We are excited to introduce our first minister of the newly established Neepawa United-Anglican Shared Ministry, The Reverend Chad McCharles OSBCn. Reverend Chad was most recently the Rector of the Mahone Bay Anglican Parish, a ministry he began in January 2017 when he and his wife Dawn and their two children moved to Nova Scotia from their home in Neepawa, after a decade of priestly ministry in the Anglican Diocese of Brandon.

 

   Born and raised on a large cattle and grain farm in Shoal Lake Manitoba, Chad approaches mission and ministry with the same work ethic, values, and grass-roots approach he learned on the family farm, and finds this to be a firm foundation for both parish and family life.

 

   Chad spends spare time baking bread, cinnamon buns and other homemade delicacies as a hold over from his first vocation as a professional baker and bakery owner, as well as woodworking, hiking the gorgeous trails around Neepawa, and hosting friends and family in their beloved character home.  He believes deeply that Sundays are meant for family dinners around their large dining room table, and for long, slow country drives, after going to church, of course!  The beauty of the prairie sky and landscape was something that Chad longed for deeply when living down East, even though the Maritimes were stunningly beautiful, because as he discovered, he is and always will be a farm boy at heart.   Mildred the family Dachshund likes a great deal of his attention too! 

 

   One aspect of Chad’s spiritual life that seems to have infused most of his life and ministry is his involvement with the Anglican Benedictine order, which accounts for the letters behind his name (OSBCn).  As a modern monastic and adherent to St. Benedict’s rule of life, as adapted for today’s life and culture, Chad has had the opportunity to lead numerous retreats and contemplative gatherings, for both lay and ordained people from numerous denominations.  This connection to ancient Christian roots influences how Chad creates liturgy and leads worship, as he pays particular attention to creating sacred space and liturgy that draws the soul towards the divine.

 

   Rev Chad is very friendly, good humoured, approachable, and is looking forward to meeting and working with all members of this new community of faith. His ministerial talent is evident by the successful way he provides Sunday services by taking content from both United and Anglican resources, resulting in a worship experience that satisfies the expectations and needs of folks from both our denominations. We appreciate his strong communication skills through which he relates the scriptures to life experiences and current issues in a way that can be easily understood by people of all ages. Welcome back to the Neepawa area and to our community of faith, Chad and family!

Introducing another member of the ministry team at NUASM ……  Rita Friesen, who fills the role of Pastoral Assistant to Rev. Chad. In this position, she leads Sunday worship services when Rev. Chad is away, and is especially active visiting and offering pastoral care to members of our community of faith. She also performs funerals when requested. Rita is so well suited for these roles because of her sincere empathetic nature and her training and experience as a Licensed Lay Worship Leader in the United Church. She is a sympathetic listener who easily provides a feeling of comfort in those with whom she interacts. Thank you, Rita, for all that you do to support all members of our community of faith!

Dawn Gardy - Whenever you call the church, the helpful, cheerful voice on the other end of the line belongs to Dawn Gardy who performs all the office functions for the Neepawa United-Anglican Shared Ministry. If you need any information about our church or the many church committees and activities, talk to Dawn!

Doug Guy is the Custodian at our church. He helps our church to function smoothly by setting up for events, cleaning, and doing maintenance and repairs. Thanks, Doug!