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        <title>Christian Daily International | Canada</title>
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            <title>Christian Daily International | Canada</title>
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        <copyright>Christian Daily International © 2026</copyright>
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        <lastBuildDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2026 11:06:00 -0500</lastBuildDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Canadian evangelicals raise concern over government plan for advance MAID requests]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/canadian-evangelicals-raise-concern-over-government-plan-for-advance-maid-requests</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/canadian-evangelicals-raise-concern-over-government-plan-for-advance-maid-requests</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Chris Eyte]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[assisted dying]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Sabine van Erp from Pixabay ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada has welcomed a bill that would stop medical assistance in dying (MAID) for mental illness alone but opposes its provision allowing advance requests for MAID. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2026 07:16:00 -0500</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[A bill that received first reading in Canada’s Parliament on Oct. 27 would stop medical assistance in dying (MAID) for mental illness alone. But the country’s national evangelical alliance is concerned that it would still allow advance requests for MAID.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
A bill that received first reading in Canada’s Parliament on Oct. 27 would stop medical assistance in dying (MAID) for mental illness alone. But the country’s national evangelical alliance is concerned that it would still allow advance requests for MAID.
The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC) welcomed Bill C-41, known as the Medical Assistance in Dying Safeguards Act, which was put forward by Justice Minister Sean Fraser. But it said it opposes the bill’s provision on advance requests.
The Canadian government said in a press release that provinces and territories could permit advance requests for MAID if they pass their own legislation.
“The Act would set minimum requirements for the lawful provision of MAID based on an advance request,” the government said.
“Provinces and territories that wish to permit advance requests in their jurisdictions would need to enact legislation to ensure safe implementation.”
Under the bill, people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease could make advance requests in provinces or territories that allow them.
“Adults who have been diagnosed with a capacity-limiting disease, like Alzheimer’s, would be eligible to make such a request in provinces or territories that have chosen to permit advance requests in their jurisdictions,” the government said. “Provinces and territories are responsible for regulating and delivering health care. The federal government will continue working with them in implementation.”
In a news update, the EFC said ending MAID for mental illness alone was the right conclusion.
The plan for advance requests, however, drew concern from the group.
“We are very concerned that the bill would also allow advance requests for MAiD when certain criteria are met. We oppose advance requests for euthanasia,” the EFC said.
According to the EFC, an advance request for MAID sets a “dangerous precedent” because it applies when a person is no longer able to give consent. The group said the approach devalues human life and pledged to keep close watch on the bill.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Canadian Christians tie poverty care to faith but many are unsure how to help, study finds]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/canadian-christians-tie-poverty-care-to-faith-but-many-are-unsure-how-to-help-study-finds</link>
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                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[CDI Staff]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[Facades of huts in a slum in South Asia. Poverty.]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ iStock / golero ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Facades of huts in a slum in South Asia. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Wed, 21 Oct 2026 06:00:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[Nearly three in four Canadian Christians surveyed in a new national study said caring about global poverty is part of following Jesus, yet 40% said they were unsure how to respond in ways that are wise and helpful, according to research released Saturday by a Canadian Christian network.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
Nearly three in four Canadian Christians surveyed in a new national study said caring about global poverty is part of following Jesus, yet 40% said they were unsure how to respond in ways that are wise and helpful, according to research released Saturday by a Canadian Christian network.
Kentro Christian Network, a national network of Canadian Christian relief and development organizations, published the study, titled "Willing Hearts, Uncertain Hands," with the Centre for Community Based Research. The organizations said in a news release that the report was timed to the United Nations' International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on Oct. 17 and will serve as the starting point for a multiyear public engagement campaign.
The findings point to a wide gap between private generosity and public action. According to the study's executive summary, 87% of respondents had donated money to global poverty causes in the previous 12 months and 82% had prayed, but 17% had advocated through formal channels.
Focused research rather than random sampling
Kentro describes the study as the first national research of its kind in Canada to combine survey data with qualitative methods. The survey drew 685 responses between Feb. 23 and April 10 of this year. It was distributed through 15 member and partner organizations that together reach more than 50,000 contacts, and the researchers added four focus groups with church leaders and nonprofit staff.
The report states that respondents are not a random sample of Canadian Christians. They are donors, church leaders and nonprofit workers already connected to the organizations that circulated the survey.
Most are regular churchgoers: 84% attend weekly or more. Nearly two-thirds are 55 or older. Thirty-eight percent identify as evangelical Protestant and 18% as Reformed or Presbyterian, while respondents from Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia made up 87% of those who gave a province.
High trust in Christian charities, but uncertainty about actual impact
The report says the 74% agreement on poverty as a matter of discipleship held across age, gender, region and denomination.
Among respondents who said they felt unsure how to help, 32% said they did not know which actions made a real difference, and 19% said the scale of the problem felt overwhelming. The researchers concluded that the hesitation was not driven by suspicion of Christian groups, since 92% of the unsure group reported moderate or high trust in Christian charities.
When encountering stories about global poverty, 53% of all respondents said they felt compassion. About a third reported anger at injustice and a similar share reported sadness. Seven percent said they felt hopeful.
Respondents also tended to see the problem as worsening. Fifty-four percent said global poverty had increased over the past decade, while 16% believed it had declined.
World Bank figures point the other way on the long-term trend. The number of people living in extreme poverty fell from about 2.3 billion in 1990 to an estimated 831 million in 2025, according to the bank, though it says progress has slowed considerably over the past decade.
Kentro and its partner said those gains are now at risk as international aid is cut. Preliminary data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development show that aid from major donor countries fell 23.1% in real terms in 2025, the largest annual drop on record. The OECD projects a further decline of 5.8% in 2026.
Asked about causes, respondents most often named weak or corrupt governments (52%) and armed conflict (51%), followed by systemic inequality and unfair global structures (33%). Focus group findings suggested that donors tend toward Western-centric explanations, the report said, giving less weight to factors such as colonial history and climate change and underestimating the leadership already present in communities of the Global South, which the report refers to as the Majority World.
Trust runs through relationships
Respondents placed the most confidence in people closest to the problem. Seventy-nine percent said they trust someone with lived experience from an affected community more than any other source, according to the report.
A Christian charity respondents already support ranked second at 42%, and a Christian nonprofit leader third at 38%, both ahead of journalists, researchers and government officials. The Canadian government ranked last, with 4% expressing high trust.
Focus group participants described pastors as endorsers whose backing leads congregations to trust a particular organization. Giving patterns pointed the same way: 58% said they most trust an organization they already know when deciding whether to give, and 65% give on a recurring basis.
Financial strain was the most commonly cited barrier to deeper involvement, named by 46%. On domestic priorities, 49% rejected the idea that Canada should address needs at home before engaging globally, while 23% agreed. Sixty-four percent said they would prioritize helping communities build long-term stability.
Areas where respondents want change
A total of 302 respondents answered an open-ended question about what they would change in how Canadian Christians engage with global poverty. The researchers grouped the answers into five themes: education, transparency, humility, integration and unity.
According to the report, respondents asked for teaching on root causes that is grounded in Scripture, clearer reporting from organizations on how donations are used, and more locally led work. They also called for evangelism and practical service to be held together and for agencies to reduce duplicated efforts.
Beginning of a multi-year campaign
Laura Solberg, executive director of Kentro, said that many Christians already pray, care and give. "You don't need a massive platform or education in international development to advocate for your global neighbours," she said, comparing the approach to the biblical account of the loaves and fishes.
“Advocacy isn’t something reserved for lobbyists. As we learn from the Good Samaritan, it simply means using our voices and resources to come alongside our neighbours,” said Solberg. 
“When we stop viewing global communities like projects to fix and Western givers as rescuers, we’re able to walk alongside each other, learning from their resilience and growing whole together as one body. Active engagement and advocacy aren’t an added burden; they are a proven way to restore hope and agency for all”
The campaign will encourage Christians to engage beyond giving and prayer by coming alongside communities, supporting local leaders, sharing first-hand stories and speaking up, including to elected officials, according to the news release. Kentro said it plans to produce toolkits, ministry resources and educational materials.
The executive summary describes the report as a baseline and says Kentro intends to repeat the research over time with a larger sample to track whether collective efforts are having an effect. The network also plans a webinar series in 2027 to discuss the findings.
Kentro, formerly known as the Canadian Christian Relief and Development Association, began in 1984 as a working group of the Canadian Centre for Christian Charities and became an independent organization in 2007. Its stated mission is to promote unity and excellence among Canadian Christian relief and development organizations.]]></content:encoded>
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                <title><![CDATA[Evangelical group welcomes plan to halt MAiD for mental illness, warns on advance requests]]></title>
                <link>https://www.christiandaily.com/news/evangelical-group-welcomes-plan-to-halt-maid-for-mental-illness-warns-on-advance-requests</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.christiandaily.com/news/evangelical-group-welcomes-plan-to-halt-maid-for-mental-illness-warns-on-advance-requests</guid>
                                                            <dc:creator><![CDATA[Chris Eyte]]></dc:creator>
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                            <media:title><![CDATA[assisted dying]]></media:title>
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                                    <![CDATA[ Sabine van Erp from Pixabay ]]>
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                                    <![CDATA[ An evangelical group welcomed Canada’s plan to halt MAiD for mental illness but warned against allowing advance requests. ]]>
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                                                                            <pubDate>Mon, 12 Oct 2026 07:17:00 -0400</pubDate>
                <description><![CDATA[The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC) has welcomed the federal government’s pledge to permanently stop the planned expansion of medical assistance in dying (MAiD) to people whose only condition is mental illness.]]></description>
                <content:encoded><![CDATA[
The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC) has welcomed the federal government’s pledge to permanently stop the planned expansion of medical assistance in dying (MAiD) to people whose only condition is mental illness.
But the group says it has “grave concerns” about the government’s plan, announced at the same time, to allow advance requests for MAiD.
MAiD for mental illness alone is provisionally set to become available March 17, 2027. The government says it will introduce a bill this fall to cancel that expansion before the deadline.
The announcement came after MPs voted down a private member’s bill, 187-141, on Oct. 7. Member of Parliament Tamara Jansen introduced Bill C-218, which the EFC supported, in the House of Commons on June 20, 2025. It would have removed the provisions set to allow MAiD for mental illness alone in 2027.
“The EFC had supported this bill to stop MAiD for mental illness,” the EFC said in a statement. “We regret that it did not pass. We thank the bill’s sponsor and all those who championed it.”
After the vote, Justice Minister Sean Fraser and Health Minister Marjorie Michel held a press conference at the National Press Theatre in Ottawa.
Fraser said the government would introduce legislation this fall “to permanently halt the expansion of MAID for individuals whose sole underlying condition is a mental illness.”
“To be clear: our government has decided not to proceed with expanding MAID eligibility to include mental illness as a sole underlying condition,” he said.
Fraser said the government had concluded from evidence and discussions with experts across the country that “the health system is not in a position to safely and consistently apply MAiD safeguards for individuals suffering solely from psychiatric conditions.”
“Assessing irremediability in mental disorders presents unique, profound challenges that distinguish it from physical or terminal conditions,” he said.
When a person is in severe psychiatric distress, Fraser said, telling apart a desire to die caused by mental illness and “a clear, fully informed decision to access MAID requires absolute scientific and clinical certainty.”
“That certainty simply does not exist across our medical systems today,” he said.
“Our primary duty as a government is the protection of vulnerable Canadians,” Fraser added. He said the government would instead focus on strengthening mental health care, expanding suicide prevention services and supporting people in distress.
Michel said the government would “double down” on mental health support. She pledged to strengthen community-based mental health programs, improve rapid access to psychiatric care and therapy across provinces and territories, and expand crisis intervention and suicide prevention resources, including the national 988 lifeline.
“We must ensure that no Canadian ever feels that ending their life is the only option available due to a lack of timely health services or social support,” she said.
The EFC said it was “thankful for this positive news.” But the group is concerned that the same fall bill would change the Criminal Code to allow advance requests for MAiD in some provinces that have legislated a system of safeguards.
Fraser said advance requests would be for people diagnosed with a serious and irremediable illness who may lose the capacity to consent in the future.
“The EFC’s response to this future legislation is likely to be nuanced,” the EFC statement said.
The group said it has advocated extensively for an indefinite delay of MAiD for mental illness and welcomed the government’s position.
“At the same time, we have grave concerns about allowing advance requests for MAiD. The time is short,” the statement said.
The vote came two days after two University of Toronto psychiatry professors raised concerns about Canada’s MAiD system in The New York Times.
In an Oct. 5 op-ed, Madeline Li and Gary Rodin described a woman in her 70s who was approved for assisted dying after she lost the ability to cook for her family, The Christian Post reported. She felt she had lost her value to them.
After counseling, she decided not to go through with it, the psychiatrists wrote. Li and Rodin, one of whom has administered MAiD, warned that Canada’s system “is no longer an option of last resort.”]]></content:encoded>
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