Meet the Canadian Messy Church Leadership Team:
Carol Fletcher, Team Lead
When Carol first suggested Messy Church to the congregation she serves (Transcona Memorial United Church in Winnipeg) in 2011, it was a new idea that caught everyone’s imagination. In a decade it has grown and flourished and is now re-conceiving itself in distanced Christ-centred fun ‘Messy Church at Home’. Carol has been part of the Canadian Team since 2014, attending national and international conferences. Working with creative energy-filled teams, Carol now co-ordinates the Canadian Messy Church endeavour. For Carol, Messy Church is one of those ways of connecting that really connects.
Carol can be reached at cjlfletcher@shaw.ca
Neil Mancor
Neil Mancor has been involved in Messy Church since 2014 when he helped establish one at his church in the Diocese of Montreal. Though not terribly crafty, he is very creative and was often involved in telling the stories using all sorts of materials and ideas. Since then he has been involved in national and international conferences and has enjoyed running Messy Fiestas to encourage others to create their own Messy Churches. In his current role as Congregational Development Coordinator for the Diocese of Montreal, Neil enjoys going around to different Messy Churches and watching all the messy life that happens there.
Neil can be reached at nmancor@montreal.anglican.ca
Mark and Jane Hird-Rutter
Jane and Mark were first encouraged to investigate Messy Church in 2009. Twelve years and two churches later they are still involved, running a successful Messy Church at Saint Peter Quamichan, in Duncan on Vancouver Island and being Regional Coordinators for British Columbia. We feel deeply blessed to be part of this ministry as it has been a meaningful part of our own growth and spiritual journey. Through COVID we have embraced “Messy Church in a Bag” This provides crafts, prayers, songs (often original lyrics, sometimes actions), a Bible reading, goodies and a short video for families. This program reaches out to over 30 families each month.
Mark and Jane can be reached at messychurch@stpeterduncan.ca
Sue Kalbfleisch
Following an exciting meeting with Lucy Moore in the UK in 2009, Sue Kalbfleisch from Ancaster Ontario, has been involved in all things messy in Canada – as a Messy Church leader, workshop presenter, administrator, and former Messy Church Canada Team Leader (from October 2009-March 2021). Along with a great team, Sue was instrumental in hosting a national MC conference in Toronto (2017) and launching the Messy Church On-Line Course. Now retired as the MCC Team Leader, Sue is pleased to be continuing as a Resource Person.
Sue can be reached at: ask@nas.net
Nancy Rowe
Nancy was looking for a new idea for family ministry at St. George’s Anglican Church in Georgetown Ontario in 2007 and discovered Messy Church . She ordered the Messy Church book from Britain and took the first tentative steps on a new and exciting ministry journey. Soon people came asking for guidance to start their own Messy Church. The next step was to join with Sue and Andy Kalbfleish to provide workshops to meet the growing demand. She has participated in numerous international Messy Church conferences and was involved in planning and participating in Canada’s National Messy Church Conference in Toronto. She also participated in creating the Canadian on-line Messy Church course which is available to anyone interested in making Messy Church part of their ministry. She is excited to be part of the Canadian Messy Church and to be able to share and explore together the adventure.
Nancy can be reached at: nancyannerowe@gmail.com
Barb Patterson
Barb Patterson started a Messy church in her parish in 2010. The priest at the time said ”Let’s do it” so we jumped right in and never looked back.
As the GTA coordinators she has visited many Messy churches and always comes away impressed by the volunteer teams dedication and creativity in spreading the Gospel message.
Barb can be reached at bepatter@rogers.com