Rev. Brian Copeland, Minister

I was born in Hamilton, Ontario, and grew up in the small town of Smithville, Ontario in the heart of the Niagara Peninsula. My parents ran a feed and grain mill nearby, and I spent my Saturdays working there during my teens. My Grandmother lived beside us from the time I was 10, and was the principal caregiver for my younger brother and I. We had a small hobby farm out back, so that evening chores, including gathering the eggs from the henhouse, were part of my daily routine. I was raised in the United Church, and participated in many activities from Sunday School to youth group. But when I left home for university in Kingston, a three year period of rebellion from organized religion set in, until one June evening when I went to hear Jean Vanier give a lecture, and as John Wesley said, I felt my heart strangely warmed and returned to the faith, and accepted God's call into the ministry.

I attended Queen's University, specializing in political studies-which has been of considerable benefit in church work-and then studied at Queen's Theological College before ordination in the United Church. During my student ministry I served in downtown Toronto, in northern British Columbia, and spent a year on internship in Burnaby, B.C., where I met my wife Sandra. After ordination, we were settled in La Ronge, Saskatchewan (at the same latitude as Minsk, Siberia), and our two children, Erin and Lesley were born there, and both currently attend university. From there we moved to Brandon, Manitoba for five years. During my last year there I commuted to the University of Winnipeg while working on a graduate degree which included training in Marriage and Family Therapy, stress management, and adult Christian education, as well as working as a chaplain in Outpatient Psychiatry and Palliative Care.

In 1988 we moved to Ottawa, when I was called to ministry at Bells Corners United Church, and settled in Lynwood Village where we continue to live. After seven years in multiple staff ministry, I took what seemed like an enormous risk at the time and went into interim ministry at Glen Cairn United in Kanata. These were three of the most rewarding years of my professional life and have given me a great affection for the challenges and joys of working with congregations in an interim ministry. For two years I worked in the area of Christian development at Trinity United in Ottawa and was stretched in new ways as we created an adult Christian education program, and initiated an alternative worship experience. I then served a two year Interim Ministry at Barrhaven United Church where the loss of their long time Minister was one of the central issues. I served as the Interim Minister with the good folk of Knox United Church until December 2003.

I love reading, especially current fiction work, and have an affection for taking in a movie, and I enjoy a good meal, particularly if it has any component with chocolate, pizza, or apple pie. In the summer I play tennis (if you call our house and Sandra says that I'm at my second parish try the tennis courts!), and in the winter I play squash and cross-country ski.

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