Change of Season, Change of Leadership
Fall is fast approaching and with the changing season comes a change of leadership at St John’s. This month, we say goodbye and thank you to our interim Priest, Rev. Gloria Master, while welcoming our new incumbent, Rev. John Runza.
Rev. Runza comes to us from Lakefield College School where he has been a member of staff since 1994. Prior to his work at the school, Rev. Runza served at St John the Evangelist in Peterborough. We look forward to getting to know Rev. Runza and his family and welcoming them into our church community.
The departure of Rev. Peter, in August last year, came with mixed feelings. While we were delighted for Rev. Peter as he moved to the States with his new bride, it was also a moment of uncertainty for St John’s. In the year and a half since, we’ve cycled through a number of interim priests - some staying for a few Sundays, others giving us several months. Rev. Judy Paulsen guided us through the Christmas season with warmth and enthusiasm, giving us renewed optimism about what lay ahead for the church. Rev. Gloria then stepped into the breach, generously sharing her spring and summer with us as we waited for news of a more permanent arrangement.
Gloria’s ‘Thanks & Farewell’ party
We’re incredibly grateful to these clergy, who supported St John’s in her hour of need. But in celebrating our ministers, we can’t overlook the vital contribution made closer to home. Our wardens, Mike, Sheila, and Ann are a tireless example of giving in action. From the seemingly endless back-and-forth with the Bishop’s office to managing the smooth operation of every service, it’s not an exaggeration to say that the wardens kept us afloat in some very stormy seas. We may have been without a priest for the past year, but we certainly haven’t been without leadership.
Do a job well enough, and people will forget you do it. Our wardens have been such good stewards of St John’s that it’s easy to take them for granted. But we remember them in our prayers as we move forward with Rev. Runza and are very grateful to them for helping our new priest settle in.
The leaves are turning and change is in the air at St John’s, making it an opportune time to share this quote from C.S Lewis:
The church is not a human society of people united by their natural affinities but the Body of Christ, in which all members, however different, (and He rejoices in their differences and by no means wishes to iron them out) must share the common life, complementing and helping one another precisely by their differences.
Welcome Rev. Runza and God bless St John’s!
Rev. Runza will be participating in an informal ‘Meet and Greet’ on Sunday 29th September. Please join us in the upstairs hall after the 10am service to introduce yourself, ask any questions you may have, and get to know our new Priest.