reforming". Can you share what that statement means? As mentioned, there are various definitions of what it means to be reformed, but at its most foundational level, it is to claim a place in the history and doctrine which came out of the protestant reformation. That said, reformed Christians, as well as all Christians, must always be reforming, which is to say, always seeking to line up their doctrine and practice with the Word of God. It was Tom Ascol, I believe, who I first remember hearing say, “I always think I’m right, but I do not think I’m always right.” The idea behind that saying is that we must hold and cling to what we believe with conviction, but we must never think we are right about everything. And if we know we are not right about everything, we will also know that we must always be comparing what we believe with what Scripture teaches and always be willing to change our beliefs based upon what we find in Scripture. In other words, until we are glorified, we must continually pursue sanctification, and as Jesus says, we are sanctified by the truth, and God’s Word is the truth (John 17:17), thus we are always reforming. What are some areas that need to be reformed particularly now in Canadian churches to better equip us to live faithfully for God? I would say given the state of affairs in this world concerning COVID-19 and government restrictions, ecclesiology is probably one of the most important areas of doctrine where reform is needed. It is more important than ever, regardless of what decisions churches make in response to government restrictions, for Christians to know more about the authority of the church, particularly as it relates to worship so that we might be able to faithfully navigate situations where government attempts to usurp that authority. A second area where I believe reform is needed concerns Christian liberty and the conscience. If we hope to maintain unity with, and show compassion towards, those whose conscience leads them to make different choices concerning things not specifically mentioned in Scripture, we must have a strong and robust understanding of Christian liberty and conscience. Thank you for taking the time to do this interview. As we come to an end, what resources would you recommend to learn more about the reformation? Ligonier Ministries, which was started by RC Sproul (one of my favourite pastor/theologians by the way, who like Calvin, is not a Reformed Baptist), hosts a wealth of helpful resources on their website (http://www.ligonier.org ), many which are free, as well as a paid subscription to a host of excellent online courses (https://connect.ligonier.org/p/ligonier-connect/ ). One of those courses which will help you understand the reformation and the impact it had is a lengthy series on church history, and is taught by Robert Godfrey (https://www.ligonier.org/store/survey-of-church-history-complete-dvd-package-collection-parts-1-6). There is also an excellent documentary on Martin Luther, which can be viewed for free during the month of October (https://www.ligonier.org/posts/stream-luther-documentary-free), which will help you better understand the spark which ignited the protestant reformation. To better understand the reformation doctrines, begin with reformers like Martin Luther (Bondage of the Will) and John Calvin (Institutes), as well as Puritans like John Owen (Mortification of Sin) and Jonathan Edwards (Religious Affections). You may have seen Julianne's letter of resignation on my Facebook page. She's an incredible nurse with a strong conviction for what is right. I've known her for a few years and was excited to interview her about the topic of protests. I hope that this interview inspires you to stand for truth.
Before we dig into things, share with my readers a bit about who you are, where you are from and what your passions are in life. Hey Everyone! I'm a rural Canadian girl from Alberta. My life has been wonderfully nomadic since childhood, taking me from the northern mining town of Flin Flon Manitoba, all the way to Impfondo, Congo and dozens of places in between. I've been an RN for 8 years, working mostly rural ER with some experience in just about every other department thrown in for good variety. Except chemo/cancer care....I'm clueless there. Lol. ER and international/missionary medicine are definitely my passions and highlights of my life. I've had the amazing opportunity to work in Iraq, Congo, Cambodia, and South Africa, with various organizations....these places make Canadian hospitals feel like luxurious palaces. I'm married to one of the most compassionate, caring men I've ever met, and we have 2 little kids that prevent life from ever being remotely boring. Recently, you have organized a couple of protests. Why did you decide to get involved this way? Protests are a powerful way to convey to the community what people actually value and believe. They also give marginalized and silenced people a way to make their voices heard. It's scary to stand up alone.....but it's totally empowering to stand TOGETHER with hundreds of other people fighting for the same thing. I personally decided to organize the protests because I saw SO many people who wanted to DO something and to make their stance known, but had no idea how to go about doing that. Also, our politicians needed to know where their constituents stood on the issues they were considering and voting on. Protests are a very visual way to convey public opinion. There are a lot of misconceived ideas when it comes to how people perceive these protests. A lot of people, including the Premier of Nova Scotia here, say they are spreading misinformation. They also don’t like how some happen in front of hospitals as they deem it impedes those who need to come in for treatment. Can you share with me what actually happens in these protests and why they are needed? Just to be clear, I did not organize any of the protests that happened in front of hospitals. Having met some of the ladies who did organize those ones, I know their intentions were absolutely good, and they are brave for being willing to stand up in such a public way. The problem with protesting in front of hospitals is that there are almost always a few radical people (or crazies as I call them) who want to be loud, dramatic, and in some cases, borderline aggressive, in order to get attention etc. Sometimes (often, actually) there are even paid actors, planted by the opposition, who infiltrate the crowd and purposefully rile things up and turn an otherwise peaceful protest into a hectic mess. The intention of the organizers of the hospital protests was never to impede access to care. Most of the organizers are nurses themselves who are actually fighting for access to good care. I was not at those protests, so I cannot say from first hand experience what actually happened, but I can say that media often takes the actions of a very FEW radical people and reports in such a way as to brand the entire crowd with the same color. When in fact, the crowd may actually be explicitly trying to prevent the radicals from doing anything less than peaceful and appropriate. It is worth noting that the hospitals have peace officers on staff, who were present/overseeing the protests, and did not arrest or remove the speakers/organizers. If they were inciting violence or bad behavior of any kind, surely the Peace Officers would have quickly removed them. There are different kinds of protests. Some are silent. Simple, powerful stands of solidarity. Some are just a gathering of like-minded people protesting a common issue. Some, are more like rallies, complete with musicians, speakers, possibly even shouting, chanting, etc. These days, anyone who presents facts or stories that do not agree with the main stream narrative, is branded as spreading misinformation. I say, listen for yourself. We all have a story to tell. Just because someone is presenting the other side of the issue, or an alternative perspective doesn't make them wrong, or even misinformed. It's like this: imagine two people are looking at a dime. One person says "it has a boat on it" the other person says "No, there's only a head on it". Which one is spreading misinformation? (Actually, it's the one who says there's ONLY a head on it, and that's the danger of the main stream narrative and media. Only one side of the story is acceptable.) So....all this to say, rallies and protests are needed to show and share the other side of the story. How can we make rational decisions if we only know half the information? I've gotten to know you a bit over the last ten years - ever since my brother started dating your best friend. A couple of things I've learned quickly is that you're thoughtful and very serious about your faith. How does your faith influence your involvement? My faith absolutely drives my involvement. It IS why I'm involved. There are 2 powerful scriptures that convict and push me in this area. 1) Micah 6:8 "He has shown thee oh man, what is good and what the Lord requires of you: Seek JUSTICE, love MERCY, walk HUMBLY with your God." As believers, we are called to seek Justice....most of what is going on in our world right now is anything BUT Just. I must stand up for righteousness and truth. 2) The Watchman on the wall in Ezekiel....if the watchman sees danger coming and does not alert the citizens, he is held guilty for their death/demise. I dare not be a silent watchman. I dare not. It's not easy to publicly stand against the flow. How do you deal with the fear of speaking out? I'm half American. Need I say more? Lol. Just kidding. Truthfully, this is something God has been specifically working on in my heart for a while. Sometimes I'm still scared....actually, more than scared, I feel worried about people rejecting me or thinking poorly of me. That's not a Christ Centered viewpoint. So when I start thinking like that, I have to remind myself that I serve at the command of One. I answer to One....and that One alone. Also....my reward is in His hands....no-one else's. So where should my allegiance lie? There are so so so many people just waiting for someone else to stand up so they can rally behind them and be part of the resistance. But someone has to stand up and take that first step....somehow God must have bred that drive into me. And He gives courage! And honestly, I fear more what will happen if I DON'T speak out, than what will happen if I do. As we come to the end of this interview, can you share with me what encouragement you have received while doing these protests? Protests are SUPER encouraging. One of the biggest ploys of the enemy is to make us think we are alone. If a protest does nothing else, it will definitely show that you are not alone, and that many are standing with you on the same issue(s). They're also an amazing place to connect with others and build essential community Congratulations to you on your successful campaign. You are now currently the MLA of Kings West here in Nova Scotia. This is something you have ran for in the past. What initially prompted you to become a political candidate for this riding?
I’ve been passionate about serving people basically my whole life. It’s something my parents instilled in me when I was younger. My journey towards politics has been a long one for sure as I ran in two previous elections, and I now feel I can help more people, with a bigger tool box. Raising a family and building a business in this part of Nova Scotia, has given me insight to the people of this area, and I can’t think of a better place or people to represent than right here in Kings West. The first time I met you was at a Gideons Banquet in Berwick where you were performing with your band Sonlight. Can you share with me a bit about your faith background? I was brought up in the church with parents who set a good example of faith for me and my siblings. Like many youth who leave home, my faith got a bit more stale and church was routine, almost an obligation of sorts. My love of music as a career seemed to be taking me further from the church and it wasn’t till many years down the road, I found a personal relationship with Jesus. I realized I could use the gifts I was given to help people in their journeys of faith towards that same relationship! How will your faith influence the way that you will represent your riding, especially in the matters of religious freedom and freedom of medical choice? I’ve always thought we need people of faith in politics, as it gives you a compass to follow that’s not reliant on your own direction. Religious freedom and choice are complicated issues especially at times like this. Even people of faith cannot agree on the balance we have to strike during these times. I have always been consistent in saying that I will always stand for people rights to organize and protest, even if I don’t agree with what they’re protesting about. That is truly a principle we have to uphold, as long as that protest or expression does not break laws or damage others’ property. As an MLA who represents 17000 people, I want to be empathetic and responsive to all points of view on these topics and to be a conduit between them and and our government. I will continue to do that. Over the past eighteen months there have been several restrictions and mandates that have gone against the charter of rights and freedom. Among which is limiting church gatherings and even making it illegal to gather. As the MLA of our riding, how will you uphold the charter and fight for churches to gather regardless of restrictions? Governments are trying to find the balance between protecting public health and preserving those principles like freedom of worship. I feel the unprecedented events of the last 18 months has created a lot of distrust and confusion over policies that have been enacted, and I will always seek to get clarification on policies that come out affecting peoples ability to gather to worship in any faith background. I will always want to be a voice urging worship gatherings as an essential activity, and praise God, now they are. Some people who are opposed to the v-policy are concerned that this will lead to unvaccinated people being banned from things like grocery stores, healthcare, and other essential services eventually. What would you say to those people? Right now the proof of vaccination policy does not extend to those items mentioned. I would say to those concerned that could happen, to continue to pray for your government leaders, that they would make good sound decisions based on all the evidence presented to them. Pray for those in government, some of which are people of faith and some of which are not. Your party was just elected to a majority government which gives you lots of time and power to make changes. Are there any changes outside of the PC platform that you personally are hoping to see in the next four years? I hope to be able to work within my government to have better healthcare outcomes for people here, with more access, and better road infrastructure. I also hope to be able to work with the small business community to be a good partner as they strive for success in their endeavours, as well as provide equitable education options for every child, especially those with special needs and other various challenges. Thank you for taking the time to respond to these questions. Is there anything you'd like to add as we end the interview? I strive to have a respectful, rational dialogue with all my constituents, and I’ve always wanted to raise the level of political discussion. I hope as we move forward we can continue to do just that. There will be times when we agree and disagree, and sincerely hope my time in office is productive and compassionate with the people of Kings West! |