About Us

Mission Statement

We, of the Camrose United Church,
as followers of Jesus Christ,
come together in service to God,
to nurture our spiritual growth
through worship and study
and to promote justice and peace
through caring concern for all people.

What We Believe

The United Church of Canada has an excellent statement of what (and how) we believe as a denomination. So we refer you to our national church website: What We Believe.

Staff

Alan Richards, Minister

Allan was born in England and grew up in Montreal and Toronto.  He was ordained in 1976.  For the past six years he has taught English at Red Deer College.  Alan has a PhD in Literature from the University of Alberta. 

Alan is married to Loraine.  They reside on an acreage on Red Deer Lake with their two dogs.

Mary Ann Pastuck, Diaconal Minister

Mary Ann grew up and attended school at New Sarepta, Alberta. After careers as a bookkeeper, homemaker and many, many years of volunteering in the church, she enrolled in the St. Stephen's College Western Field-Based Diaconal, Lay Professional Program in 1989.

Mary Ann did her work experience for one year at Camrose United Church as a volunteer and then realized she needed to finance this education program. She spent the next four years at Grace United Church in Edmonton as student supply.

After being commissioned in 1994, Mary Ann was settled at the Hardisty-Hughenden Pastoral Charge where she served until September of 2000. This was a very rewarding ministry experience where she really grew to appreciate and love the rural way of life.

Mary Ann began serving Camrose United Church in October of 2000 and is very appreciative of how the people have welcomed her back to her sponsoring congregation.

Mary Ann is married to Pete who works at Bob Bell Chev Olds and together they have three adult children. Melanie is a registered nurse living in Camrose. She has a beautiful little girl named Grace. Jaimie, a dental assistant, is married to Brent Strahl and they live on an acreage. They have a beautiful little boy named Samuel and a beautiful little girl named Kate. We have certainly come to know the absolute joy of being grandparents. Lane, our son,graduated in April 2004 as a Geomatic Engineer.

We also have a black cocker spaniel named Max, (who really is Melanie's dog) and he really does think he is in charge at home.

Darryl Dewalt, Minister of Music

Darryl came to Camrose United Church in September, 2001, after spending a dozen years serving in music ministry in Lutheran churches in Edmonton and Barrhead, Alberta.

Darryl was born and raised in southern Alberta. He received his undergraduate education at the University of Alberta in Edmonton and then completed the Masters of Church Music program at Concordia University, River Forest, Illinois in 1989. In the past, Darryl has also been a private voice instructor, director of the Edmonton Christian Male Choir, and has performed extensively as a chorister, including with Pro Coro Canada, a professional choir based in Edmonton.

Currently, in addition to his work at Camrose United, Darryl is the University Cantor at Augustana University College and, with spouse Joy-Anne Murphy, is Artistic Director for Camrose Camerata, an auditioned community chamber choir formed in the fall of 2003.  Darryl also functions as manager for this group and Joy-Anne is the conductor. Joy-Anne is a voice instructor with Augustana University College as well as in her home studio, and directs the Camrose and Area Children's Choirs, with occasionally sings as a soloist.  Much of Darryl's "extra" time is currently spent with his children, Talia  and Davis.

Helen Reed, Youth Minister

Helen was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the North of England; her family moved to Camrose in 1977. In 1979 she was married in Camrose United Church and has been active in the church since then-with involvement in Sunday School (from the youngest to the oldest), choir and handbells.  Helen has been involved with leadership of the youth program at Camrose United since approximately 1997 both in a volunteer and a staff capacity.  In the fall of 2007 she took on the position of Sunday School Coordinator.

Helen is also a Candidate for Ordered Ministry as a Diaconal Minister taking her schooling through the Centre for Christian Studies in Winnipeg while she continues to work here.

Bonnie Smith, Office Manager

Bonnie joined the staff at Camrose United on June 15, 1999, having previously worked as Office Manager at the Camrose & District Senior Centre for twelve years.

She is married to Ray, who is Vice-President, Finance at Concordia University College. They have two grown children, Angela, who is married to Matthew Honey, and Leslie, who is married to Gaylene Brisbois.  Leslie and Gaylene are the loving parents of two marvelous little boys named Hudson and Greyden, who are the joy of their grandparents lives.

Bonnie & Ray live on 70 acres north of Camrose with their cat. And when they forget why they chose to take on so much yard work, they stand in front of their house and watch a beautiful sunset across the lake and it all comes back to them.

Alberta Fleming, Secretary

Alberta joined the staff at Camrose United in January of 2007.  She shares the office duties with Bonnie.

Alberta was born in New Brunswick.  She moved to Toronto in 1951 where she lived for 54 years.  She has two children, Andrew & October.

Alberta came to Camrose in May of 2003 for a visit only to return home longing to be with her parents who were in ill health.  She moved to Camrose in August of 2003.

Alberta was previously employed by a United Church in Toronto for 17 years.

In Camrose, she is very involved with the UCW, assists in the Prayer Shawl Ministry, is an avid knitter for the Bissell Centre, and can be found in the church kitchen on almost any occasion.

Jack Kamphorst, Custodian

Jack was born and raised in Holland and moved to Canada in 1993 with his wife Marleen, son Michael and daughter Jaimy.

Jack worked as a bus driver and driving instructor in Holland. He has been working at Camrose United Church since September of 1999, and also drives a school bus for the Hay Lakes school.

Marleen is an interior decorator, working at Hauser Home Hardware.

Michael and Jaimy are beginning new lives of their own.

They all live on an acreage 5 miles north of Camrose, where they enjoy country living.