i’m back…

The intriguing month of October 2022 – Part A

This has been a very interesting and sometimes confounding month. Many milestones, a few bumpy moments, some sad and reflective times. I’ve decided to write you a long epistle, but break in down into parts so that you don’t get eye strain trying to read it all at once. However, I am not going to unfold the story in a time-relevant sequence, so you might have to go back once in a while to get the full context… Nevertheless, here goes:

This weekend has been a microcosm of the month – highs, lows, sadness, celebration… For starters, each day has begun with a video service almost ninety [90] minutes in length. Now I am seldom able to stay awake that long in any major service, so when I tell you that I did not sleep once during each broadcast, you know that the events were important and impactful.

The first service, while it was a Celebration of Life, was both shocking and sad. I heard about it very unexpectantly as the week drew to a close. A long time friend of mine – Andrew Johnston, a minister (who comes from a ministerial family that has been friends of my parents for many years) who I really came to know during my time in the midst of the last decade when I lived in Ottawa, wrote me an e-mail indicating that his wife of forty years had died suddenly. He had retired earlier this year from St. Andrew’s Presbyterian church in Kingston (where I would occasionally attend when traveling to or through that beautiful city) and he and his wife had moved back to their home in Ottawa (which they had kept from when he was minister at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian in that city).

To make a long story short, in mid September his wife, Béatrice (or Béa for short) woke up with a severe pain in her back. They decided that this unusual situation warranted a trip to the ER at a nearby hospital. After quite a lengthy stay that evening she was informed that she was suffering from an aggressive & acute form of pancreatic cancer. She returned home and shortly thereafter her family traveled to spend time with her. She was able to enjoy Thanksgiving with them all and even coached her children as to how to prepare the turkey. (She was renowned for her skills in the kitchen, although she also was a superb teacher en français having grown up in Europe of French parents!) Two days after Thanksgiving she passed away. Ironically for me, it was the 14th anniversary of my current marriage – Andrew had not only performed the ceremony, he had brought my wife into the Presbyterian Church (she originally was Roman Catholic francophone from Québec).

Because of special connections (when she joined St. Andrew’s Ottawa), ST was invited to a special dinner at the manse (the name given to the home of Presbyterian ministers) and found Béa to be a wonderful host and a delightful comrade as both of them were introduced to this thing called the Presbyterian Church in Canada (PCC) by their partners.

If you are interested in learning more about Béa you can go to the St. Andrew’s (Ottawa) web-site and look for the You Tube production as the event took place on Saturday October 22nd – let me just say that the service was very special. It truly was a celebration of her life and it was done in both a reflective and joyous way. The music was so well chosen that it took me back to when I would attend services at St. Andrew’s where I would always see he and often her children keenly following the worship led by Andrew. The spoken words were illuminating, especially if one had not been exceptionally close to her – like my mother, she devoted herself to making sure her husband’s vocational calling had all the home support needed. And when Andrew spoke at the celebration (which was a act of amazing courage and a demonstration of his deep, abiding faith) it was as though he was talking to her, and letting us all listen. It was truly amazing. As impactful was the way he wove scripture readings into his sermon – and he had various young people from the next generation in the family do the readings. To cap it all off, the service was held in St. Andrew’s Ottawa which is a magnificent church with a powerful organ – all of which supported the Celebration in a truly uplifting way.

But in spite of all this I am still sad – sad that Béa’s time with us has been shorter than we would have wished, sad for Andrew as he is moving into retirement now alone and without his rock, sad for his children (& grandkids) as they will only have memories of this wonderful woman who graced this earth for a mere sixty-two [62] years.

The second service was one of reflection, rejoicing and celebration as well; however this one had more humor, more joy than sadness, and in some ways was known about for some time. It was the service held during the evening of October 2nd, by the congregation of Zion Presbyterian in Charlottetown on the final Sunday in a sixteen [16] year ministry by Rev. Dr. Doug Rollwage at that church and the conclusion of his lifelong active ministry as he has now retired. Again the music was special, and the organist & choir made sure everyone wanted to sing. The tributes were genuine and many – coming from representatives of the various courts of the church (the PCC), from people of former congregations or walks of life, from friends and colleagues. There were funny moments, deeply appreciative moments, surprising moments and re-assuring moments. It was a well put together service for a man who became a solid, life-long friend of mine when we met on PEI.

Doug is an amazing minister – coming out of the Pentecostal tradition, he obviously gained acceptance within the Presbyterian (or reformed) denomination due to his strong intellect and refined preaching that was Scripture based yet person-centric. He was able to draw on texts often more than two thousand years old and make them contemporary. He could demonstrate parallels from Old Testament characters and their challenges to present-day leadership moral dilemmas. He was masterful at using audio-visual aids to reinforce or illuminate key points in his sermons. And he always knew how to make sure that the music helped uplift the message. His prayers went straight to the heart and most times conveyed messages that sitting in the pew made one feel he was praying on your behalf.

Doug also is an incredible tour guide. His pilgrimages to Israel are nothing short of legendary. Not only does he know his Biblical history, he makes sure the geo-political guide that accompanies him is equally astute on that aspect of the trip. In the eight [8] days I was with him on one of those journeys, I learned more than I would have in an entire year at one of our theological colleges. It was a life-altering event for me (and it was for many others I have talked to who have done a similar journey with him). He has been acknowledged by the government of Israel for his efforts at helping bridge divides between Christianity and Judaism, between us and them in our world view (all this coming from a man whose father was a WWII pilot in the luftwaffe and mother was a scientist with Von Braun).

On another front he has been a keen supporter of the Canadian food gains project. He made it a central piece of the mission outreach of Zion and so has inspired many on PEI to get involved in raising awareness and then monies.

And as I mentioned earlier, he has become a solid friend of mine. He has visited; he has lent me his home when I was interim supply preaching on the Island, we ZOOM or phone. And we both enjoy fine scotch and good wine!! While part of me wishes he hadn’t retired so soon, I know that he has earned every moment of rest. He worked at a frenetic pace, was a great preacher, really new how to pastor, brought humor into situations that really needed it, and understood church polity & order as well as anyone. He was honoured with a Doctor of Divinity (D.D.) degree this past spring by Presbyterian College at McGill. His ministry didn’t need that to validate it, but the distinction it gives him let’s the world know that he is a special theologian. For those of us that know him, we’ve known that for a long time.

A little known side bar to his ministry – at one time Mr. & Mrs. Punch Imlach were in his congregation in Toronto. Another thing I might add – his wife is a very good teacher and has a wonderful singing voice. As for his kids: the daughter is a brilliant musician and his son probably knows more about the history of Charlottetown than many Islanders. I can only imagine what his grandkids will grow up to be – no doubt movers and shakers in their own worlds.

And there you have it – two services in October recognizing two special people – one service perhaps more sad than joyful, one definitely more joyful than sad. Both events impacting the manse – a place where I myself spent my formative years. Both impacting me now. I pray for Andrew that he is given the strength to move forward; I pray for Doug that he is given the good sense to take life a bit easier for at least a while, moving forward…

In the meantime, I will start working on Part B

g.w.