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presbyterian.ca
SPRING 2023
Connection 9
GENERAL ASSEMBLY - BALLOT FOR THE MODERATOR
PRESBYTERIAN
 Three names will appear on the Ballot to elect the Moderator of the 2023 General Assembly. Each year, members of presby- teries (ministers/diaconal min- isters and representative elders)
are provided with the means of voting to appoint the Moderator- elect in advance of the General Assembly. In 2023, members of presbyteries will use an on- line voting program to cast their
votes in advance of March 31. The electronic voting program enables the preferential vot- ing system that the church has traditionally used. On Monday, April 3, the Committee to Advise
with the Moderator will meet and confirm the vote count before the name of the Moderator-elect will be announced to the church. The Moderator-elect’s name will be presented to the General As-
sembly in June, and commis- sioners will then decide to con- firm the Moderator of the 148th General Assembly. Read more about the Moderator nominees at presbyterian.ca/nominees-2023.
   John Barrett.
The Rev. Mary Fontaine.
The Rev. Paul Johnston.
Elder, Zion Presbyterian Church in Charlottetown, P.E.I. Director, Hummingbird Ministries in Vancouver, B.C. Minister, St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Arnprior, Ont.
John Barrett
Having joined the congregation of Zion Presbyterian Church in Char- lottetown, P.E.I., while a university student in 1973, John has partici- pated as an active member since that time, establishing his ongo- ing involvement in the music min- istry. He was ordained an elder in 1987 and for the past 15 years has served as Clerk of Session. On occasion he has provided pul- pit supply in the absence of the lead minister.
A former moderator of the Presbytery of Prince Edward Is- land, he has also served as the presbytery’s deputy clerk and has convened several initiatives, such as the 200th Anniversary Celebration in 2021. For the past two years, John has been work- ing with the presbytery and vari- ous First Nations organizations to develop a cross-cultural camp between First Nations and Pres- byterian Youth.
A regular attendee at the Synod of the Atlantic Provinces, he was appointed by the Synod Council to lead a financial review and develop a forward plan regarding the ongo- ing funding formulas for the synod and presbytery camps within syn- od’s bounds. This led to a change in structure that was adopted fa- vourably by the synod. In 2020, John created a publication enti- tled “Hear the Good News” that contained detailed descriptions of unique and highly successful church services and events from throughout the Atlantic Synod. This was shared with all synods across the denomination.
Nationally, John served six years on the Assembly Council and is now in his eleventh year on the Council’s Finance Committee. John has led seminars and con- sultations with numerous congre- gations in the region concerning the benefits and procedures sur- rounding the Presbyterian Church Consolidated Portfolio. Now in his second year on the Life and Mission Agency Committee, he recently participated in the search committee for the new Associate Secretary of Communications.
John has attended many General Assemblies as a com- missioner, as a member of the Business Committee and as its convener for the past two As- semblies. He was a member of the Committee to Advise with the Moderator in 2016. He has also aided other moderators of the General Assembly during their visitations to Eastern Canada.
Professionally, John serves as the Director of Sales, Marketing & Development for a Canadian mail-order gardening business, located on Prince Edward Island. He is married to Faye (Rogerson), who serves as Music Director at Zion Presbyterian Church. To- gether they have one son, Con- nor (Tracey), and two wonderful granddaughters. The Barrett’s re- side in Charlottetown, PEI.
Mary Fontaine
Mary Fontaine is Nêhiyaw (Cree) from Mistawasis Nêhiyaw, Sas- katchewan, where she grew up attending the Mistawasis Presby- terian Church with her family.
Mary has a B.A. in Native Stud- ies from the University of Alberta (1995) and an M.Div. from the Vancouver School of Theology (2003). She was on the Execu- tive Committee of the World Com- munion of Reformed Churches (2010–2017). She convenes the National Indigenous Minis- tries Council of The Presbyterian Church in Canada and serves on the Special Committee re. Listen- ing, Confession and Associations.
Mary’s mother trusted in Jesus Christ and was grateful for the culture and language he gave to her people. Her father made her aware of the suffering of Indig- enous people and urged her to get an education to seek heal- ing for them. The revelation of Indigenous history in Canada through her Native Studies degree was heartbreaking, but the truth brought understanding and heal- ing. Mary’s grandfather (a pipe carrier) modelled what it meant to be a humble follower of the Cir- cle. He taught that the main pur- pose of life was to learn how to love. Her spiritual parents taught Mary spiritual discernment, and spiritual and emotional healing through prayer and the Word of God. And through an integrated program developed by a team of Cree elders and psychologists, she learned to facilitate healing circles.
Mary is the Founding Direc- tor of Hummingbird Ministries (2005), an Indigenous-led heal- ing and reconciliation ministry. Through healing circles and the performing arts, Hummingbird
educates the public and raises the profile of Indigenous people, es- pecially for Indigenous children. Mary writes plays and narrates stories expressed through dance performances by the children. Hummingbird’s annual events provide opportunities for recon- ciliation, bringing many cultures, faiths and classes of people to- gether with Indigenous people. Mary preaches at local churches and on special occasions, such as the 2019 General Assembly.
In spite of legislation that tried to extinguish Indigenous ways, Mary was given an honour song and her Indigenous name, Humming- bird. The Holy Spirit found a way to give her a drum song of thanks- giving, for the gifts of prayer, song and dance and the gifts of the hummingbird. The song and the name changed Mary’s life, lead- ing her to Vancouver School of Theology’s Indigenous Studies program, and eventually to Hum- mingbird Ministries.
Mary discerns the Spirit at work in Indigenous wisdom and spirituality and sees how, in various ways, this can enhance the church she loves, including through relationship-building and care of the earth. She believes in the Indigenous vision (similar to Revelation), that one day, the na- tions will gather beneath the tree of peace and learn to love and live in harmony with one another.
The Rev. Paul Johnston
The Rev. Paul Johnston is cur- rently minister for St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Arnprior,
Ont. He was born in Toronto, was baptized at St. Andrew’s Presby- terian Church in Whitby and spent his early years in Scarborough.
After his family moved to the USA, Paul attended university and graduate school in Chicago. He received a B.Sc. in Journal- ism, Radio/TV; a Master of Di- vinity; and a Master of Religious Education. He was ordained in the Presbyterian Church (USA) in 1989, and served congregations in Illinois, Pennsylvania and Ohio.
Hearing a call to “come home,” he transferred to The Presbyte- rian Church in Canada in 2004, to serve in Bobcaygeon, Ont., where he worked on and convened committees in the presbyteries of Lindsay-Peterborough and Oak Ridges. He served two terms as moderator of the presbytery of Lindsay-Peterborough and three terms as a member of the Com- mittee on Church Doctrine. In 2015, he became the Associate Pastor for English Ministry at Markham Chinese Presbyterian Church. In 2021, he moved to Arnprior. In the towns where he’s served, Paul has been commit- ted to involvement in community worship and service groups, find- ing the powerful joy of sharing to- gether the gift of new life in Jesus.
Paul is married to the Rev. Car- ey Jo Johnston, who works with Literacy and Evangelism, Interna- tional. Their son, Andrew, is a stu- dent at Seneca College. In Paul’s spare time, he enjoys classic movies and baking—sourdough and other breads are a particular favourite.
































































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