Moderator’s Page

When I was a young adult, my father had a diving accident that left him a quadriplegic. Caring for him when I was home from university, and experiencing our church family supporting us, helped me realize how God gives strength when the path is painful and difficult, and what being a servant looks like.

Watching my children grow in the amazing church family of Bethel/ Burns Memorial, the questions they asked, their sense of belonging, and the way they grew spiritually increased my awareness of the Spirit’s presence in all the ages and stages of life. It also reinforced my belief that we always have valuable gifts to share.

Trips to India and Afghanistan with PWS&D taught me about the great need in the world and the responsive power of the Church, partnering with people on the ground, empowering lives and communities. I realized the particular vulnerability of women in the world, and at the same time their strength to act as agents of change and hope.

Beginning ministry at St Columba, I learned the power of welcome and hospitality in my own life, and the Holy Spirit’s presence, who nudges and sometimes pushes us during major change and unclear steps on the journey. This has made me sensitive to the need to integrate newcomers in deep and lasting ways, supporting by the amazing grace of God who welcomes us all.

What have been your most memorable experiences in serving the church and how have those experiences shaped or guided your views?

Teaching young people through confirmation at Bethel, including many that I had baptized, was very meaningful for me, and reminded me of the Church’s strength in journeying alongside people, often throughout their lives.

Leading worship at long term care homes, accompanied by the choir, has been a memorable part of my ministry. I learned to share the basic message of my sermon, and the importance of music which often reaches people more than words.

Working with the United Church in NS, and leading community worship where neighbours meet, taught me about sharing God’s love beyond our buildings, structures and denominations, and the strength of working together.

Community meals that we host at St Columba are meaningful, as volunteers reach out, demonstrate their faith in Jesus, and enable families to enjoy a healthy, low stress, low cost meal at the end of the work week. In this way, I have learned about welcoming people of all ages, nationalities, and walks of life.

As a denomination, we often dwell on the challenges that we face. What opportunities do you see for The Presbyterian Church in Canada in our present context and why?

We are well placed in urban, suburban and rural settings to build communities of faith connected in hope through creative worship, music, and events involving education, social justice, or food and hospitality. The way a congregation connects in hope depends on their unique gifts, but always includes shining light, and being present in moments of grief and in moments of joy.

As a denomination, we must steward our buildings and property well and, where possible, be a community hub that encompasses our mission, sharing God’s great love known to us in Jesus. In our present context, opening our buildings to organizations that reinforce community action, food security, and social justice make us a viable component of our neighbourhoods and cities.

No matter how many young people, or how often they come, we need to be an intergenerational community of informal mentoring, broadening a child, youth or young adult’s circle of important people in their lives. There aren’t many other places, beyond family gatherings, where many generations are present. Therefore, we need to make our churches an important component of our youths’ lives, which will in turn draw more youth. It is not easy. In order to do this, we must embrace change, and in different ways communicate inclusiveness and support for all who grace our sanctuaries.

Who has been a role model for you, in ministry or more broadly, and what qualities and characteristics resonate(d) with you in their witness?

The late Ms. Ina Adamson, Diaconal Minister, and elder at Bethel, Scotsburn has been a role model to me. She had a dream to have a Christian education worker at Bethel. I learned from her persistence in asking Session to help make it happen, and from her generosity, sharing her resources to help enable the position’s long term funding. Ina had an interest in many of the children, learning their names and hearing their ideas, welcoming my daughter as a preschooler to an Atlantic Missionary Society meeting, and promoting the importance of Camp Ministry through Camp Geddie. She encouraged the value of theological education for all ages, the importance of mission looking beyond ourselves, and that the church has something important to offer.

What areas do you feel the church should focus as key in these days?

Identifying and sharing the gifts and resources we already have from people of all different ages and abilities. Engaging and inviting newcomers to share their God-given gifts and providing a fertile ground for this process takes time and encouragement, but it is vital. Partnership with community groups, or their members who want to contribute in small ways, allow us to do more than we could do on our own.

Together, we learn of the steadfast love of God through worship and engaging service, whether laughing in the kitchen with newly discovered neighbours, serving at a meal for those in need of connection, teaching children and youth, or knowing the joy of singing together in worship. In this way, we may learn and follow the way of Jesus as God’s beloved children, where the last are first of all.

Volunteering gives people meaning and breaks isolation. We must invite people to share in ways they are passionate. Some may think that they have little to share. It is our challenge to make them feel comfortable sharing a little or a lot, in the way God is calling them to share in that season, and as they realize that all gifts are worthy. We must teach everyone that God gives us new opportunities to share and be faithful, even if it means letting other things go. A church with a wide variety of people passionately sharing gifts is a lively and vibrant community of God’s people. The Holy Spirit is at work in the PCC. Together, we need to find new ways to harness her strength!