The new associate secretary for Canadian Ministries says the first item on her to-do list is to listen.
“I think any new leader has to begin with a period of listening, so my priority is talking to as many people as I can,” said Jennifer De Combe, who joined the Presbyterian Church’s national offices in December. “What kind of resources do congregations need? What are people really hungry for? What do they feel will make a difference in their ministry and on the ground? I want to talk to them and hear those voices, and then combine that with my experience and make a combined vision of what can be in the future.”
De Combe’s arrival at the department tasked with “renewing and equipping” congregations across the denomination has sparked a few
murmurs amongst frustrated ministers. Some wonder if the position would be better filled by an ordained minister with years of traditional congregational experience. But De Combe isn’t deterred. Her resumé includes a variety of experiences that have prepared her well for the task ahead, she said.
“That’s the strength of my background,” she said. “It’s so varied and I’ve worked in ministry in a wide variety of settings. And I’ve been forced to be creative right from the get-go.”
When De Combe was just 21 years old, she worked in the school system in Quebec as a pastoral animator—a job that came with no description other than being a resource to schools in the area of moral and religious development.
“I worked with 12 schools across the eastern townships, creating resources and programs for kids to help build and express their faith, and celebrate it as well. I was told to just use my gifts and to develop a program. And it was successful. It was an amazing experience.”
From there she moved on to congregational ministry in Montreal, where she worked in Christian education, creating (among other things) a young adult program that “grew phenomenally” and eventually saw one student become ordained with two more currently on their way to be ministers.
From there she went to an organization that works with refugees, coordinating a transitional home for refugee claimants and an education program for their children.
“I wanted to get more hands-on experience in social justice work,” said De Combe. “It was a chance to hear incredible stories, meet amazing people and discover the faith and resilience of the human spirit.”
Last she went to Tyndale-St. Georges Community Centre, where she was the executive director. Located in Little Burgundy (a part of Montreal known for its high immigrant population), the area has the highest concentration of social housing in Canada.
“There are lots of challenges,” said De Combe. “But there is also incredible spirit and amazing people to work with.”
The centre is a joint grant-receiving ministry of the Presbyterian and Anglican Churches. They run 28 programs, with 40 people on staff.
“I have a broad range of experience in ministry … so that kind of background equipped me well for this,” she said. “I had to be creative, and develop things. And I had to develop a lot of faith in God, and rely on prayer and grace. … The variety of people and contexts has helped me understand what ministry can be and what forms it can take.”
She also has a Master in Theology to support her work in the field.
In a way, De Combe is continuing her fieldwork by visiting congregations and the church’s grant-receiving ministries. Seeing ministry happening on the ground, in their particular context is an important component if you want to offer effective support, she said.
“I always felt that about Tyndale. People would be interested in what we were doing, but when they came to see it, they fell in love. There’s something about seeing the passion of ministries at work. And then I can come back here and develop resources that can help them.”
Canadian Ministries has come under some criticism of late from congregations, with some saying there is too much of an emphasis on administration, and not enough of the kind of support that churches and ministers need.
De Combe admits there is certainly an administrative component, but it’s done to serve congregations.
“Administration is a necessary piece, but the larger work is about connecting and growing together. The church is about people, so it always has to connect people and bring people together and connect in prayer.”
She said when she came to the department, there “was already a conversation happening about what it means to be in partnership with congregations and the ministries we support. And I want to continue that conversation.”
“I’m really looking to hear voices from across the country, so I invite anyone to reach out to me,” said De Combe. “If there’s something you need, we want to listen and we want to be responsive. And we also want to share what’s happening. There are a lot of good news stories happening in the church, and we want to share that and let those stories help others.”
