Personnel & Contact info
Minister
Reverend Arlen John Bonnar
Reverend Arlen John Bonnar B.A.; B.Th.; M.Div., was born in Sydney, Nova Scotia and has been a resident of Quebec for forty years. He is a graduate from Bishop's and McGill Universities and United Theological College. Prior to becoming a minister, Arlen worked for many years with the intellectually handicapped. His two internships while studying theology were at Augustine United in Winnipeg and in Lilongwe, Malawi, East Africa with the Church of East Africa Presbyterian. Upon ordination in 1984, he was settled in the Sutton-Dunham United Churches in the Eastern Townships. After a five years in the pastoral charge Arlen returned to Montreal to accept a position as Executive Director of Montreal City Mission, an outreach ministry of the United Church of Canada. Three years later he accepted a position at the Montreal General Hospital, as staff chaplain. For the next ten years he worked primarily in the HIV/AIDS clinics (the first full time chaplain in this milieu in the world) and in the Palliative Care Units at the Montreal General and Royal Victoria Hospitals. He attended and presented workshops at many international AIDS and Palliative Care conferences with regard to spiritual responses to illness from a multi-cultural and inter-faith perspective aimed at patients, families, and health care professionals.
In 2000, Arlen began his ministry at St. James United Church. He has a passion for ministry that is inclusive of all God's people and delights in the diverse community that is St. James.
Volunteer associate minister
Reverend Doctor Phyllis Smyth
Reverend Doctor Phyllis Smyth of Montreal celebrated her 45 years of ordination in 2009. She was accepted as a candidate for ministry by the Session of St. James United Church in Montreal and ordained in 1964 by Montreal and Ottawa Conference. She did graduate and doctoral studies in Germany and Scotland, taught at the University of Winnipeg and the Université de Montréal, was a minister of churches in the Saguenay-Lac St-Jean region and in Montreal and worked extensively as a hospital chaplain in Winnipeg, Toronto, Quebec City and Montreal. She has three honorary doctorates.
Volunteer associate minister
Reverend Doug Stewart
Reverend Doug Stewart of Antigonish, NS celebrated his 30 years of ordination in 2009. A graduate of St. Francis Xavier University and the Atlantic Scool of Theology, he did internships in Harrington Harbour, Shefferville and Sept-Iles Qc and in Norman Wells in the North West Territories. After ordination in the Maritime Conference of the United Church of Canada, he led an ecumenical congregation of United Church, Lutheran, Anglican and Ukrainian Orthodox Christians in Peace River, Alberta, and a joint Anglican and United Church congregation in Grandmere, QC, before being called to Valois United Church in suburban Pointe-Claire, QC. He now is Personnel Minister for the Montreal and Ottawa Conference of the United Church of Canada.
Director of Music
Philip Crozier
Choral Director
Jean-Sébastien Allaire
For more information about our music staff, please see the Church Music page.
Administrative Secretary
Anne Jones
Anne Jones was born and raised in Montreal. Anne is the Adminstrative Secretary and has worked at St. James since 1970.
Bookkeeper
Margaret McWhinnie
Margaret McWhinnie was born in Scotland and moved to Canada in 1958. She is the church bookkeeper and has been at the church since 1978.
Caretakers
Caretakers Pablo Gonzales and Pierre Beaudry. Pablo came to Canada from Chile in 1986 and has been working at St. James since 2002. Pierre has been at St. James since 2003.
Beadle
Peter Kandalaft
Caretaker
Jean-Claude Beaudry
We acquired Peter — a third generation Canadian — from the Anglicans. In the Anglican church a beadle is appointed to assist the minister and maintain order. He is responsible for sound and security on Sunday.
Jean-Claude Beaudry, occasional caretaker, came to St. James in 2007.
Office Hours:
Tuesday to Friday
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Office and Mailing address:
1435 rue City Councillors Montréal H3A 2E4
Church Main door:
463 Ste-Catherine Street West
Montreal, Quebec
H3B 1B1
Weekday entrance:
1440 Saint-Alexandre
Sanctuary opening hours: (winter)
Tuesday to Friday 11 am to 2 pm;
Saturday and Sunday 10 am to 4pm
Telephone:
(514) 288-9245
Fax:
(514) 288-5148