| Mutual Ministry |
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It began in the year 2000 when Bishop Malcolm Harding formed the Mutual Ministry Task Force in the Diocese of Brandon and provided for two Deanery Teams to attend a conference at Marquette, Michigan. The Diocese of N. Michigan had developed a form of Total Ministry to provide ministry to parishes in a widespread, sparsely populated region of the USA. What they had developed in the early 1980’s had been so successful they were now giving seminars to other regions of the Anglican Church throughout N. America.
Before this, then Archdeacon Kim Salo and Father Larry Winslow had attained considerable knowledge in the field. Archdeacon Salo had attended several conferences on the topic while Fr. Winslow had experience through contact with N. Michigan while a priest in the Diocese of Algoma. Bishop Harding was particularly interested in the concept, in the light of growing difficulties in providing seminary trained ministry to the sparsely populated widespread regions of the Diocese of Brandon. Upon Bishop Harding’s retirement the Diocesan Profile produced for searching for a new Bishop emphasised the development of Mutual Ministry in the Diocese of Brandon. Then Dean Njegovan (now Bishop Jim Njegovan) responded to that profile in 2001, “Total ministry, baptismal ministry is of the essence of the Church’s life, particularly as it is exercised in the broader community and not solely in the parish church.”
On Nov 8, 2000 teams from Peace Garden Deanery and Swan Deanery (specifically from Dauphin) set out for Marquette. The Swan Deanery Team had to turn back due to a snowstorm. However, the Peace Garden Deanery team, consisting of Mrs. Val Bull of Holy Trinity, Killarney and Mr. Terry Joye and Fr. Larry Winslow of St. Matthew’s, Boissevain was able to reach Marquette by noon on Nov 9. (Note: Terry Joye became a strong and powerful proponent of the Mutual Ministry Program both in St. Matthew’s Church and on the Diocesan Mutual Ministry Task Force – unfortunately for all of us, Terry died at the age of 47 in the late fall of 2003).
The Marquette Conference was so invigorating and the content proved so applicable to the Diocese of Brandon situation that the Mutual Ministry Task Force, then consisting of Bishop Malcolm Harding, Archdeacon Kim Salo, Mrs. Val Bull, Mr. Terry Joye, and The Revds. Paul & Ann Crossland and Larry Winslow began to look for programs appropriate to the Diocese of Brandon. After considering several possibilities, the team settled on the Institute for Anglican Ministry program designed and developed by the Revd. Dr. Iain Luke at St. John’s College, University of Manitoba.
This IAM program, requiring about 110 hours of class time, covered the major areas of Ministry, The Bible, Worship, Sharing the Word, Doctrine, and Anglican Identity. The first use of the program in the Brandon diocese began in the Peace Garden Deanery late in 2001. Throughout the next 3½ years Dr. Luke and Father Winslow collaborated to specialise the program to meet the needs of the South-Central Peace Garden Group who had committed to its requirements. The team members drawn from four separate parishes participated in dedicated study time in and out of the seminar sessions. Class time for the program was complete in April, 2005 and the formal review of the group was undertaken by Iain Luke (St. John’s College), The Rev’d. C.J. Adams (Total Ministry Team, Diocese of Rupert’s Land), The Rev’d. John Dolloff (St. Mary’s, Brandon), and Mr. Phil Varcoe (St. George’s, Brandon).
The extremely demanding course began with 23 individuals participating. However, demands on time gradually reduced the number so that only 12 successfully completed its requirements. The Review Team’s report produced by Dr. Luke says, “. . the evaluators unanimously agreed that the group had satisfactorily achieved the aims of the curriculum.” The Review Report also states, “The second most frequently heard comment was that individuals felt they had grown more confident in the exercise of their gifts and ministries. This self-evaluation was corroborated by the confidence they actually demonstrated in relating to one another, to the evaluators, and to the kinds of questions which we raised.” It then goes on to state, “In addition to the above, the evaluators commend the group for the awareness they showed of their congregational environments. There was a clear grasp of what makes for vital parish life, of the diversity of people and ministries that exist in the churches represented, and of the ways that diversity is brought together in worship and fellowship. These qualities are essential in those who take the role of ‘ministry support’.”
The twelve persons completing the training program were:
St. Sylvan’s, Dunseith: Ken Decoteau
St. Andrew’s, Deloraine: Elmer Hunter
Holy Trinity, Killarney: Val Bull, Dave Ross, Nancy Ross, Eleanor Skeoch, Lawrence Smith
St. Matthew’s, Boissevain: Bryan Jackson, Bryan Tyerman, Ron Turner, Shirley Turner, Sharon Waldron
The above list includes Lawrence Smith who is already ordained deacon and licensed in the Diocese of Brandon and Ken Decoteau, who will most likely now be considered for ordination to the diaconate in the ECUSA diocese of N. Dakota.
This excellent program developed by The Rev’d Dr Iain Luke at St. John’s College in the University of Manitoba provides a magnificent opportunity for persons interested in developing their skills for ministry within their own Parish areas. It is hoped that its experiences and excellent content will be made available to more groups in order to develop and enhance the Mutual Ministry concept. In the opinion of this writer, it is the hope for continued strong ministry availability throughout the whole of the Church – not just in suffering areas.