Swift Current says farewell to the Dowdeswell family

By Lois Nisbet-Wall

SWIFT CURRENT (Qu’A)

— On Nov. 30, 2022 the congregation of St. Stephen the Martyr said farewell to their beloved clergy, Archdeacon Chris and Deacon Krista Dowdeswell.

Bishop Helen Kennedy presided over the service, with Archdeacon Chris delivering a farewell sermon and blessing a new child through baptism.

The congregation was sad to see him leave but realized this is where God is calling Chris and everyone wished him all the best for his new future. Archdeacon Dowdeswell has been appointed Dean of the Diocese of Calgary.

Rector’s Warden Michael Siebert delivered a heartfelt farewell to Ven. Chris and Rev. Krista and it is quoted below.

“It has been such a joy and a maturing experience for our church to have the Venerable Chris and the Rev. Krista Dowdeswell and their family with us over the past six years,” said Siebert.

“I remember the first Sunday it was announced that they would be with us at least for the short term. I was in the process of looking for a church, having recently moved back from Toronto, and I hadn’t yet committed to going to St. Stephen’s.

"It’s hard to explain, but when I first saw their picture, I just had the sense they would be an excellent fit and people I would love to get to know.

“Then, when I met them in person and spent time visiting at their house, my feeling was confirmed. These people had depth of life experience and education combined with a strong faith in Jesus and care for others that made them holistic people, servant leaders, and wonderful friends. Over the years, this continued to be confirmed.

Soul seaching

“You may recall Chris’ original contract with us was for a one-year transitional appointment. During this time, he led us through soul searching as a church, helping make the transition from a difficult previous few years to a more stable foundation,” Siebert continued.

“He had a gentle and yet steady way of leading that was informed by his studies in psychology.

"I recall some excellent meetings we had at Camp Harding. He was regularly teaching us how to become better followers of Christ, caring for ourselves and others with patience and love. It was in these types of retreats and meetings where he really thrived.

“The transitional appointment thankfully soon turned into a longer term appointment. As a church, we were very grateful, knowing that this was not typical protocol. During this time, Chris helped us make progress in many areas of need.

"This included strengthening the vestry and leadership, stabilizing the liturgical and musical planning, and helping develop the children, family, and ‘midling’ adult ministry.

Supporting youths

“It was especially wonderful to see how much energy Chris and Krista put into children and young families.

"You may remember Chris’ many wonderful children’s talks (he is so good interacting with children), Krista’s leadership in the Sunday school, Krista’s work with the Music Collective (and music generally), the Family Camp outings we would have at Camp Harding, and the Summer Crosstalk kids camps at the church.

“Chris and Krista would also regularly try to make sure church events like Bible studies included child care. The extent to which our parish is so intergenerational today is this dangerous, with one of Chris’ children being at special risk. ings at the Council of General Synod and from what I heard there, there are so many churches that have not come out of COVID in such good shape.

"There was so much uncertainty during this time, many different opinions, and felt like being in the fog of war.

“What to do? There are no doubt different opinions on Chris’ response, but it seemed to me he did an excellent job steering us through without being excessive on any one side. And I think most people felt similarly.

A surprising change due in no small part to this work.

“The final chapter in this story is Chris’ sabbatical and the surprising circumstance of his being hired as the Dean of the Cathedral in Calgary. This is still fresh and involves many thoughts, questions, and emotions.

“Then COVID hit. What a difficult time for any priest or pastor. So much of the job is supposed to be together with people — meeting together on Sundays, visitation throughout the week, caring for the sick, gathering for Bible studies and other events — and here a pandemic made

"In that excellent tradition of making lemonade out of lemons, Chris used his technical and computer abilities to figure out how to run online services in a way that kept them interactive and so could better keep community alive.

“He also was able to organize meetings by Zoom and later oversee the transition to hybrid worship, which continues to be important for a multitude of reasons, including making services possible in blizzard conditions,” Siebert said.

“I recently went to meet-

"On the one hand, we are very proud of him and his family and wish them all the best. We knew that Chris had gifts that would likely take his family elsewhere, and what impressive accomplishments both to be finishing a doctorate and becoming the Dean of the archbishop’s cathedral!

It’s also a great location for them to be near both sides of the family.

“But on other hand, we were also certainly hoping to have them a little longer.

"A little longer would have been nice. Especially Continued on page 14