Our Speakers
Dr. Stephen Farris
Stephen Farris is a semi-retired Presbyterian minister and is presently serving as Visiting Professor of Preaching at Knox College, University of Toronto. He is a graduate of the University of Toronto, Union Theological Seminary in Virginia, and Cambridge University, England, from which he received his PhD. He is Dean Emeritus of St. Andrew’s Hall, Vancouver, and Professor Emeritus of Preaching of Vancouver School of Theology. Dr. Farris was elected Moderator of the 140th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, has served on the Executive Committee of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, and as President of the Academy of Homiletics, the international association of teachers of preaching. He has preached and taught internationally and nationally, and is the authour of four books, many academic and popular articles, and a murder mystery short story. His most recent book is So, Tell Me a Story: The Art of Storytelling for Preaching and Teaching.
Stephen Farris is married to Patricia Farris, a retired school principal, and has two sons, two daughters in law, and four grandchildren.
Fred Stewart
Fred Stewart is mostly retired after recently serving as the General Presbyter in the Presbytery of West Toronto since 2018. He came to that ministry from a season of combining ministry to St. Andrew’s, Bolsover, and Woodville Community Presbyterian Church and served as Executive Director of the Renewal Fellowship, a ministry of renewal with the Presbyterian Church in Canada, a position he held for five years. Before that, he spent a decade in pastoral ministry in Pickering and rural Hamilton. Prior to ministry, he had careers in finance and technology. Fred is passionate about people and renewal. He loves creating relevant and meaningful church services that will bring people closer to Jesus Christ and find new ways to encourage renewal. He especially enjoys helping find innovative solutions for congregations to minister today. He has, for decades, been deeply involved in providing care to other Pastors.
He is married to Ruth and has three daughters (one of whom passed away in the summer of 2018), one son, nine granddaughters, one grandson and one great-grandson.
In his spare time, he enjoys sailing, reading and travelling.
Bert Douglas
Bert is our Director of Family Ministry., and has served in ministry for over twenty years. Bert loves pastoring at St. Andrew’s and is passionate about seeing people's lives transformed by God. His personal mission statement is to invite and encourage people to become all God wants them to be.
Bert and his beautiful wife Sylvia have five children together. In their free time, they enjoy getting away to a cottage, jumping in the car for unplanned road trips, and trying new restaurants.
Visit Sundays at 10am!