Dale Hildebrand

Pastoral Relations Minister

Phone: 416-231-7680  |  1-800-268-3781
Extension: 6261
Email: dhildebrand@united-church.ca

Location: Teleworks and works in the Toronto Office. Please call ahead to ensure the office is open.

Serves in: Shining Waters Regional Council

Dale encourages and supports ministry personnel toward health, joy, and excellence in ministry practice. Contact Dale about: Conflict Resolution; Finding A New Minister; Lay Employees; M+P Committees; Licenses To Administer Sacraments; Pastoral Relationships Policy; Resources for Transition Times; Retirement; Sabbaticals; Sick Leave; Short Term Supply Ministers; Visiting Minister Options.  Dale is responsible for all the Communities of Faith and ministry personnel in the region that are located south of Highway 407. 

Responsibilities

Todd and Dale work as a team to provide training, resources and support to ministers and volunteers who support pastoral relationships. Together they coordinate the Flourish program for ministry personnel.

Over the years they have worked to nurture a training pattern with M+P Committees to equip them to carry out their responsibilities, such as Annual Assessments.

Striving to provide the right kind of needed support, they have felt affirmed by good participation and positive response to their program offerings. 

The Pastoral Relations Ministers also maintain room in their schedule to be responsive to ministers who need support on a wide range of issues.

Todd and Dale provide lead staff support to the Pastoral Relations Commission, to a network of Pastoral Relations Liaisons.  Todd supports the Licensed Lay Worship Leaders while Dale supports the work of the United Fresh Start Facilitators.

Dale takes the lead on churches south of the 407 and Todd takes the lead north of the highway. 

Dale Hildebrand (he/him) Experience and Biography

Dale was born in a small community in Manitoba. He came to the United Church following the closure of his Mennonite church in Toronto.  In search of a progressive faith community, he found a good fit with Eastminster United in his Toronto neighbourhood where he is still a member.

His professional work was formed by his work in international ecumenical justice and human rights work through Inter Church Action for Development, Relief and Justice and then KAIROS.  

After a period of independent consulting providing strategic planning and organizational development support to non-profit organizations, Dale took up the new challenge of Conference Personnel Minister in the former Toronto Conference. There he valued both the connection to colleagues and the challenge of learning something new. Dale sees the value of healthy pastoral relationships –good processes, preparation and discernment — as an ongoing dimension of justice ministry. 

Dale is a layperson who obtained a Master of Theology degree from the University of Toronto.   Dale and his partner Marlene have two adult children.  They live in Toronto and also spend time on their farm near Kingston.