The Three Questions:

A Day of Reflection and Learning

in Honour of the Rev. Dr. George Vais

On October 31, 2010, we celebrated the long ministry of the Rev. Dr. George Vais, who retired as the Associate Minister for Christian Education at St. Andrew's Church, Toronto on October 31, 2010.

Audio files from the leaders and workshop presentations are linked below.  As well, links to the texts of many of these presentations are available.  Enjoy!

Keynote Address:

"Wandering Between Two Worlds”

The Rev. Dr. Andrew Fullerton

Biographical Information

Andrew Fullerton is a Presbyterian minister, and has known George Vais since 1984. He’s a graduate of the University of Toronto and Cambridge University, and has served congregations in Ontario and Quebec. He lives in Stratford, Ontario.

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"Is That Story True? The Bible Beyond Literalism”

Dr. Laura Alary

For audio file, please click here.

For a link to text files from this presentation, please click here.

Biographical Information

Laura Alary is a mother, teacher, preacher and story-teller. She grew up in Halifax and studied Classics at Dalhousie University before moving to Toronto to attend Knox College. After graduating from Knox, Laura continued her studies in New Testament at The University of St. Michael’s College, earning a Ph.D. with special focus on the Pauline letters and the history of biblical interpretation. Laura has taught courses and led workshops on a variety of topics, and has recently published her first book for children (Is That Story True? Copper House, 2010). Laura and her husband Hugh live in Guildwood with their three young children.

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"What Would Jesus Tweet: Being the Church and Social Media"

The Rev. Jeffrey Crawford

For audio file, please click here.

For a link to text files from this presentation, please click here.

Biographical Information

Jeffrey is an experienced retreat and conference leader who has served in numerous roles at P.Y.P.S., Canada Youth, the Montreat Youth Conferences, and Presbyterian Youth Triennium.  He most recently served on the national staff of the denomination in the office of Ministry and Church Vocations. He has a passion for being in ministry with youth and young adults, and exploring how we can be God’s faithful people in our challenging post-modern context. He is a graduate of Victoria College (B.A., History and Philosophy) and Knox College (M.Div., Theology), University of Toronto.  Jeffrey recently got married to The Rev. Courtney Morris Crawford, who is minister at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church Coldwater.

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"What songs shall we sing? An interpretation of the 1972 Book of Praise and its legacy"

Dr. John Derksen and Ms. Enid Pottinger

For audio file, please click here.

Biographical Information

John Derksen graduated from the University of Toronto with a doctorate in historical musicology. He taught Church Music to seminarians at Knox College for many years, and continues to serve as Minister of Music at Islington United Church. John served on both the PCC Psalter and Book of Praise (1997) committees. He lives in Toronto with Kristen and their two sons, Ben and Sam.

Enid Pottinger’s earliest memories of church activities involve playing the piano for people to sing.  Always a “returning student”, she has a B. Mus. from Carleton University in 1977 and a Master of Theological Studies from Knox College in 2008.  Her most recent studies were earlier this year, once again at TST in a course The Theology of Music.

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"We accepted Jesus and they gave us the church"

The Rev. Dr. Robert Faris

For audio file, please click here.

Biographical Information

Bob Faris is the Executive Director of the Churches' Council on Theological Education in Canada, and is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church in Canada and a member of the Presbytery of East Toronto.  He is the Convener of General Assembly's Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations Committee as well as the E.H. Johnson Memorial Fund Committee.
 

In 2007, he completed a PhD through the University of Cape Town working with Professor John deGruchy.  The title of the thesis was "A Changing Paradigm of Mission in the Protestant Churches of Mozambique: A Case Study of Eduardo Mondlane".  It drew on his time teaching at the Union Seminary of Ricatla from 1989 to 1994 in a period of dramatic transition in the country and the region with the ending of apartheid in South Africa.
 

Over the past two years he has worked with a Canadian writing group preparing a document on "Mission and Power" for the Edinburgh 2010 Conference.  The document is a case study of the experience of Indian Residential Schools in Canada.  Between 1995 and 2003, Bob was the Coordinator of the Canadian Churches' Forum for Global Ministries, an ecumenical organization providing accompaniment to people involved in cross-cultural global mission and ministry.

Special Notes

Other background reading for the workshop can be accessed at:  http://www.edinburgh2010.org/en/study-themes/4-mission-and-power.html

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 “Diversity: Beyond a church growth strategy”

The Rev. Paul Kang

For audio file, please click here.

Biographical Information

Paul is a second-generation Korean, born and raised in Toronto. He graduated from Knox College in 2006 and is currently serving as minister at St. Andrew's Presbyteran Church, Humber Heights, a diverse congregation in Etobicoke with members representing over twenty countries. 

  
Previous to entering the ministry, Paul worked in investment banking for nearly five years in Toronto and Chicago. Paul considers himself a proud Torontonian, appreciating the city's diversity of ethnicities as well as its hockey team. He and his wife, Helen, are parents of a 4 year old son, Matthew, and a 1 year old daughter, Naomi. 

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“Sexuality, Spirituality and the Church – Then and Now”

The Rev. Dr. Pamela McCarroll

 For audio file, please click here.

For a link to text files from this presentation, please click here.

Biographical Information

Pam is Assistant Professor of Pastoral Theology and Director of Field Education at Knox College, Toronto.  She came to that position after having served in spiritual care within the hospital system.  She is a Certified Teaching Supervisor in CASC, Canadian Association of Spiritual Care (formerly CAPPE) and minister in association at St. Mark’s Presbyterian Church in Toronto. She and her husband, Rev. Dr. Harris Athanasiadis, teach and research together on issues facing the church and society today.

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“Canada’s Journey of Reconciliation”

Ms. Lori Ransom

For audio file, please click here.

For a link to text files from this presentation, please click here.

Biographical Information

Lori has been working as the Healing and Reconciliation Project Animator for the Presbyterian Church in Canada since September 2006.  She works with congregations, local church groups, Aboriginal organizations, national staff, the courts of the church and ecumenical partners to further the aims and objectives of the Healing and Reconciliation initiative .

Lori has been employed for over 20 years with Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, where she most recently served as Director, Executive Services and Communications for the Ontario Region. Her several positions within the department have given her a breadth and depth of understanding of Aboriginal issues and concerns in Canada.

Lori is an active member and elder of St. Andrew’s, King Street, Toronto, and is presently serving as the Clerk of Session.  Lori also serves on the boards of Evangel Hall and Boarding Homes Ministries.  She is a member of the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation (Golden Lake, near Pembroke ON).

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“Hey You, Priest! (Yes, You) God is Calling”

The Rev. Matthew Ruttan

For audio file, please click here. 

For a link to text files from this presentation, please click here.

Biographical Information

Matthew has been the Minister at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Barrie since August 2008. He has been married to his wife Laura for nine years and they are still celebrating the arrival of a precious baby girl last June, Sarah.

Matthew holds a B.A. from York University and a joint Master of Divinity degree from Knox College. He is currently studying part-time for a Master of Theology degree in the field of homiletics. Before entering seminary, he worked as a singer-songwriter and, for several years, as a political aide at Queen’s Park.

Before his ordination and while worshipping at St. Andrew’s, Matthew volunteered with the Out of the Cold program, the Boarding Homes Ministry and, along with his wife Laura, coordinated the young adults group naming it “Wine, Cheeses & Jesus.” Matthew considers himself a life-long learner, music enthusiast and Christian friend. But primarily, he identifies with a long line of Reformed ministers, calling himself a servant of the divine Word.