I was born in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, and grew up in Elliot Lake when it was a uranium mining boom town in the ‘50’s and ‘60’s. My first career was elementary Special Ed. Teacher in Toronto and then attended Emmanuel College to prepare for ministry.
After ordination, I was settled in North Bay Presbytery, in Loring Pastoral Charge, at St. Andrew’s in Port Loring and St. Paul’s in Golden Valley, where I served from June, 2005-July 2017.
I enjoy very much being the minister of Unity United Church and living in rural Midland since September, 2017. Unity’s goals are to be an open and inclusive church, reaching out to our local and global communities and to nurture faith, spiritual growth and fellowship.
I serve the community by being the Padre for the Victoria Harbour Sunset Legion Branch 523, working with Phyllis and her charity ‘Warm & Cozy’ that provides new winter clothing for students in the Midland area schools, being an on-call chaplain at the Georgian Bay General Hospital and being part of a ‘Drumming Circle’ at the Chigamik Center in Midland.
At the Regional Level, I have served on the Social and Ecological Justice Commission for four years and have been the Chair of the Living into Right Relations for three years. We are striving to be an active community church where there are interest groups and activities where everyone feels welcomed.
My family includes: my son, Greg who is a Superintendent in the Simcoe District School Board, granddaughter, Vanessa who lives with her husband and child, Elio, in the Netherlands, and grandsons Josh in Toronto and Ben in Calgary.
God Bless, Rev. Lois Brown