A Good and Faithful Servant

The recent past been a challenge for many Calgarians. Even before COVID, the energy industry’s massive layoffs of 2014, 2015 and 2016 disrupted families and communities; stealing both financial security and relational security, as support networks scattered across Canada looking for new work. Then the pandemic struck even more brutally, taking lives, limiting opportunities and curtailing all the comforting and celebratory rites of passage that carry us through the stress of daily life. For the last eight difficult years, Pastor Daranne Harris has walked alongside Emmanuel, preaching eloquently for us twice a month despite the other demands on her time, providing a continuity of spiritual care throughout our complicated – and ultimately successful — search for a called pastor of our own.

Our new pastor, Reverend Doctor Laura Holck will start ministry with us on August 1, and the fellowship at Emmanuel are excited to set out on the next stage of our community life. But we will miss Pastor Daranne. For her sake, we wish her a blessed time of peaceful work toward her PhD, which she hopes to defend before Christmas. After that, we hope to find opportunities to fellowship with her, and learn from her wisdom; and until that time we wish Pastor Daranne every blessing.