The Wingham Advance-Times, 1989-07-25, Page 6?k,
;s.
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42.4
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0494 Jirin
Petr Tucker,
United Belgrave's roilnew
' '''' . a' people
$ ilkt t AI , *4
..-,' Rev.
. -
ecc
wife N ' ;
. 'Wan
, .44 '•'' ,,, ,,
4g a
**al life, . , ..„ -,-
i
education.' 4 r
As a *Mrs . cleriOnta ' ' . '
, ' north to. .
.
Great Britain, Mr. Tucker supported' a live and -w - in ,
himself with -a small 12 -acre, el Indian ,,,.• • . •
ing and a Osas an animal health He stayed There two years, *0*
inspector in a farming district. returned to Ontario to complete his
They are no strangers to Canada, ' ,Bachelor Of Arts at Waterloo um-
either — he and his family lived.,' versity Coll* '(Wilfrid Lawler,
here for nearly 20 years before ' University) and his Bachelor. of'
returning to their native Wales in Divinity at Emmanuel C011ege in ,
19' for personal reasons. This year 1967.
they decided to return to Canada His first official charge aS an
and Belgrave's Knox United Ordained minister was ht... Zain-
Church was ready to welcome bia!
them. "We were sent as a young family.
-I think'I was meant to serve in a to St. Andrew's Free Church of
rural congregation," Mr. Tucker Scotland. Most of its memberswera
says with a laugh. "I've thrown hay British expatriates, but we became
bales, milked cows and delivered acquainted with a number of native.'_
piglets just as these people do. I families in the surrounding corn, ,
understand people in a farming munity as well." -• -
community. ., His reaction to African native
"Besides," he adds, "there's a society? "Their,way of life and
hominess and a close community their values are completely'differ- .
feeling herethat you do not finetinwit from ours. Our pressing social
•
a large, urban congregation. If I've issues have no bearing on their
ever felt the call to serve anywhere, lives; if, *instance, a woman has a .
I feel I belong here" child she cannot care for, the
Mr. Tucker, a Welsh preacher extended family will care for the
from Cardift, has been more places chile'. There is no question of abor-
and done, more things in 50 -odd" Hon or adoPtion," he says.
years than many people dream of In recent yearsthe spread of the
doing. AIDS virus r
mt.; throughout -native
Born into the Plymouth Brethren Africa has all but destroyed that
faith in Great 'Britain, he became a network of support: Today, he
cbrrscientioria -objector, reirtsingiti-lrateir Th*Aotnsof044fes fortt
enterinto Britain's compulsory mil- medical purposes;'Wmstance, is
itary service. The alternative, as he common in a young, developing
puts it, was to go to jail or do 24 society such as this one because of
months hard labor. He chose work. (the shortage of medical supplies.
"For two years I worked on a The new throw -away syringes and
dairy farm, tended small trees for needles Cannot be sterilized by
the forestry service, and worked as usual means, however, and the dis-
kitchen porter in a hospital," he ease is spreading throughfOilies."
recalls. Unfortunately, his stay was cut
At the hospital he met his wife short; he caught a virus that result -
Nancy, a nurse. They were married ed in a loss of 68 pounds in justa
within a year, and 18 months later few months. The church sent him
came to Canada. back to Canada after only six
Once here, he took any job he months of service.
could find, from selling toys in "I think the sudden change in
Eaton's to keeping financial records temperature saved my life,' he
for the Ontario Department of recalls. "When we left Africa in
Highways for the Highway 401 February, 1968 it was 96 degrees
construction project. After a few Fahrenheit, and when we landed in
years Welt a call to the ministry Toronto it was 30 below zero!
STAINTON'S CUSTOMER PARKING TO THEREAR
OF OLID STORE - JUST OFF VICTORIA ST. -
WOOD-S-
V11T US TODAY !
•
F
REV. PETER TUCKER recently t as minister at Knox United Church, Belgrave an
d CaIvjn
Brick United Churih, Mr. -,Tuekerr,and Ns wife Nancy gieeteit,Calvin-thi4 churchgoers Roy and
MatildaDawson and -14 'ary`itiibitisci' Siniday inonting. '
think at that poiflt the gerMs dieet
becausel Ste to recover Within
aew weeks."
His next posting, a quiet charge
in Rockwood, near Guelph, would
have been just the thing for a .cler-
gyman recuperating from a physi-
cal Ordeal such as this. However,
even this assignment was an
adventure; Mr. Tucker also became
chaplain of Guelph efbrmatory
and /fillzerebt School. fojl
• •
, ^
side Guelph. Two years later he
was transferred- to Dundas, near
Hamilton. There he became
involved in a *Umber of ecumenical
projects such as pre -marital corm,
Sail*, in a program that involved
a ihrtriber of different churches.
After five years at St. Mark's United
Church in Dundas, the Tuckers
returned to Wales in 1975 to look
aftertheirWhile linggPalenWithtt% e Anglican
IBELCARAVE,..-A new pulpit light
was dedicated by. ReV. Peter Tucker.
at the'SimdayMorning service in
Knox .United Church, Belgrave, on
July 16. Mt. Tucker, ritiiiister of the •
charge, prayed for illumination
thrOugh. God's Word and light to
spread the.--Cospel! before pressing
the light switch.
• Red roses in a silver bowl and
varied stutiMer'flatAferkbeaUtified
the sanctuary and vestibule :o of the
thumb. Harold Keatrng and Leshe
Vincent Wel&iii: ,,
,.,;'
t,
... .,,e .;$ -
.. ,..'..00
Mrs
organist, presented
a prelude ;of, sacred numbers and
4- ' &Ike'. silt' '
- .
hymns
1m 1,
'st
tis
ervice
with the disease were shunned. He
told the children that someone may
have an affliction of some kind and
be "left out" by his friends but
added that, as Jesus put things right
with the leper, the children must
"accept those with afflictions and try
to love one who is different.
Tucker, in his sermon, spoke
said,oftvhealingeiry tri iwnge t coot mt %use ha lai nv de
Throughtouching." He 'Mentioned
people and anirnais alike, seek
rinth and affection through
tniich, then ad4ed that Jesus' touch
atedtthe leper. He was a
person after that ktuch.
osf speaker stressed
w Second
asked
iclean?" and . u
le
the question,
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uS anu LP aid generous gesture; we appreti-
''' -; e Vsikyntuch:?
*4-seatavr tilt:kers have two grown
k1I, John thildmiti a son living in Morriston,
ttadaugbterstiii in Wales.
.Church as an unpaid clergyman, 1-
was disappointed at the lack Of,
interest of the British people in their
church. "The.British people have
little understanding and use for
their faith," he remarks. "I doubt if
one person in 10 ever goes to
church except for social occasions,
such as weddings. They're becom-
ing essentially pagans."
The up and coming religion -in
.Britain these days? Islarn,Tuck-
.
er claims, is gaining strength not
only through immigrants from
cotAtries that were formerly British
colonies, but4unong the British as
well. "Islamis a living faith; pthple
are becoming increasingly Caught
up. in Islarnic fundamentalism."
Working** one of the few active
Anglican parishes in Wales, Mr.
Tucker was re -ordained as ait
Anglican deacon and priest.
Last year, while he and his wife
were on holiday in Canada, they
decided to return. "I had sent some
sermon tapes to a friend, Rev. Don
Beck of Fordwich, and he sent them
to a number of churches. When I
.heard from Belgrave, I was aston-
ished; who would want an old min-
ister like me?"
Evidently Belgrave does, and
vsince the Tuckers arrived a few
weeks 'ago they have appreciated
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the warmth and hospitality of the
stall toininunity L
At the mem; the Tuckers are
staying at the ;Mine of Mabel
Wheeler Until their own /Rime is
ready. "Mrs. • *heeler simply
dr *led her doors to us," Nancy
'eke* said, "It Was a very kind
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