LMA Committee 2025The Life and Mission Agency (LMA), provides resources to the church that envision innovative models for ministries, responds to disasters, helps refugees, supports development projects, aids communication, works with Indigenous people, plans youth events, explores issues of faith and justice and offers guidance for discerning vocations for ordained ministry.

Mandate

The General Assembly sets the mandate of the Life and Mission Committee and the departments of the Agency (see below)

Image of arrow pointing downLife and Mission Agency Mandate

Guiding Principles

  1. The renewal and revitalization of congregational life shall have the highest priority in all of the Life and Mission Agency’s planning and resourcing, including leadership training.
  2. The Life and Mission Agency will continue to strive to be of service to all congregations.
  3. The provision of resources for equipping disciples for evangelism and service will be considered a priority. *
  4. The Life and Mission Agency will work with presbyteries and synods to ensure the sharing of resources across the denomination that will directly address the needs of congregations, presbyteries and synods.
  5. Through Presbyterians Sharing and PWS&D, congregations participate in the church’s mission. As such, the Life and Mission Agency will continue to provide meaningful opportunities for service and mission locally, nationally and internationally.
  6. The Life and Mission Agency commits to ensuring that the departmental organization acts as a gospel response of a national church in today’s world. The program of each Life and Mission Agency department will continue to evolve and change as the needs of the church are discerned.

* The Life and Mission Agency understands disciples to be followers of Jesus in words and deeds. The Life and Mission Agency understands evangelism to be the responsibility of “all Christians, churches and congregations” as we are all “called to be vibrant messengers of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the good news of salvation” (Together Towards Life, WCC, par. 8). “Evangelism is sharing one’s faith and conviction with other people, inviting them to discipleship whether or not they adhere to other religious traditions. Such sharing is to take place with both confidence and humility, and as an expression of our professed love for our world.” (ibid, par. 83).

Minutes and Reports

Departments

Congregational and Community Ministries serves the church by providing resources to enhance the ministry and mission of The Presbyterian Church in Canada in partnership with sessions, boards, presbyteries and synods.

Congregational and Community Ministries:

  • provides responses to requests for information for all aspects of congregational life,
  • provides resources for the church in the fields of evangelism, discipleship, Christian education, youth, congregational development, change and transition, worship and leadership development,
  • supports presbyteries as they discern, envision and undertake programs of strategic planning, innovation, growth and renewal,
  • provides grants and programs to congregations, specialized ministries, ministers, presbyteries and synods in areas of new church development, renewal and camping and
  • recommends appointments to be made by the Life and Mission Agency to ministry positions based on presbytery requests.

The Communications department serves the church by supporting communication activities of The Presbyterian Church in Canada nationally and locally across the church.

Communications:

  • maintains and administers the online and social media presence of the national offices of The Presbyterian Church in Canada,
  • helps committees and agencies of the General Assembly edit, design and produce their publications,
  • helps coordinate communication for committees and agencies of the General Assembly,
  • helps equip and lead the church and its congregations in communication strategies and initiatives,
  • facilitates communication within The Presbyterian Church in Canada, including news and information for congregations and other church courts,
  • facilitates communication on behalf of The Presbyterian Church in Canada to the wider public, including media and ecumenical bodies,
  • assists departments of the national office of The Presbyterian Church in Canada with their communication strategies and activities,
  • equips the church with print and digital resources, and
  • works with the General Assembly Office to create communications tools and resources for participants of the General Assembly.

The International Ministries department enables the church to participate in the worldwide ministry and mission of God carried out in partnership with the church of Jesus Christ in co-operation with international partner churches and agencies.

International Ministries:

  • communicates regularly with partner churches and agencies through correspondence and partner visits,
  • supports ministry partners around the world by appointing mission staff, upon request,
  • supports ministry partners around the world through grants,
  • invests in leadership development of lay persons and clergy identified by mission partners,
  • supports ecumenical organizations and coalitions, and
  • engages in dialogue and mutual program sharing with partners that nurtures mutuality of learning.

The Justice Ministries department serves the church by assisting congregations and the courts of the church to respond to the justice imperatives of the gospel.

Justice Ministries:

  • supports and facilitates justice initiatives and workshops within The Presbyterian Church in Canada,
  • encourages theological reflection on justice issues within The Presbyterian Church in Canada,
  • develops educational and liturgical resources to help individuals, congregations and the courts of the church to understand and engage justice issues in all aspects of their lives,
  • assists the church to understand, confront and address systemic sins such as colonialism and racism and to work towards truth, healing and reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people,
  • helps the church understand and respond to pressing social issues such as the climate crisis, homophobia and transphobia,
  • engages in learning, research and writing to inform the church’s prophetic witness on justice issues,
  • engages with elected officials and decision-makers on areas of advocacy where The Presbyterian Church in Canada has spoken,
  • works collaboratively with ecumenical and other partners on justice issues,
  • maintains a digital resource detailing the history of the involvement of The Presbyterian Church in Canada in justice issues, and
  • responds to questions about statements of The Presbyterian Church in Canada on justice issues.

The Ministry and Church Vocations department helps the church to discern, prepare and support professional leaders in ministry.

Ministry and Church Vocations:

  • stimulates theological reflection about ministry,
  • maintains working relationships with the Theological Education Liaison Group and the theological colleges,
  • supports the work of the Committee on Education and Reception and the Continuing Education Grants Committee,
  • maintains networks with synods and presbyteries and serves as a resource in the use and interpretation of policies,
  • assists presbyteries, colleges and candidates in their decisions regarding candidacy for ministry,
  • equips presbyteries for their decisions regarding calls and designations, appointments and benefits,
  • facilitates placement of professional church leaders through a congregational and personnel profile referral system,
  • assists the church in the ongoing support, nurture and development of professional church leaders,
  • establishes and identifies resources to support the work of crisis intervention and conflict resolution across the church,
  • formulates policies and proposes revisions as appropriate,
  • identifies trends and supports new directions and frameworks for the practice of ministry, and
  • serves in appropriate ecumenical coalitions/structures.

The Presbyterian World Service & Development Committee is a standing committee of the Life and Mission Agency serving as the international development and relief agency of The Presbyterian Church in Canada. Presbyterian World Service and Development (PWS&D) is “to act as the agency within The Presbyterian Church in Canada for undertaking development activities, disaster relief and education of congregations to these world-wide needs.” PWS&D also administers the refugee sponsorship program of The Presbyterian Church in Canada.

PWS&D enables the church to respond generously and compassionately to human need around the world.

PWS&D:

  • identifies and supports development programs of partner agencies that contribute to long-term improvement in living conditions and transformation of society,
  • builds partnerships with churches and agencies with which The Presbyterian Church in Canada shares development projects,
  • provides emergency relief for people in disaster situations,
  • works closely with other Life and Mission Agency departments such as International Ministries, Justice Ministries and Stewardship to co-ordinate the wider mission of the church,
  • works closely with these departments to provide resources that promote awareness and understanding throughout the church of the causes of poverty, conflict and suffering in the world and that call Presbyterians to obedient, generous involvement and response,
  • administers the Refugee Sponsorship Agreement with the Canadian government and assists congregations in sponsoring refugees to Canada, and
  • works with ecumenical coalitions and international agencies, where possible.

The Stewardship department serves the church by helping individuals, congregations, presbyteries and synods discover ways they can best use their resources to participate in God’s mission and ministry through planned gifts and gifts to Presbyterians Sharing.

Stewardship:

  • encourages generous giving to support Presbyterian mission and ministry,
  • helps congregations talk about money and faith and to encourage generosity as a spiritual discipline as a means of participating in God’s mission,
  • equips people with skills, materials and networks to nurture financially healthy ministries,
  • assists congregations in the use of buildings and properties for ministry,
  • encourages individuals, congregations, presbyteries and synods to support local, national and international mission projects,
  • helps the church understand and support the annual budget of The Presbyterian Church in Canada (Presbyterians Sharing) and special funds of the church,
  • encourages and enables individuals to make gifts to all levels of the church through a strong program for planned giving and major gifts, and
  • helps ministries develop sound financial stewardship and planned giving strategies.

Membership ~ 2026-2027

The Rev. Christian Persaud (Convener)
(2023–2029)

The Rev. Enjei Achah
(2024–2027)

The Rev. Markus Arseneault
(2023–2029)

Yvonne Bearbull – NIMC representative
(2021–2027)

The Rev. Dr. Emily Bisset
(2025–2028)

Zahra Brown
(2025–2028)

Kirk Dunn
(2022–2028)

Jo Morris
(2025–2027)

Brian Neilson
(2022–2028)

Sue Senior
(2021–2027)

The Rev. Dr. Donghwi (David) Son
(2023-2029)

Assembly Council Appointments
Janet Simpson

Ex-Officio
Janet Brewer
WMS representative

Carol Stymiest
AMS representative

The Rev. Shahrzad Kandalaft
Ex-officio
Convener, PWS&D Committee
(2023–2026)

Staff
General Secretary – The Rev. Ian Ross-McDonald

Associate Secretary, Congregational and Community Ministries – John Barrett

Associate Secretary, Communications – Dr. Callie Long

Associate Secretary, Justice Ministries – Dr. Allyson Carr

Associate Secretary, Ministry and Church Vocations – The Rev. Tim Purvis

Director, Presbyterian World Service and Development – Guy Smagghe

Associate Secretary, Stewardship – The Rev. Corrie Stewart

Senior Administrator – Grace McCreary