Eatonia welcomes resident minister
By Joan Janzen
The congregation at Eatonia-Mantario United Church recently welcomed Rev. Dr. Peter Kugba-Nyande as their resident minister. A meet and greet was held on November 5th, prior to the worship service, when local residents welcomed their resident minister, who has been hired in a half-time capacity. After six years without a minister, everyone was excited to meet Rev. Peter.
“With over three and a half decades of experience in congregational ministry, I am thrilled to become a part of the Eatonia-Mantario faith community,” Rev. Peter said. “I have a unique ability to connect with individuals of all ages and enjoy leading book and Bible studies, as well as singing.” He and his wife Jinah have three daughters and one son, as well as seven grandchildren.
The Eatonia-Mantario United Church recently welcomed Rev. Dr. Peter Kuga-Nyande as their new resident minister. SUBMITTED PHOTO
He was born and raised in Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa. Over the years, he has served three pastoral charges in Ontario and two in Alberta. His appointments in Alberta included Sunnybrook United Church in Red Deer and Trinity United Church in Cold Lake.
His theological education began with an Advanced Diploma in Theology and ordination by the British Methodist Church in 1986. He also pursued further academic and professional growth through various leadership courses in Africa, Canada, and the USA.
“In 1995, I was honoured to receive an invitation from the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary to complete my Master of Theology in Christian Education and a Doctor of Ministry in Liberation Theology,” he explained.
Following his studies, he returned to Sierra Leone in 1998, where he was appointed the Acting Secretary of the Methodist Church Conference and Coordinator of Peace and Civic Education. Eventually, he assumed the Director of the Methodist Training Centre role, responsible for training lay preachers and serving as a Trainer-of-Trainers in Leadership Development.
In 2000, he was invited to Canada to study Community-Based Development. “Unfortunately, due to the ongoing civil war in my home country, I was unable to return safely. Instead, I applied to serve as ministry personnel,” he said. In 2005 he was admitted to the then Toronto Conference in Ontario.
His extensive qualifications also include a Certificate in Intentional Interim Ministry from the Ministry Network in the USA and Canada. Rev. Peter describes his preaching style as firmly rooted in biblical principles which will resonate with the everyday lives of the congregation. He goes on to describe himself as personable, self-motivated and a visionary with a strong commitment to achieving ministry-related goals.
“I place foremost importance on the participation of all team members to reach a collective goal. I am now excited to begin my ministry in Saskatchewan,” Rev. Peter said.