Gretta Vosper, 57, is the best-selling author of “With or Without God: Why The Way We Live is More Important Than What We Believe” and Amen: “What Prayer Can Mean in a World Beyond Belief”. She is also the popular and controversial United Church of Canada minister who calls herself an atheist and these books are inspired by her function at West Hill United Church. These books also reflect her conviction that it isn’t good enough to talk about some abstract belief but it’s important that all people have a place to ask tough questions and give free rein to their spiritual yearnings.
In September the Conference Interview Committee for the United Church’s Toronto Conference ruled 19-4 that Vosper was not suitable to remain a minister. As the lead pastor of West Hill United Church of Toronto, Ontario, in 2001, Vosper told her congregation that she was religiously skeptical and in 2013 officially came out as an atheist. After that, in 2015, the United Church began an investigation into the effectiveness of Vosper's ministry and now there is a possibility of removing Gretta Vosper of West Hill United Church from her position as a minister due to her being an avowed atheist.
In the Toronto church committee report, Ms. Vosper explained that she believes in love as the center, the most sacred value. She said that ministry rests on love, truth and courage, but that none of these characteristics come from God or originate in Bible. Also, she stressed that the unique element from Christianity is hope, the promise of something we cannot assure. Her congregation, however, gave Vosper a standing ovation after she finished the first service since the church’s Toronto Conference Review Committee released a 39-page report, with a long-planned talk about acceptance.
The Rev. Beverley Burlock, a classmate of Vosper's from Queen's Theological College, wrote an open letter with his concerns over Vosper and he added that she wanted to be removed from the list of clergy because she believed the Church was becoming too conservative. West Hill was open and progressive denomination and they even replaced the Lord's Prayer by an invocation called "As I Live," which was written by Vosper and West Hill Music Director Scott Kearns and lacks any mention of God or Heaven.
If the Church concludes that Vosper is no longer effective as a minister, they will put her on the Discontinued Service List (Disciplinary), which is very similar to being defrocked.
“In our opinion, she is not suitable to continue in ordained ministry because she does not believe in God, Jesus Christ or the Holy Spirit," concluded the committee's majority.
She will remain her position until the results of the formal hearing are known. The specific date for this has not yet been set.
Photo Credits: Canadian Broadcasting Company
