Welcome! The United Church of Canada is more than 100 years old, and we have been an important part of the St Francis and Eastern Townships area, and we continue to be!
“I was born into the United Church and have so many memories,” recalls Reverend Mead Baldwin. “In Baldwin’s Mills we had student ministers every summer for many generations. In the 1950s we had female student ministers. In the ‘60s and ‘70s we had student ministers from Africa. We have been an open and inclusive church for a long time.
“I attended my first presbytery meeting when I was 16, in 1971. My dad was a presbytery representative. I began going to Conference at 18, when it was always held at Bishop’s University. I was a counsellor at the church camp at Cedar Lodge when I was 16.
“I was ordained as a minister when I was 24, at Bishop’s University during Conference, and moved to Northern New Brunswick where I stayed for 5 years. I became the Camp Director for 5 years for Camp Chaleur, a United Church camp located on the Atlantic Coast, and also in the bounds of my congregation.
“When I moved back here to the Eastern Townships in 2009, I became Camp Chaplain. Here’s a memory from that period:
Camp was once more a great success. We had 75 campers and great weather. Chanelle and Lacey Eryou attended for the first time and loved it. An unusual problem was too many teenagers wanting to be counsellors. We received over 3,000 dollars from ‘Gifts With Mission” after we chose to be part of last year’s catalogue at Christmas. Tami Spires was the presbytery Youth Worker while Shanna Bernier was on maternity leave. The youth went on a trip to Worshiplude in Ottawa, attended a retreat in Montreal, and held a Youth Forum in Waterville.
“I became the chair of Montreal and Ottawa Conference. Here’s a memory from that period:
I enjoyed chairing my first full meeting of Montreal and Ottawa Conference in May. It was a one-day meeting in Hudson, Quebec. We also had remote sites in places like Magog. The technology takes a bit of getting used to, but it is the future. My personal highlight was presiding at the Celebration on Ministry service and ordaining Linda Buchanan and Brenda Bailey. Linda is now in Lennoxville, and Brenda was a candidate from Spencerville, a previous pastoral charge I served. Due to budget concerns, next year will also be a one-day meeting. Hopefully Tami Spires will be ordained here in Montreal and Ottawa Conference, since she passed her grad project and will be receiving her M. Div. in May from the Atlantic School of Theology.
I could go on, but this is enough for now.”
Rev Baldwin is at Waterville United (plus North Hatley, and oversees Lennoxville United); Rev Linda Buchanan is now at Beaconsfield United; and Rev. Tami Spires is the pastor for the United Eaton Valley Pastoral Charge.
Our people, and our churches, are an integral part of our community.
Please join us!
