Greetings to the faithful parishioners of St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church. While I have regularly been the Celebrant and Preacher among you on a number of occasions and our faces are familiar to each other there are probably some gaps that need filling in as to who I am (besides a priest) and my journey that has brought me to you in this liminal time due to your Rector Patrick's medical leave.
I am a lifelong Anglican – or as my mother would say – Church of England. I was born in England as were my older brother and identical twin sister. As kids growing up in Fort William Ontario we were “sent” to church, quite normal for the time, I sang in the junior choir was active in CGIT, and completely in love with the idea of joining a cloistered community!
After a move to BC and settling in the Lower Mainland I continued to attend church and be as involved as I could while completing my education, getting married, moving to Williams Lake, and raising two wonderful children. It was in Williams Lake I first felt the call toward something more than being in the choir and participating in church activities. It was a wonderful Parish Priest who nurtured my exploration and who encouraged me to have conversations with the Examining Chaplain and the Bishop for our Diocese.
My journey toward ordination was not without hiccups as I felt I was being led towards the Vocational Diaconate, but that door kept closing! It was another priest who encouraged me to explore the Priesthood and attend Seminary with the goal of becoming ordained a Priest. ACPO was competed first and VST followed. It was an experience that will stay with me forever. The whole campus was under construction but “we survived” “we convocated” and “we became ordained.” Your Rector Patrick was a classmate, and I have fond memories of the time we spent as students. The best was the production of Godspell, put on by staff and students. A first for VST!
I was ordained to the Transitional Diaconate in 2007 and priested in 2008. My first two years were spent on Vancouver Island. In 2009 I accepted a position in the Diocese of New Westminster and have been in various positions ever since. I took a short break from Parish Ministry to become one of the Chaplains at George Derby Care Centre. I loved my time there. Interim Ministry has been a calling of mine for some time. In between Interim positions I’ve been available for Sunday Supply and short-term leaves like this one, which enables parish priests to take their much-needed time away.
It is my privilege to journey with you during this liminal time.
The Rev. Georgina Harris
Associate Priest
