RCAAN November 2025 Update
Greetings RCAAN,
It’s time again for our monthly update. I apologize in advance for the length of this update. As is always the case, so much has happened since our last communication. We continue to produce these regular updates for two reasons: to ensure your awareness of issues and activities that are affecting our community and society; and to call you to appropriate action as it is deemed necessary. That is the main purpose of RCAAN. Thank you for being part of our network.
ARPA Condemned by BC Legislature
The Association for Reformed Political Action (ARPA) Canada is a grassroots Christian political advocacy organization. RCAAN has benefited greatly from their resources and good counsel on several issues. We value the good work they do and the way they freely share their resources.
The following link will take you to their description of how ARPA was condemned by the BC Legislature: ARPA Condemned in the BC Legislature | ARPA Canada
Action: Contact APRA with a note that affirms their important contribution to our society.
Contact the BC Government expressing your opinion of this action.
Quebec proposes a Bill to ensure the “right to be killed”
The Director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition (EPC) produced the following blog describing the Quebec Constitutional Bill 2025: Euthanasia Prevention Coalition Euthanasia Prevention Coalition: Québec Constitutional Bill 2025 would create a "right to be killed"
Action: Consider following the EPC and access their very good resources
Contact the Quebec Government expressing your opinion of this Bill.
Defend Dignity produces an Online Safety Handbook
Many of you were at the RCAAN meeting where we had the Director of Defend Dignity outline the amazing work they do to protect vulnerable people (including children) from the harms of sex trafficking. They are very excited to introduce the brand-new Online Safety Handbook — a collection of our most practical and popular tips, tools, and takeaways from their webinars.
This resource brings everything together in one place — available as a digital download or printable handbook. Download Now
Each page is a stand-alone guide you can use anytime:
Post a reminder on your fridge
Save a page as your phone wallpaper
Share a single topic with a friend who’s unsure where to start.
And the best part? They will keep adding new pages after every monthly webinar that you can access on their website!
Action: Access and share this incredible resource
Status of Religious Charities
Many have been asking about where things are at with our partnership with Freedoms Advocate and the action they have proposed. Just to remind you of this issue: Before Parliament was dissolved for the federal election last April, the current federal government was considering removing charitable status from religious organizations. The Standing Committee on Finance of the Federal Government made the following recommendations, which are still in place and may be put forward when the new budget is debated this fall:
Recommendation 429
No longer provide charitable status to anti-abortion organizations.
Recommendation 430
Amend the Income Tax Act to provide a definition of a charity which would remove the privileged status of “advancement of religion” as a charitable purpose.
https://www.ourcommons.ca/documentviewer/en/44-1/FINA/report-21/page-69:
Here is a summary of Freedoms Advocate’s response plan - built on four pillars, which RCAAN fully endorsed:
Open Letter to Parliament — drafted in collaboration with faith leaders and constitutional law experts, demanding that religious freedom be upheld and that “advancement of religion” remain protected.
Information & Advocacy — ongoing analysis, legal insight, and clear explanation of changes being proposed.
Mass Mobilization — inviting pastors, churches, and concerned Canadians to sign up, raise their voices, and demand protection.
Documentary / Media Campaign — telling real stories, putting faces to the issue, and reaching Canadians across platforms.
Many other organizations and individuals responded to this issue with petitions, phone calls and letters to our government. As a result, the government has indicated that they will not be including these recommendations in the upcoming budget. See the following article from the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada for more information: EFC - Finance Dept says charitable status not under review
However, Freedoms Advocate still believes that we should continue with our original plan. Our objective is to take advantage of what the recommendation has provided. This is an opportunity for the church to witness to what it is doing across our nation. We all know that removing charitable status for the church has been discussed in government for years. This is the closest it has been to becoming a debate in parliament. There is good reason for us to take this proactive approach and speak to government and the nation.
RCAAN is recommending that we support Freedoms Advocate’s efforts by trying to get as many people as possible to sign up on their response plan list.
Action:
Immediate (will take you only 30 seconds): As instructed in the “Invitation to Church Body” video, please go to Freedom Advocate and in the “Religious Freedoms in Canada section, click on the “Learn More” button. This will take you to a place where you can sign up to ensure you will get a chance to sign the open letter when it is ready.
Ongoing: share this information with others in your church / organization and encourage them to get involved.
Please consider donating funds to Freedoms Advocate DONATE
Our Schools Continue to be Under Attack:
The information below is for your information. The first item is a description of the kind of in-service training the Regina Teachers Association is providing to our teachers. The second is some guidelines sent to all teachers by their union the STF. Both clearly cross the value lines of RCAAN.
“Public schools and educators are facing growing scrutiny from groups advancing the rhetoric of "parental rights," a term that carries a veneer of legitimacy that masks its lack of legal foundation. This movement has led to policies requiring parental consent, opt-in / opt-out procedures, and the restriction or removal of materials from school libraries. Beyond official policies, these developments have also led to the narrowing and censoring of curriculum, as teachers experience a 'chilling effect' from ongoing classroom culture wars that cast them as ideologues, indoctrinators, or worse. Efforts to assert "parental rights" in education are not new.
Historically, this rhetoric has been employed to insert private parental values into public education and to resist the inclusion of democratic, humanist principles in schools. In the current context, the rhetoric of "parental rights" is being weaponized to erode children's rights, weaken human rights, deprofessionalize teachers, and undermine public confidence in education itself. Rather than accommodating private values that conflict with public commitments, public schools must directly challenge the legitimacy of this framing. Public education must reassert the primacy of human rights, uphold the rights of children, and defend teacher professionalism.
Achieving this will require active support from school leaders and teacher unions. At this critical juncture, public schools must unapologetically promote and protect human rights. It is neither feasible nor desirable to tailor education to the private values of every parent. For public schools to remain truly public, they must affirm and advance shared, democratic values. When private values are elevated above public principles, public education loses its own values.”
Subject: Guidance on Bill 137
This message has been sent to all STF members and substitute members.
The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation does not support Bill 137 – commonly referred to as the pronoun law – in either its intent or application. The STF believes the legislation harms youth, forces teachers to contribute to that harm, and fosters an environment that undermines diversity, equity and inclusion. Teachers strive to create safe and inclusive environments for all students; the laws and policies underpinning professional practice should not interfere with this important work.
Although legal challenges to the law are ongoing, it remains in effect. With Bill 137 frequently appearing in the news due to various court proceedings, the STF is providing guidance to members to ensure they understand their legal obligations under the legislation.
Guidance for Teachers
Follow legal requirements and school division policies and procedures. If you are concerned that contacting a student’s parents about their preferred pronouns might place a child at risk, you must follow school division administrative procedures for working with the principal for guidance and support.
Anyone having reasonable suspicion that a child’s physical or mental health or welfare has been, or may be, impacted by abuse or neglect has a legal duty to report such information immediately to a local Ministry of Social Services Child Protection Office, First Nations Child and Family Services Agency, or police. For more information:
Child Abuse and Neglect | Child Protection | Government of Saskatchewan
Government of Saskatchewan Duty to Report Brochure
Recognize that Bill 137 does not place restrictions on the materials teachers can use in developing lesson plans to actualize curriculum. The Deepening the Discussion: Gender and Sexual Diversity Toolkit is a government-approved resource.
Support safe and caring environments including 2SLGBTQIA+ clubs and gay-straight alliances that provide critical support for students. Maintaining these safe spaces is as important as ever. School divisions have policies and administrative procedures for these activities.
Reach out to your STF senior administrative staff member for guidance in situations where legal and ethical requirements are not aligned, you are concerned that you’re being asked to go beyond what is legally required or you’re concerned about a student’s safety.
Action: - Consider contacting your school trustee as well as your MLA to share your concerns.
Share this information with all parents in your circle of influence
Some Recommended Resources for Your Consideration:
I found this talk to have a perspective on the “woke” culture that I have not considered before:
Helen Andrews | Overcoming the Feminization of Culture | NatCon 5
This is a very strong argument from MP Dr. Leslyn Lewis on “Should our Government be signing treaties without parliamentary debate?”
Sovereignty at Stake: Why Parliament Must Review Treaties Before They’re Signed
Social Media Training:
On October 25th, RCAAN hosted a training session on the effective use of social media. There was a request to have follow-up training sessions offered virtually, which we have decided to do.
Thank you for reading this email.
Al Fedorak
RCAAN Leadership Team