2023 PILGRIMAGE SERVICE
Sunday, August 27
3:00 – Pilgrimage Service.
Guest Speaker: Rev. Rosemary Lambie, BA (theatre), Dip Education, BTh, MDiv.
A child of the United Church, Rosemary was born and baptized in Montreal, confirmed in Ottawa and ordained in 1982 by Montreal and Ottawa Conference, with a BA in Theatre, and having taught swimming in summer camps, and elementary school in Montreal.
Following 18 years of team ministry on the south shore of Montreal, Rosemary served as Minister of Congregational Development for the Montreal Presbytery for five years, known for travelling with a guitar in one hand and coffee mug in the other.
In December 2005, Rosemary became Executive Secretary of the Montreal and Ottawa Conference, responsible for the oversight of five presbyteries, two urban, two rural mostly English-speaking, and one geographically diverse Francophone.
In 2018 as the church transformed, Rosemary accepted the challenge of guiding East Central Ontario, Eastern Ontario Outaouais and Nakonha:ka Regional Councils (from Ajax, Ontario east to the border of New Brunswick), working with 3 sets of every leadership teams and 17 staff to build ‘the new’.
The joys included being the bumblebee, operating with communities of faith using eleven languages, sharing the good news and successful ideas from one ministry to another, encouraging participation of all generations, and the use of music and drama to touch souls. Some referred to her as Mère-Poule / Mother Hen!
After 40 years of ministry, effective November 2022, Rosemary is retired from this busy role, free to enjoy her 4 sons and their families, being “Lola” to 10 grandchildren aged from 11 down to 1 years old, and swimming, gardening, walking, camping, reading, crafting, mentoring student ministers, and providing pulpit supply or congregational support and pastoral charge supervisor as needed. Travel beyond Montreal is often to destinations including theatre performances, including Thousand Islands, Stratford, Niagara on the Lake.