Minister – Rev. Amanda Henderson-Bolton
Our Minister is the spiritual and organizational head of the church. She leads worship services and presides during the sacraments of Baptism and Communion. She is the Moderator of the Kirk’s Session, its senior decision making body, and is an ex officio member of all Session committees. As our Teaching Elder she leads select Christian Education activities. Rev. Amanda is our clergy representative on the PEI Presbytery, where she serves as Moderator, and also serves on the Presbyterian World Service and Development committee of the national church. Rev. Amanda is warm, compassionate, pastoral, dedicated, courageous and full of good humour.
Rev. Amanda was born and raised on a farm in rural Nova Scotia. After completing her B.A at St. Stephen University (officially the smallest university in Canada!) she took some time to travel and work overseas. Upon returning home she completed her M.A Theology and M. of Divinity at Acadia Divinity College and then did her final year of study at Presbyterian College in Montreal. Amanda is married to Chad Bolton and together they share the manse with a spoiled golden retriever, a very bossy cat and their sons, Grayson and Theo. While she loves reading, summers on the east coast, and crafting, nothing brings her greater joy than working with the congregation at the Kirk. She has long felt like the luckiest person in the world to get to share daily life with these incredible people.
Church Administrator – Amy Holloway
Director of Music – Frances McBurnie
A remarkably talented musician, Frances is both our Choir Director and Organist, playing our 1957 Casavant Freres’ organ with verve, skill and subtlety and leading our Senior Choir in harmonious songs of praise. Where numbers warrant she leads our Junior Choir as well, instilling a love of music in our youth. She also mentors our Choral Scholars, a number of University of PEI Music Department voice students who dedicate time to the activities of our choir while also pursuing their academic studies.
Frances has degrees from Mount Allison and Western Universities, and an honorary doctorate from the University of Prince Edward Island. . Previous church positions include St. John’s Presbyterian, Belfast, PE, and Sackville United, Sackville, NB. For many years she taught elementary music and intermediate mathematics in the school system. She continues to teach piano, theory, and to collaborate with many artists.
SESSION
Session is the senior decision making body of the church. It is composed of twelve Elders, elected by the congregation, and is chaired by the Moderator, our Minister. Session oversees the general running of the church, ensures that Session committees are functioning well, appropriately resourced and meeting their mandates, approves
requests for weddings and baptisms, maintains the membership roll, and provides leadership for congregational events. Members of Session are elected for six year terms, with one third of Session being elected every two years. In addition to serving on Session, Elders, both active (on Session) and those no longer serving on Session, serve Communion, act as ushers during church services, and bring pastoral care needs to the attention of the church leadership.
The Kirk Session:
Shauna Sullivan Curley – Action Clerk of Session
Tim Rose – Recording Clerk of Session
Katherine Burnett
Nelson Hagerman
David Harrison
Jocelyne Lloyd
Douglas Macmichael
Georgie Macmichael
Jennifer Moss
Constance Robinson
David Robinson
Josephine Rose
Committees of Session
Christian Education
The Christian Education committee is responsible for ensuring that the ongoing and evolving educational needs and interests of the congregation are met. It provides a staffed Nursery for children from newborn to three years of age; a Sunday School program for children ages four to twelve; and a variety of learning opportunities for the adults in the Kirk family. Christian Education also ensures that Membership classes are available to teens and adults who wish to profess their faith in Christ and formally join the congregation.
Co-Conveners: Ian Scott and David Robinson
Mission and Outreach
The Mission and Outreach committee organizes and coordinates our activity in the community. It organizes our Fa!th in Action weekend of community outreach activities each spring; our Christmas outreach programs like Helping Hampers and the Upper Room Gift Bags; donations to the UPEI Food Bank; and coordinates our monthly provision of a meal at the Upper Room. Mission and Outreach also supports non-recurring events like our recent support for an Iranian family fleeing religious repression. Recently, and also falling under the Outreach banner, we have organized a series of workshops at the Kirk where instruction was offered in making Christmas centerpieces, Easter wreaths, rug hooking and rug braiding.
Convener: Michele Halliwell
Pastoral Care
The Pastoral Care committee provides outreach and support to those in the congregation facing a particular need due to age, infirmity, bereavement or personal hardship. It makes regular visits to members of the congregation living in nursing homes or those who are unable to leave their homes for a variety of reasons. It also celebrates Christmas with shut-ins and marks their birthdays.
Convener:
Heritage
Having a 140 year-old Sanctuary, a century old Church Hall, and nearly 200 years of history as a congregation, means that we have a rich heritage to celebrate and preserve. The Heritage committee supports and encourages an appreciation for the unique architectural heritage of the Kirk; ensures that Memorials are properly recognized; helps
to mark special historical dates in the life of the congregation; and assists in the archiving of relevant documentary evidence of the Kirk’s rich collective life.
Convener: James Macnutt
Worship
The Worship committee supports the Minister and the Director of Music in planning worship services. It receives and vets suggestions for special services. It ensures that the liturgical colours and banners appropriate to the calendar are displayed in the Sanctuary. The committee also organizes Scripture readers for weekly worship services. It supports work to decorate the Sanctuary for services throughout the year. As appropriate, it supports the Music Director in organizing special music for services like Easter, Remembrance Day, Christmas Eve and during the summer season when the choir is less active.
Convener: Jocelyne Lloyd
Fellowship
The Fellowship committee organizes a roster of hosts for the Kirk’s post-worship fellowship time. It also organizes and hosts three congregational lunches each year; one to mark the annual congregational meeting in February, one to celebrate the Fa!th in Action weekend in June; and one in December held in connection with the visit of Santa Claus. The committee hosts the Kirk Levee, held on December 31st. This committee also organizes the purchase and display of memorial poinsettias in the Sanctuary each Advent season.
Convener: Katherine Burnett
PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN
The Presbyterian Women have a long history at the Kirk. In 1972, the Association of Presbyterian Women of Saint James (the Presbyterian Women), was formed by the amalgamation of the Women’s Missionary Society and the Kirk Auxiliary, which was itself made up of a number of constituent sub-groups. The association pursues both mission work and a variety of initiatives which are designed to support the life and community of the Kirk. It is represented within the PEI Presbyterial of the Atlantic Mission Society. The Presbyterian Women provides refreshments following some funerals and after events like the Royal Commonwealth Day Service which is traditionally held at the Kirk. The association keeps in touch with senior and shut-in
members through telephone calls, visits and greeting cards. They are an integral part of the Kirk family.
President: Christy Ashby
MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
The Management committee and its sub-committees are responsible for financial management, property and human resource matters within the Kirk. They ensure that offerings are accounted for, bills are paid, staff are compensated, building maintenance is done and personnel matters are professionally managed. The Management committee also oversees any rentals or leases of the Kirk property. There are Management Committee sub-committees that handle Property, Human Resources, Finance and Stewardship.
Chair: Philip Champion
Treasurer — Wayne McMillan
TRUSTEES
The Act Respecting St. James Presbyterian Church in Charlottetown provides for Trustees, “who shall be the signing officers for the corporation in relation to the sale, transfer, encumbering and conveying of the real or personal property vested in the corporation.” The Act states that there shall not be more than three Trustees, that they be Professing Members of the Kirk, and that they act on the direction of the Session. They serve for terms of one year.
2024 Trustees:
Don MacKenzie, Chair
Wayne McMillan
James Macnutt