As previously announced, we are electing new elders for church leadership. Professing members can vote on our nominees after the service on Sun. Feb. 1st. (Professing members are those who have gone through the formal membership process (including confirmation) or have transferred their membership from another congregation.)
Every 2 years a third of our elders have their term expire, and a new third is elected. This cycle we were looking for four new elders. 9 people were nominated, and 3 decided to let their name stand. We have always trusted that God provides whatever is needed. We continue to trust his hand in this process.
So, if there are only 3 nominees, do we still have an election? Yes. There will be 3 names on the ballot, and up to 3 names can be selected. This allows the congregation to affirm the nominees in their leadership.
Individuals already serving as elders are Jim Bewick, Mary Colvin, Guy Gagnon, Colin Leonard, Carolyn Trott, and Rev. Ruttan.
Tom Walsh (re-election for a 2nd term)
I was baptized as a child and was part of a family that attended church regularly. As I grew, so did my faith. Every day I recognize the influence and importance of God in my life and my faith comes from knowing that He is always with me. I understand that no matter how good or bad my day is, the best is yet to come.
My family and I have been attending Westminster since 2013. We were introduced to the congregation through our daughter’s great experience at Vacation Bible Camp several years before that. After a period of observing how things operated, when asked, I took on an Ushering role. As time passed, I was drawn to contribute more of myself and have since helped with VBS and completed some repairs to the building where I felt my skills were relevant.
I joined Session in 2020 and have been in a role that is not my natural inclination. It has been an excellent growth experience; from the perspectives of learning the role as well as benefitting from the faithful leadership of Matthew and working as a team.
Dan DenHaan
I have been an active member of various churches since my childhood in the Alliston Christian Reformed Church. I started attending Westminster in 2015.
My faith is my source of assurance for living on this side of Eternity. I am assured that I am loved by God and by all those who abide in Him. I am assured of Christ's grace and mercy for me as I strive to be a conduit of Christ's blessing to those around me. I am assured of the Holy Spirit's
enabling as I engage challenges and consider their broad repercussions. My assurance through faith gives me the peace to be thoughtful, methodical, patient, and deliberate as I serve God in a changing world.
I attend Westminster's weekly services in person. I am part of the worship team as a sound board technician.
Meredith Agius
My faith has been important for me as long as I can remember. Growing up in a committed and involved Church family helped shape my faith and commitments, as did morning chapel services at the start of the school day at the school I attended throughout High School. I confirmed my faith as a teenager. In adulthood, I faced the death of my infant son, Crawford and widowhood while raising two other young children (now 26 and 27). I was constantly reassured and encouraged by my faith by the people at the Church that I attended, and God showed me my worth in Him, as well as His blessing, provision and gave me peace as I learned to let go and trust in Him more and more. As I did that, He put the right people and opportunities in front of me. I went through a great deal of spiritual and personal growth in that valley. It was a refinement by fire.
I have been active within the Westminster community since 2021. My areas of involvement have been in VBS, Youth, Outreach, the Music Ministry and maintaining the messages on the sign. I am a regular participant in Vine Groups.
In my spare time, I enjoy music and performing arts, languages, humour and figure skating. I also enjoy serving in the community with various projects, mainly dealing with youth and adult homelessness, pregnancy and infant loss awareness and support, and fundraising for the Huronia Symphony. I am known to attend as many baseball games as possible with the Blue Jays and Barrie Baycats.