Phone: 1-833-236-0280 | Mailing Address: PO Box 100, Carlisle, Ontario L0R 1H0 | arwrc@united-church.ca
Retirement Announcement: Kathy Douglas

Retirement Announcement: Kathy Douglas

woman in a blue sweatshirt and black pants and sandals in a forest chapel with people sitting around her

Kathy Douglas at Camp Bimini

Retirement Announcement: Kathy Douglas, Faith Formation Minister

With heartfelt gratitude and deep appreciation, we announce the retirement of Kathy Douglas, our beloved Faith Formation Minister, after six years of dedicated service to the Antler River Watershed, Horseshoe Falls and Western Ontario Waterways Regional Councils.

Kathy has been a guiding light in the spiritual formation of countless folks across all ages. Her unwavering commitment to nurturing faith, fostering community, and walking alongside others on their spiritual journeys has left a lasting impact on all who have had the privilege to know her.

From organizing youth retreats to Palestinian marches, Kathy’s ministry has been marked by compassion, wisdom, and a deep love for Christ and the United Church of Canada community. Her legacy will live on in the lives she has touched and the seeds of faith she has helped to plant and grow.

Please join us in celebrating Kathy’s retirement and honoring her incredible contributions. Celebration of Kathy’s ministry to be announced at a later date, all will be welcome to attend and share in this joyful occasion.

Kathy, thank you for your years of faithful service. May your retirement be filled with peace, joy, and the continued blessings of God’s grace.

Kathy’s official retirement date will be December 31st, 2025.

Announcing: Karlene Kimber, Congregational Support Minister

Announcing: Karlene Kimber, Congregational Support Minister

a woman with shoulder length blond and grey hair wearing white round drop earring smiling

We are pleased to announce Karlene Kimber will be joining our team as Congregational Support Minister to Antler River Watershed Regional Council. Karlene will be working part-time and starts her position with the region on September 1st! Welcome Karlene and we look forward to you joining the team in this important work.

More about Karlene:

Karlene is deeply committed to helping people and communities grow in faith, hope, and connection. She has served in a variety of ministry settings, including a two-point charge and a five-point collaborative ministry, and brings valuable experience in guiding faith communities through change with compassion, curiosity, and encouragement. Karlene is eager to learn about the unique needs of the communities of faith in our region, to walk alongside them as they explore new possibilities, and to serve the wider church in whatever ways she can. In her free time, she enjoys reading, creating art, baking, and spending time with her family.

Introducing ARWRC President Richard Auckland

Introducing ARWRC President Richard Auckland

a man with brown hair smiling at the camera wearing a grey sweatshirt and black backpack in the background are mossy rocks

Message from the Antler River Watershed Regional Council President

My name is Richard Auckland and I live in Talbotville, ON.  I look forward to serving the Antler River Watershed Region as President.  My spouse, Karen and I, have three adult children, who I am so thankful for, as they still like coming home for meals, games or just to hang out.  I’m a 50+ year member of First United Church in St. Thomas, and have served on the Official Board and Trustees of that church.  I am a retired educator having worked in elementary schools as first a teacher, and then in administration.  I continue to support students through tutoring and working with Teacher’s College candidates at the Western University in London.  Additionally, I am President of the Elgin-St. Thomas Christmas Care program which serves area residents with a food hamper and toys for children at Christmas. I plan to bring some of the skills I have accumulated to my role as President and I look forward to meeting and working with congregations across our area.

What a great Celebration of Ministry on May 31!  It was good to be a part of the service at Grace United Church in Sarnia as part of the Spring Meeting of ARW.  Rebecca, Melodee and Martin have entered into the next chapter in their ministerial journeys.  And Japhet made the trip from Capetown, South Africa (a journey of 27+ hours of flying, waiting and driving on top of that) to support Martin.  Now that’s dedication.  My hope is that all our ARWRC Communities of Faith are feeling supported in their spiritual challenges and triumphs.  It was good to connect with many individuals over the course of the Friday and Saturday meetings.  As well, the available staff were present offering their support.  It is great to be a part of a wonderful team of caring individuals.  I would encourage Communities of Faith to reach out and connect with us.  As a team, that is a lot of knowledge and experience on which to draw and find creative solutions or walk the journey, whatever it is, with you.

I look forward to serving Antler River Watershed as President for the coming two years, as I have served it in various capacities over the last 6 years on the Mission & Discipleship Commission and Executive.  And lastly, thank you to Past President, Cheryl Bolton for offering her leadership over these last two years.  I’m glad she is not going too far so that I can call on her for guidance as we move forward together into the next 100 years of the United Church of Canada!

Richard Auckland
President, Antler River Watershed Regional Council

We are Hiring, Minister Pastoral Suport

Job Number: 25-17
Opening/Closing Date: May 1, 2025 to May 30, 2025

Description

Antler River Watershed, Western Ontario Waterways and Horseshoe Falls Regional Councils are seeking an individual to fill the role of Minister, Pastoral Support on a permanent full-time basis, 35 hours per week.

The Regional Council, as part of the wider United Church of Canada, is a decision-making body responsible to serve and support Communities of Faith within its bounds and provide necessary oversight.  The three Regional Councils share staff with many serving all three regional councils. These three regional councils represent diverse contexts: major urban centers as well as rural and recreational communities. Within them are significant hubs for technology, manufacturing and academia:

The Minister Pastoral Support is responsible for supporting ministry personnel. It is the key way the regional council fulfills its responsibility for encouraging and supporting ministry personnel towards health, joy and excellence in ministry practice. The main areas of focus will be:

  • Pastoral Care and Support for Ministry Personnel
  • Connection
  • Support the formation of pastoral relationships
  • Guidance

*Attached is a copy of the full job description

Qualifications

  • Minimum of four years post-secondary education or appropriate life experience;
  • Graduate studies in theology, Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) training and designation and Spiritual Direction training would be an asset;
  • 5 years of related work experience
  • Membership in The United Church of Canada and experience working within the structure and policies or experience working in a similar faith community would be considered an asset;
  • Ability to translate the purpose of the regional councils into the experience of people making contact;
  • Ability to articulate the link between faith and ministry practice and to reflect theologically and interculturally;
  • Group facilitation skills and the ability to work independently and collaboratively and collegially with other members of the staff team and with volunteers;
  • Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills with the ability to communicate with others in a respectful manner and articulate concisely and clearly;
  • Good judgement, discernment and analysis skills as responsibilities can be difficult and complex and recommendations can have long-lasting effects; openness to consulting with other supervisor when no clear advice available;
  • Strong administration, time management, planning, organizational, and implementation skills with the ability to deal effectively and positively with changing situations or priorities;
  • Solid computer skills in the use of various software applications – Office 365, Dynamics, SharePoint, One Drive, Teams, Zoom, and other social media and online platforms;
  • Willingness and ability to travel throughout the regional councils;
  • Ability to speak a language other an English is an asset.
  • Alignment with the vision and values of The United Church of Canada – respect, integrity, passion and diversity;
  • Motivated self-starter capable of identifying needs and taking action in cooperation with volunteer leadership and other staff;
  • Initiative, good judgement, tact, discretion, resourcefulness, and creativity in problem solving;
  • Recognition of personal and professional boundaries.

Working Conditions:

The United Church of Canada has adopted a hybrid workplace model, providing flexibility for this position, working both off-site and in the regional council office located at 1552 Hwy 6, Carlisle, ON. The incumbent will be provided, for work purposes, use of secure devices and must be available by email, phone, teams or zoom during regular office hours Monday to Friday. Sitting and viewing a computer screen for long periods, keyboarding/using voice recognition software, intermittent physical activity including sitting, standing and being on the phone for long periods of time will be required. Travel within the region will be required. Occasional additional hours, evening and weekend assignments may be required.

As part of our ongoing commitment to the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, The United Church of Canada will aid employees who request accommodation throughout their employment with us, unless the position is deemed to be a bona fide occupational requirement and/or to the point of undue hardship considering issues of health, safety and cost.

Compensation

The target hiring range for this position is $69,204.79 to $78,873.29 annual salary with the ability to progress to a maximum of $92,273.03. This is based on category 7 on our salary range. Placement on the salary range will depend on factors such as market conditions, internal equity, and the candidate’s experience, skills, and qualifications relevant to the role. Pension and group benefit plans coverage and annual vacation round out this compensation package.

To Apply

Interested applicants are invited to submit their resume, quoting job number 25-17 to Human Resources,  e-mail: careers@united-church.ca.

Please note, interviews will be held on the week of June 23, 2025 and will be contacted in advance.

***Internal applicants, if interested, please advise your immediate manager of your intentions.

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