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Introduction to our Parish History (1994) by Raynette North "Imagine yourself for a moment in the town of Olds 100 years ago [in 1894]. The town was in its infancy, still 11 years from incorporation. The population was a mere 100 settlers eager for a new life. There were railway construction workers, farmers, merchants and businessmen alike, filled with hope and expectations for themselves in this rich but often relentless and rugged land. The town had few benefits of civilization, and with the settlers came their desire to establish a Christian community. The church formed the backbone of social as well as religious life of the town. Church of England missionaries were among the first to establish themselves in the district, and St John's was consecrated as a mission in 1894. This [parish history] is a story of the growth of the Lord's house in the Olds area. It contains the struggles of our parishioners against the land and weather of this region, the triumph of the human spirit over the vagaries of the depression, and the tragedy of two world wars. There is also the story of overcoming financial adversity in keeping the church alive, and paying the Rector in tough times. As you read this [history], we hope that the Lord will be near you and through His Holy Spirit, will bring this story alive for you." Download: Parish History 1994 In 2007 St John's was recognized as an official historic building of Olds by Town Council, with a bronze plaque mounted at the entrance with a brief history of the building. 
The Diocese of Calgary
Our mission is:
Established in 1888 with the city of Calgary as its base, the Diocese of Calgary is one of thirty dioceses which make up the Anglican Church of Canada and one of ten dioceses in the Ecclesiastical Province of Rupert's Land. The Anglican Diocese of Calgary includes approximately 10,000 Anglicans in 71 active parishes in the southern part of the Province of Alberta. From the Saskatchewan border in the east to the British Columbia border in the west and from the U.S. border in the south to an east-west line running through Lacombe just north of Red Deer, the Anglican Diocese of Calgary encompasses an area of approximately 88,000 square kilometres. Diocesan Web Site: https://www.calgary.anglican.ca 
The Anglican Church of Canada
The Parish of St John is part of the Diocese of Calgary within the Anglican Church of Canada. We are members of the Anglican Communion, which is the worldwide body of Anglicans currently numbering nearly 70 million members in 164 countries. Our Bishop is Archbishop the Most Reverend Greg Kerr-Wilson, who is also the Metropolitan for the Ecclesiastical Province of Rupert's Land. The Anglican Church of Canada has its roots in the Church of England, which asserted its autonomy from the Roman Catholic Church in the 16th century and was influenced by the Protestant Reformation. Perhaps the best-known outcome of the Anglican reformation is its liturgy, the Book of Common Prayer (1549). Anglicanism traveled abroad with British colonial expansion. In 1578, near present-day Iqaluit, NU, a chaplain celebrated the Eucharist as a member of Martin Frobisher’s Arctic expedition. This was the first Anglican Eucharist in what is now Canada, but it wasn’t until the 18th and 19th centuries that Anglicanism truly took hold, as military chaplains, Loyalists, and British immigrants fanned out and settled across the growing colony. Missionaries arrived as well, endeavouring to meet the spiritual needs of settlers and to evangelize Indigenous Peoples. Gradually the Canadian Anglican church carved out its own identity. In 1787, Charles Inglis of Nova Scotia became the first bishop in British North America. More dioceses formed as the population grew, and in 1893, those dioceses created the national body of General Synod. In 1955, the church changed its name from “the Church of England in the Dominion of Canada” to “the Anglican Church of Canada.” Today the Anglican Church of Canada is a self-governing church with 44 other churches worldwide in the Anglican Communion. It includes more than 500,000 members in nearly 1,700 parishes, and like Canada, the church has become culturally diverse. On any given Sunday the tradition of common prayer is expressed across Canada in many languages, including Inuktitut, French, Spanish, and Cree. Some content on this page is from: www.anglican.ca. |
Almighty and everlasting God, by whose spirit the whole body of your faithful people is governed and sanctified, receive our supplications and prayers, which we offer before you for all members of your holy Church, that in their vocation and ministry they may truly and devoutly serve you; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
 The Rev. Dr. Robert Sears, Incumbent
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