I would like to recognize Rev Roberts from Glenwood United in Windsor Ontario.
He has an amazing sense of humor and constantly talks about the need for peace in the World. Jesus would be proud of him. It is too bad he is retiring soon.

LoveJoy! - nuff said!
Well actually I could go on...
Challenging - articulate - leader - mentor - teacher - deeply spiritual... (Ran out of time - kids are hungry)

Rev Denis Posno from Barrie Ontario: He has a way of making you feel that he is talking to you personally even when the "message" of the day might not have bearing on any of your experiance, he always has joke to lighten up the mood (and they are really funny too) and has made me realize that church can be fun and not stuffy/boring/make you want to sleep. He is engaging and has made me interested in learning more.

If lovejoy, revmatt, revjohn, pan or madmonk was my minister....I would quit gardening on Sunday mornings!

I think Gramps is an awesome minister. I have not heard him preach yet but I have read his articles in the newspaper and I think it is hilarious how he upsets the fundys. :) Not long ago I was one of the fundys he upset. :(

If RevMatt, MadMonk, or RevJohn were closer I would go listen to their sermons as well. It would be hard to choose.

I am very glad that I have RevB is my minister. She is awesome. So is RevL.

AB
"If lovejoy, revmatt, revjohn, pan or madmonk was my minister....I would quit gardening on Sunday mornings!"

Guess that explains my garden. Seriously though, I don't understand the wondercake protocal but I think whomever is in charge of them should send something delicious to all the amazing clergy. Don't forget Witch though - he rocks too. (I know the thread is UC Ministers - but that doesn't have to apply to cake does it?)

THAT'S IT!!!!! Elby, you are BRILLIANT!!! If it wasn't for Lovejoy's being so amazing, I'd actually be spending Sunday mornings learning to pull up the weeds, instead of the rhubarb! It's Lovejoy's fault my garden is a disaster! Curse you, Lovejoy, and your amazing leadership!!!!! =)

Oh, witch too...of course...although I might have heard him whispering in some trees by my garden....I thought it sounded like him, anyway!

abpenny,

Hi,

You wrote:

If lovejoy, revmatt, revjohn, pan or madmonk was my minister....I would quit gardening on Sunday mornings!

Thanks for the sentiment. It is probably going to seriously crimp my reputation.

This time last year I had made significant gains in going from fourth worst clergy in the United Church to third worst clergy in the United Church.

I shudder to think what all the good will I have received here has done to my standing.

The judge has posted here but maybe I am lucking out and he doesn't read enough threads to see that I'm not as bad as I am trying to be.

Now I have to find some cheap way to prove just how low I'll stoop.

Rats.

Grace and peace to you.

John

There would be many more posts if you had asked people to post the worst ministers LOL

There are so many, where do I start...

Rev. Elizabeth MacDonald (or is that small d), who has a gift of preaching, and builds strong community. She was the minister that took me from being a tentative soul in the church, to being an active lay member. A passion for justice, a caring soul, and a clever mind: I was very lucky to have her as our minister.

Rev. Roy Holton -- wowzer, if you haven't heard him preach, go for it...again, a strong passion for justice..and, gifted in Word. From his various cast of characters, I would have to pick my favourite as his current day "john the baptist", who was presented as a biker..it was wild and helped me to understand the story.

Rev. Bert McAvoy -- our minister emeritus for many years and a strong preacher. He taught me the importance of the order of the service, along with many others. He had a quiet presence, and would listen, and reflect.

(I am only presenting ministers who I know through the gift of looking back...i could add more recent ones..but, think i will stick with history for now)

Excellent ..keep them coming

I also feel that for every church minister that i know thorugh there ministry of spoken word, there are those who are gifted in community, in work with youth, or in pastoral care.

We often praise those who we "see in action", or have experienced their care.

When I was a kid, Rev. Lindsay King (not my minister, but still in the neighbourhood) married two miner birds at Toronto City Hall. At the time, I was too young to get it. And most of the adults I knew just rolled their eyes or laughed about it. But in retrospect, I see he was trying to get people talking about some pretty serious issues way before they were on anybody else's radar. My parents ran into him last month, not surprisingly, at Pathways.

I really enjoy the minister at the church I attend regularly in the school year. Russ Davies? I actually don't know his last name. But I love his sermons! I am new to the UCC so I was really worried that I wouldn't understand "church" so to speak, but he has a way of explaining while doing his sermon. Oh and I like his sense of humour :)

Another Minister I really like is Jane Johnson. I have only attended 3 of her services but one of them touched me so much I cried. That says a lot, at least I think it does.

:)

Wonderful thread.

I would love to hear some of the clergy who post here speak.

I have a list.
Ken DeLisle
Christopher White
Jennifer Palin
David Moore
Jolyn Campbell
John McTavish

I have also seen some remarkable lay leaders like Judith Brocklehurst (retired).

I almost forgot Bessie Lane

Heather Burton who was at Richmond Hill United until recently was just GREAT. My husband and I loved her gentle style and wity, intelligent sermons. Heather was very socially progressive and always extremely insightful.
(She's moved to B.C. now I understand. Lucky B.C.)

Lately, I'm really, really impressed with Mary Joseph in Unionville. Mary is just filled with a message of Love and Joy and Peace. She brings in beautiful ideas and thinking from our own traditions as well as other faith or denominational traditions in a way that is fully consistent with the message of Christ. She provides intelligent analysis of biblical and other texts, as well as a beautiful spiritually uplifting experience. She is filled with Wisdom as well as being extremely open, understanding and flexible. I just call her Mother Mary... :-)

I understand that Leslie Searles (formerly of Owen Sound, Ontario) is about to be ordained and know she'll be completely amazing.

Wow ... well ... there is a pretty holy trinity for you.

Rev Bewell in Manitoba when I was a kid. Don't even remember his first name
Don Lawerence - a caring kind person who did pastoral care with grace. Now retired in Winnipeg

Rev. Peter Short, the former moderator
Rev. Meredith Fraser
come to mind as excellent speakers.
Rev. Chris Levin as a minister who actively promotes adult education
Rev. Gil MacKenzie (retired) for pastoral care

Crazyheart: would that be Bud Bewell in Manitoba?

When I was in my teens, and wanted to be a UC minister, my father was aghast. He was not anti-church. Quite the contrary. He loved the church - but aghast that I might inflict myself on it.

As it turned out, I couldn't become a minister because I was kicked out of high school. But I've come to understand my father's instinct was right, anyway.

I can preach with ease. In fact, I shall be doing so in a couple of weeks. I can lead a service. I can sway a congregation. I know I can. I've done a bit of evangelical preaching, and I can even do healing. (nothing big. You know. headaches. stuff like that.)

But i really don't believe I can minister. I don't believe I can be as sensitive and responsive to individuals as a minister has to be. I don't believe I can arouse a congregation to be a community. I don't believe I can handle the internal politics as a minister must.

My model is a man of my early teens, Reverend Phil McCready who came to our small, mission church in Montreal while he was still a student at McGill United Theological College. He was recently out of wartime service in the air force, and went into theology without the normal preparation of a BA. He really didn't need it.

He was magnificent in the pulpit. I've never seen his equal. He mobilized all the men in the church to redecorate (and with joy as they worked) a dreadfully dilapidated building. He organized youth groups so that here was something going on every night at the church. He aroused commitment and personal involvement from people who had not entered the church for years. He encouraged kids like me to take a part in church events, to learn how to speak and to organize, to take an interest in affairs. He talked five of us into entering the clergy and, in one year, four of the five did.

Our little church couldn't keep him, of course. He went on to the big church in downtown Toronto (Union United? Eaton Memorial?)

For some reason, he left the ministry, and opened an art gallery in Toronto. I visited him there about 1965. It was called The Framing Gallery, and it was on Bay St. He did well because he knew art as well as he seemed to know everything else.

He died, too young, about 1970, I believe. He was a remarkable man, one who changed people just by being there, a man who had the capacity to plug people into a whole and greater world.

graeme

Rev. Sherlee McGregor-McCuaig,

She was the minister at our church when I became a member. She was so amazingly supportive to us during the time that my mother-in-law died. She taught me that it was ok, that what I believed didn't fit with the general views of our congregation.

She is now in Alberta, and we miss her dearly. We keep in touch via email, and I know whenever I'm down I can go to one of the emails that she sent me and it picks me back up.

Drew Maxwell,

A young family man that challenges me to be a better father and a better man. We've become pretty good friends and he is always willing to meet and help me work out things, sometimes even before I know I'm having a problem.

xandersdad,

Hi,

You wrote:

Drew Maxwell,

Drew rocks!

I have pictures of him mud wrestling out at Camp Ganadaoweh. With women too if I am not mistaken. Not exactly compromising but boy doesn't it sound nasty?

If his sermons start running a little long I can get you some leverage.

It is about the only ummmm dirt I have on the guy.

Drew is aces.

Grace and peace to you.

John

revjohn,

Thanks, I'll definitely keep the offer of those pictures in mind!! Love it when he completely rocks out on the guitar! Great taste in beer also.

Is this a "Ratemyminister.com" thread? There are two wonderful ministers at the church I attend. But I seem to have a hang up about entering anyones real name into a forum.

There really is a www.ratemyprofessor.com site, and I've got quite a few ratings there myself.

I notice that a lot of the ministers mentioned in this thread are female. Its really too bad the Catholics and the evangelical denominations don't let women be ministers. That is such a waste.

Pinga, you bring back such good memories for me! I used to live in Cambridge Ontario and sang with Elizabeth McDonald and knew of the others you mentioned. Have we met? (PM me if you are curious)

I now live in northern BC and am honoured to know Rev. Bill Unger. He is a wise and irreverent (ironically) man who has a deep sense of social justice and a slightly twisted sense of humour. He also is a font of much knowledge.

Bill is not allowed to leave is current church. :-)

For those curious, Northwind & I do know each other. ..Met through the church, sang together, and I even worked at the same company as her spouse.

sweet, eh..and yes, she agrees rev elizabeth was great, so, heh, that is kinda nice, too

Hey Pinga, are you putting words in my mouth??? Just teasing. I agree, Elizabeth is great.

So Wondercafe serves the purpose of reuinting old friends too!

Dido to what Elby and Diana said. Lovejoy is an amazing minister, teacher, and friend. If it weren't for her, I'd most likely spend Sunday mornings sleeping in.

Just wondering if anyone has heard about the new ministers that will be in position at St. Mary's Road United Church in Winnipeg (this coming Fall).

Thanks.

Although they are both passed away now, I can recall a couple of good ones from my childhood/teens. They were both at Islington United.

Rev. Glenn Swayze was a caring man who visited people when they were sick or needed counseling, and who helped my parents find their house when they moved to Toronto from New Brunswick.

Rev. Barry Gosse was a brilliant musician, music minister at the church, as well as choir master of the Etobicoke Centennial Choir, and music supervisor in the Etobicoke school board. He was a very funny man when he wanted to be, and a masterful composer.