Canon Bristow came to St. Philip’s in the spring of 1998. He is a native of Montreal and a graduate of McGill, but since 1993 he has made Ontario home.
His greatest passion in ministry is to help people grow from nominal belief into vibrant new life in Jesus. “That was my personal experience”, he says, “And there’s nothing to compare with the thrill of seeing someone come alive in Christ.”
He is also deeply committed to mission. “We have friends from every continent and we learn so much from each other. I’ve been strongly influenced by leading several short term missions, first to Honduras and most recently our five year partnership in Tanzania. This is one of the highlights of my ministry. It’s my firm belief that global mission strengthens local outreach.”
Phil & Cheryl have two married daughters and three amazing grandchildren.In his off hours he enjoys biking, cross-country skiing, and renovation projects. A movie that has had the most enduring impact on him is “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn”, the 1945 academy award winning story about a gritty impoverished family in the early 1900’s. It’s about the power of hope.
Phil will retire at the end of June after a fruitful 12 years of ministry. We give thanks for his and Cheryl's ministry. Phil plans to take up sketching the “vanishing landscape” found in Uxbridge Township where he and Cheryl now live, and continue his passion for ministry and mission.
The Reverend Deacon Lorraine Runza
Permanent Deacon
lrunza@powergate.ca
The "offices of the church" are Bishops, Priests and Deacons. Deacons are directly responsible to their bishop.
Deacons are the bridge between the community and the church; and the church to the community.
As such, a deacon is not employed (paid) by the church but has a full or part time paid position in the world outside the church. My "paid" job is to recruit and train pastoral visitors for Bishop George Elliott.
My role at St Philip's is to work along with the incumbent to care for the sick and shut-ins; to work as an advocate and visitor to the elderly in the parish; to assist families in preparation for baptism and confirmation, and take on other roles as the clergy team decides. I assist with the services at Unionvilla, the local nursing home.
My role in the liturgy as a deacon is to read the Gospel, set the table and dismiss the gathered. I preach from time to time as requested.
Captain, The Reverend Greg Bailey
Associate Priest
gebailey@rogers.com
Father Greg’s prime ministry is as a chaplain with the 48th Highlanders Regiment where his duties have included tours in Iraq and Cypress.
St. Philip’s is delighted to welcome Jenny Cheong as our Student Assistant for the academic year 2009-10.
Jenny is in the final year of her M.Div at Wycliffe College. She is an accomplished cellist and pianist and somehow finds time in her busy life to perform with her ensemble The Agelos Trio.
With a M.Mus in piano performance from McGill University and a Ph.D. in music criticism, Roseanne has linked her love of the church and music in the position of Minister of Music at St. Philip’s. Her interest in children’s music, both singing and the imaginative use of different instruments, has found expression in the founding of 2 groups: the
SingingRocks and
Joyful Noise.
Heather's good nature and gifts with kids brings the sound of music and singing to pre-schoolers through Joyful Noise and SingingRocks for older children.
Brian and Naomi Suggs are our Family Pastors and have been at St. Philip's since 2008. Brian, originally from the U.S. and Naomi, an Ontario native, have a passion to make the Gospel of Jesus Christ relevant for children and teenagers in today's world and strive to foster a sense of community for young families at St. Philip's. They have two beautiful children and are continuing their studies at Tyndale Seminary.
We’ve all learned to count on Carolyn Williamson, our Parish Administrator. Carolyn handles a myriad of things, from hall bookings to organizing many of the details around our Sunday Services. Sadly, Carolyn will be retiring at the end of June. We’ll miss her bright outlook and can-do attitude.
Trevor is an amazing problem solver. Whether it’s a plumbing problem, or getting the air conditioning just perfect, he’s on top of it. He sets up for events in the parish hall and liaises with the various groups who use out facilities through Carolyn Williamson, our Parish Administrator. He has never been heard to say, "It’s not my job."