Well, summer is winding down. Tomorrow I will be back on busy Highway 93 for my school crossing guard duties. And 3 Sunday’s ago I returned to the pulpit to preach at the three churches of the Uptergrove Charge after our 4 week summer break. It’s been a good summer break. Other years I have agreed to speak at other churches for one or two weeks during summer break. This year I decided to decline all invitations to speak. I really needed summer break for myself to recharge my own batteries.

Summer break also gives an opportunity to reflect over the past year. And even further back, as I look back over my life. I know 50 years ago as a 17 year old I would never have seen myself up at the front of three churches preaching week after week. Following the sudden death of my father I was extremely withdrawn. My grades in high school were so bad at the time it was impossible to get into any college or university. Even my guidance counselor told me that.

Ten years later when I was 26, I was attending a small country church who had a pastor named Don Ballantyne. He saw a lot of potential in me for God’s kingdom. Much more than I saw in myself. He suggested I attend this Bible School out in New Brunswick. The school was nonaccredited. Even though my high school grades were a disaster, as long as I graduated from high school, I should be accepted. And I was.

At New Brunswick Bible Institute I learned a lot about the Bible during my years there. Plus I got to meet Lynne, the young lady who would one day be my wife. But it was during summer breaks that Pastor Don gave me plenty of opportunities to preach. Preaching class (called homiletics) where we learned technique, oratory, and rhetoric is one thing, but nothing can compare to logging time in a real pulpit, in a real church, preaching God’s word to real church members. Most everybody’s first sermon is bad (myself included) and the second often times is not much better. Pastor Don continued to encourage me to “get back on the horse” to ride again. These was also another retired minister named Reverend Raymond LeDrew who also really encouraged me during this time.

A lot happened after Bible School. I married in New Zealand that special young lady named Lynne I met at Bible School. I arrived in New Zealand 2 weeks before our wedding. Not only did Lynne do all the wedding planning. She even had arranged for me to preach for 3 weeks at a little Presbyterian Church on Stewart Island at the end of an epic 7 week honeymoon. This would be the 1st time I would preach in a Presbyterian church. It also would be the 1st time I would preach to a congregation I didn’t know. The congregation was so loving, appreciative and kind. It was a confirmation that maybe God has given the shy introvert that I am a gift of preaching.

Lynne and I lived in New Zealand for 7 months, but returned to Canada due to myself having trouble getting my residency. Plus I had a job offer back in Canada. Pastor Don was no longer at my home church and after a few months Lynne and I mutually opted for a change and started attending a much larger church. Soon Lynne and I were teaching together Junior High Sunday School. It wasn’t long before the room we were using was bursting at the seams. Some great memories there. We continued to attend this large church over the years as there was a lot of great programs for our kids at this church. I also served for a while on the deacons board. But as far as preaching goes, there was never given me any opportunities to share God’s Word from the pulpit.

My wife plays the piano, and nineteen years later my wife was invited to play the piano one Sunday at a very small Presbyterian church at Craighurst. The church didn’t have a basement or even indoor plumbing. Lynne never played at the big church and was very happy to be able to use her gifts for the Lord. First Peter 4:10 says, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms”. I wasn’t at that service Lynne played the piano at, but after the service there was a discussion of there being several future Sunday’s that didn’t have speakers for their Sunday services. My dear wife piped up and said “Carl preaches”. I affectionately refer in my heart of Lynne being my “agent”. Not only has she encouraged and supported my preaching, she also promotes it. Even if it just happened to be 19 years since I last preached a sermon. Personally, I definitely do not feel comfortable promoting myself. Soon I got a phone call from the Craighurst church moderator asking if I would speak for a Sunday.

I can’t remember what my sermon was about. Or if it even went well. What I do remember was the congregation was so appreciative. They wanted me back. These would be the last few months remaining for this church as it already in the works to close later that summer. Knox Presbyterian Church, Craighurst was the second church of a two point charge with St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, Hillsdale. After a few Sundays I was asked to continue in Hillsdale as pulpit supply indefinitely. It was great to be back preaching again. I felt this was where God would have me. But at the same time, I was coming into Hillsdale under extremely difficult circumstances. Just before my arrival the church had a major split where over half the congregation left. Those remaining were struggling and hurting. Even to the point that there was speculation that the church could soon close. This church was the last remaining church in Hillsdale. There used to be three. It would be a really sad day for Hillsdale if it were to close.

So I poured my heart into this little church congregation. Vacant church roles were filled. But it did require those few faithful to be stretched even further. Year by year I continued to be called on to preach God’s Word each Sunday while Lynne played the piano. Since then I preached well over 500 sermons at the Hillsdale church. I have always wondered if my wife had any idea what could happen when she said, “Carl preaches”. In 1 Corinthians 9:16 (NIV) Paul declares “For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” As I read these words they really sunk in. I can now really identify with it. What the Apostle Paul is saying is that we are compelled to preach. We do not preach because we might get paid. We do not preach because it’s what our congregation expects. We do not preach for the affirmation it brings. We preach because we are compelled. We preach because we are called. We also preach because we believe the power of the Gospel is life changing. It was the preaching of others that shaped my own life. I personally believe in preaching. God does also. Of all the strategies that God could have used to get his message out, he chose ordinary men and women like you and me. To me this is very humbling.

A very deep valley that God had me walk through is to learn is that I am not in charge of results. That’s up to God. My job was to do what Paul commanded Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:2 (NLT), “Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching”. After preaching and ministering for 11 years and 4 months the Hillsdale church did close during Covid. Like many older churches the congregation was aging with no younger people coming in. The church in Hillsdale was in good shape financially. The faithful congregation was very generous this way. But with health issues of so many, they were not able to physically keep the church going. After 171 years of faithfully serving the Hillsdale and area community, St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, Hillsdale had it’s dissolution service on May 29, 2022. It was one of the hardest days of my life. I was also the recipient of a few nasty online keyboard warrior attacks because of the church closure on the Facebook Hillsdale church page I administered. They were sent through Messenger. People I didn’t know in the community who had nothing to do with the church. But were vehemently angry with me that it was closing. It really hurt so badly. Lynne told me to get off of Facebook. I took her advice and I never touched that platform for the next 18 months.

Word spread. Other churches and church moderators got word of the Hillsdale closure and that I “might be available” for preaching. This definitely was not something I said. Personally I honestly didn’t want to get back in the pulpit. I was hurting way to badly to minister to others. One of the Moderators was Reverend Linda Patton-Cowie who approached me. She was so genuine, caring and compassionate. I said I would try. She gave me 8 Sundays to choose from at this 3 point charge. Three different Presbyterian churches in three small communities in the country, Jarrett, Rugby and Uptergrove. I told Reverend Linda to put me down for all 8, but allow me to walk away if I didn’t feel I could do it. Each church was so loving, caring and appreciative, so I continued week and week for those 8 weeks. That 8 weeks has now become 3 years. For this entire time Lynne has also been playing the piano at the 3rd church.

So I did a lot of reflection during my summer break. I’ve looked forward to my return to the pulpit at the 3 churches. During a previous summer break I did preach two Sundays from the pulpit of a much larger church that had a worship band and high-tech media. It went well and a very positive experience for me. But my heart continues to be with the smaller congregations that for many generations have been central to communities. Panez Vedavarz has shared some very startling statistics in a recent article (June 24, 2025) for Broadview Magazine. The article is titled, “Canada is Losing its Churches. Can Communities Afford to let That Happen?” He shares that, “It’s no secret that religiosity in Canada is declining, but when faith-based buildings disappear, it’s not just congregations that lose out. Communities do too”. A new report from the Canadian Urban Institute (CUI) notes that “nearly a third of the country’s 27,000 faith buildings are expected to close permanently within the next decade. According to the CUI report, more than 900 non-profit organizations in southern Ontario alone use faith buildings, and 84 percent of them say they have no realistic alternative if those spaces shut down. Nationally, faith buildings account for over 450-million square feet of space, more than 50 times the total floor space of all urban libraries in Canada. Losing these venues would significantly erode the country’s informal social infrastructure”.

I don’t know what the future is for any church. Only God knows. But I invite you to worship at a small church in your community. I encourage you to support local churches if you want to see churches continue in the community. I reflect with sadness of my community of Hillsdale which no longer has a church. If people support churches, they will continue. They are a vital part of our community. You will find a sense of community and purpose. Small churches usually are a friendly family atmosphere. In small churches, everyone knows everyone. We get to know each others needs and prayer requests. We pray one for another. Which strengthens the bond of the church family. In small churches there are always places to serve and use your God given gifts. Take it from me, the non-ordained lay preacher. Nineteen years in a large church and not one opportunity to preach. This has never been an issue in small churches. Whatever gift God has given you, if you have a heart to serve, it is easy for you to get involved in a small church. Not only will your serving be a blessing to others, it will be a blessing to you. Your serving will strengthen the church family. God bless. See you in church.