Message from The President

The theme for both 2024 and 2025 is “Sanctuary: towards a kindom of peace, justice and reconciliation”. This theme is rooted in the story from 1 Kings 17 when Elijah found sanctuary in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, then in Zarenphath in the region of Sidon where he stayed with a widow. In both instances, sanctuary was provided not by the wealthy but by people who were the poorest of the poor and considered unclean.

This two-year theme gave us the opportunity to hear many perspectives and reflect deeply on issues connected to sanctuary, including displacement, housing, reparations, restoration and reconciliation.

This year’s worship team is led by Revs. Emily Gordon, Julia Yun Jung Kim and Maria Christina Conlon with the assistance of Staff members Kim Uyede-Kai and Shawn Redden.

In November 2024, the conversation on Toward 2035 began to seek a Spirit-led vision for what it means to be the United Church in the years ahead. Our region, at every level of the church, including communities of faith and other expressions of local ministry, as well as networks and clusters, joins the other regions of the church in discerning dreams and vision, defining what Sanctuary is. GC45’s theme on Visions and Dreams followed shortly after the church’s 100th anniversary.

The journey still continues ahead.

Themed Conversations

Themed Conversation 1 – Sanctuary

Rev. Maria Christina Conlon, or Tina, became the Davenport Perth Community Minister in June 2014. In her practice of Intentional Loitering, Tina delighted in integrating the arts, social justice and theological narratives in Community Ministry. DPCM is in a neighbourhood deeply impacted by transience, housing insecurity, and systemic exclusion yet also filled with resilience, beauty and wisdom. Tina’s ministry includes communal meals, justice advocacy, and storytelling that centers dignity and resistance. These practices have taught us that formation happens not just in classrooms but in kitchens, on sidewalks, and in the liminal spaces where pain and hope meet, and daily living unfolds. Her ministry approach can be described as presence-based, patient, and open to being shaped by the stories of those we walk alongside.

Tina was ordained in May 2022, called to word, sacrament, and pastoral care and became president of Shining Waters Regional Council the following year. She finishes her term as president in the 2025 AGM.

As commissioner to GC45, she co-facilitated one of the 28 working groups and also co-facilitated one of the pre-event gatherings. At the gathering of Disabled Peoples / People with Disabilities, while reflecting on two biblical passages on healing, she encouraged participants to play with clay. At this GC, Tina moved a point of order and introduced an emergency resolution on Gaza that passed in a reconvened meeting on September 13.

Tina is enjoying being a lola for the first time, being a kukum to one-year old Noodin.

Rev. Christykumar Thangarajah has been serving  as a Minister in the Tamil United Church for the past 10 years. Tamil United Church has been one of the mission wings of the United Church of Canada since 2010. Rev. Thangaraja was born and raised in Sri Lanka, where he served as an Ordained Minister in the Methodist Church of Sri Lanka for about 25 years in various parts of the country during the civil war. He migrated to Canada 15 years ago due to family commitments.

Themed Conversation 3 – Reflections on the Apology to 2SLGBTQIA+

David Hallman was a member of the General Council staff of the United Church of Canada from 1976 to 2007. He was open as a gay man from the start. He worked in a portfolio primarily focused on environmental justice and is the author of four books on ecology and spirituality. During his career with the Church, he was assigned responsibility for a number of other areas from time to time including issues related to 2S and LGBTQI+ communities. He provided leadership and partnered with other colleagues on education and advocacy related to federal and provincial human rights codes (1967-77), human sexuality (1979-1988), HIV/AIDs (1986-1995), and equal marriage (2001-2005). In 1989, he organised and edited a book with the papers from the first international conference on ethics and theology related to HIV/AIDs. Since retirement in 2007, he has written three gay-themed books: “August Farewell”, a memoir about the sudden cancer death of his lover of thirty-three years, a novel “Searching for Gilead,” and “Book Tales,” a collection of gay literary short stories.

Hyerim Park is a Diaconal Ministry Candidate serving at Westminster United Church in Humboldt, Saskatchewan. She also serves as Chair of Korean Rainbow United (KRU), a 2SLGBTQIA+ support group for Korean and English speakers. Hyerim is passionate about 2SLGBTQIA+ advocacy, intercultural ministry, and building welcoming communities of justice and belonging.