Broadview Magazine

We’ve heard from many of you about our Small Church issue, and we’re so glad its message of hope and possibility is connecting with readers.

We’re continuing the conversation with the second webinar TONIGHT at 7 p.m. ET. Join us on Zoom as we explore what small churches can offer and what might flourish when we look beyond traditional ideas of church growth.

If you haven’t registered, there is still time.
https://broadview.org/smallchurchwebinar/

Rev. Cameron Fraser says congregations can look beyond membership numbers to the possibilities in their own communities.

What if growth isn’t about getting bigger? | Broadview Magazine Rev. Cameron Fraser says congregations can look beyond membership numbers to the possibilities in their own communities

The United Church of Canada has appointed Rev. Éric Hébert-Daly as its next General Secretary, beginning Jan. 1, 2027.

Currently serving as Executive Minister for three regional councils, Hébert-Daly will be the first Francophone to serve as General Secretary. He succeeds Rev. Michael Blair, who is retiring after more than six years in the position.

Blair said he believes “the church is in good hands with Éric as the General Secretary,” adding that Hébert-Daly brings “a deep love for the church and a commitment to its thriving future.”

A shooting outside a Belleville synagogue tested the promise of a day meant for reflection.

Yom Kippur, Interrupted | Broadview Magazine A shooting outside a Belleville synagogue tested the promise of a day meant for reflection

As congregations shrink, some are discovering that close community can thrive with fewer people.

What small churches know | Broadview Magazine As congregations shrink, some are discovering that close community can thrive with fewer people

As a Mennonite professor tours rural Manitoba in a converted camper trailer, a small congregation becomes an unlikely home for people.

The Confession booth on wheels | Broadview Magazine As a Mennonite professor tours rural Manitoba in a converted camper trailer, a small congregation becomes an unlikely home for people

What if being small isn’t a problem to solve?

In our September/October Small Church Issue, we ask what might flourish if we let go of the idea that bigger is always better.

Our feature, “Called to Be Small,” explores how small churches are learning to be church in a world that no longer guarantees them a place — taking root in thin soil, growing where they can, making shelter where they are.

And if your church is wondering what a different way forward could look like, our three-part Small Church webinar series starts tomorrow.

📅 Sept. 22, Sept. 29 & Oct. 6
🕖 7 p.m. Eastern
💻 Online, with Rev. Christopher White

The sessions are designed for church boards, lay leaders, visioning committees and ministry personnel looking for practical ways to think about their congregation’s future.

Get your copy of the issue and register for the webinar: https://broadview.org/smallchurchwebinar/

Earlier this month, Broadview’s Editor/Publisher Jocelyn Bell quietly marked a pretty remarkable milestone:

🎉20 years with Broadview and its predecessor, The Observer 🎉

Over those two decades, the publication has changed names, added platforms and plenty of things in between. Jocelyn has been part of that evolution from the inside.

We asked her to look back on her time with the publication. Here’s what she had to say:

A big anniversary quietly passed by earlier this month: my 20th anniversary of working for Broadview (and previously The Observer).

By the time I was hired, I had already been freelancing for The Observer for a decade. Editor Muriel Duncan gave me my first paid assignment — a big deal for a university student.

When Muriel retired in 2006, David Wilson stepped into the Editor/Publisher role — and I became David’s managing editor. It was great fun working together, and we’re still good friends. I became Editor/Publisher in 2018 and can’t believe nearly nine more years have passed.

My reflection after 20 years is this: my job has never been boring. Making a beautiful magazine and engaging digital content is what gets me out of bed each day. Finding ways to bring in the revenue to sustain this unique form of journalism is also a creative pursuit — and incredibly fulfilling when it works. Every year brings new adaptations to Canada’s oldest continuously published magazine, and new things to learn (thanks, algorithms!). There’s something pretty remarkable about helping a nearly 200-year-old media organization keep evolving while remaining an independent voice for progressive Christian journalism.

Finally, the people I encounter in this work — the staff, the board, the readers, my colleagues in the biz — are some of the very best people around and remind me daily that it’s not, in fact, lonely at the top. It’s a big, messy adventure, and we’re all figuring it out together.