Sunday at Knox

     The guest preacher in the Knox pulpit this Sunday will be the Rev. Linda Corry who has given leadership in ministry in both the Presbyterian and Anglican Churches in Canada, and served as a private practice psychotherapist to lay persons and clergy.

     Linda's faith and ministry have roots across denominational lines.  With an Anglican mother and United Church father, she grew up in a Presbyterian congregation in a Roman Catholic community and attended a largely Jewish High School. 

     She became the first woman graduate of The Presbyterian College, and served in the Presbyteries of Montreal and West Toronto before entering the Anglican Church to minister in the Diocese of Niagara.

     Presently, Linda is privileged to serve as guest minister to churches in the Diocese of Niagara and the Presbytery of Hamilton, and to coach people from many faith communities.

Stated supply

The Presbytery of Hamilton has approved the appointment of the Rev. John Duff, a retired Presbyterian minister now living in Ancaster, to the role of stated supply at  Knox Church for a period of five months starting Sept. 1.

Rev. Duff grew up in Burlington but as a child attended MacNab Street Presbyterian Church, where his grandfather, the Rev. Dr. Beverley Ketchen  was minister.  Later his family became part of the beginnings of Aldershot Presbyterian Church, under the ministry of the Rev. Wm. Black. 

His ministry has taken him to Red Deer, Meaford  and Thornbury, Toronto, Saskatoon, Ottawa, Nicaragua; and St. John's Newfoundland.  He officially retired in 2002, but has done some part-time ministerial assignments from time to time since then.

Until September, a number of ministers and lay speakers will be filling the pulpit at Knox Church, with Ms. Wilma Welsh, former moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, leading the service on Aug. 14.

Sunday and sundaes

Knox Church welcomes the Rev. Bob Docherty to our pulpit Sunday morning. Rev. Docherty is originally from Scotland, (Coatbridge & Airdrie).  He immigrated to Canada in 1968, met a fantastic Canadian girl, Muriel, and was married in 1970.  They have three children and four grandkids plus a West Highland Terrier, Rob Roy McGreggor. Rev. Docherty recently retired from the ministry after 27 years of service, the last 11 as minister of St. Johns in Grimsby.

The August weekend will also see a special treat for those in attendance, as a Sundae After Sunday will be held with special ice cream sundaes available immediately following worship.

The Rev. Dr. Alan McPherson

The Rev. Dr. Alan McPherson, former moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, will be the guest preacher at Knox Church, Burlington, on Sunday.
Rev. McPherson, minister of Central Presbyterian Church in Hamilton from 1980 until his retirement in 2005, was elected moderator in 1995, the same year that Knox College conferred on him the degree of Doctor of Divinity.
He is currently a member of the Board of Knox College, and was a recent inductee into Hamilton's Gallery of Distinction.

Summer services

As a result of the recent death of our minister, the Rev. Mark Hoogsteen, interim pulpit supply has been arranged through the summer months as follows:

July 3:     Rev. Alan McPherson, Moderator, 121^st General Assembly

July 10:   Rev. Alan McPherson

July 17:   Rev. Alan McPherson

July 24:   Rev. Bob Docherty

July 31:   Rev. Bob Docherty

Aug 7:     Rev. John Hibbs

Aug 14:   Ms. Wilma Welsh, Moderator, 132nd General Assembly

Aug 21:   Rev. Linda Corry

Aug 28:   Rev. Linda Corry

Sep 4:     Ms. Wilma Welsh

Strawberry social

The Congregational Life committee at Knox Church had a most successful strawberry social immediately following Sunday's worship service. A large number of members of the congregation along with many friends were on hand for the event, which featured fresh strawberries, and blueberries on sponge cake or  home made biscuits, smothered in strawberry ice cream.

The strawberry social is just one of many similar events held by the Congregational Life committee througout the church year with the next such event being a Sloppy Joe luncheon scheduled for July 17.

From the desk of Gary Evans, clerk of session, Knox Presbyterian Church, Burlington, Ont.

As I opened up my email account on Monday morning and waited for the various messages to roll in, I subconsciously looked for that ever-familiar address, Mark Hoogsteen.

The messages had been there, day after day, just like clockwork since I assumed the roll of clerk of session.

Rev. Mark and I communicated by email. Of course, we also talked on the phone and met in person, but many of our messages were over the internet. It was fast, easy and unobtrusive.

A quick question, a short answer. A time saver so we could move on to other things.

Some days there would be a single message, on other occasions, there would be two or three or four or more. In other words, he kept on top of everything that was Knox Church.

Mark (and his messages) will be missed.

It was indeed with sheer disbelief that I heard Kathy’s words on Saturday night that Mark had passed away. Our minister, our passionate, compassionate, devoted minister had died.

Mark’s time at Knox was relatively short, but it was so packed with promise. He was inducted on March 30, 2008, and during his three years as our minister, he spent so much of his time providing his unique blend of pastoral care.

Mark cared for others in a very real way. His visit to Malawi opened his eyes to new mission opportunities, wanting to do so much to help those in need.

He spent many hours on Presbytery work, helping other ministers and other congregations in their time of need.

Just days before his death, he set in motion the structure for a new vision for Knox, with an ad hoc committee in place to begin planning for the future of our church, a vision that would build on establishing goals for five to 10 years into the future.

Just as his emails will be missed, so too will be his inspirational messages, his helpful advice, his warm and caring presence.

There is obviously a huge vacuum in the leadership of the church when the minister passes away, but I am pleased at the speed taken by the Presbytery of Hamilton to fill this void.

Within 24 hours of Mark’s death, the presbytery not only had an interim moderator in place but also had a minister available to lead us in Sunday worship over the next several weeks.

The Rev. Thomas Kay, minister of MacNab Street Presbyterian Church in Hamilton, will serve as interim moderator, at least until the September meeting of the Hamilton Presbytery. Rev. Kay will be filling the pulpit on June 19, and this will give the congregation the opportunity to meet him at that time as he prepares to give us leadership through this difficult time.

The congregational meeting scheduled for May 29 has been rescheduled for June 19 and at that time the congregation will elect new elders, re-appoint the church treasurer, elect representatives to the board of managers, appoint the church trustees and conduct any of other business deemed necessary.

The Rev. Linda Corry will be leading the congregation in worship on June26, while the Rev. Dr. Alan McPherson, now retired, but minister of Central Presbyterian Church, Hamilton, from 1980 to 2005, and moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Canada in 1994, will lead us in worship on July 3, 10 and 17.