On Monday, February 2, Pat Nixon, an esteemed and valued colleague and Director of the Mustard Seed Ministries announced the appointment of Sam Breakey as the Managing Director of the Edmonton Mustard Seed. As our title declares, Sam is someone to whom we owe a great debt as a family of churches and someone to whom we feel a deep thankfulness for his service to us as the Alberta Regional Minister over these eight years.
Sam is someone who is beloved in our midst. I have never known him to place himself above anyone; he is neither deprecating nor disrespectful. He is called and meets the Lord’s call to love, serve and care for others in Christ’s name, and he does this with sincerity and distinction. Sam has led and encouraged, along with the Regional leaders in Alberta, a diverse, creative and highly gifted cluster of churches, camps and ministries. He has been supportive even when his deeper wisdom told him otherwise. I have seen him receive unhelpful and unjust criticism and not return in kind. Sam’s ministry is marked by others with gratefulness, respect and thankfulness for the service, prophetic voice and clear leading he has offered. Sam’s work not only covered the original mandates of pastoral, church and institutional care but also included the whole area of church pastoral settlement. Sam’s enduring legacy to us will continue to be the myriad of stories that each of us will cherish. His work in framing and structuring the settlement process will have enduring influence for decades to come. I have personally benefitted from Sam’s (often with Faye Reynolds) leading in reflections and prayers at various gatherings.
We continue to give thanks and support to the work of the Mustard Seeds in Calgary and Edmonton in their partnership, and the Victoria Ministry as well. We know that Sam will be welcomed by them and will serve and lead well.
The process of transitioning the Alberta Regional Minister’s ministry will be up to the CBWC Board in partnership with the Alberta Regional leadership team headed by their moderator, Tim Kerber. This group will include Pat Flaten, the Vice President of Personnel and Programme; Bill Mains, the Coordinator of Human Resources; and David Holten, the Director of Administration and Finance. These two groups will review the present job description and consider if there is need of any changes. A ministry description will be posted in various settings to elicit enquires and a discerning, interview and placement process will ensue. The appointment of an interim Regional Minister will be made sometime in March.
The Lord be with both Sam and his wife Nancy in this transition with the “Seed” and with the Alberta Region.
Warmly
In Christ,
Jeremy