Four years ago not one of the six charges and seven congregations in the Presbytery of Temiskaming had a full pulpit. One of the smallest presbyteries in the church, with 301 members in 2004, was having a near-death experience.
A three-year pilot project to use a regional minister who supports lay leaders in the churches has “given congregations hope that they're going to survive and continue, and it has given them goals to work towards,” says Bruce Taylor, presbytery clerk. “It's encouraged them to be self-reliant and to find gifts within each congregation that are going to see them through.”
The initiative, which includes Knox, Cochrane, St. John's, Kapuskasing, St. Andrew's, Kirkland Lake, and MacKay, Timmins, is supported by Canada Ministries. Rev. Jean MacAulay leads worship one Sunday of the month at each of the four congregations, while lay leaders take on the majority of the preaching and pastoral work, save for sacramental events. “The lay minister knows the congregation, and they look after programs and the day to day affairs,” said MacAulay. “Ultimately, it means ministry can continue even when a congregation can't hire a minister.”
Canada Ministries worked with the presbytery to figure out a way to keep these four churches open, beginning the process of creating the regional ministry model. And much to the presbytery's delight, the national church decided to re-direct some of its earlier funding (of approximately $50,000 per year) to this new and unique initiative.
The regional ministry model isn't perfect. Ed Charlton, the summer student minister at St. John's, Kapuskasing, noted that the travel time between congregations, which is at least two hours, makes the model less than ideal. Norman Johns, who along with his wife Bertha lead MacKay, Timmins, as a lay ministry team, agrees that improvements can be made. He suggests regular workshops for the entire presbytery, sponsored by the national church, specifically targeting those in lay ministry. He mentioned online courses as another possibility.
And, developing specific standards for lay leaders is a necessity, according to MacAulay. “Right now we're working on setting up roles and functions of the lay as opposed to the regional minister. This is new, and we're learning as we go.”
Adding another three-year term to the program is another potential improvement, as the first term was spent getting the program operating fully, making adjustments and corrections and determining what works best. Johns said a second term would enable the lay leaders to become more proficient in their roles, and to build upon what was established at the outset.
St. Andrew's, New Liskeard, was established in 1895 when the Temiskaming area was a vast, little-known frontier. Today, it is the presbytery's largest congregation with a membership of 110 and a weekly attendance of about 80. It is housed in the oldest church building in the area, built in 1903.
Worship is a blend of traditional and contemporary, featuring a choir, a 1929 Woodstock pipe organ, a four-piece band and PowerPoint. The congregation offers three Bible studies, and a men's study group that has spearheaded a renewed interest in mission. After looking at St. Andrew's mission statement, the men began to think of ways to live it out more fully. They looked through Something Extra, the mission project catalogue produced by Presbyterian World Service & Development, and decided to focus on Central America. The congregation invited Rev. Jim Patterson, a retired but long-time missionary to El Salvador, who is helping members formulate a long-term mission program with that country. Rev. Joe Reed, a recently retired church liaison to Central America, is also lending his expertise.
“It's helped us to stop focusing on our own problems and start focusing on others,” said Rev. Janice Hamalainen, minister at St. Andrew's. “We understand mission as developing relationships, not just giving things. It's a two-way street, and we have a lot to learn from them too.”
Mackay, Timmins, (est. 1943) represents 24 families. It has experienced some growth in the last year and a half, thanks in large part to numerous community outreach projects and a newly opened diamond mine in the coastal area of James Bay. “The discovery of the diamond mine has begun to turn the tide,” said Norman Johns. “Those members who remain are dedicated and faithful followers of Jesus Christ, and we're committed to achieving church growth.” Mackay also holds a Christmas bazaar that's so renowned in the community that the mention of it usually identifies the church to the citizens of Timmins.
In spite of its small size and limited resources, St. John's, Kapuskasing, is also strongly committed to mission. The congregation contributes a substantial percentage of its total income to several mission projects, including one in South America spearheaded by a member of the congregation who travelled to the area. St. John's shares its church building with a Baptist congregation, and some people attend both the Baptist and Presbyterian services.
The congregation of St. Andrew's, Kirkland Lake, has concentrated on local missions, visiting members and others in the local nursing homes and hospital. St. Andrew's shares services with the nearby United Church during the summer months. Its lay minister, Harvey Delport, was the guest speaker at the 2006 World Day of Prayer service in Kirkland Lake, and also took part in a Good Friday service that was shared by the congregations of Englehart, Tomstown, Kirkland Lake and New Liskeard.
Knox, Cochrane has an average weekly attendance of 10 people. The town itself suffers from a fast-falling population. Because of limited financial resources, the congregation focuses on local mission projects.
The two-point charge of St. Paul's, Englehart and Tomstown is presently being served on a supply basis by Rev. Blake Carter. St. Paul's averages 30-40 people for Sunday service, and has recently started two Bible studies. A popular outreach and fundraiser for the church is a monthly soup and sandwich lunch in the church hall, catering to local business people and to farmers doing their weekly shopping in town.
Tomstown is a small rural church with a weekly attendance of about two dozen. The congregation is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Being the town's only church, it serves as a community centre for the township and has an active and involved congregation. In the past year the members have made the church fully accessible, and have constructed a small addition to house a second entrance to the church hall. In the midst of all this activity, the church's water system was abruptly ordered shut down by an inspector from the Ministry of the Environment. Because so much of their revenue is derived from church suppers and other activities in the church hall, this was a significant setback. Within a very short time, however, a new water well and system were installed thanks to an interest-free loan given by one of the church's members. The $15,000 cost has now been paid off through the congregation's hard work and commitment.
“We don't know if the regional ministry will work or not, but we're praying these churches will become strong enough to carry on,” said Hamalainen. “It increases your faith when you have to rely on God because you know you can't do it on your own. You work, you pray, and you carry on. We're stepping out in faith.”
