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Pacific Mountain Regional Council of United Church of Canada

About Pacific Mountain Regional Council of UCC (BC Conference)
Pacific Mountain Regional Council(BC Conference) is an administrative and service-delivery body of The United Church of Canada. The executive Regional Minister is Treena Duncan. Pacific Mountainn Region Council provides staff, finances, advice, advocacy and programming resources to 200+ congregations, hundreds of ministry personnel and numerous ministries in British Columbia including camps, social service agencies, housing and care facilities, chaplaincies, hospitals and educational centres.

The Pacific Mountain Regional Council President(president-elect) is the elected at the Annual General Meeting. The President-Elect serves on the Regional Council Executive for one (1) year as President-Elect, two (2) years as President , and one (1) year as Past-President. The current president turns the reins over to the president-elect (elected at the previous AGM) at the conclusion of the meeting.

Next Meeting of Pacific Mountain Regional Council The general meeting will be held on Thursday, May 30, 2024 until Sunday, June 2, 2024 in Vancouver at St. Andrew's-Wesley United Church. Website


for more info see the Pacific Mountain Regional Council website.


President - Rev. Blair Odney

Short biographies follows:
Rev. Blair Odney, recently elected to the role of President of Pacific Mountain Region of the United Church of Canada at the 2017 AGM in Penticton. Blair is the lead minister at Lynn Valley United Church in North Vancouver where he has served for the past 10 years. Over those years, Blair has worked with the people of that congregation in the precarious work of property AND congregational redevelopment. Who are we as the people of the way, and how will we show up in this community, have been living questions. The number one priority for all of us at LVUC was to figure out how to be kingdom people even as we lived as itinerant church.

Blair has served the wider church in a number of capacities: he has served on the General Council Worship and Music Committee, he has chaired Music United - the United Church association of musicians. He has chaired Vancouver Burrard Presbytery, he has provided music leadership at many United Church events and last year, he chaired the Theme and Worship Committee of the general meeting of BC Conference.

One of the treasures that Blair brings forward from the clay jar, as an ambassador for Christ is the resounding gospel message that each of us is God's beloved, called into the fullness of who we are, to bring healing and hope to a world that seems to pit one against the other. Echoing the sixth day in the story of creation, the church's job is to help people to remember their goodness, and that of all creation; loving the world as God's loves the world.


President-Elect - The Rev. Dr. Simon LeSieur.

Short biographies follows:
It was through a United Church camp in Ontario, at the age of 20, that the trajectory of my life changed. In a singular moment, I went from wanting nothing to do with God, Christianity, or religion to being wholly gripped by the unshakeable certainty that I would be following in the way of Jesus for the rest of my life.

Since then, I have come to know about myself that most of the gifts I have been given revolve around the conviction that God is up to something good – life-changingly so. Prayer, curiosity, learning, communication, creativity, and relentlessly striving to point to the goodness woven into the fabric of this world are all part of how I live out my own discipleship. While being rooted in these convictions, I also deeply value and actively seek to learn from the insights of other perspectives and expressions of faith. Ultimately, I have found in this United Church of ours a gracious space in which to house and embody all of these influences. I have focused most of my theological education and my love of learning studying the Holy Spirit, trying (so far, in vain!) to comprehend the mechanics and mystery of what happened to me at that United Church camp all those years ago. What I have learned through the process is the importance of embodying an expression of faith that is respectful and sensitive to the changing religious climate of our society, while also holding on to the belief that we have something unique to offer in response to the malaise of these times. In terms of my leadership style, I endeavour to embody a gentle and joyful expression of the good news, and strive to live in such a way that those around me experience that good news as good. That being said, I am also honest and open about the times when I get it wrong, and am committed to learning from those moments. Preferring to do life alongside others, I am an encourager with a longing to genuinely connect with others and see them flourish. I love listening with my mind and with my heart, and, from what I hear, collaboratively synthesizing and communicating a compelling vision for the sake of others. I love what I do, every single day, and the people I do it with. I am optimistic about our future, and am convinced that much of our best ministry – God’s work in and through us – still lies ahead.

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Pacific Mountain Region Presidents

Years Name
2022-2024 Ms. Deborah Richards
2020-2022 Rev. Blair Odney
2018-2020 Rev. Jay Olson
2017-2018 Rev. Cari Copeman-Haynes
2015-2017 Rev. Keith Simmonds
2014-2015 Rev. Karen Medland
2012-2014 Rev. Jenny Carter
2011-2012 Rev. Deb Bowman

 

Pacific Mountain Region website

Pacific Mountain Region News releases.

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www.NaramataCentreSociety.org

 

broadview.org Founded in 1829, Broadview is the oldest continuously published magazine in North America and the second oldest in the English-speaking world. It has won international acclaim for journalistic excellence and garnered more editorial awards than any other faith-based publication in Canada.

Broadview and Broadview.org are owned and operated by Observer Publications Inc., a non-profit corporation registered under the Canada Not-for-Profit Corporations Act. While Observer Publications is affiliated with The United Church of Canada, it is an independent corporation, with its own policies, procedures and editorial programs. The publication is supported by subscriptions, newsstand sales, advertising, donations and grants.

Previously called The United Church Observer, The New Outlook and The Christian Guardian, Broadview is the fourth and current name in the publication's history. Now celebrating 190 years, the publication remains committed to highlighting stories about spirituality, ethical living, and social justice from a progressive Christian perspective, as well as sharing news and perspectives from and about The United Church of Canada.

 

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