Joy Elliott of Port Albert, Nfld., says her congregation is "just a small outport community, with a small crew." Amid all the economic challenges of the Atlantic fishery, though, Port Albert United and the other three congregations on the charge are "pretty busy." As with many active rural congregations, though, that's a bit of an understatement.
Depending on your point of view, the Stoneville-Change Islands (Nfld.) pastoral charge is either divided by the Change Island ferry or linked by it. Whichever, there's never a dull moment around here.
The charge is located near Twillingate, about 440 km northwest of St. John's, on Newfoundland's rugged northeastern coast. Change Island -- with the town called Change Islands at its northern tip -- is about halfway between the mainland and Fogo Island. Leaving from Farewell about four times a day, the car-ferry stops at Change Island before heading on to Fogo.
The half-time minister, Rev. Elizabeth Kozbial, preaches on the mainland, at Port Albert United and Stoneville United, every other week, taking the ferry to Change Islands on alternate weeks. Often she winds up staying on the island until Monday.
While the ferry ride usually takes only 20 minutes, winter ice sometimes stretches the trip to an hour-and-a-half or more.
During the summer, there are also worship services at the small Horwood United Church, located across Dog Bay from Stoneville. Port Albert United and Change Islands United have about 30 families a piece while the other congregations are smaller. When the minister is on the island, lay people lead the worship services in the mainland congregations and vice-versa.
In the past, most of the people living along this rocky, picturesque coastline relied on fishing for a living. Fishermen still get good catches of herring, shrimp, crab and lobster, but the Atlantic cod fishery that was a mainstay is closed. People who were working at fish plants or in businesses serving the fishery have been most affected. Churches are affected too as people move away and the population shrinks.
In any year, our two UCWs will do the catering for a dozen or more events, all the while sponsoring foster children, attending UCW regional events, crocheting afghans for street people, putting on cold-plate fund-raisers and making a point of having lots of crazy fun together. We began wearing our Beads of Hope pins over a year ago. The UCW at Port Albert meets twice a month and it's sometimes midnight before we get home. It's a ladies' night out, so we make the most of it, having the meeting, sing-song, sharing a thought, then having a cup of tea.
Our pastoral charge supports the Mission and Service Fund, three women's centres, our local church camp, the student minister fund and the Labrador travel fund. Last year we responded quickly to the ice emergency in Badger, Nfld.
We make a point of interacting with other denominations and sponsor special community services. At this year's annual meeting in January, the minister listed the events, aside from regular worship, in which the congregations were involved. The list ran to a page-and-a-half, including special Wesley 300th services, fishermen's services, a grad service and banquet, church and community suppers and involvement with other churches' suppers and special services.
We were thrilled this year to welcome 11 adults to membership by way of confirmation. Classes have begun for young people who want to know more about our faith. We are blessed with a ruggedly beautiful coastline with wooded islands in bays so peaceful you can be still and know that God is close. It may not be easy to make a living in this part of Newfoundland, but our communities and our congregations are full of life.
