Does Your Minister Work Just One Day A Week?

Each Sunday morning your minister enters the sanctuary and leads in worship by preaching and praying. Usually they greet you at the door and give you a hearty handshake and a warm, “Hello, how are you?” and for some of you, that’s all you see of the minister until next Sunday morning.

But, who are they beyond Sunday? Where have they come from? How did they learn to
do what they do? Indeed, what do they do from Sunday to Sunday?

Until 1966, ministers in the Presbyterian Church in Canada were men who trained
at either Presbyterian College in Montreal or Knox College in Toronto. But in 1966
the General Assembly (the highest court in our denomination) approved a decision
which allowed women, as well as men, to be ordained as both elders and Ministers
of Word and Sacrament. Today, students for the ministry are also able to study at
the Vancouver School of Theology.

Ask your minister to tell you about their years of study in preparation for ministry.
Which professor was their favourite? Which course challenged them the most?

Your minister has a variety of responsibilities to attend to in order to make Christ
visible in your midst.

Some of these are:

• Home, hospital, and nursing home visits
• Funerals
• Session meetings
• Worship preparation
• Bible study
• Communicant’s classes
• Baptism and Communion
• Presbytery involvement
• Counselling
• Marriage preparation
• Weddings
• Meetings and phone calls regarding the life and work of the church
• Community involvement

Ask your minister what aspect of ministry is most fulfilling for them.

Ask your minister how you can be supportive of them.