Context: The Confederation Report
Host: Steven R. Martins
Language: English
This is The Confederation Report, a weekly analysis of Canadian news and culture from a Biblical worldview.
Part I: The Potential Removal of Charitable Status (0:05-4:29)
As Canada approaches its pivotal April 28 election, a growing grassroots concern emerges over a federal proposal to revoke charitable status for religious organizations—signaling a deeper cultural shift that challenges the Church’s role in public life.
Part II: Sphere Sovereignty (4:33-8:39)
Kuyper’s sphere sovereignty teaches that Christ rules every area of life, granting distinct God-given authority to each sphere and opposing all-encompassing state control.
Part III: Let’s Talk About What’s Really Going On (8:42-13:10)
The proposed removal of charitable status from religious organizations exposes an aggressive secularism that threatens both Christian liberty and national identity, challenging believers to give faithfully without relying on state incentives.
Did You Know? (13:17-14:20)
Sir John A. Macdonald’s vision for Canada centered on unity and sovereignty, realized through his National Policy and the Canadian Pacific Railway, which he saw as essential to securing economic independence and resisting American influence.
Recommended Reading (14:25-15:22)
This week’s recommended reading is Canada: Standing on Guard for Thee by Dr. Michael Wagner, a compelling and well-researched work that reveals the deep historical roots of Christian political engagement in Canada and challenges the myth that it’s merely an American import.
Event Reminder (15:24-5:58)
Join us November 14–15, 2025, in Welland, Ontario, for All Hail the King: Christ and Government with Douglas Wilson, Scott Masson, and Michael Wagner. Register now at cantaroinstitute.org/niagara2025 for early bird rates!
Transcript:
It’s Week 15 of 2025, and this is The Confederation Report, a weekly analysis of Canadian news and culture from a biblical worldview. I’m Steven R. Martins, and each week, we deconstruct the headlines, challenge secular narratives, and apply Scripture to the issues that matter. Because Christ is Lord—over Canada, over culture, over all of life.
Part I: The Potential Removal of Charitable Status (0:05-4:29)
As Canada heads toward its federal election on April 28, the nation stands at a pivotal crossroads—politically, economically, and culturally. Canadian voters will decide whether the next government will be led by a Conservative or Liberal majority or minority, while parties like the NDP and Bloc Québécois are looking to position themselves as potential coalitionists. Yet amid the campaign noise, a notable disconnect has emerged: national polls continue to favor the Liberals, even as large, energetic Conservative rallies across the country suggest otherwise. This growing divergence between media narratives and the grassroots conservative movement has only deepened the uncertainty surrounding the final result.
Beneath the surface of the election buzz, however, a deeper issue—one with lasting consequences—has reemerged. Just before the election was called, the Liberal government tabled a Finance Committee report containing a controversial recommendation: to remove “the advancement of religion” as a recognized purpose for charitable status. Should this recommendation be adopted in the next federal budget, it would strip more than 30,000 religious charities—including nearly 23,000 churches—of their ability to issue tax-deductible receipts or receive foundational grants. What was once a quiet policy suggestion has become a clear and present concern.
The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC) sounded the alarm, highlighting the bipartisan support for the report’s recommendations—though the Conservatives included a dissenting opinion. In an effort to dissuade the federal government from moving in this direction, the EFC has emphasized the vital role religious charities play in strengthening community life, encouraging volunteerism, and promoting social cohesion—especially in a time increasingly marked by loneliness, division, and civic disengagement. To remove charitable status from these groups is not merely an administrative decision; it would undermine the societal value they provide and deal a financial blow to their ongoing work.
Organizations such as ARPA Canada have drawn attention to the deeper principle at stake: sphere sovereignty. This Reformed concept, finding its roots in Scripture and its articulation in the works of the late Dutch statesman and theologian Abraham Kuyper, recognizes that the church operates in a God-ordained sphere distinct from the state. From this vantage point, charitable status is not just a tax consideration but a public acknowledgment of the Church’s role in society. The proposal to revoke it reflects more than fiscal policy—it signals a cultural shift from passive tolerance to active resistance against faith-based engagement in the public square.
This moment ought to serve as a wake-up call for pastors, churches, and Christian leaders across Canada. Regardless of which party prevails in the upcoming election, the political climate has unmistakably shifted. The Church must not remain passive, as it has to its detriment in the past few decades. It must actively build relationships with local and national representatives, clearly articulate its mission, and stand firm in its calling within civil society. The erosion of religious freedom often begins quietly, and the threat to charitable status is one such quiet step. Christians must not be caught off guard—they must engage wisely, legally, and prayerfully in defending the freedom to serve.
Part 2: Sphere Sovereignty (4:33-8:39)
On the matter of Sphere Sovereignty, Kuyper’s foundational text presents a theological and philosophical framework for understanding authority and freedom in human society. Delivered as the inaugural address for a new educational institution in the Netherlands, Kuyper argues that all authority originates with God, who delegates it to distinct spheres of life—such as the church, state, family, education, and business—each possessing its own unique jurisdiction and sovereignty. He famously declares, “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human life of which Christ, who is Sovereign of all, does not cry: ‘Mine!’” This iconic assertion captures Kuyper’s conviction that Christ’s lordship extends over every aspect of human existence, thereby challenging the legitimacy of any institution that claims absolute power.
Kuyper begins by exploring the national significance of sphere sovereignty, situating it within a broader historical and spiritual crisis that confronts modern society. He contrasts two competing visions of authority: one grounded in divine revelation, where God entrusts power to separate, divinely appointed spheres, and another rooted in secularism, where the state assumes total control over all domains of life. Kuyper traces the historical battle between these paradigms, from ancient Caesarism to modern revolutionary ideologies, arguing that sphere sovereignty—anchored in Christ’s kingship—safeguards liberty and restrains government overreach.
Turning to the scientific purpose of sphere sovereignty, Kuyper’s publication underscores the necessity of intellectual freedom, warning against the intrusion of the state or church into academic inquiry, such as for example the case of Galileo. Kuyper criticizes the stifling effect of state-controlled universities on genuine scientific exploration and asserts that science flourishes most fully when it operates according to its own God-given principles. In this title, Sphere Sovereignty, Kuyper also defends the creation of his institution, the Free University—privately funded and governed by the people—as a vital step toward reclaiming education that integrates faith and life, rather than conforming to secular ideologies or abstract theorizing. Such an institution, he argues, is essential for resisting the moral erosion that undermines cultural resilience.
In essence, the Reformed character of sphere sovereignty is at the heart of Kuyper’s vision. He grounds the entire concept in the Reformed tradition’s emphasis on God’s absolute sovereignty and the authority of Scripture. For Kuyper, “Reformed” does not refer merely to a denominational label but to a pure, uncompromised Christianity that refuses to blend with secular philosophies. This conviction demands that every area of knowledge—whether in science, philosophy, law, or medicine—must be governed by a biblical worldview. He firmly rejects so-called “neutral” or “mixed” academic approaches, insisting instead that all scholarship must flow from a Reformed life principle that recognizes Christ’s sovereign claim over every discipline.
This may have seemed novel at its time, but it was also the intention conveyed by Scripture. Consider, for example, Kuyper’s pointed questions: Should medical counsel reflect biblical convictions about life and death, or should it adopt secular assumptions? Should legal systems be founded on divine justice or on human innovation? Kuyper’s point is clear: worldview matters, and sphere sovereignty compels us to consider how Christ’s lordship transforms every facet of thought and action.
Part III: Let’s Talk About What’s Really Going On (8:42-13:10)
It would be a massive blow to Christian charities and churches if they were to lose their charitable status. Think of how many Canadians benefit from donating to such organizations—not only through the tax breaks received at the end of the year, but through the tangible good these institutions bring to society. How many lives are supported socially, economically, emotionally, and spiritually by churches and Christian ministries across the country?
There are two important things to bear in mind as we seek to grasp what exactly is transpiring in the House of Commons:
First, this is not just a financial or political decision—it is also a theological one. The removal of charitable status for religious organizations reveals that the government no longer desires a religiously pluralistic society—at least not one where religious institutions contribute substantively to the development of Canadian society. What we are witnessing is a new aggressive form of a long prevailing dogma: secularism, not as the neutrality its supporters claim, but as a full-fledged religion. In this religious worldview, there is no God but the state, no sovereign but the state, no absolute but the state. Parliament, in essence, transcends its political mandate and becomes an object of worship and a tool of coercion handled by the political elites. For a glimpse of insight, one reviewer of Mark Carney’s book, Value(s): Building a Better World for All, was led to the following conclusion. He writes:
Western society is morally rotten, and it has been corrupted by capitalism. This requires rigid controls of personal freedoms, industry and corporate funding. This is not a promise to make the lives of ordinary people better but temporarily worse. This will be a world of severely constrained choice, less flying, less meat, more inconvenience, and temporarily more poverty.
Whether or not that is a fair assessment of Carney’s book is up to the reader to decide as they pick up a book either on Kindle or in print so they can see for themselves. But it certainly invites reflection on what a Liberal majority under Prime Minister Mark Carney could mean for Canada’s future—a question that may soon find concrete answers if the upcoming federal election swings in his favour.
Second, the question that now confronts believers is this: will Christians continue to faithfully support the church and its mission in the absence of tax benefits? Are we truly motivated by obedience and love for God, or have we grown accustomed to giving only when there is a financial incentive attached? In short, what is the Christian’s obligation to give?
Scripture clearly teaches that everything we have belongs to God and that we are stewards of His gifts. While the New Testament does not mandate a fixed percentage as under the Old Covenant tithe, it calls believers to give cheerfully, sacrificially, and in proportion to what they have (2 Corinthians 9:6–7). As the late Christian theologian R.C. Sproul aptly noted, the tithe was the minimum standard in the Old Testament, not the ceiling. Christian giving, then, is not mere obligation—it is worship. The Apostle Paul urged the Corinthians to give not reluctantly or under compulsion, but freely and joyfully, for “God loves a cheerful giver.” If our generosity dries up the moment tax benefits disappear, it may reveal that our giving was never truly spiritual to begin with. Have we forgotten that the Church has never been advanced by government incentives? No, it has always been advanced by the steadfast faithfulness of God’s people.
It is no exaggeration to say that as the federal election date nears, Canada is at a crossroads, and the outcome of this federal election will determine the future of our nation. We will either inch our way closer to becoming a free country, truly sovereign and independent, and recovering the Christian heritage that once made us more orthodox than the United States of America, or we will descend further into the abyss of tyranny and coercion, swallowed up by our “trash world,” witnessing the further deterioration of our once great country, the great white north, Canada.
Did You Know? (13:17-14:20)
For Sir John A. Macdonald, the vision of Canada was one of unity, prosperity, and sovereignty stretching from sea to sea. In the face of a global depression during the 1870s, Macdonald championed the National Policy—a bold plan to protect Canadian markets through tariffs, encourage domestic industry, and bind the young Dominion together with a transcontinental railway. He believed that without a strong economic base and a physical link across the continent, Canada risked being overshadowed by American expansion. The railway, for Macdonald, was more than steel and timber—it was the backbone of a sovereign nation.
Macdonald’s government poured immense resources into the Canadian Pacific Railway, granting it vast tracts of land and exclusive rights. He envisioned thriving cities, productive farmland, and a bustling West filled with loyal Canadian settlers. For Macdonald, the expansion was a triumph of national purpose, and it would forever alter the lives of those who embraced it.
Recommended Reading (14:25-15:22)
This week’s recommended reading is Canada: Standing on Guard for Thee by Dr. Michael Wagner, published by Cántaro Publications. In this groundbreaking work, Wagner challenges the myth that Christian political engagement is a recent, foreign development in Canadian history.
With meticulous research and historical insight, Wagner demonstrates that Christian influence in Canada’s political life is not only homegrown but deeply woven into the nation’s founding fabric. Far from being an American import, the so-called “Christian Right” has long roots in Canadian soil. From Confederation to modern movements, this book traces how Christians have shaped laws, culture, and institutions in the pursuit of righteousness and justice.
As Michael Valpy noted in the Literary Review of Canada, Wagner offers a “valuable, original account” that fills a significant gap in our understanding of Canadian political history. For believers seeking to understand their civic responsibility in light of Scripture and history, this is essential reading.
Event Reminder (15:24-15:58)
Don’t forget to mark your calendars and sign up for our annual Niagara conference! Join us on November 14-15, 2025 at Rosedale Baptist Church in Welland, Ontario, for “All Hail the King: Christ and Government”, featuring speakers Rev. Douglas Wilson of Canon Press (Moscow, Idaho), Dr. Scott Masson, and Dr. Michael Wagner. Sign up at cantaroinstitute.org/niagara2025 and take advantage of the early bird rate.
Closing Words
Thanks for listening to The Confederation Report, this podcast is brought to you by the Cántaro Institute. Visit our website at cantaroinstitute.org for more information. For books to read on worldview, philosophy, and theology, visit our store at cantaroinstitute.store
We’ll meet again next week.
Documentation and Additional Reading:
Reformed Perspective (Mark Penninga)
Charitable status of churches and religious charities threatened
Ligonier.org (R.C. Sproul)
What Does the Bible Say about Christian Tithing?
Mark Carney, Value(s): Building a Better World for All (Toronto, ON.: Signal, 2021)