Experiencing a sunrise Easter service while the ground was covered with snow is not the only thing Rev. Colin English will take back to his New Zealand parish. He'll tell stories about the people he met in Canada, the welcoming arms of his host congregation, and the realization that the Presbyterian churches in Canada and New Zealand wrestle with similar issues. "It was great to be able to observe what's happening in society on a political level, in particular with same-sex marriage. It's similar to the issues at home," said English, speaking from Trinity, Kanata, Ont. "And I read about reparation with First Nations peoples and coming to grips with things that happened in the past."
On exchange since February, the Napier, New Zealand resident said it was helpful to get a larger country's perspective on the world. "Since we're a smaller country – New Zealand only has about four million people – we're a bit more isolated than Canada. So it's good to see the experiences of one of our sister churches." He also realized that being a larger country can have its drawbacks. "A large country has the danger of possibly becoming a bit insular," he said. "This may apply a bit more to the United States, but there's so much happening in the country itself that perhaps there's less awareness of the rest of the world and the life of the church."
As a minister of 23 years, English said it's important to remember that time spent in the host parish is not a time for big changes and leaving one's mark on the congregation. "I went in with the attitude that I'm just one person, and I'll bring some differences along with me, but I'm not here to initiate changes. I'm the guest and it's an educational time," he said. "If they remain themselves, I can learn from them. If I'm myself and use my usual approach, then hopefully that's of some benefit to them too."
He said the age of the congregation at Trinity is younger than St. Paul's, and their style of worship is different, with a lot more praise-type songs. Despite these differences, he commented that Canadians are fairly similar to New Zealanders, demonstrating a "certain amount of understatement in the life of the church and the wider community." English said the best thing about his trip has been the people. "They become your friends. Everything on top of that is a bonus."
Before going on exchange to Canada, England and his wife travelled to Oregon in 1999 to do a short exchange at a PC(USA) congregation there. He enjoyed his time there also, but wishes it could have bit longer. The six months he spent in Canada enabled him more time to learn, reflect and truly experience Canadian culture. "I've enjoyed the climate!" he said. "It was great to see that picturesque, fairy tale-like blanket of snow. Although we only had it for about six weeks – if we had four months of it, we might have started going a little stir crazy!"
He commended the idea of ministry exchange to his colleagues. "It's important for my parish to hear a voice that's different than mine; to experience a different approach," he said. "But it's also good for the minister – to step out of your home patch and see how other churches are functioning."
