The Citizen, 2017-09-21, Page 9THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2017. PAGE 9.
Teeswater native returns as minister to local churches
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
Charmila Ireland is just over one
month into her time at Melville
Presbyterian Church in Brussels and
Molesworth Presbyterian Church
and she views the move as a bit of a
homecoming for her.
Ireland officially started her time
with the churches on Aug. 1, but
with Melville not hosting any
services in the month of August, she
was able to focus her first four
weeks on the Molesworth church.
With September came services at
Melville and Ireland says that the
connection between her and the
congregation has been great and she
has felt very welcomed by the
community.
Ireland is a native of Teeswater,
which is where she's back living
now. Still just 27 years old, Ireland
went to Knox College, a theological
college that's part of the University
of Toronto, for four years to
complete her Master's Degree.
She spent some time working in
the chaplain program at Canadian
Forces Base (CFB) Petawawa before
she became reconnected with her
home area.
While Ireland spent some time in
Petawawa, she says she is not yet a
full military chaplain. She would
have to spend two more years in the
military education program before
she could officially make that claim.
Ireland initially wanted to be a
teacher and was accepted into
teacher's college. However, she soon
realized that wasn't the life she
wanted to lead.
She left teacher's college and
continued to pray and explore other
career paths and she says she kept
returning to ministry and because of
the persistence of the concept, she
knew it was meant to be.
Ireland said she felt both
components of her calling, which
are "inward calling" and "outward
confirmation". So, not only was she
feeling called internally to the
church, but friends and family were
urging her to take up this career
path, which confirmed that was what
she needed to be doing with her life.
She then travelled to Toronto and
studied at Knox before graduating
recently.
Melville's newest minister first
connected with the church in the
winter months, saying that she was
searching for available churches and
found that the charge of Brussels
and Molesworth was looking and
she felt an instant connection to the
communities so close to her
hometown of Teeswater.
She interviewed with the church's
search committee and said that the
process was, at the same time,
extremely challenging but
reaffirming.
Unlike other job interviews
(Ireland worked at Wescast
Industries years ago), a ministry
interview consists of questions that
drive deep into the heart and soul of
faith, so it was a new experience for
her, but one that Ireland says she will
always remember.
Those on the committee for
Melville and Molesworth agreed
that Ireland would be a good fit for
the community and soon enough she
was due to begin her time in Huron
County later that year.
However, before she made her
way back home, Ireland and some
friends went on an extensive trip
over the summer. She went to Spain
and Portugal for fun, but then spent
a number of weeks studying in
Germany. She says the trip was
incredible.
Ireland is now a full-fledged
member of the community and was
busy volunteering on Monday with
the Brussels Agricultural Society,
assisting in setting up the society's
Brussels Fall Fair, which is being
held at this week's International
Plowing Match in Walton.
Molesworth Presbyterian services
are scheduled for every Sunday at
9:30 a.m., followed by the weekly
11 a.m. service at Melville
Presbyterian Church in Brussels.
A new face
Charmila Ireland, originally of Teeswater, has made her way
back to the community after attending college in Toronto
and travelling extensively this past summer. Ireland is the
new minister for Melville Presbyterian Church in Brussels
and Molesworth Presbyterian Church. She says she loves
the community thus far and has found Brussels very
welcoming in her first few weeks. (Photo submitted)
OFA to be at IPM 1
By Brent Royce, Director
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
September in Ontario kicks off
another kind of harvest — the season
that combines social and business at
Canada's Outdoor Farm Show
(COFS) and the International
Plowing Match (IPM) and Rural
Expo. The two shows promise to
make for a busy few weeks for
Ontario farmers, the agricultural
industry, show organizers and the
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
(OFA).
The OFA has a long history of
member connection and outreach.
Our organization was founded to
represent our farming members and
that's why our elected directors and
staff can be found at just about every
farm show and agricultural event
throughout the year across the
province. Just like our fellow
farmers, OFA representatives attend
COFS and IPM events where we
meet with OFA members to discuss
issues, concerns and opportunities —
including the challenges of
operating a sustainable farm
business in today's economy and
regulatory requirements, legislative
activities and regional federation
concerns.
Grassroots connections are a
cornerstone of the OFA and farm
shows are one of our key
opportunities to check in with
members.
This year's IPM is in Walton and
marks the 100th plowing match in
Ontario. The event's tagline —
Celebrate Farm, Family and Fun —
aligns perfectly with the OFA's
commitment to serve our farm
members. OFA is partnering with
the Huron Federation of Agriculture
at the event, so be sure to stop by the
OFA display at this event Sept. 19-
23.
Fall also marks the return of the
provincial legislature, and the OFA
is busy with ongoing advocacy
campaigns for public investment
in Ontario agriculture and our
rural communities, and kicking
off our 2018 provincial
election platforms. We look forward
to checking in on all these matters
and more with our members
at the shows this fall, and events
throughout the season. See you in
the field.
1
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A busy week
On Sunday night, members of the Brussels Legion began a busy week of preparing dinner for
volunteers and visitors to the International Plowing Match in Walton. Sunday's fish fry began
a stretch of five straight days during which the Legion would be making dinner for the IPM.
(Quinn Talbot photo)
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