By Jon Pearkins
EDMONTON, Alberta--Frank Brown, 59, retires June 1 after seven years as regional director for Canada. Gary Moore will assume the role, moving with his family to Vancouver in early July.
Until then, Mr. Moore will commute regularly between Edmonton, where he is regional pastor for Alberta, and Vancouver, where he is participating in the re-engineering process underway in the Canadian Office.
Mr. Moore said he likes being with and talking to brethren and has an infectious enthusiasm for Christianity. As regional director he is looking forward to seeing the many brethren he has known over the years across the country as occasions permit.
Gary Moore, 45, was born and raised in Toronto and has spent nearly all of his life in Canada. He graduated from Ambassador College in Pasadena in 1974 and was ordained a local elder in 1975. He has served in Shreveport, Louisiana; London, Toronto, Sault Ste. Marie and Cornwall, Ontario; Plattsburgh, New York; Fredericton, Moncton and Saint John, New Brunswick; Halifax and Digby, Nova Scotia; and, since the beginning of 1994, Edmonton and Evansburg, Alberta.
In August 1995, he was named regional pastor for Alberta.
In 1979 Gary married Tamara Wheat from Dallas, Texas. They have two children, Rachel, 15, and Daniel, 14. Mrs. Moore is a pianist and music teacher. This has helped her to add an extra note of quality to the many worship music programs she has coordinated over the years for both the local congregations and Festival sites where she and her husband have served. Frank and Sharon Brown
Frank Brown came to Canada in 1990 from the British Office, where he served as regional director from 1976 to 1990. At one time or another during those 14 years, his responsibilities included the United Kingdom, East and West Africa, Scandinavia, the Mediterranean area, Greece and the Middle East.
Mr. Brown was first ordained a minister in 1965, the same year he graduated from Ambassador College in Bricket Wood, England.
About his decision to retire, Mr. Brown said: "After discussion with my wife, Sharon, prayer and counsel, and in view of the direction the church is taking (which I totally agree with), I came to the conclusion that my gifts of administration were not as useful as in the past. The church now needs a director who is strongly gifted in pastoral ministry, which Gary Moore certainly is. I feel it is the best way forward for the church in Canada."
Randal Dick, superintendent of missions, said: "Frank put it well at the Canadian board meeting today (May 1), when he said he recognized that his gifts and his business orientation were better suited to our past needs than to our future needs. He also recognized the need to make room for a younger leader who can better serve the future.
"From my perspective, Frank has set a tremendous example when it comes to empowering the next generation and providing a soundly mentored leadership transition. Frank and Sharon have a lot to give."
The church engaged the services of the consulting firm, Coopers and Lybrand, to help re-engineer how the church serves brethren across Canada. A re-engineering involves starting from scratch to determine what services are needed, then designing the processes and selecting the people to provide those services.
"Development of a church vision is the vital first step," Mr. Moore said. "So far, it has given us a clearer vision of where we as a church fellowship should be going. This will enable us to set appropriate goals and allocate resources to reach that vision."
An obvious first question is whether a Canadian Office is even required, given the cultural similarities between the United States and Canada.
Mr. Moore explained that "for a variety of reasons, from tax laws to national identity, it appears to be more effective to have a separate Canadian Office. Though on the surface the cultures (especially in English Canada) appear virtually identical, more subtle cultural differences can affect how issues are approached."
Mr. Moore said that "as the re-engineering process is completed, and members feel more comfortable with our more Christ-centered focus, we hope for a period of qualitative and quantitative growth as Christ works through us to fulfill his goals for our fellowship in Canada."
May 20, 1997, WN, page 4
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