Brief introduction to the nominees for moderator of the 125th General Assembly.

On Sunday, June 6, 1999, the 125th General Assembly of The Presbyterian Church in Canada will open in Kitchener, Ontario. At that time, a new Moderator will be elected. As was the case last year, the field of candidates is a small one -- three, all with more than 30 years in the ministry. Each candidate has been nominated by at least two presbyteries. Voting to choose a Moderator-Designate takes place prior to Assembly by all members of presbyteries across the country. The Moderator-Designate will be announced April 1.

Robert C. Garvin

As a Minister of Word and Sacraments for nearly 36 years, Robert Garvin says he has faced many "firsts." He is now faced with another first -- being nominated for Moderator. The situation does not daunt him, however. On the contrary, having moderated and clerked several courts of the church, he feels comfortable with the prospect of serving the denomination's highest court. As a past member of the Board of World Mission and the Life and Mission Agency committees, he also has some knowledge of the church's inner workings. He is currently minister of Haney Church in Maple Ridge, British Columbia.

Bob Garvin believes his experience has left him with a combination of administrative and pastoral skills. As superintendent of missions for British Columbia and, subsequently, for Alberta and the Yukon from 1987-1994, he undertook pastoral care for all professional church workers within these bounds. As Moderator, he would bring a pastoral perspective to the issues at hand. But, above all, he would bring his "love for Christ and his people, his Church and the courts of his Church."

Garvin is convinced the Presbyterian Church needs to pursue two strong emphases: the nourishing of its members and the encouraging of its non-members. Christians need to be "inspired to deeper commitment to Christ, to Bible study and to prayer," he says. Congregations also need to be agents of evangelism and revival, bringing the Gospel of Christ to the unchurched.

As Moderator of the 125th General Assembly, Bob Garvin would like to accomplish three tasks: to share with and learn from congregations some effective and creative experiences of growth and outreach; to be a catalyst for the FLAMES initiative established by the 124th General Assembly; and to support the threefold celebration of the millennium, the 125th anniversary of The Presbyterian Church in Canada and the Year of Jubilee.

Bob Garvin and his wife, Carol, have three children.

Vernon W. Tozer

During 35 years of ministry in smalltown and rural congregations, Vern Tozer has developed an affinity for the rural strength of The Presbyterian Church in Canada. As Moderator, he would give this strength a special emphasis. He believes the church needs to see small, rural congregations as a resource, not as a problem. As senior minister of Knox Church, Listowel, Ontario, for the past 18 years, it would appear he knows what of he speaks. Since 1981, the congregation has increased from 856 members to 1,126 -- in a town with a population of 5,300. Tozer also thinks it is important for rural clergy to be involved in their communities. Practising what he preaches, he served for 11 years as a trustee of the Perth County Board of Education, twice as its chair.

Community involvement aside, however, Tozer's primary concerns have always been pastoral care and serving his congregation. If called by the denomination to serve as Moderator, he would encourage the church to re-emphasize traditional teaching with regard to what being "called" means. He is concerned that we speak too often of job openings and job descriptions, and too little of the call of God to positions of leadership and service.

Tozer would also like to see an emphasis on the preaching ministry within the church. Those who attend worship place a high priority on "a scriptural, helpful proclamation of the Word," he stresses. Sermons should be enjoyed rather than endured. Preaching, though never easy, will be an even greater challenge as we move into the new millennium and beyond, he says. Theological education must have as its primary focus the training of people who will be able to preach. "It is an inexcusable shame if we make the most exciting news of all, dull and boring."

Vernon Tozer and his wife, Pauline, have two children.

Arthur Van Seters

Like the Moderator of the 124th General Assembly, Arthur Van Seters has spent over 20 of his 34 years in the ordained ministry as an educator. He has been director of the Montreal Institute for Ministry (connected with The Presbyterian College), principal of the Vancouver School of Theology, and is currently principal of Knox College, Toronto (his five-year term ends in June). This experience, coupled with pastorates in New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario, has given him a love and knowledge of The Presbyterian Church in Canada from coast to coast.

Art Van Seters would make an ideal candidate for a Presbyterian prix de coeur, having attended at least 15 General Assemblies. His main goal as Moderator would be that the Assembly act like the Church, with the courage to face difficult questions, the willingness to respect one another's viewpoints and the patience to work out appropriate responses. He would also welcome "lighter moments that remind us all of our common humanity." After the Assembly, he would seek to be available to congregations and presbyteries to listen to their vision for the church and to share convictions regarding our individual and collective discipleship.

As this century and millennium draw to a close, the church sometimes seems fearful, uncertain of its way. Van Seters wonders if there is not more anxiety than necessary. He believes we need to face our collective angst and discern the heart of God's alternative order that Jesus narrated in his parables. We are rightly worried about not being able to hold our young people, he says, but we can challenge them with the boldness of a Gospel lived in the freedom of Christ. Instead of circling the wagons, he suggests the church open itself to the possibilities of the proposed celebration of the year 2000 as a Year of Jubilee. "We shouldn't expect this to make sense to the world, but it could reshape our whole notion of what it means to be the Body of Christ."

Art Van Seters and his wife, Rowena, have five children.