By Amy Nickerson
A local minister whose preaching inspires Centre-town Presbyterians to keep their faith and get involved in the community may soon have the opportunity to minister to congregations across the country.
Rev. Stephen Hayes of the Knox Presbyterian Church is one of six candidates nominated to be the next moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Canada.
The moderator presides over the decision-making body at the annual general assembly and visits congregations to offer prayers and encouragement.
Presbyterian ministers and elders from all 44 churches across Canada will vote on April 3 for the new moderator who will serve a one-year, unpaid term. The candidates had to be nominated by at least two congregations in order to be in the running for the position.
Hayes says the moderator is not the head of the church like the Roman Catholic Pope, rather “serves as a focus of unity for the church.”
He was nominated for the position in 1997, but was not elected. Initially, he rejected this year’s nomination because of the heavy workload that comes with the position. However, he changed his mind when he heard that he received nominations from four congregations.
Hayes has been delivering sermons at the Lisgar Street church since 1993. He says his biggest challenge is to offer encouragement to the congregation in a time when the church-going population is declining.
“We live in discouraging times,” he says. “Do the majority of the population go to church on Sundays? The answer is they do not.”
Church member John Hay says the church has grown stronger with Haye’s ministry. “He’s a great preacher, he’s a good organizer and he’s well liked by members of the congregation.”
Hay says if the minister is elected it will benefit the congregation by making a presence for the church at the general assembly, which is the highest national organization of the Presbyterian Church.
F. Warren Perkins, the church’s clerk of session, says Hayes brings a vast technical knowledge to the congregation. “He is well-versed in church history and church law,” he says. “This background is revealed to the church each Sunday in his sermons.”
If he is elected, Hayes says he wants to help churches across the country to celebrate their faith. He says a visit from the moderator can offer encouragement to an entire congregation. “Just being there is a celebration of the good things that are going on in the church.”
If Hayes becomes moderator, other ministers will replace him at the Knox church. Pending his election, he plans to balance his ministry at the Knox church with his responsibilities as moderator.
“It’s a tremendous pile of work,” he says. “Your plate gets very, very full.”