We live in a time of great social change. The ideas and practices now prevalent in our society would have been shocking to past generations. The idea that men can become pregnant or that a doctor should kill a patient would have been unthinkable. Today, this confusion is celebrated in headlines, propagated in academia, and adopted as law. The speed at which these ideas have taken ground is alarming.

The ramifications are increasingly felt by many. I've witnessed this from a pastoral perspective. While sitting across from a young woman who serves as a nurse, I have heard the pain in her voice as she recounts working to preserve patients' lives while her coworkers kill them under the banner of "Medical Assistance in Dying." I’ve counselled a civic employee who understands her days at work are likely numbered as she navigates a constant barrage of policies increasingly hostile to a Christian worldview.

The question some may be asking is: how did we get here?

An Amputated Soul

Canada's foundation was laid upon centuries of Christian teaching and thought. Once known as the Bible Belt of Canada, Alberta elected evangelical preachers to the office of Premier for a third of its first 100 years. 

Today, we've all but erased this Christian heritage. As Vishal Mangalwadi remarked at the recent Calgary prayer breakfast, "Canada has amputated its soul."

There are various contributing factors to the moral decline in our society: the eroding definitions of marriage, family, and gender; the rise of expressive individualism; the dominance of secular humanism; the adoption of other godless ideologies and systems.

These factors stem from our society's departure from the biblical worldview that formed its foundations. However, as Christians, we know there is a greater infirmity that is more than ideological. There is a deeper cause behind the moral decline of any society: sin and a rejection of God himself. 

A Proper Diagnosis

When men fail to honour God as God or give thanks to him, God hands them over to their sinful passions. Paul presents this clearly in his letter to the church in Rome:

"Claiming to be wise, they became fools....God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonouring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator....And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. (Romans 1:22–28)"

God's word is clear on the trajectory of those who reject God. Sin is the ultimate source of a society’s moral decline. With the fallen state of humanity, it is only the grace of God that restrains moral degradation.

This is why the proclamation of the gospel must be front and centre. The only true remedy for our current situation is the gospel of Jesus Christ. We must pray to the Lord of the harvest to send labourers into the harvest. Christ must be preached from every pulpit, street corner, and dining room table.

You'll Know Them By Their Fruit

Yet alongside this Gospel proclamation, the effects ripple outward as individuals come to faith in Christ and lives are transformed. Jesus commanded his followers to make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and then teaching them to observe all that he had commanded (Matt. 28:19–20).

Finding life in Jesus Christ transforms every area of their lives. It changes how they love their spouse, raise their kids, carry on their vocation, serve their community, engage in society, etc. This shapes their marriages, homes, workplaces, and communities. As the Lord draws people to himself it has a ripple effect throughout their communities.

Enter Alberta Reformer

Our focus at Alberta Reformer is twofold. First, we’re seeking to come alongside the local church by equipping pastors and church members to honour God  in every area of life. Second, we are a medium for the ripple effect of cultural reform in a society that desperately needs it—a medium through which individual Christians can partner together in practical ways.

There are things that individual Christians are called to engage in that go beyond the work of the church as an institution. Examples include political action, business, entrepreneurship, institutional reform, and other activities in which the love of Christ compels Christians to seek the common good of the communities God has placed them in. Alberta Reformer is a vehicle which will mobilise Christians to these ends.

We believe that God has ordained distinct institutions—the family, the church, and the state—each with its sphere of authority and responsibility. No institution should abdicate its authority and responsibility or encroach upon that of the others. As such, Christians must guard against confusing the church’s mission and neglecting their commitments to it. We must also distinguish between the mission of the church as an institution and the efforts of individual Christians in their communities. Alberta Reformer is an initiative of the latter.

Conclusion

Imagine an Alberta where the Gospel and the word of God shape our laws, culture, and institutions. Imagine a province where we cherish and defend what is good and beautiful rather than tear it down. A province where we learn from our past rather than cancel it, and then build toward a hopeful future. This is the vision of Alberta Reformer.

But we cannot do it on our own. Your support is crucial. By praying, donating, volunteering, or simply sharing our message we can build a better Alberta together. Let us ask the Lord to pour out his grace on our province. Let us pray that the word of God would increase, that the church would be strengthened, and that every man, woman, and child would hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. Let us build towards a hopeful future in practical ways for the good of all Albertans and the glory of Christ's great name.