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PRESBYTERIAN
SUMMER 2024
presbyterian.ca
Connection
The Newer Ministers’ Forum
By John Borthwick, Director of the Centre for Lifelong Learning at Knox College and Curator of ministryforum.ca
Last Fall, a recent M.Div. gradu- ate from Knox College in Toronto, Ont., reached out to Principal Er- nest Van Eck with a story and a request. As I’ve connected with other ministers across Canada, it is a story that also rings true for other colleagues. It goes some- thing like this: As a newer minis- ter in a presbytery, I have lots of older mentors and wise guides whom I appreciate very much. However, whenever I start to talk about the future of the church or reflect upon innovating or chang- ing things, I’m faced with the common refrain: “Well, good luck to you. I’ll be retired soon!”
Now, I know this isn’t the case of every veteran minister who is looking forward to retirement. Many have served the church with unwavering dedication for decades and deserve to be ac- knowledged as good and faithful servants. Having served the PCC for over a quarter century as a congregational minister, I’ve per- sonally witnessed the changing demographics and capacity of our presbyteries exacerbated by the experience of Covid. These are particularly challenging times for those in congregational minis- try. Our newer minister colleagues need more than luck to navigate the future that is before them. So, if you see yourself as the retiring minister in this story, please stop it! As a minister nearing retire- ment, you have much to offer.
Knox College graduates, 2023.
Perhaps not about what the future holds but more about sustaining oneself in ministry over the long haul. Be a sounding board and a listening ear. Your encouragement and support when others get dis- couraged is so appreciated. And where and when able and appro- priate, seek to make space and room for innovations to our sys- tems and institutions.
The request made by the grad- uate was to hold conversations online with newer ministers for the purpose of sharing, collabo- rating and even commiserating. The recent grad put it this way: “Becoming an ordained minister after the pandemic has been a little bit of a mystifying experi- ence. There must be some kind of group of other freshly minted ministers who also have no idea what they are doing. But if there isn’t, we should make one.”
Forming a group like this was
something that I hoped we’d do through the Ministry Forum, so I was delighted when the re- quest came in. We reached out to approximately 60 of our M.Div. graduates (covering the last eight years—I added a few years due to the experience of COVID-19). Within 24 hours, we had a cohort of about a dozen interested newer ministers. The group also includes (at the urging of the par ticipants) a couple of graduates who are not currently serving as ordained/ inducted ministers. We’ve met monthly since January. We have a list of topics that emerged from our first meeting: small wins in ministry, volunteer engagement/ management, digital ministry, vis- iting and pastoral care. In April, we invited the Rev. Tim Purvis, As- sociate Secretary of Ministry and Church Vocations at national of- fice, to join us for a Q&A session.
As I remind the group often, this
is their group and their agenda, so they are welcome to talk about what might be officially on the agenda that day or share what’s pressing right now. Interestingly, since our first meeting, par tici- pants are choosing to talk about more immediate concerns and are discovering suppor t, wisdom and encouragement from each other. They regularly say how much they appreciate having a space where they can share what they are experiencing in a safe and confidential way with others who understand what they are going through. As one of the par ticipants said: “Meeting with colleagues in a similar stage of ministry to me is encouraging because it helps re- mind me that I am not alone on this journey. I appreciate being able to share stories and prayers with oth- ers in a safe environment.”
Another put it this way: “Given that we are all newer ministers,
it’s a nice time to discuss how we see the future of the church, our places in it, and what some com- mon challenges are/unexpected successes are.”
We will continue with this cohort for as long as the group would like to stick together. These conversa- tions inform our work at Ministry Forum as we seek to fulfill our mis- sion to empower ministry leaders to thrive. It is our hope to open an- other cohort this fall. At this time, we are reaching out to Knox Col- lege graduates but would cer tainly be open to newer PCC ministers who graduated elsewhere.
If you are interested in joining a future cohort, please contact John Borthwick at john.borthwick@ utoronto.ca. Be sure to subscribe to our weekly email at ministry- forum.ca to stay informed about coming events and relevant re- sources for ministry leaders to- day.
The Rev. Alton J. Ruff.
The Rev. Jane Swatridge.
Changes in Collingwood
The Rev. Dr. Heather Malnick, Acting Clerk of presbytery.
By Marlene Weatherall, First Presbyterian Church
in Collingwood, Ont.
In July 2022, the Rev. Tim Rae- burn-Gibson relocated from First Presbyterian Church in Colling- wood, Ont., to Westminster Pres- byterian Church in London, Ont. We were sorry to see him go but we wished him well as he and his family embarked on their journey. What did this mean for our con- gregation? Change was about to happen. We trusted God’s plan for the Rev. Tim’s future, and for ours.
And so, our journey began. The Rev. Dr. Neal Mathers, our ap- pointed interim moderator, kept the doors open, filled the pulpit roster on Sundays and spear- headed the Search Committee on their mission to hire a new minis- ter. Thank you, Neal!
A search committee of 12 members was established that worked diligently to follow the call process outlined by The Presby- terian Church in Canada. What initially appeared as a daunting task became an opportunity to work together to fulfill God’s plan
for First Presbyterian Church. The congregation is thankful for their commitment in our search for a new minister.
Parallel to the hiring process and Sunday Service, our week- ly programs continued. Youth groups gathered twice monthly, inter-generational events were organized and children’s Sunday school programs occurred week- ly. Community dinners, Love Your Neighbour and grocery supply programs were ongoing. Thank you to everyone who continued God’s work in our church.
On Oct. 25, 2023, just 15
months into the ministerial search process, the Session approved the recommendation of the search committee to invite the Rev. Alton J. Ruff to preach for a call, and we felt truly blessed.
Our Presbytery Moderator, the Rev. Barry Doner, coordinated the induction service on Sunday, March 3, 2024, which was the fi- nal step in the process but the be- ginning of something new at First Presbyterian Church. The weeks that followed brought faith-driven messages that were focused on the beginning of a new era of min- istry. Thanks be to God!