In the name of God, grateful for the gracious guidance of the Holy Spirit and the leadership of the Most Reverend Robert Duncan, Archbishop and Primate, the Provincial Council of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) held its first annual meeting in Toronto, Canada on 11 December 2009. The College of Bishops of ACNA met immediately prior to this meeting in Burlington, Ontario on 10 December 2009.

The Provincial Council is the governing body of the Anglican Church in North America and consists of bishops, clergy and laity representing each of the twenty-eight constituent dioceses, clusters or networks.

Jo Yule, Special To North Shore NewsPublished: Friday, December 11, 2009 A little girl made a remark to her mother while viewing a new baby, "Why does God keep making new people.? Why doesn't he just keep the ones he has?"  I was thinking along those lines just recently when I was overcome by the beauty of one spectacular tree clothed in all its fall colours. I knew that in a few days the winds would scatter those leaves to be trampled under foot and the tree would wait patiently for its creator to begin the cycle all over again.

An extravagant gesture of God to allow us to share in such beauty over and over again. I felt like the little girl. Why not keep all the trees green? It would save a lot of trouble. The insect world is another wonderful extravagance of God. What did the dragon fly ever do to be able to flaunt that iridescent blue on its wings as it dips and flies over the pond? Surely to give the butterfly those startling colours to only last for a day was such a waste. Some of God's extravagance is plain for all to see, but what about that tiny exquisitely formed bush orchid that is often hidden deep in the forest.