Time for change

by Carol Summers

The Reverend Charles Stirling was very charming and persuasive as he dismissed my serious misgivings, and so it was that I put down the phone and stood asking myself what had I done when I agreed to be a member of the Publisher’s Advisory Board (PAB) for the Niagara Anglican.

That conversation took place in the early years of the century, a time when we had also moved into the new millennium. We had been through some turmoil as there had been dire warnings of the world-wide collapse of our electronic technology. There is still anxiety about new technology as so many of us took to heart concerns from the likes of Aldous Huxley and George Orwell.

Change is often unsettling. However, that word sums up my time on the PAB — change.

We have had three bishops, four editors and a new name since I joined the PAB, now the Niagara Anglican Publication Board (NAPB). Members have come and gone — at one time there were only three of us, now there are ten.

The biggest change has been in the way we offer the Niagara Anglican to, well, the world.

We faced a financial crunch by hiring an Advertising Manager, who is paid a percentage of the income they bring to the paper. It has worked well and enabled us to continue to work within a small budget.

The number of pages has dropped, also in response to the escalating costs of producing the paper, and the length of the articles has been cut accordingly.

The biggest change has been in the way we offer the Niagara Anglican to, well, the world.

When I began my term on the Board we talked primarily about the production and distribution of the paper. That is still a huge part of who we are and what we do, but the web site was developed during this time. Setting it up was a huge project. Articles were posted, and people invited to read them on the website.

Now there are more ways to publish and we have become interactive; people can contribute immediately to the conversation through Twitter.

We also have a Facebook page, again encouraging responses and discussions.

The NAPB is more than a group who see that the paper is produced; it is a communications engine for the Diocese.

The discussions include new as well as old technology; the members are engaged in the work of the Diocese and always looking for the best way to share the Good News, not only within our Diocese but also with the world.

New members have joined the Board, bringing skills that will ensure the work continues and the Niagara Anglican adapts to the constant changes in technology and communications.

I have found my time with the NAPB challenging and interesting, but after 15 years I decided it was time for me to step down.

It is time for a change.

Carol Summers is Past Chair of NAPB and a member of St. John the Divine Cayuga.

(Editor’s note: Thank you, Carol, for your marvellous contribution to the Niagara Anglican and the wider church. We look forward to your involvement in the future, including writing for our paper.)