Our Staff and History
Create A Dynamic Environment!
Guildwood Community Presbyterian Church has an over forty year history serving the community of Guildwood and its surrounding area.
Our beautiful sanctuary, constructed in 1964, provided a focus for our community presence.
Now drawing from communities well beyond Guildwood, our congregation enjoys a strong 'Missions' emphasis with outreach programs on the local, national and international level.
While our congregation is made up of people from a variety of church and faith backgrounds, we are part of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, a sister denomination within the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and a member of both the Canadian and World Council of Churches.
We enjoy our relationships of cooperation and interchurch mission and outreach with our surrounding churches of many denominations.
Ministry Staff
Meet the Interim Moderator: Ian Morrison
At the 131st General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Canada in 2005, the Retirement of Rev. J.P. Ian Morrison (our Rev. Ian Morrison) was noted at great length and with great appreciation for his contribution to the Presbyterian Church in Canada. Here is a summary of the minutes of the General Assembly:
Ian immigrated to Canada from Glasgow, Scotland, in 1957 and worked as a draftsman. He graduated from Presbyterian College in 1966 and was appointed by the Board of World Mission to St. Giles Church in B.C., where he was active in the Presbytery, United Appeal, the Royal Canadian Legion, and Prince George Hospital Board.
In 1973 Ian was called to Central Church, Vancouver. Ian and his congregation offered pastoral ministry to children and to disadvantaged adults. Ian served the church as a member of the Board of Congregational Life, a member of the Board of World Mission and the Inner City Ministry Committee, and as a member of the Senate, Vancouver School of Theology (VST) and Board Chair, St. Andrew?s Hall (1985?1987). Ian also chaired several committees at VST.
From 1983 to 1984 Ian took a leave of absence from Central Church, and served as Acting Dean, St. Andrew's Hall, Vancouver. During this time he was chaplain to Presbyterian students at Vancouver School of Theology and interim minister for University Hills Church, Vancouver.
In 1990 Ian assumed the position of Secretary for Canada Ministries through the church's restructuring phase and traveled extensively across Canada.
In 1996 Ian was appointed as General Secretary for the Life and Mission Agency. As General Secretary Ian was a director of the Experimental Fund and a member of the Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations Committee, meeting with international partners and travelling to Japan, Cuba, Taiwan, Central America, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, and China. He actively participated in meetings of Caribbean and North American Council on Mission held in the Caribbean and North America.
Working with the General Assembly Office and Canada Ministries, Ian has committed himself to helping our denomination understand and respond to the legacy of residential schools and looking beyond our church to ways that the whole church and the Government of Canada might address this legacy.
Ian also took an active and passionate role in interpreting the work of the Life and Mission Agency to the church at large. Ian's mature and pastoral leadership as General Secretary of the Life and Mission Agency was found to be most supportive and engaging. We give thanks to God for Ian's extensive ministries with, and among, the people of The Presbyterian Church in Canada and beyond. We thank God for his life and faith and for the contributions made over many years of faithful service. We give God thanks for his day-to-day witness of his Christian faith in his life. We pray that God will be with both Ian and his wife Sally as they enter this next phase of the journey. May they be richly blessed with many happy, healthy years of retirement.
The Congregation of Guildwood Community Presbyterian Church is the most important component of our Ministry staff.
Members reach out to one another - and to our community and world - in love, support, friendship and care in a way that makes our church a family of faith.
Come join us in our faith journey!
Support Staff:
Our Music program is now under the direction of Carmine Lappano, our Organist, Choir Director .
Carmine's vast talent, combined with his dedication and administrative experience, will make his ministry among us a vital part of our church life.
The English Handbell Choir at our church is under the leadership of Teagh Beatty, who is assisted by Matthew Szeto.
Our Christian Education Coordinator, Mary-Ann Loyst, brings many years of teaching experience to her role. Organizing curriculum, training staff, managing our physical space and caring for our many children are but a few of her many responsibilities, which are carried out with love and a view to excellence.
Judy Tovee is our Office Administrator, and manages to coordinate the many programs of our church and the extensive use of our busy building.
Judy’s participation in the life of the Guildwood Community brings a strong neighborhood perspective to our church life.
Donald MacLeod, our Custodian, has the considerable task of keeping the facility up and running, and ready for the many events which happen throughout the week. We are fortunate to have a Custodian with considerable contractural (and archaeological!) expertise.
Our Many Volunteers round out our support staff. Everyone in the congregation is encouraged to participate in the life and work of Guildwood Community Presbyterian Church.
Their efforts make our church a dynamic, vibrant, joyful place to be - and a wonderful outreach into our community and world.
Come be a part of the exciting work God has in store!
You can learn more about the
Presbyterian Church in Canada
at their website.
|
