June 2021 Regional Meeting
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Nominees for GC Commissioners | Nominees for Intercultural Diversity Commission
A regional meeting was held on the evening of Thursday, June 17, 2021 for the election of Commissioners for General Council 44, as well as Intercultural Diversity Commission members. Please see the recording of the meeting and the slate of nominees below.
Nominees for General Council 44 Commissioners
Jingle Carolino-Ayupan
Jingle Carolino-Ayupan is a lay member of the Filipino Christian Fellowship in Toronto who offers the following acknowledgement:
I acknowledge the land I am standing on is the traditional territory of many nations including the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, the Mississauga of the Credit, and the Wendat peoples and is now home to multi – inter – cultural First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples. I also acknowledge that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit.
I honour the Land, the Indigenous people and the Treaties which dates back 10,000 years and what optimistic changes can be made going forward to promote the advancement of the reconciliation process of the highly diverse nation to build and empower a community of faith with the mission : “to love God, love people and make disciples” (Filipino Christian Fellowship Mission Statement). We are the Church who belong to the Sovereign One who causes all things new according to His Almighty plan and purpose. Hallelujah! God with us!
The traditional territory I co-habitat with the people of God continues to advance in building relations and strengthening the values of virtual fellowship, excellence, collaboration, accountability, respect (SBH) engaged in the advancing of the activities to educate and enrich one another in the light of the WORD through online gatherings under the umbrella of our community of faith the Filipino Christian Fellowship spearheaded by Rev. Dr. Joel Saavedra Aguirre during this world wide interruption…
However, as a health care worker I am blessed to be the representative of Christ as a servant-leader to the institution where I spend productive time with the Team which includes the most valuable recipient of care.
I acknowledge my territory where God planted me to grow and thrive with the mission: “to love God, love people and make disciples”.
I am forever grateful and joyful to live in this territory because as a valuable church it is written that I AM / I / WE are not alone – God is with us.
Hedy Baker-Graf
Edna (Hedy) Veronica Baker-Graf is a lay member of Knob Hill United Church, Toronto who lives on the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples.
Maxwell Giffen
Maxwell Giffen is a lay member of Minesing United Church who lives on the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples.
Isaac Kamta
Isaac Kamta is an ordained minister with le Ministere Protestant Francophone de Toronto. He offers this acknowledgement:
Nous sommes à Downsview United Church à Toronto. Toronto se trouve sur le territoire traditionnel de nombreuses nations, dont les Mississaugas du Crédit, les Anishnabeg, les Chippewa, les Haudenosaunee et les Wendat, et abrite maintenant de nombreux peuples divers des Premières Nations, des Inuits et des Métis. Nous reconnaissons également que Toronto est couverte par le Traité 13 avec les Mississaugas du Crédit.
Barbara Lloyd
Barbara Lloyd is a lay member of Trinity-St. Paul’s United Church, Toronto, who lives on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit.
Steven Loweth
Steven Loweth is a Designated Lay Minister with Fairbank United Church in Toronto. He lives on the traditional territory of the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation as well the land under the Williams Treaty (1923) and the November 17, 2018 settlement of the long-standing dispute to the treaty.
Ken McEvoy
Ken McEvoy is a lay member of Bathurst Street United Church, Toronto who lives on the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples.
Lynella Reid-James
Lynella Reid-James is a lay member of Knox Agincourt United Church, Toronto on the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations. Inuit and Metis Peoples. We also acknowledge that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit and the Williams Treaties signed with multiple Mississaugas and Chippewa bands.
Dong-Chun Seo
Dong-Chun Seo is a retired ordained minister who worships with Alpha Korean United Church, Toronto which is located on the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples, and is covered by Treaty 13 signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit.
Heather Stevenson
Heather Stevenson is an ordained minister with Cheltenham United Church who lives in Brampton on the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee and Anishnaabeg. This territory is covered by the Upper Canada Treaties, is within the lands protected by the “Dish With One Spoon” wampum agreement.
Cameron Watts
Cameron Watts is an ordained minister with Forest Grove United Church, Toronto who lives on the traditional territory of the Huron, Wendat, Anishnaabe, Haudenosaunee, and Mississauga of the New Credit.
Nominees for General Council 44 Alternate Commissioners
Jan Breuls-Dorang
Jan Breuls-Dorang is a lay member of Leaside United Church, Toronto who lives on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit, Anishnaabeg, Haudenosaunee and Wendat Indigenous Peoples.
David Leyton-Brown
David Leyton-Brown is a lay member of Richmond Hill United Church who lives on the traditional territory of a variety of indigenous peoples, including the Anishinabek, the Haudenosaunee, the Huron-Wendat and the Metis. The current treaty holders are the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. This territory is the subject of the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, which committed participants to peacefully share and care for the resources of the Great Lakes region.
Lawrence Nyarko
Lawrence Nyarko is an ordained minister with Grace United Church in Brampton, on the traditional territory of on the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee and Anishnaabeg. This territory is covered by the Upper Canada Treaties, is within the lands protected by the “Dish With One Spoon” wampum agreement.
Jeannette Schieck
Jeannette Schieck is a lay member of Midhurst United Church who lives on the traditional Wendake territory.
Intercultural Diversity Commission nominees
Joel Saavedra Aguirre
Joel Saavedra Aguirre is an ordained minister with the Filipino Christian Fellowship who lives on the the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.
Innocent Karuhanga
Innocent Karuhanga is a lay member of Uganda Martyrs United Church who lives on the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. We also acknowledge that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit.
Amy Yea Kyong Lee
Amy Yea Kyong Lee is an ordained minister with Davenport-Perth United Church on the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples, and is covered by Treaty 13 signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit.
John Joseph Mastandrea
John Joseph Mastandrea is an ordained minister with Manor Road United Church who lives on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples.
Néstor Medina
Néstor Medina is ordained in another denomination and Director of Master of Theological Studies and Assistant Professor of Religious Ethics and Culture with Emmanuel College. Néstor lives in the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, the Haudenosaunee, and the Mississaugas of the Credit River. This area is also covered by Treaty 13.
Moon Ja Park
Moon Ja Park is a lay member of Thornhill United Church with is under Treaty 13. She offers the following acknowledgement:
I would like to acknowledge the traditional, ancestral, unseeded territory of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the Wendat and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. We give thanks to these peoples and any other Nations, recorded and unrecorded, who have taken care of this land.
I think it’s important for me to acknowledge the land because as an immigrant to Canada, I wasn’t aware of Indigenous people’s history. If one is not aware, one is at risk of denying Indigenous people the rights for which they have struggled for generations.
As a newcomer – and a parent and grandparent – I would like to take this opportunity to commit myself to the struggle against the systems of oppression that have dispossessed Indigenous people of their lands, and denied their right to self-determination. This work is essential to advancing human rights here in Canada & across the World.