A. I did a part-time, 2-year Artizo apprenticeship in Toronto starting in 2007 before there was much of any ANiC presence in Toronto. I did my preaching and ministry training in a Nazarene mission called The Sharing Place. Instead of one mentor and many apprentices as in most Artizo training bases, I was one apprentice and four mentors – the director of The Sharing Place and his wife who was also a Nazarene pastor, and Rev. Robin Guinness and his wife Sandra who were then still in the Anglican Church of Canada. After I graduated Artizo in 2009 I joined the Toronto Centre ANiC project from its inception and was licenced by Bishop Charlie as a lay preacher for the project which would go on to become Christ The King Toronto. I preached Genesis 1 at the first Sunday service in Sept 2010.  Three years later in Sept 2013 I was ordained there.

The biggest challenge was getting started in the first place because opposition of various kinds almost derailed me right at the beginning. In 2007 I had not done any seminary, yet I had done a lot of devotional speaking at The Sharing Place. I remember a crucial 30-second conversation with Canon David Short at the inaugural ANiC Synod in Burlington that greatly encouraged me. I launched in and got going and persevered.

So many things were rewarding! I will list four:

1. Attending two preaching conferences in Calgary (they had a track for women preachers).
2. Leading a preaching series at worship in a women’s prison. I worked with three inmates over several months to prepare them to preach alongside me in a four-week series in 2 Timothy.
3. Getting detailed feedback and constructive criticism that helped me grow as a preacher.
4. Preaching at my graduation service.

The most helpful lesson I took into my ministry as an expository preacher is this: To understand the structure of a passage and its context is to understand its purpose and point. The point of the passage ought to be the point of your sermon. Because of this I choose a title for a sermon after study and before writing to keep me on point as I write. I also open a sermon with a verse or two from the passage that best captures the point.

I have had lots of opportunities to preach and teach the Bible over my years of ministry since Artizo, first as a lay woman, and then as a clergywoman in Toronto and now in Vancouver. I hope that will continue. I look forward to encouraging women preachers and teachers of the Bible. What I most want to do at this point is to encourage and help those coming after me!