I grew up in the Lower Mainland, born and bred in BC. After a brief 3 year stint in Vernon, my husband, two daughters and I moved back to White Rock/South Surrey. It was here that I felt a call to ministry and after three years of trying to ignore it, I finally succumbed to the movement of the Spirit and headed off to seminary at the Vancouver School of Theology, as a Lutheran Candidate for Ministry. By the end of the first year I knew that my true church home was in the United Church and I made the transition, which also slowed down my process, having to start anew with my new church home. After seven years, I completed the program and was ordained in 2006.
I have served in congregational ministry in Clearwater/Barriere, as a Conference Minister with the former Kamloops-Okanagan Presbytery, and as an Interim Minister in Victoria, BC. I am trained and experienced in Interim Ministry, conflict management, healthy communications, Family Systems Counselling, and The Circle Way and Art of Hosting processes.
I have a passion for trusting and following the leading of the Spirit, which is what brought me to Kelowna in 2018 to serve St. Paul’s and now Central Okanagan United. Thankfully, my partner of 20 years, LeAnn, is patient and understanding of my moves around the province, but it’s lovely to be together again in our new home that borders Chichester Wetlands in Rutland.
Along with LeAnn, our little Kelowna family includes our two kitties, Jade & Jule who aren’t quite as patient and understanding but are glad we are all settled in together again! We also celebrate my two adult daughters, their partners and three wonderful grandchildren ages 6, 12 and 14, all of whom live in the Greater Calgary area. I guess they just couldn’t get their dad’s prairie roots out of their gene system!!
In our free time, LeAnn and I love to take road trips, whether for a few hours or a few weeks, seeing new places and enjoying each other’s company. In fact, our retirement dream is to buy a motor home (hopefully electric or solar powered) and travel through the US in the winter and Canada in the summer. Of course, that’s a few years down the road, but the dream is alive and well!!
You should also know that I have apparently become known as “the barefoot preacher”, due to the fact that I always remove my shoes before leading worship…yes, even when we are on zoom. This is a spiritual practice I have incorporated into my life which harkens back to the story of Moses at the burning bush, when God instructs him to “take off your shoes, you are standing on holy ground”. For me, the privilege of leading worship is, indeed, holy ground and taking off my shoes reminds me that what I do is not about me, but about how God is working through me.
So this barefoot preacher is excited about being a part of Central Okanagan United Church and the possibilities that await us. May we continue to dream big and watch for where God is leading us!
Blessings one and all!
-Ivy