The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
The Flin Flon Ministerial Association has been blessed with the presence of the new United Church Minister, Reverend Janis Campbell. The Reverend Janis Campbell was born and raised in Lunnenberg, Nova Scotia. Janis is deeply rooted in the Maritimes. Her first career after earning an Arts degree in Education and majoring in English, at Acadia University, was teaching high school. This she did before and after her marriage. Janis stopped only after her son was born. (Her son now lives and works in Edmonton). About 12 years after earning her teaching degree, Janis enrolled in the Atlantic School of Theology in 1983. This is where Catholic, Anglican and United priests and ministers study. She said there was only one day, Wednesday, when each denomination had their own teachings, the rest of the time the students were all taught together, similar to an ecumenical setting. "I have had a life long interest in the church and in the ministry," Janis stated. "I have a very solid sense of tradition of The United Church of Canada," she added. Janis went on to say that she is the granddaughter of Reverend Malcolm Allaistar Campbell who was the country parson in Cape Breton and Prince Edward Island. She proudly shows a tiny book that holds his personal notes dated 1860 to 1904 and laughingly says, "payment for his services was often hay for his horse!" She adds, "I come from a long line of people who have close involvement in the church and because of the way my mind is shaped, reaches back beyond the centuries." From the moment that you meet this lady, there is no doubt that she is fulfilling her calling. Janis was ordained in 1990. For personal reasons, to do with her son's education, Janis was "settled" (the term used in the church for her first posting) at a church in East Toronto called Centennial-Rouge. From there, she went back to Halifax and then on to Musquodoboit Valley. "I spent the happiest five years of my life there," she beams. "There were three little churches there and I even learned how to dance! I learned the round dance, polka, waltzing and set dancing. I had a ball!" Then Janis went on to Montreal and served in an old established congregation in the heart of the city. "I learned a little French," she laughs. Then Janis decided to come West since the furthest West she had been was Toronto. Janis went to Winnipeg and served one year at Sturgeon Creek United Church. Then, unsure about what to do, she went to Conference and received the appointment which is called an "Intentional Interim Ministry" to come to Flin Flon. This is an appointment by the Presbytery on recommendation of the Conference Interim Ministry Committee. Although new to our community, Janis did a funeral last week with such caring that a person who didn't know better would have thought that she had known the deceased his whole life. See 'Help' P.# Con't from P.# Janis simply stated, "I have additional training and can help facilitate a transition on the part of Northminster Memorial United Church. I want to help the congregation draw on their strengths and help them strengthen their identity as a congregation of The United Church of Canada." The terms of her appointment are: that the appointment is made for one year, but is renewable. The congregation of this church and herself, in consultation with Presbytery and Conference will work out how long she will stay at Northminster United Church. "Ordinarily the term is for two years but in this case it may or may not be true," stated Janis. She smilingly says: "This is not a job to me. I am happy to be where I am needed. It is a pleasure and a privilege to come to Flin Flon."
