I have reported previously about the National House of Prayer (NHOP) in Ottawa. As I write this, Rob and Fran Parker, the husband and wife team who lead NHOP, are planning what they describe as a prayer walk to Israel in late March into April. On March 13-14th the Parkers are also guest speakers at a Calgary conference of a group called the International Christian Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Parker has written on the NHOP’s blog in recent weeks about his plans. “Recently God has confirmed to me it is now time to Prayer-Walk Israel,” he wrote in February. “It seems that everywhere you turn these days you are hearing that there’s a growing sense of acceleration of God’s purposes. Many Christian leaders are preaching that we have entered into the ‘Signs of the Times’ that Jesus referred to around his Second Coming. In different ways in Canada we believe we are ‘touching’ things for God’s purposes that are massive in light of the days we are living.”

This is not the first time that the Parkers believe they have been called by God to undertake a project. Ron Parker has a long association with Watchmen for the Nations, a pro-Israel Christian right group based in the U.S. and Canada. After a Watchmen gathering in 1996, Parker organized a prayer-walk from Calgary to Ottawa. He and his wife felt they were being called to set up an intercessory house of prayer in the nation’s capital. In 2004, they purchased a former convent not far from Parliament Hill for $900,000. They’ve added staff and volunteers and regularly host groups, including youth, from across the country to engage in formation as prayer leaders and also to visit select MPs. The NHOP personnel appear to have ready access to Parliament Hill. They attend Question Period, sit in on parliamentary committee meetings and lead parliamentary prayer groups. The people who organize the National Prayer Breakfast, held by parliamentarians once a year, have invited the Parkers to lead workshops following the meal.

Parker, in his blog postings, described the focus of the upcoming Israel walk in the following ways: “To pray for a preparation around the events of the Second Coming of Christ. For a blessing on all those who live in the land and on those who labour for God’s kingdom in Israel. To pray for the safety for the people of Israel as they face any possible threats of war from nations hostile to them.” There is no mention, however, of praying for those in the region who are threatened by hostile actions at the hands of the Israeli military.

The NHOP exists within a fundamentalist and charismatic network known for its emotional and enthusiastic forms of worship, including speaking in tongues, holy laughter, and a belief in powers of prophecy and healing. Many in the movement are Christian reconstructionists who believe that “God governs” and that government and all of society must submit to the bible’s moral principles. There are those who call this a recipe for theocracy. A good part of the ardour on display arises from a millenarian belief that we are approaching end times, when Christ will return to reward the righteous and punish sinners.

Reconstructionists believe that the return of Jews from around the world to Israel and establishing an Israeli state in 1948 were the fulfillment of a biblical prophecy, and a foreshadowing of the second coming. This unfortunate merging of biblical mythology about chosen people and nations with current political events explains the unyielding support for any and all Israeli state policies among Christian reconstructionists in the U.S. and Canada.

The NHOP first came to my attention in 2006 when it was advertising a tour to Israel in September-October of that year. The advertisement invited potential tourists to: “Ignite your passion and intercession for Israel, the land, the people for God’s end-time purposes.” The advertisement quoted Psalm 102, saying, “The appointed time to favor Zion has come.” The tour had to be cancelled because hostilities broke out between Israel and groups in Lebanon in the summer of 2006.

The Conservatives were elected in Canada in January 2006, and certain Christian groups made common cause with Canadian Jewish organizations in lobbying the Harper government to take a pro-Israel position in the conflict. The prime minister did not disappoint, when he described an Israeli campaign that took 1,000 lives as a “measured response” to the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers. The Canadian government has since 2006 jettisoned Canada’s previous role as an honest broker in the Middle East and has tilted our foreign policy entirely in Israel’s favour, including unconditional support for the deadly invasion of Gaza in January 2009.

Canada’s pro-Israel support has now worked its way back into our domestic politics as well, in the most unpleasant of ways. Late in 2009, the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) abruptly withdrew funding and severed a long-standing relationship with KAIROS, an inter-church human rights group. Speaking at a conference in Jerusalem in December 2009, Jason Kenney, Canada’s immigration minister, accused KAIROS of being anti-Semitic and of supporting an economic boycott of Israel. KAIROS and its members, including Catholic, United, Anglican, and Lutheran churches, the Mennonite Central Committee and Quakers, hotly denied those claims.

Then, early in 2010 Canada’s respected Rights and Democracy organization imploded after new board members appointed by the Conservative government forced the resignation of the organization’s president Rémy Beauregard at a particularly nasty meeting. Mr. Beauregard died of a heart attack later that day. Conservative appointees to the board of Rights and Democracy accused the organization of being anti-Israel. Senior staff members have now been fired and Rights and Democracy has closed a Geneva-based office that which worked in proximity to several United Nations agencies.

The government’s ham-fisted actions against KAIROS and Rights and Democracy have sent an intended chill through Canada’s church and development communities. Question the policies of the Israeli government and you are called anti-Semitic. Question the policies of the Canadian government and you will be punished. These attacks have led others, including former Canadian diplomat Harry Stirling, to question why the kind of debate that occurs regularly within Israel about the country’s policies toward its neighbours is labelled as anti-Semitic when it occurs in Canada.

A common analysis is that in its policies and practices the Harper government is attempting to win the support of Jewish organizations and voters in this country. It may be, however, that an even more important reason for the government’s one-sided policy is its desire to appease its base among the Christian right – those who actually believe that a biblical prophecy of end times will be fulfilled by the Israeli hegemony in the Middle East.

Some of those people will gather at a weekend meeting sponsored by the International Christian Chamber of Commerce at the Hyatt Regency in Calgary on March 12-13th. They will talk about God’s plan for Israel and Rob and Fran Parker are featured as guest speakers. The ICCC advertisement invites registrants to: “Come and hear about our unique relationship with the government of Israel. Come and hear how you can stand in a practical way with Israel in Her call to be a blessing to many nations.” The ad quotes the bible’s book of Genesis regarding Israel: “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.’’

Interestingly, Christian reconstructionists believe that only those who have accepted Christ as their personal saviour will be saved in the Last Judgement. Others, and one assumes this includes people of Jewish faith, will be damned if they have not accepted Christ. This is, to say the least, an odd basis for a pro-Israel coalition.

Pulpits & Politics

According to Richard Long of NHOP – National House of Prayer Ottawa:

Faytene Kryskow and her team did a wonderful job of sharing their hearts and creating an event of impact.  The highlight of the night was their special “Hero” award to M.P. Joy Smith who championed Bill 268 against human trafficking.  Many other Parliamentarians dropped by to have some great food (thanks to Ruth Sowerby and her team) and to meet young adults from all across the nation.

Keep praying for the My Canada team as they meet 67 M.P.s and Senators over 5 days this week.

According to 4MyCanada (which does not have charitable status), the following expenses were incurred.

Costs for the Josiah Team (Please let us know if you would like to designate to one of these areas by e-mailing us at admin@4mycanada.ca after you sow. Thank you and God bless you.):

◦ Parliamentary Reception: $2000.00

◦ Gifts for MPs (given at each meeting): $1200.00 est.

◦ Team Member Costs: $525 each.

The Josiah Team is listed as 20 unnamed young people who applied for this trip from across Canada and who according to the website, paid their own expenses. (history)  Donations were solicited from readers to cover the costs of the event which also included meetings with MP’s. These appreciation nights are apparently in their 8th year.

Have you been wanting to come to Parliament on one of our teams? If so, we have good news for you. Our 8th Josiah team is heading to Parliament this Nov. 15th-21st (pending on a possible election)! This team of 20 young people, from across Canada, will be meeting with over 40 Parliamentarians to honour them and the share their hearts with them on the issues that they are passionate about. We will also hold our annual reception to honour our government during this week. These weeks are always amazing, and often historic. There is nothing like being a part of a Josiah team, really. It will change you, and this nation, at the same time.

There isn’t much on the 4MyCanada website about this event, the following was entered into the twitter account.

Debriefing after an amazing week with about 72 Parliamentarians!! Report coming. Updates:http://www.4mycanada.ca/SignUpForE-mails.html

2:13 PM Nov 20th from web Our team is in a very important meeting with Sen. Anne Cools RIGHT NOW….this would be a good time to pray, thanks a ton.

The team is debriefing on the day! So good. Talking about the Minister Moore (James) meeting right now .

3:40 PM Nov 19th from web

Just counted. We have 22 meetings today (Thursday): Cabinet Ministers, Liberal front benchers and new Senators….here we go!

5:04 AM Nov 19th from web

We are hanging with the SoCon crew @ the Manning Centre weekend to block euthanasia. Join the force.

2:51 PM Nov 13th from txt Working our fingers to the bone putting together gifts for all the MPs we will meet with next week. 66 scheduled meetings! Can’t wait.

7:32 PM Nov 12th from web

The report from the event and the subsequent meetings with MP’s does not appear to be available as yet on the 4MyCanada blog or in the magazine. An email bulletin from 4MyCanada  on November regarding the reception, the Josiah Team and meetings with MP’s say 19 team members met with 32 MP’s, with 34 meetings left to go. The email also states costs of the reception, gifts and food were running at about 4 thousand dollars and reader donations were requested:

In going through the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons, I read that elected officials are free to accept gifts of appreciation from constituents within a certain limit:

Private interest.

13.1 For the purpose of sections 12 and 13, “private interest” means those interests that can be furthered in subsection 3(2), but does not include the matters listed in subsection 3(3)

Prohibition: gifts and other benefits.

14. (1)  Neither a Member nor any member of a Member’s family shall accept, directly or indirectly, any gift or other benefit, except compensation authorized by law, that might reasonably be seen to have been given to influence the Member in the exercise of a duty or function of his or her office.

(1.1)  For greater certainty, subsection (1) applies to gifts or other benefits:

(a)  related to attendance at a charitable or political event; and

(b)  received from an all-party caucus established in relation to a particular subject or interest.

Exception.

(2)  Despite subsection (1), a Member or a member of a Member’s family may accept gifts or other benefits received as a normal expression of courtesy or protocol, or within the customary standards of hospitality that normally accompany the Member’s position.

Exception.

Statement: gift or other benefit.

(3)  If gifts or other benefits that are related to the Member’s position are accepted under this section and have a value of $500 or more, or if the total value of all such gifts or benefits received from one source in a 12-month period is $500 or more, the Member shall, within 60 days after receiving the gifts or other benefits, or after that total value is exceeded, file with the Commissioner a statement disclosing the nature of the gifts or other benefits, their source and the circumstances under which they were given.

Exception.

(4)  Any disclosure made pursuant to the requirements of section 15 does not need to be disclosed as a gift or other benefit under subsection (3).

If I am understanding the ethics code correctly, gifts over $500.00 have to be disclosed by an elected official, including gifts of protocol and appreciation.
It would be interesting to know which MP’s attend 4 My Canada events.

The only M.P. publicly named as attending the joint 4 My Canada NHOP reception is Joy Smith Kildonan-St. Paul.
Several MP’s are mentioned as meeting with the Josiah Team (69 Members of Parliament, Cabinet Ministers, the Prime Minister’s Office, and Senators). Did they receive gifts of appreciation? Reading the report, it’s not clear how many elected officials met with the team, how many assistants, and who was present at the PMO’s meeting.

The National House of Prayer contributes to TheCry which is an event held by 4MyCanada. According to the NHOP 2008 tax return NHOP donated $21,595. There are no listings in NHOP tax returns for financial contributions to previous 4MyCanada Josiah Team receptions and meetings or  TheCry affiliate.

I’ve written 4MyCanada and asked the following:

Hi:

On November 16th, 2009 4 My Canada and NHOP held a banquet on Parliament Hill.

The costs listed at 4 My Canada were as follows:

Parliamentary Reception: $2000.00

Gifts for MPs (given at each meeting): $1200.00 est.

Team Member Costs: $525 each

Does 4 My Canada or  co-sponsor NHOP (corrected – see comments) have a breakdown of the reception costs available? (Food, service etc.)? Would 4 My Canada be willing to provide the cost breakdown?

It is not clear from the website which MP’s attended the reception.
Would 4 My Canada be willing to disclose that information?

It is not clear what gifts were given to MP’s attending the reception, or subsequent gifts given to MP’s (at each meeting). Would 4 My Canada be willing to disclose that information?

4 My Canada states (19?) 20 team members from across Canada paid $525.00 to attend the November 16th event and subsequent meetings. Would 4 My Canada be willing to disclose the average age and home locations of team members?
Were all team members required to pay $525.00 to attend the November 16th event and subsequent meetings, regardless of what area of Canada they hail from?

There are conflicting numbers regarding the number of elected officials which attended the November 16th, 2009 event, as well as the number of subsequent meetings.
Would 4 My Canada be willing to disclose accurate numbers?

4 My Canada states the purpose of the November 16th 2009 meeting was to honour elected officials and share issues 4 My Canada team members are passionate about. What organizations do team members belong to? (charitable and non-charitable)? Would 4 My Canada be willing to disclose other affiliations of team members?

Thank you for your time, I look forward to your response.