About Our Guest Speaker

Resource offered from TUNM - Learn, Pray, Worship, & Redistribute Wealth

Bio

Rev. Evan Swance-Smith-TUNM Minister of Word, Sacrament, and Pastoral Care (She/He) Evan is ordained in the United Church of Canada and has been serving at TUNM since 2004. Evan completed an undergraduate degree in 2009 from The University of Toronto specialising in Women and Gender Studies and Sexual Diversity Studies. Evan graduated from Emmanuel College within the Toronto School of Theology at The University of Toronto in 2013 with a Master of Divinity. Evan is passionate about serving people who live on the margins and this compels their work on the front lines doing pastoral care and harm reduction with sex workers, LGBTQ2A youth, families, people who are incarcerated and street-involved folks. Evan describes themself as a Traditional Person following Jesus's teachings. Evan is a Parent, a Grandparent, an Auntie, a Pipe Carrier, a carrier of Birth Teachings, and uses their healing work to encourage people's spiritual health through the practice of both Traditional Spirituality and Christianity. Evan serves on the Office of Vocation Indigenous Candidacy Board and is serving a second term as the moderator’s appointee to The United Church of Canada Foundation Board.

Rev. Leigh Kern-TUNM Right Relations Coordinator (She/Her). Leigh is passionate about creativity, cross cultural and interfaith solidarity, ritual practice, and the healing power of community. She serves on the Vision Keepers Council, which is a council of youth and Elders that advises the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC) on subjects related to justice for Indigenous peoples. She also represents the ACC on the Steering Committee of KAIROS. She received her undergraduate degree with high distinction from the University of Toronto and completed her Masters of Divinity from Yale Divinity School, where she served as a chaplain to people on the streets of New Haven, CT for two years. After her ordination, she served as Assistant Curate and then Associate Priest for three years at Saint James Cathedral, Toronto. Leigh delights in bringing together diverse communities to pray, sing, listen, and heal ourselves, the Land, the Waters, and all our Relations. Her work has taken her all over, from Standing Rock to the heart of urban centres, and for these opportunities to serve in solidarity, she is extremely grateful.

Sandra Campbell-TUNM Indigenous Outreach Coordinator (She/Her). Kanien'kehā:ka Wahta, Wakkwā:ho (English translation: Wahta Mohawk First Nation and Wolf clan). Since 1992, Sandra has been an Indigenous Traditional Counselor, specialising in addictions, family and child welfare, elderly care, federal corrections, supporting Survivors of Indian Residential Day Schools, Sixties Scoop, homelessness, and other traumatic impacts of colonialism. Since 1995, Sandra has been an Auntie in the Toronto Indigenous community and has been a Women's Traditional Drummer. Sandra has served for over 10 years at TUNM. Sandra is a Master of Divinity student at Vancouver School of Theology and is in discernment for ordination with Archbishop Mark MacDonald of the Indigenous Anglican Church of Canada.

Toronto Urban Native Ministry (TUNM) is a shared ecumenical ministry between The United Church of Canada and The Anglican Church of Canada. TUNM is a unique ministry which supports both Traditional Indigenous Spiritualities and world-views as well as Christian Spiritual practices, showing that they can walk together in harmony. Founded in 1996, TUNM interacts with more than 8,000 lives each year. We reach out to Indigenous people on the street, in hospitals, in jails, shelters and hostels, providing counseling, Ceremony, spiritual care and referrals to community service. Importantly, TUNM facilitates the reconciliation process between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.