Blessed are the Undone Conference: Conversations about Faith Deconstruction and Hope in Canada

Co-presented with New Leaf

June 6 - 7, 2025
United Commons
932 Balmoral Rd, Victoria, BC

Join VISTA & New Leaf (VISTA) Friday evening for a presentation from Neal DeRoo, a jazz performance by Mark Glanville & social. Then, on Saturday, for a one-day conference on finding hope amid church conflict. Workshops, lectures and round-table discussions will pull from and build on data and stories from Blessed are the Undone. The keynote will end with suggestions for “reconstruction-friendly” postures in an era of deconstruction. 

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Featuring:

Angela Reitsma Bick is Editor-in-Chief of Christian Courier and an award-winning journalist recognized for her work highlighting social justice issues. In 2016, she won the A.C. Forrest Memorial Award for an article on female clergy called “The Stained-Glass Ceiling,” followed by the Distinguished Alumni Award from Redeemer University in 2020. She loves to read, hike and camp with her family.

Neal DeRoo is Senior Member and Professor of Philosophy at the Institute for Christian Studies in Toronto, ON. He is the author or editor of 8 books in philosophy, deconstruction, and/or religion, most recently The Political Logic of Experience (2022) and Philosophies of Liturgy (2023), and has two more books on the way. He also leads professional development for Christian school teachers on what it means to teach "Christianly." He lives in the woods east of Sherwood Park with his wife, Tanya, and two kids. 

What to expect:

Friday evening (7-10 pm): Join us to hear from speaker, Neal DeRoo and actor, John Wason.
Bonus 9-10 pm A special concert (included in the ticket price) from jazz musician Mark Glanville.

Saturday (10 am - 4:00 pm)
9 am Registration: Join us for a day of learning and engagement with plenary speaker, Angela Reitsma Bick, music by Mark Glanville, Testimony of Reconstruction from Jessica Zaikin Cook, breakout sessions with Mark Glanville, Tim Stewart & Jessica Zaikin Cook.

Cost:

Friday (single ticket): $25 - Register Here

Friday & Saturday (lunch included): $90 *Early-bird discount $75 until May19* - Register Here

Pre-order your copy of the book for $20 (the price will be $25 at the event)

Blessed are the Undone Free Public Lecture

Peter Schurrman

May 15, 2025, 7 - 9 pm
Victoria Christian Reformed Church
661 Agnes Street, Saanich, BC

Join Peter Schuurman, co-author of the new book Blessed are the Undone, for a presentation and discussion on Christian faith deconstruction and hope across Canada.

Special guest Jessica Zaikin Cook

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Peter Schuurman (PhD (Religious Studies, U Waterloo),M. Div. (McMaster Divinity College), MA (Sociology, Queens U)) is Executive Director at Global Scholars Canada, a Christian professors’ guild bent on cross-cultural and transnational work in public university settings. He is also an adjunct faculty member at Redeemer University (Religion and Social Sciences), author of The Subversive Evangelical: The Ironic Charisma of an Irreligious Megachurch (McGill-Queens 2019) and co-author of Blessed are the Undone: Testimonies of the Quiet Deconstruction of Faith in Canada. He has a history as a campus minister at Brock University, a denominational ministry leader in the Christian Reformed Church, and bicycle assembler for Canadian Tire. He lives in Guelph, Ontario with his family.