New reverend joins United Church flock

The Agassiz and Rosedale United Churches welcomed their new reverend to the church this month.

Rev. Mary A. Duncan has come to Agassiz from Port Moody most recently, but has lived and ministered all across Canada through her vocation.

Duncan was born in Fredericton, New Brunswick, where she and her 12 brothers and sisters were brought up in the folds of the Anglican Church. As a young woman, Duncan felt drawn to becoming a minister, but the Anglican Church did not ordain women. She thought she was crazy to feel this way, and pushed the thought of becoming a minister out of mind.

After high school, Duncan married a man from the United Church. After eight years of marriage and two children, her husband passed away and Duncan again felt called to the ministry.

“I felt a renewed call to ministry, and was encouraged by folks to pursue it,” she explains.

Duncan was drawn to the United Church because she likes that denomination’s more flexible, liberal theology.

“They encourage people to study the scripture and decide what they believe, rather than telling them what they believe,” Duncan explains. “I enjoy walking with people on that journey.”

A controversial topic in many churches is the ordaining of women as pastors. In the United Church, women have been allowed to fill the role of reverend since 1936, though there were not many that chose to do so until the 1970s.

Duncan’s first year of studies was the worst as the expense for a single mother of two was tough to bear. But after that, she earned enough scholarships to cover the rest of her tuition.

Duncan earned her undergraduate degree in Fredericton at St. Thomas. By the time Duncan had earned her undergraduate degree, she reports she was “brave enough” to move further afield, and headed off to Queen’s Theological College in Kingston, Ontario. She was ordained by the United Church in 1983 and began her ministry.

After a reverend is ordained, Duncan says they have little choice about where their first post will be. She was sent to Conquest, Saskatchewan. Over the next 17 years, Duncan was stationed throughout the province. In the meantime, her daughters grew up, with one moving east to New Brunswick, the other moving west to B.C.

Duncan got remarried, and she and her husband decided to move to B.C. back in 2000 to be closer to one of her children. She has lived and worked in the Lower Mainland since then, most recently at St. Andrews United Church in Port Moody.

So, why the move to Agassiz?

“I wasn’t even really looking for a job,” Duncan confesses.

Her daughter had seen the job posting, told her the Agassiz-Rosedale post was open, and encouraged her to apply. She found out the closing date had already passed, but called the hiring committee, who told her they were still interested in her application. Before she knew it, Duncan was hired and on her way to Agassiz.

Duncan’s first day on the job was July 2. The Observer caught up with her after only a few short days here, but already her impressions of the community were positive

“It’s so beautiful out here. I grew up on a farm in Fredericton, and most of the time in Saskatchewan I was in rural communities,” she says. “I find working in the city, the community isn’t as strong as in a rural area.”

While she says it is too early to tell what the Rosedale and Agassiz churches might need, Duncan already has at least one goal lined up.

“I hope to be able to develop two healthy congregations willing to go out into the world and serve God.”

Rev. Mary A. Duncan preaches at the Rosedale United Church at 9:30 a.m., and at the Agassiz United Church at 11 a.m. every Sunday.

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