Trinity Presbyterian Church York Mills - Our Mission and Our Vision
Our Mission Statement: The enduring mission of this congregation is to worship and serve God, through faith in Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit.
We know ourselves, and wish to be known, as a congregation faithful in receiving and being God’s Amazing Grace. Warm Embrace.
Trinity – Our Vacancy
Trinity Presbyterian Church York Mills located in Toronto, Ontario is prayerfully and eagerly seeking a Minister of Word and Sacrament. Trinity is a faith community with all the tools in place for continued vitality and development. There is within the congregation a deep sense of gratitude for God for the many blessings which have helped it to be faithful in worship, fellowship and service ‘through all the changing seasons of life’. Its governance is well-organized and there are 15 diligent ruling elders on the Kirk Session. Our worship is upbeat and uplifting. We have both a choir and a church band who share their talents with us. We were established in 1953 and are issuing a call for our seventh minister.
The Rev. Kirk T. Summers' pending resignation on August 15th, 2024, was received with many thanks and deep regret by the congregation as a whole. We will be eternally grateful to Rev. Summers for a decade of faithful and spiritual leadership, and especially, keeping us together and guiding us during the COVID-19 pandemic through his vision of Ministry Moment and the evolution of Trinity News emails. We wish him God’s grace and guidance as he embarks on his next endeavor.
The Presbytery of East Toronto has appointed the Rev. Victor Kim as Interim Moderator. Rev. Kim can be contacted at The Presbyterian Church in Canada, 50 Wynford Drive, Toronto, Ontario, M3C 1J7. Phone number 416 441-1111 or 800 619-7301, extension 227. vkim@presbyterian.ca.
Trinity – The Key Attributes of Our New Minister
We recognize that, there are certain core attributes of a Minister at Trinity that will contribute to their success, including:
• Leading an inspiring worship. A worship that honours God the Three in One.
• Having a deep and abiding personal faith life
• Being a guide to the congregation’s devotional life and encouraging spiritual growth.
• Being in touch with the world we live in.
• Being comfortable working in a facility with many permanent and temporary tenants.
• Understanding the realities of living and working in a multicultural city, in particular next to Canada’s biggest highway.
• Being readily available and in contact with the congregation and staff.
• That the Minister’s primary focus be on the life and work of Trinity and bringing people outside the church to Christ, while remaining mindful of the larger church and community.
• Being part of a fully inclusive community.
• Willingness to be Head of Staff.
Our Commitment to Truth and Reconciliation
We recognize the harm and injustices historically perpetrated against our indigenous peoples. We commemorate the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. We have supported Winnipeg Inner City Missions, an indigenous run and led mission of the Presbyterian Church in Canada.
We acknowledge the land we are meeting on is the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit River, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. We also acknowledge that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit River.
Our Commitment to Inclusion
Trinity is a fully inclusive church and congregation. In 2019 the Kirk Session communicated the following statement after consultations and deliberations with the congregation and within the Kirk Session:
At Trinity, we are proud to be a congregation that shows God's amazing grace and gives a warm embrace to everyone. We are an inclusive, affirming faith community. As a sign of our commitment, we plan to use the following words and rainbow symbol on our website and other appropriate places starting next month, October 27th:
At Trinity, we are proud to be an inclusive, affirming faith community. We are richer because we include people of all ages, gender identities, racial and cultural backgrounds, sexual orientations, abilities, economic circumstances and family configurations. At Trinity, all are welcome!
Our Historical Background
In 1950, the conception of Trinity Presbyterian Church York Mills began with a letter sent from the Presbytery of East Toronto to the Kirk Session of Glenview Presbyterian Church to survey the neighbourhood bounded by Yonge Street to Bayview Avenue and South of Sheppard Avenue in view of establishing a congregation for the booming post World War II population. This was the “Yorkminister Survey”. In April 1952, the Kirk Session of Glenview appointed an Extension Committee to liaise between the Presbytery, the Home Mission Board of the National Church, lawyers, real estate agents and North York Township, in arranging for land purchase. The site at Bayview Avenue and Truman Road was purchased by the Presbyterian Church in Canada on July 31st, 1952. On October 12th, 1952, worship services began at Harrison Road Public School with a group of interested residents from the rapidly growing community. Mr. Walter Donavon, a final year student at Knox College was placed in charge of the mission work assisted by Miss Jessie MacDonald, a deaconess.
On February 17th, 1953, the Presbytery of East Toronto installed the Rev. Robert H. M. Kerr as Minister in Charge with the assistance of Elders from the Kirk Session of Glenview. The Congregation was established on April 19th, 1953, with a charter membership of 33.
On April 3rd, 1955, with a congregation of 65 communicant members the original Sanctuary was dedicated. Exactly one year later Trinity ceased to be a mission charge and Rev. R.H.M. Kerr was inducted as Minister of Word and Sacraments. The North Hall extension was completed in 1960 and for many years hosted the congregation and community for Sunday School and as a gymnasium and event space.
A subsequent extension and a renovation of the property erected the current 400 seat Sanctuary in 1992. In 2013, the kitchen was remodeled, and further renovations took place in 2016. The Trinity Renewal campaign changed flooring and repainted the Sanctuary.
Minister
Rev. R.H.M. Kerr
Rev. John F. Allan
Rev. Gordon Beaton
Rev. Thomas J. Kay
Rev. Ferne Reeve
Rev. Kirk T. Summers
Date of Induction
April 3rd,1956
April 25th, 1968
September 8th, 1988
June 2nd, 1996
September 30th, 2001
September 7th, 2014
Professing membership peaked in 1984 with 594. For the most recent Communion Roll revision on December 31st , 2023, we had 176 professing members. There is room for growth in the community. In the 2021 Statistics Canada Census the number of declared Presbyterians in Don Valley West, Trinity’s neighbourhood was 1,035 from a sample of 25% of the private households.
We celebrated 71 years of faithful worship and ministry this May.
Our Location
Located in the riding of Don Valley West, we have a spacious 27,000 square foot facility just south of Highway 401 on the east side of Bayview Avenue, with parking for 99 cars and good access to local bus and subway services. Originally, our roots were local and over the years we have become more of a destination church with members living across the Greater Toronto Area in part due to house prices in the area immediately around the church.
Our Property
In addition to the current Sanctuary our building contains the decommissioned original Sanctuary, now known as Founders Hall. Founders Hall is rented to the Church of God and Arabic Assembly church congregations for their respective worship services. The North Hall has a capacity for 250 and it is used as an event space and gym for the congregation and for rental
income. There is a kitchen that was renovated in 2013 and the intimate space of the Doig Room with an electric fireplace. Classrooms under the original Sanctuary are rented out to a Montessori school, Absorbent Years Childcare. The West Hall underneath the current Sanctuary is available for rent and it is currently seeking a long-term tenant. The Indonesian Reformed Evangelical Church Trinity rents our Sanctuary on Sunday afternoons. It is also rented weekly to Encore Symphonic Concert Band and Resa’s Pieces and is also available for onetime rentals.
The flat roof connecting the 1955 building to the 1992 building needs replacing and structural work. This is a 2024 capital project costed at $130K. We are looking to grants and have secured a $150K interest free loan from the Lending Fund of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. Ten percent of our rental income is set aside for our Major Repairs Fund, and it is available as needed. We have a very engaged Finance and Stewardship Ministry that is seeking external fundraising grants to propel our ministries and the upkeep of our buildings and property. Our Facilities and Grounds Ministry is also actively seeking long-term tenants. Our Office Manager receives a lot of rental inquiries due to the location and state of our facilities.
Our Finances
The church finances are under the purview of the Finance and Stewardship Ministry which is currently managed by six congregants/session members (who fulfil the positions of Convener, Treasurer, Envelope Secretary). The current financial statement is available in the 2023 Annual Report
Our revenue streams are serviced by congregational donations, rental income from tenants and occasional users of church property (These include the three other church congregations and the Montessori preschool.) Space is donated each Saturday evening to Lansing AA.
Plans in progress include current negotiations for a major tenancy and fundraising campaigns/events to address specific projects and ongoing maintenance. An example of a recent achievement is the upgrading of our audiovisual capabilities and livestreaming.
Our Congregation Today
Who we are as a people is evolving in exciting ways. Our demographics are shifting from a traditional population (largely from the UK and Ireland) to an inclusive group of people from around the world. Some of us are life-long Presbyterians, while others are Christians who are new to the denomination and have found community within Trinity. Members come to us from
the Caribbean, Asia, the Middle East, and other parts of Europe and Africa. We are a diverse community of believers, sharing our faith journeys.
A five-year strategic plan Trinity Tomorrow: Visioning Together 2024-2029 was undertaken with input from the congregation, Session, and committee members. A report was published in November 2023. Its goals are:
• To grow the congregation to the level of a ‘program church’ (150-300 members)
• To achieve lasting financial stability.
The first key goal is being addressed by continuing to be a warm and inviting place to worship, welcoming newcomers to our church and developing our Connections Ministry to strengthen awareness of, and invitation to come to, Trinity through events and outreach.
The latter key goal is being addressed by our Facilities and Grounds Ministry’s efforts to secure long-term tenants and our Finance and Stewardship Ministry’s increased efforts at internal fundraising and finding external sources of funds and grants.
Trinity is an inclusive congregation:
• We strive to be physically accessible. We are largely wheelchair accessible, except for the chancel area.
• We also welcome those who identify as 2SLGBTQ+ as full members of our community.
At Trinity, we offer a hybrid worship music program of traditional and contemporary music. We have a recognized music program. Our Director of Music, choir and band were invited to perform as part of a mass choir on November 26th, 2023, at Carnegie Hall New York. Our very
well produced worship music videos have been viewed thousands of times on YouTube. We currently have both a church choir (who lead the service most Sundays each month) and a church band (the Trinity House Band) who lead on the last Sunday of every month and join the choir for special Sundays.
Our Sunday School uses the Whirl Kids curriculum from Sparkhouse. Children are in worship at the beginning of each service and return for the end. One Sunday a month (Band Sunday) is a day when the children remain with us, and the entire service has an all-ages focus. Children are often service participants – whether as readers, speakers or musicians. We have a group for youth and young adults who meet regularly for spiritual and social events. As well, many of the youth and young adults are actively involved in the Trinity House Band – and they also currently make up most of our A/V tech team each Sunday. Three times a year (Advent, Palm Sunday & June) we have all-ages parties after church, led by the Sunday School and Youth ministries - where a lunch is provided along with crafts and a sing-along time. We gather once a month, excluding the Summer, for Lunch Bunch. It offers a special time for fellowship and Christian education with a guest speaker meeting on Wednesdays. We hold congregational retreats in the Fall and the Spring.
In recent years we have updated our A/V systems including a new sound system and soundboard (2019), laser projectors (2022), ambient light-rejecting screens (2022) and livestreaming equipment (2023). We livestream our services on YouTube. This commenced on Thanksgiving Sunday 2023.
We release an electronic newsletter every Friday at 3 pm, Trinity News. It contains information about upcoming worship services, community events, highlighted Bible readings and Biblical centred quotes and meaningful messages. We have hundreds of followers on Facebook and Instagram and thousands of website views.
Our tenants’ rent propels our programming. This includes the three other congregations, the Montessori school, and music bands. We also donate space weekly to Lansing AA as a part of our Missions Ministry. All of these draw our community into our facilities.
In 2023 the following mission outreach programs were supported by Trinity’s congregation: OASIS Addiction Recovery, St. Stephen’s Food Bank, Kids to Camp, The ARISE Ministry, Armagh House, Fernie Youth, and Evangel Hall Mission. Our Congregational Christmas Project this past year went to support Opportunity International Nicaragua, a microloan charity. We raised funds loaned to lift 40 women and their families from poverty.
Our Pastoral Care Team reaches out to others through phone calls, flowers, cards, and in person visits. We also have a Prayer Chain that provides supportive prayers for all. Requests are made by Trinity members and other individuals.
Our Congregational Life Ministry organizes a Christmas themed fundraising dinner in November, a Robbie Burns or Culture Shock dinner in January, a curling night in February, a Shrove Tuesday dinner, Easter Breakfast and in 2023, a 70th anniversary luncheon.
Age of Congregation estimate, 2024
Our Governance and Staffing Model
Trinity has a unicameral system of governance. Please see the Organizational Chart below. All our ministries report to Session. The Clerk of Session, Representative Elder to Presbytery, Roll Clerk and District Coordinator and Archivist are appointed by Session. The Trustees, Treasurer and Envelope Secretary are appointed by the congregation at the Annual Congregational Meeting for a one-year term. Our Minister is head of staff.
We have eight ministries: Worship, Education, Missions, Congregational Life, Connections, Finance and Stewardship, Facilities and Grounds and Human Resources. The first five of these ministries are front-line ministries responsible for the primary outward-facing work of our church. The remaining three ministries are enabling ministries. Under the Congregational Life Ministry umbrella we have our Pastoral Care Team and Prayer Chain, as well as our Wednesday morning exercise group.
Church Manager & Executive Assistant to the Minister: Melvin Suwarno
Melvin is a Church Manager, responsible for operations and administration at Trinity. In addition, as the Executive Assistant to the Minister, his responsibilities at Trinity encompass facilitating and extending what the Minister is able to accomplish. The position also looks to enhance Trinity’s educational ministry to its people.
It doesn’t take much time spent in Melvin’s company to realize that he is someone functioning in a professional, energetic manner, who brings dedication, academic preparation, and a varied skill set to his work. Trinity's ministry is bolstered because Melvin is a vital part of it.
Beyond Trinity, Melvin is husband to Angela, a father, and involved with church music.
Melvin was appointed Executive Assistant to the Minister on June 18th, 2017, and as Church Manager on January 1st, 2018.
Director of Music & Coordinator of Youth and Young Adult Ministries: Michael Gomiega
Michael Gomiega, Director of Music, serves Trinity with enthusiasm and excellence. He holds a Bachelor of Music: Major in Piano from University of the Immaculate Conception, Philippines, and has worked extensively within the music department of the University of Toronto, Scarborough Campus.
He is an accomplished musician and conductor, playing organ, piano and violin. His work with the Toronto Beaches Youth and Children’s Chorus bears testimony to his great love of music and of it being a vital part of both an individual’s and community’s life. Michael celebrates the wonder and power of music as he leads in both traditional and non-traditional ways, helping Trinity worship and serve the Lord each Sunday and in all of life. Michael’s ministry with Trinity follows five years of extremely fruitful music leadership at St. Mark’s United Church, Scarborough.
The congregation is delighted that he answered the call to play such a vital role in Trinity’s life, work and witness.
Michael was appointed Director of Music on January 1st, 2019, and as Coordinator of Youth and Young Adult Ministries on May 30th, 2019.
Our Online Presence
We have an active online presence of social media with Facebook and Instagram pages. Our website mytrinity.ca has information on what we believe and do, our method of worship and links to our livestreamed services and our electronic newsletter Trinity News.
On YouTube, our channel has the livestreamed worship services, our worship music videos, Ministry Moment and Good Sunday Morning! episodes and videos on congregational life. The Ministry Moment and Good Sunday Morning! videos were released during the COVID-19 pandemic suspension of in person worship. They gave us a chance to stay connected as a church family during that difficult and challenging time.
For more information check our social media platforms.
Our Publications
Click on the above pictures to open the links to the documents.
• 2023 Annual Report: The most recent Kirk Session and ministry reports, the 2023 financial statements and the 2024 budget that was approved at the January 28th, 2024 Annual Congregational Meeting The financial statements contain the statement of
income and expenses and the statement of changes of funds for the year end of December 31st, 2023.
• Strategic Plan -Trinity Tomorrow: Visioning Together 2024 – 2029: Session engaged in a thorough strategic plan initiative in 2023. After much preparation, investigation, deliberation, and revision, a document entitled Trinity Tomorrow: Visioning Together –2024 to 2029 came to life, with an articulation of goals and objectives for our various ministries to consider and act upon. Included in the creation of the plan was an open invitation for shared thoughts about Trinity’s future and a special planning lunch open to all the people of Trinity. The lunch was held on May 28th, 2023. The exchange of ideas and the shared hope for a bright future for Trinity were very encouraging The plan was formally approval by Session on November 21st, 2023, and was presented to the congregation at the Annual Congregational Meeting on January 28th, 2024.
• Leadership Handbook: Published in 2023, this report contains information on what we believe as a congregation, what we do, terms of reference for ministries, position descriptions for officers, position descriptions for staff and our governance structure.
• There to Here: A History 1953-2018 by Robert C. Campbell. Published in May 2018 in celebration of Trinity’s 65th anniversary. This is a comprehensive book on Trinity’s history. It contains information on our founding and establishment, the construction of our church buildings, a chronological timeline, as well as testimonials from members on what Trinity has meant for them.
• Snapshots: An information booklet with updates and excerpts from There to Here: A History 1953 to 2018 by Robert C. Campbell. This was published in May 2024 on the occasion of Trinity’s 71st anniversary. It was developed to give information to newer members of the congregation. It has a list of the missions that Trinity has supported since 1953.
• Congregational Directory, Spring 2024
• Recent orders of worship
Our Local Community
Trinity is in the Federal riding of Don Valley West. The concerns of this community as in the country are housing affordability and day to day expenses. There is an increase in population and population density with condominium construction especially in the south near Eglington Avenue. Traffic congestion as with the Greater Toronto Area is a major issue.
Trinity is located at the northern boundary of Don Valley West. Our neighbouring federal ridings of Willowdale and Don Valley North are also seeing a lot of construction along arterial roads including along Sheppard Avenue. Below Sheppard Avenue is the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) subway Line 4, a favourable reason for densification.
When Trinity was established, the neighbourhood was more rural with farms nearby. Now the streets near Trinity are affluent with large homes on large properties.
According to Statistics Canada’s 2021 Census of the total population aged 15 years and over in Don Valley West 57% were married or living common law. Of the total households, 76% were married and 9% were common law. The average household size was 2.5 persons.
In the 2021 Census, it was reported that of 39,720 dwellings 14,680 were detached houses, 2,845 semi-detached houses and the remaining 22,195 multi apartment buildings and townhomes.
Selected Federal Ridings in the vicinity of Trinity Presbyterian Church York Mills
Valley West
2021 Statistics Canada Census Number of Declared Presbyterians in a 25% sample of Private Households
DON VALLEY WEST IN NUMBERS
Source: Statistics Canada 2021 Census
DON VALLEY WEST HOUSEHOLDS (2021)
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN CANADA MINISTRY AND CHURCH VOCATIONS
50 Wynford Drive, Toronto, Ontario, M3C 1J7
CONGREGATIONAL PROFILE FORM
Name of Church: Trinity Presbyterian Church York Mills
Address: 2737 Bayview Ave. Toronto ON M2L 1C5
Year Congregation Organized: 1953 Telephone: 416-447-5136
Presbytery: Presbytery of East Toronto
CHURCH INFORMATION
Date: July 12th , 2024
AVERAGE WEEKLY ATTENDANCE at Sunday Worship: 81 Church School: 10 2024 to June 30th
Livestreaming Average Views: 12 live 80 total views after one week YouTube Channel had 3,159 views in last 28 days (July 1st, 2024)
Other Services (Describe) Easter, 2024: 146 adults and 15 children
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
Age Group Enrollment Curriculum Used No. of Teachers Whirl Kids from Sparkhouse 1 teacher & 2 assistants 3-12 20
FINANCIAL STATEMENT for last year (2023)
APPROVED BUDGET for the current year, 2024 $598,993 "PRESBYTERIANS SHARING..." ALLOCATION for
Conveners of Search Committee
Linda Herron
Liz Albrecht-Bisset 18 Cedar Forest Crt., Thornhill ON L3T 2A4 82 Roywood Dr., Toronto ON M3A 2E1 416-305-9396 linda@lindaherron.ca 416-499-9206 ealbrecht27@gmail.com
Interim Moderator
Rev. Victor Kim, Principal Clerk PCC: vkim@presbyterian.ca 416-441-1111 or 800-619-7301 extension 227
CONGREGATION AND COMMUNITY
Type of Congregation Self-Supporting
Type of Community Urban
Size
Active Members 176
Total Population
(Don Valley West)
(2021 Census)
Radius of area in kilometers 3 (Don Valley West)
Total number of churches in this area 10 (Don Valley West counted on Google maps)
Presbyterian churches in this area 6 (Trinity, Armour Heights, St. Mark’s, Iona, Willowdale, Toronto Korean: 7 km radius from Trinity)
Age (Estimate)
Years
Living Patterns
OCCUPATIONS WITHIN THE CONGREGATION*
Clerical/Secretarial NA NA
College/University Students
Elementary/Secondary Students
Farmers
Homemakers
Professional/Business
*Our congregation comprises a broad spectrum of Retired occupations with a fascinating range of professions, Technicians talents, and hobbies.
Unemployed
Other
NA: Not Available
SKILLS AND INTEREST INVENTORY
What are the pastoral skills especially needed in the ministry and program of your church? Rank in order of priority from 1 – 18 – 1 to 6 being the areas you most wish a minister to exercise.
or selecting appropriate curricula for the educational ministry, and planning activities for groups of all ages)
(Providing resources and guidance for people’s devotional life, and for prayer groups, retreats and other small group experiences)
POSITION DESCRIPTION
TITLE Minister Full-Time
PURPOSE/RESPONSIBILITES/WORKING RELATIONSHIPS
Trinity is a busy, vibrant and faithful community on a positive trajectory. We are seeking a minister who will present strong spiritual leadership and be an effective worship leader. Our new minister will nurture the current strong leadership within the congregation and challenge Session to manage the affairs of Trinity, including its property, in a way that supports the congregation. We are looking for someone who will maintain our staffing model, and as Head of Staff, work alongside his or her office colleagues.
We are a fully inclusive church and congregation. We have a unicameral system of governance and livestream our services to extend our reach. We enjoy a hybrid music program, and we have several tenants whose rent propels our programming.
SPECIAL QUALIFICATIONS
What additional qualifications, if any, are essential in this position such as education, experience, certification.
Basic business and administration skills. Experience with and compassion for diverse cultural communities including new Canadians. Experience with a blended music program. Experience with livestreaming worship. Willingness to be Head of Staff. In agreement with sharing our facility with our long-term and short-term tenants. Strong communication skills are required.
OTHER FULL AND PART-TIME STAFF
Melvin Suwarno Church Manager & Executive Assistant to the Minister Full-Time
Michael Gomiega Director of Music & Coordinator of Youth and Young Adult Ministries Full-Time
Maria and Raj Cleaners Part-Time
How long has the position been open? Pending - August 16th, 2024 By whom was it last filled? Rev. Kirk T. Summers (2014-2024)
List 3 additional previous ministers
Rev. Ferne Reeve 2001-2013
Rev. Thomas J. Kay 1996-2000
Rev. Gordon Beaton 1988-1995
COMPENSTION
Stipend or salary: Compensation will be discussed with selected candidates.
$ Annual cash stipend or salary (including travel allowance)
$ Housing allowance
$ Utilities allowances or utilities paid
$ Continuing education allowance
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Vacation
Cell phone and plan provided Laptop provided