Trafalgar Church, Oakville, helped build a learning centre in Uganda and maintains a relationship with the people there. Photo - Dr. Joyce Nsubuga
The Presbytery of Brampton, encompassing areas west and north of Toronto, is an eclectic mix of geography, history, demographics, characteristics and congregation size. Its 30 charges (and 34 congregations) make it one of the largest presbyteries in the national church, and with only four vacancies, its ability to attract ministers seems solid. And although its congregations see a huge range of Sunday attendance from 330 at Knox, Oakville, to 24 at Limehouse, the overall picture is one of general stability. In fact, between 2003 and 2004, membership jumped from 4,949 to 5,323, while both adherents and attendance increased at similar rates.
Needless to say, the presbytery has benefited from the growth of its communities, as Mississauga, Brampton, Oakville and Milton keep ushering in new people. However, not all can be classified as traditionally Presbyterian – bringing ethnic rather than British descent into the mix.
"There's a blending of cultures and we celebrate that and, as much as we can, weave that into the fabric of the congregation," said Rev. Ian McWhinnie, minister at Glenbrook, Mississauga. McWhinnie said although his congregation is predominantly white, there are numerous other cultures represented there, and more are anticipated as the community continues to expand.
The presbytery has risen to the increasingly frequent challenge of multiculturalism by starting two ethnic congregations – a Chinese congregation and Almanarah, an Arabic congregation. Mississauga Chinese completed the first phase of its building project last summer, and Almanarah is only about a year old and has already bought land for a future building. As it caters to a distinct group, many members of the congregation commute from outside the area to attend.
According to the website for Trafalgar, Oakville, their worship music "is as diverse as the congregation. It includes hymns, global songs, Taizé prayers, contemporary and folk music, African American spirituals and jazz." The church hosts an annual international night, where they enjoy food and music from around the world, and holds an annual worship service featuring the choir of Ugandan Martyrs Church in Toronto.
It has most recently embraced a project inspired by congregation member and elder, Dr. Joyce Nsubuga – an epidemiologist and public health worker. This initiative has seen the development and construction of a library/learning centre for youth in a small Ugandan village. The learning centre is a community-based effort that helps young people complete secondary school, offers training in family care, health and AIDS prevention, and teaches trades.
Rev. Pieter van Harten, presbytery clerk and minister at Knox, Acton, said the growth in the presbytery's numbers isn't only a result of growing communities. Numerous new ministers have brought new energy and ideas and many long-established ministers are looking to possibilities for the future. "We've had a few challenges but we're seeing the end of it," said van Harten, mentioning the need to close several small congregations in the last few years. "On the whole, we're more stable than many."
He said that despite an increase in surrounding non-Christian neighbourhoods, many Mississauga and Oakville congregations are growing. In his own church, he has been helping the congregation see other possibilities for their ministry, including moving to more contemporary worship. "It was a traditional congregation when I arrived here," he said, which was 10 years ago. "They need to discover for themselves what the possibilities are for the future."
North Bramalea's newly-inducted minister Grant Johnston was an appointee there for about 16 years until the congregation was able to call him to a permanent position. St. David's, Campbellville and Nassagaweya, Campbellville, were recently able to become independent congregations after being linked for many years. They each have their own minister.
And at Knox, Grand Valley, Rev. Ron Archer has filled a hole that has existed for 17 years – the length of time since the congregation last called a minister. The small town of 1,600 has 11 churches, and Archer serves two of them, Knox and the local United Church. Others are interested in the initiative. Van Harten was at the induction ceremony, and said the "whole town came out" to welcome Archer.
Although Archer has only been there for a few months, the two congregations are already holding joint services and are looking for more ways to cooperate. "I hope there will be a greater understanding between the two denominations," he said. "That's the critical thing – getting to know each other and sharing projects."
The small community has a history of helping each other, and Archer was told his ministry is to focus on community outreach. He said the churches operate a food bank for the entire community, recently held an ecumenical fundraiser to help out a local man who was seriously injured in an accident, and only two weeks after the tsunami last winter, the churches organized a community event that raised thousands of dollars for relief. "I'm amazed at the number of things they already do within the village," said Archer. "It's astounding. I never would have guessed."
Archer is currently planning a special program throughout 2006 on the spiritual and physical qualities of water. The 2004 General Assembly adopted a document on the importance of water and the right of all people to have access to it. As Grand Valley is located at the headwaters of Lakes Ontario and Huron, Archer's congregations recognize the "terrific importance" of water to their community and others, and have asked to learn more about this resource.
St. Andrew's, Brampton, established in 1877, attracts about 325 people to worship on Sundays, making it is one of the presbytery's largest congregations. They recently hired an associate minister for children, youth and families, responding to the growing numbers in the church. Last year, they began a food ministry, which supplies meals to anyone in the congregation who has recently had an illness, a surgery, a new baby or a death in the family. The church also houses a food cupboard, which distributes food and needed supplies to about 90 of Brampton's less fortunate on a weekly basis.
North Bramalea also operates a food bank for local families in need, and it boasts the Five Talents Group, a group of artists within the congregation who donate their work to support the church. During the holiday season, they donated original hand-painted Christmas cards.
Knox, Oakville, was established in 1833, when about 12 people gathered in a small wooden building for a service led by a travelling minister. Decades later, the congregation has grown to be the presbytery's largest. One congregational endeavour is Stephen Ministries, which helps meet the needs of individuals who are going through life changes such as hospitalization, bereavement, unemployment, divorce, or becoming a new parent. Stephen Ministries was founded 25 years ago in St. Louis, Mo., and serves more than 8,000 congregations worldwide.
Glenbrook, Mississauga, is part of a shared ministry with an Anglican parish. Rev. McWhinnie said the relationship is a good one, but growth in both congregations calls for new directions. For the past five years, Glenbrook has been planning to move to a new plot of land, and build a 15,000 sq. ft. church for about 300 people. With a current Sunday attendance of about 140, the congregation is planning for continued growth. "We're stepping out in faith," said McWhinnie. "It's our mustard seed vision."
McWhinnie attributes some of the increased attendance to the congregation's blend of worship styles. Opting to combine traditional and contemporary rather than holding two separate services has worked well at Glenbrook. "We've been intentional in that, right up to our leadership," he said. "This is who we are, and it's the direction we want to go."
Big cities and multicultural congregations aren't the presbytery's only story. Mid-sized towns like Georgetown and Milton on the outskirts of urban areas, and small, rural places like Inglewood, Erin and Orangeville, also have an important part to play.
Norval Church began in the 1830s, and was linked with Union Presbyterian Church in Georgetown shortly thereafter – a relationship that continues today. Between 1926 and 1935, Rev. Ewen Macdonald – husband to author Lucy Maud Montgomery – was minister of the charge. Montgomery wrote five novels in the Norval manse.
"Norval is so beautiful now that it takes my breath," she wrote. "Those pine hills full of shadows, those river reaches, those bluffs of maple and smooth-trunked beech with drifts of wild white blossom everywhere. I love Norval as I have never loved any place save Cavendish." (The Selected Journal of L.M. Montgomery, Volume III: 1921-1929)
Knox, Georgetown, officially began in 1860. The church operates a dial-in service for people who can't make it to Sunday service, but still want to listen to worship. Numerous home-hosted bible studies also exist, and the KEO (Know Each Other) program is a fun way to meet new people and get to know existing members better. Knox is linked with Limehouse, established in 1832. The original, wood-framed building still stands, and the church's historic cemetery remains an active burial ground.
Tweedsmuir Memorial, Orangeville, was built in 1941, but the history goes back much further. It began with Rev. Duncan McMillan, a pioneer clergyman who travelled to Orangeville in 1837 to preach to families in their homes. Today, the congregation is about 145-strong on Sunday. Every other week, the church's praise team sings contemporary songs, teaching the congregation new songs as they go. They also order fair trade coffee for interested members and for use in church. Tweedsmuir also supports a Canadian Foodgrains Bank project. In 2005, they grew and sold pumpkins and gourds as an added fundraiser to the grain they have been growing and donating for the past seven years.
The Presbytery of Brampton has been through some difficult times when closing small congregations in recent years. Van Harten remembers preaching the final communion service of one condemned church – to which five people showed up. "It was preposterous to carry on," he said.
Having gone through this purge, the presbytery's future looks bright. "We have some extremely successful and growing congregations," said van Harten, adding that even the smaller congregations are holding their own. And as the presbytery continues to grow, both in size and vision, it seems such success will continue.
