Staff Team
Rev. Beth Hayward
Lead Minister
beth.hayward@bedfordunited.com
Our Lead Minister, Rev. Beth, is an experienced spiritual teacher, inspirational preacher, public theologian, podcaster, and storyteller. She has spent her vocational life creating communities of deep care, grounded in awe, compassion, and fierce authenticity. For over 20 years she has walked alongside people who are part of church and those hanging out around the edges, not sure if they dare walk through the doors. She finds meaning in accompanying people though everyday liminal moments of life and more than that, offering insights and wisdom to encourage others to make meaning of the joys and pains of living.
She reads and writes extensively in open and relational theology, sharing her deep conviction in the persuasive power of our relational God’s unconditional love. If you want to see her light up in conversation, be sure to bring up topics such as artificial intelligence, quantum physics, spiritual practices, injustice of any kind, and that feeling of never quite fitting in!
Beth blogs regularly on her personal website, https://www.bethhayward.org/,
where she endeavours to bridge the distance between spiritual people and religious places. She seeks there, and everywhere, to create safe places for all to ask hard questions, never settling for pat answers.
Beth encourages and equips others, (individuals, families, groups), to know what matters to them, to live more authentically, to be bold in identifying their core values. All of this because she believes the actions of our lives ripple out to contribute to our common good.
Here is a sampling of her published works
https://vancouversun.com/opinion/beth-hayward-yes-in-my-backyard
https://www.openhorizons.org/less-strategy-more-intuition-leadership-from-the-grounded-pause.html
https://www.bethhayward.org/post/a-hint-of-mysterious-aurora
Rev. Katie Aven
Congregational Minister
katie.aven@bedfordunited.com
Katie began listening to God as a child, growing up in the Mojave desert in California. Today, her spiritual life continues to be grounded in the experience of prayer as an act of mutual listening. Katie’s theology is at home in the contemplative Christian experience, in places of progressive Christian cosmology, and in witnessing to a world saturated by the Christ consciousness. A passionate lover of the Bible, Katie believes in the ability of Scripture to speak powerfully in today’s world – right here, right now.
Katie graduated with her Master of Divinity in 2005, and was ordained (recorded) into ministry with the Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as Quakers. She served two Quaker communities, in addition to her ministry of chaplaincy. From 2005 until 2018, Katie served as a staff chaplain to hospitals in Halifax, and is a Certified Specialist in Pastoral Care and Counselling (CASC).
Katie has been preaching and presiding in the United Church of Canada since 2012, when she also began the process of aligning her ordination with her true church home. Katie was ordained in 2019 and accepted the call to be at Bedford United. She lives in Halifax with her family.
Tony Janes
Minister Of Music
tony.janes@bedfordunited.com
Tony Janes is our Music Ministry Lead here at Bedford United Church. Tony started singing when he was 3 years old and found himself directing choirs at the ripe age of 12! Since that time, the love for Music and Worship grew stronger in his life and led him to take on Worship Leading roles in several churches in the Maritimes and Newfoundland. Growing up attending the Salvation Army (as well as Pentecostal, Baptist and United Churches), really grounded Tony in his faith in Christ and also provided a rich background in music. Tony is also a private music teacher, teaching many instruments including Piano, Voice, Guitar and Trumpet to name a few. He lives with his husband, Jason, in Bedford, NS.
Tony's heart and life's desire is to see people encouraged and drawn closer to The Source of Life through vibrant and heartfelt worship. He also lives to be an example for the LGBTQ2S+ community in relaying the message that God loves all. God created all. And God has a plan for all. He believes in the message of Bedford United Church that ALL are welcome to be a part of such a vibrant congregation! When you visit BUC, you will most likely see and hear Tony at the piano, inviting the congregation to get up and enter in because "...the gates of holiness are open wide!"
Natalie Moyes
Family Ministries Leader
natalie.moyes@bedfordunited.com
Natalie Moyes is delighted to be called to continue Paige Fraser's work in Family Ministries while Paige is introducing her daughter to her family and the world.
Natalie's family grew up in Bedford United Church. She credits Sunday School and Youth leaders for giving her boys a safe place to explore their faith and their purpose. Over three decades Natalie has volunteered in the Sunday School, Nursery, and on the Christian Development team, she has helped plan women's retreats, and is examining allyship with the Inclusivity team.
Stories are important to Natalie: our stories of faith, stories of changemakers, stories of God's work in our world, stories of everyday joy, especially when told by children. She has training in Godly Play, OutoftheBox, and Tell Me the Truth About Racism - all of which are based in the Montessori tradition.
Image is also important to Natalie. She is an Intentional Creativity ® Coach and values mark making as the beginning of storytelling, like petroglyphs made by the Mi'kmaq, and daycare fridge treasures. She likes to remind people the Creator created us in their image, to creatively co-create the creation the Creator creatively created. Creativity and spirituality are innate to us as human beings.
More than a decade ago, the United Church issued the results of a study exploring UC children's spirituality called “The Shape of Their Light” which revealed children didn't view their church family as a resource to help wrestle with their concerns. Natalie is already working to change that! Children and families need someone who will listen to them, take them seriously, and not blame or shame them for their questions. They also need to know that they can quiet themselves enough to hear the voice of Wisdom inside. Let's make it so.
Natalie lives in Middle Sackville with her husband Ian, adult sons Gordon and David, unofficially adopted friend Shay Purdie, and 100+ lb Black Lab/Bernese/Poodle mix named Luna. Natalie nurtures humans, causes plants to suffer, and relishes sleeping in after two decades with a 5:30am work call.
That's a story for another time.
Jennifer Johnson
Office Administrator
office@bedfordunited.com
Jennifer Johnson first came upon Bedford United Church in 1997 when she and her husband moved to Bedford from Toronto. They felt instantly at home in the BUC congregation and family, becoming members not long after their arrival. Jennifer has participated in many committees and church activities over the years, some revolving around children and families after daughter Hope was born.
Jennifer brings a wealth of experience in administration and back in the 1990’s, Jennifer completed a Masters Degree in Adult Education and particularly enjoyed learning about working with diversity, the adult maturation process and the spirituality of education. She began her work with us in 2016-my how time has flown!
“It’s a busy office!” says Jennifer, “but you are welcome here any time.”
Lauren Scott
CHILDREN & FAMILy Ministry Leader
lauren.scott@bedfordunited.com
Lauren is passionate about children. She began coming to BUC in 2008. Lauren was pregnant at the time and was looking for a church family where her new family could belong.
Lauren fell in love with BUC because of our inclusivity, as have many people in our congregation. She volunteered extensively with children’s programming throughout the years and now works closely with Paige supporting Children and Family Ministry.
Lauren often wonders if she would win the prize for having slept on the church’s gym floor the most of anyone, thanks to all those Sunday School sleepovers. In addition to her work at BUC, Lauren works in private practice as a therapist as well as in mental health consultancy.
Brian Skelly
Property & Facilities worker
brian.skelly@bedfordunited.com
Brian came to us in 2018 having relocated from the Toronto area in 2012. He is very much enjoying the East Coast lifestyle! Brian is a red seal carpenter who enjoys the challenges of maintaining the Bedford United Church facility. He is a huge sports fan and enjoys playing pick up hockey and golf. Brian enjoys his work at the church and the opportunities to meet and interact with members of the community. He is happy to lend a hand whenever he can!