Rev. Thomas Brings New Energy to United Churches in Morinville and Beyond

by Lucie Roy

Reverend Timothy (Tim) Thomas’s first service in Morinville was held on June 11 and he will be here again on June 25. He will lead services in Morinville and Namao on the second and fourth Sundays of each month. On the first and third Sunday, he will be in Bon Accord and Coronado.

Rev. Tim Thomas is the 10th minister at the Morinville United Church, preceded by Dale Irving. Don Brown, Norman MacDonald, Brad Busch and Pastor Roy, Rev. Clair Woodbury, Karen Gusek, Rev. Alice Hanson and Anne Telford.

Deb Thomas, Board Chair of the Morinville United Church, said this is part of the New Hope Collaborative Board consisting of Bon Accord, Coronado, Morinville and Namao United Churches. Deb Thomas said Pastor Anne Telford retired in June 2022, and they began the process of looking for a new minister. At that time, they realized that their congregation had gotten smaller and that hiring a minister on their own was no longer feasible. Therefore they joined services with Bon Accord, Namao and Coronado churches and hired one minister, Rev. Thomas, to serve all four churches.

Rev Thomas said this “collaboration is brought about by necessity. Religion is dying in the Western world, so as it shrinks, you see more and more churches cooperating.”

These are all small United Churches, and he used to serve Namao and Bon Accord about 15 years ago.

But Rev. Thomas said this is not just a survival strategy; it can also bring new energy, new ideas and a fresh outlook.

He said it is very similar to what has happened before. In 1925 the United Church was formed as the Methodist Church, some Presbyterian Churches, and the Congregational Union of Canada entered into a union. Also joining them was the General Council of Union Churches which were mostly in Western Canada.

Rev.Thomas said they had to do so in order to survive, they had to work together, so it is the same thing all over again.

It is a slightly different socio-economic climate. Back then, it was all about we are small, and we have to survive, and now the churches are well-established societies now, but religion is in decline.

Rev.Thomas, who has 27 years of service with the United Church of Canada, spoke of the changing times with the churches as more and more look at ways to provide other services.