Celebration of Ministries Service
Quick links to sections on this page:
Watch our livestream of the Celebration of Ministry Service held at New Beginnings United Church in Brampton, as part of the regional meeting on Saturday, October 24 beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Liturgical Leadership – Rev. Emma Pipes, Rev. Norm Seli
President of SWRC: Rev. Eric Nyarko
Acting Executive Minister: Diane Matheson-Jimenez
Office of Vocation Ministers: Rev. YunJung Kim and Rev. Erin McIntyre
Pastoral Relations Minister: Rev. Eun-Joo Park
Celebration of Ministries service bulletin – [ PDF | pending]
Full script of the Celebration of Ministries service (for accessibility reasons) – [ PDF – pending]
Meet Our Celebrants
Photo Credit – Marlene Buwalda-Laio
Marlene Buwalda-Laio – Ordinand
Hi, I’m Marlene Buwalda-Liao. I was born into a Dutch Christian Reformed immigrant family, I am very grateful to my supportive parents throughout my journey in life. We moved in grade school to Muskoka, and began attending Knox Presbyterian Church, where we met Rev Michael Barnes, another supportive presence in my journey. These churches and people, formed my early faith life. As I began university, I attended church infrequently at best. I went on to obtain my Chartered Financial Analyst Designation and worked as a Portfolio Manager for many years. Then I realized, something was missing in my life. God seemed to have new plans for me. I began my journey back to worship in Toronto, volunteering at an out of the cold program, working at Yonge Street Mission’s Evergreen Center for Street Youth, and then becoming a Presbyterian Overseas Missionary in Taiwan.
Upon my return, I attended Knox College Seminary, part of the University of Toronto, where I obtained my MDiv. I came very close, but never quite made the jump into ordained Ministry in the Presbyterian church. Instead, I spent my time getting married, helping raise my step-son, and working with others to open new outreach programs in the surrounding area of Muskoka, as well as working briefly with the Salvation Army in a correctional facility as a chaplain. I felt my call renewed by God while attending Trinity United Church Gravenhurst. I am now serving Evergreen Pastoral Charge, (Utterson and Windermere United Churches) full of wonderful people who feel like family. I am blessed to be here.
I feel called to work with small rural churches, and seniors. I have been learning about prayer, and silence, transformation, and ecumenical collaboration while connecting to the still small voice within. Thanks be to God for his guidance.
Rev. Samuel Mavhundu – Admittand
I was raised in a Christian family in Zimbabwe, where the Reformed Church in Zimbabwe provided the theological and spiritual foundation for my early formation. This context shaped my vocational discernment and ultimately led to my ordination as a Minister of Word, Sacrament, and Pastoral Care.
My academic training includes a Diploma in Theology from Murray Theological College, a Bachelor of Theology from the South African Theological Seminary, and a Master of Arts in Religious Studies from Great Zimbabwe University. Over more than a decade of ministry, I have served congregations in both rural and urban contexts, integrating pastoral leadership with community engagement and youth formation. My work with the Zimbabwe Council of Churches, Christian Care, and Church Alliance Zimbabwe expanded my involvement in ecumenical collaboration and social justice initiatives. I also contributed to the establishment of Zimbabwe Disciples Go Ministry, a movement focused on disciple making grounded in Matthew 28.
My call to ministry was shaped by profound spiritual experiences—first through a transformative conversion to Christ, and later through encounters with communities suffering under social and economic hardship. These experiences deepened my commitment to justice, compassion, and faithful service.
As one called by God and formed as a disciple of Jesus Christ, my hope for ministry within the United Church of Canada is to participate faithfully in a community that is committed to bold discipleship, inspiring worship, and daring justice. I seek to offer my gifts to help cultivate spiritual vitality, foster inclusive community, and advance a justice-oriented ministry that truly reflects the heart of the Gospel.
I am married to Tendai and Together we have 3 children who are 22, 18, and 13. I enjoy playing and watching soccer, fishing and travelling.
Photo Credit – Jordon Pearson
Photo Credit – Chris Higgins
Rev. Dr. Diane Mugambi – Admittand
Rev. Dr. Diane Mugambi is an ordained minister whose journey in ministry began in Kenya, where she was formed and ordained within the Methodist Church in Kenya. Her call to ministry grew from a deep desire to serve God through preaching, pastoral care, prayer, leadership, and walking alongside people through the different seasons of life.
Over the years, Diane has served the church in a variety of ministry and leadership roles, including circuit ministry, youth ministry, superintendent ministry, Deputy Director of Ministries, and university chaplaincy. She is also a conference speaker, sharing on matters of faith, leadership, prayer, and Christian ministry. Before relocating to Canada in 2024, she served as Assistant Chaplain at St. Paul’s University in Kenya. She currently serves as Minister at Humbercrest United Church in Toronto.
Diane holds a Bachelor’s Degree from St. Paul’s University – Kenya, Master’s degree from the Queen’s Foundation for Ecumenical Theological Education in the United Kingdom and has completed a PhD in Development Studies at St. Paul’s University, Kenya (Graduating on November 6, 2026). Her doctoral research explored leadership practices influencing young people’s participation in church life, reflecting her passion for nurturing younger generations and strengthening the church’s engagement with its communities.
Deeply shaped by the Wesleyan understanding of social holiness, Diane is passionate about social justice and believes that personal faith must find expression in how we respond to the needs, struggles, and injustices within our communities and the wider world. Her philosophy of ministry is “hands that serve and celebrate all”—a conviction that Christian ministry calls us not only to proclaim the love of Christ, but to embody that love through service, inclusion, justice, and the celebration of every person as a beloved child of God.
Her journey into The United Church of Canada has invited her to bring her Wesleyan heritage and African context into conversation with a diverse, intercultural, and justice-seeking church. Her hope for the United Church of the future is to help nurture communities where generations and cultures meet, where children and young people experience genuine belonging, and where faith moves beyond the walls of the church to become a transforming presence in the community.
Ian Wilgus – Ordinand
Hello everyone. I am so honoured to be able to join you for my ordination and to celebrate this next step with all of you. I first began attending church when I was thirteen years old. Which was a challenging time in my life. Aside from the usual teenage angst, I had a lot of worries. My father was on the liver transplant list, and when I was fourteen, he passed away. I was angry at God, and the world. I felt alone. One of the few solaces I had was my church and the youth group. When I had assumed that I had to believe to belong, my ministers told me that it was okay to be angry, and I did not have to believe to be welcomed and belonged. This set me free, to be in a place where I belonged.
My congregation also introduced me to the L’Arche Community. The people at L’Arche revealed the face of God to me. Seeing the Spirit-Movers, a dance group from L’Arche, revealed what it meant to be the face of God for the world.
I credit my congregation, and the two ministers that were there, one of whom will be laying hands on me during my ordination, with helping me develop the person I am today.
My sense of call has deepened and strengthened over my candidacy pathway. I have been given so many opportunities to explore my sense of call, and test my call in supportive environments. Members of my interview teams probed me to think more deeply. I am profoundly grateful to Greenbank and Seagrave for being my SME site, and so graciously allowing me to grow as a minister.
I hope that in my ministry, I can develop long term connections with members of a community of faith, showing them that another way, a way of living with love, is possible. I hope that I can use my voice to challenge unjust systems, and to open hearts.
Photo Credit – Ian Wilgus
Licensed Lay Worship Leaders
Jeanette Bayley – Licenced Lay Worship Leader
Lynn Rae – Licenced Lay Worship Leader
I grew up in a small country church. As an adult I attended another country church in the town I lived in. About 8 years ago I decided to go back to my home church, Lemonville United Church, in the town of Stouffville.
Once we got through Covid our minister suggested to me that I take the courses to become a Licensed Lay Worship Leader. I have always known God wanted to use me for something, but I was never sure what exactly. Taking the courses allowed me to learn more about the Bible and dig deeply into the meaning of different scriptures. This is a good fit for me because I can do a few services a year as I continue to work full time. Once I retire, I hope to lead more services in my community. In the past I did a lot of public speaking in the mental health field and can draw on my lived experiences with mental health challenges when leading services and be an inspiration to others.
My special interest is in prayers. What prayers get answered? Why do they get answered? How does God answer prayers? I continue to learn more about prayers by reading books and listening to podcast interviews.
Photo Credit – Wright House Photography
Photo Credit – Helen Tansey
Jocelyn Rasmussen – Licenced Lay Worship Leader
Jocelyn Rasmussen, MMUS, LLWL, is an author, an inspirational speaker, a singer-songwriter, and a voice teacher. Her first book, “Meant to Be Heard”, is about the transformational capacities of our voices and the expressive grace we each have to bless and create our world together. Her recent book, “This Day Won’t Come Again”, began as a series of sermons about Hope and Healing given at Glebe Road United Church. These meditations arose from unexpectedly surviving late-stage ovarian cancer and her prayer that whatever love or grace God would allow to come through her be spent before she dies. Jocelyn hosts an online conversation the first Thursday of each month, and shares reflective meditations in her biweekly newsletter.
Angie von Boetticher – Licenced Lay Worship Leader
Angie von Boetticher’s love of God and love of humanity led her to pursue the Licensed Lay Worship Leader (LLWL) program. Angie spent her childhood in rural Ontario, where her father served as a minister. A teacher by profession, Angie recognized many similarities between teaching and preaching and felt comfortable stepping into a leadership role. She learned much from her father, who served as a United Church minister for many years.
Angie has a deep love for Africa, a place that has profoundly shaped how she sees the world. She spent many years living and working there, including teaching elementary school in Botswana and Zimbabwe. In South Africa, she volunteered and served as a mentor to rural schools for children living in poverty. Her experiences in Africa have taught her much about community, resilience, generosity, and the many ways people of different cultures and backgrounds are connected by our shared humanity.
After returning from Africa and becoming a mother, Angie became a member of her home church and, inspired by her commitment to justice, compassion, and welcome, founded church Refugee Sponsorship Committee. Through this work, she is reminded of the importance of community, hospitality, and standing alongside people who are seeking safety and a new beginning.
Angie brings these experiences, along with her love of scripture, teaching, and people, to her ministry. She believes that faith is not simply something we profess, but something we live, share, and practise in the world. For Angie, the church is an inclusive community where everyone is welcomed, valued, and invited to discover their place in God’s story
Photo Credit – Angie von Boetticher
2026 Jubilands
Join us in celebrating the following ministers who have significant anniversaries of their entry into ministry in The United Church of Canada: 2026 Jubilands List (PDF | 2 pages)
Ministry Personnel Retirees
We celebrate the journey of those ministry personnel who have decided to retire in late 2025 or in 2026. Please join us in giving thanks for their ministry:
Amy Crawford, Stephen Fetter, Alan Hall, Kevin Logie, Patricia Rogers, and Jane Sullivan.
*Note: All retirees above have given their consent to be listed here – it may not reflect the actual list of Retirees
Reflections on Retirement
Here are the statements from some of our retirees about themselves and their journey in ministry..
Rev. Kevin Logie
My journey in ministry began in 1989 when I was ordained and settled at the three-point Nanticoke Pastoral Charge, serving the communities of Nanticoke, Cheapside, and Balmoral. During that time I participated in the Southern Ontario Orientation to Rural Ministry Program and later became part of its leadership team for several years.
In 1992, I moved to Bond Head/Newton Robinson Pastoral Charge, where I served for ten years. One of the highlights of that time was participating in a one-year ministry exchange in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 1999.
In the fall of 2003, I was called to Bracebridge, where I spent fifteen years in team ministry. After concluding that chapter in 2018, I spent nine months serving part-time at St. Paul’s in Orillia before beginning a new call with Seguin Pioneer, near Parry Sound, in February 2020. I continued there in part-time ministry until my retirement in August 2026.
Along the way, I served on a variety of Presbytery and Conference committees, including Church and Society. I was the last Chairperson of Muskoka Presbytery before the transition to the former Living Waters Presbytery, and more recently, during my retirement slide, I served as an inaugural member of the Communities of Faith Commission of Shining Waters Region.
When I look back over these years, I think of so many people met along the way – countless memories and treasured encounters with the holy presence of God. A sharing of love and laughter, tears and anguish as a part of this United Church, a Church faced with many changes, a church which at varying times can be life giving and extremely frustrating. I am grateful for the cast of characters brought together in the ministry I have shared – you gotta love ’em, you gotta love it!
Patti Rodgers, Designated Lay Minister
It feels strange describing my ministry to a church I have served for 30 years. I have worked in every level of the church, from Sunday school teacher and board member at my home church, to administrative support in the Office of the Moderator and General Secretary. I have been a fly on the wall to some of the church’s monumental and historic moments, and sat helpless at the bedside of a dying congregant. I had the most fun on the More Voices Development Team, and was deeply moved and transformed travelling with Laverne Jacobs and Lorna Pawis to Indigenous communities across Canada. I was drawn to addressing mental health and poverty in the communities I served. I was part of a cluster ministry that has been life-giving to many. Music has been my prayer and my muse. I cried with my colleagues as the DLM program was scuttled and felt there was no longer a place for us in the United Church. If I could name a place for me, it has been in the kitchen where I am given the stories of people’s lives over coffee. At the hospital and graveside and home and street where I take the burden of countless sorrows and trauma and hold it as bravely as I can. In the sanctuary and before a camera where I repeat Every. Single. Sunday “God loves you….don’t you forget it.” It’s a place I love and loath. It has been rewarding and terrifying and life-defying. It has kept me awake at night, away from my family every weekend and holiday, and always second guessing myself. And yet it has raised me to heights of love and compassion and gratitude I felt myself incapable of. That is my place, and I retire with no accolades to boast except that I have lived out my calling as a Designated Lay Minister. Thank you God.
Rev. Amy Crawford
My ministry has spanned four decades, two denominations, and two countries and certainly my greatest privilege was to serve with the General Council Office for 22 years. While my units, supervisors, job titles, and teams changed over the years, my ministry remained focussed on the faith formation and leadership development of children and youth and those who support them. I hold deep gratitude for the staff, volunteers and youth that have taught and enriched my life and the ministry of The United Church of Canada over these years. I’m also thankful for the church home provided by Islington United where I serve as a Volunteer Associate Minister and consultant. I wish all the best to my peer retirees and hope that we can all remember that God laughs and plays and so can we!
Amy Crawford
