Staff and Leadership
Rev. Dave Ponting, Rector
Dave Ponting is the priest at Grace Anglican Church and is a native of Burlington, Ontario. After completion of seminary he was ordained in 1996 and served his first post as rector of a small rural two-point parish on the shores of Lake Erie. While rector of that parish he served as the chair of the Niagara Diocesan Outreach committee.
From July 1999 to July 2005 Dave was the Director of Stewardship and Financial Development for the Anglican Diocese of Niagara. During that assignment he also took on the role of publisher of the diocesan newspaper representing the Bishop. At the request of local diocesan bishops Dave has been leading stewardship workshops in several dioceses within the Canadian Anglican church the past three years. In September 2005, Dave's book entitled From Scarcity to Abundance was published by ABC Publishing.
Prior to entering the priesthood Dave worked in the Marketing departments of large multi-national consumer packaged goods companies such as Crayola Crayons where he was National Marketing Manager. He also spent four years in senior management with a large multi-national advertising agency.
Dave's personal passion is that the church be faithful to its prophetic role to be a voice for the voiceless on key social justice issues in our society. He is also very interested in evangelism and walking with people as guide and mentor as their faith journeys' deepen.
Dave has two adult daughters. His personal interests include live theatre, creative writing, music, tennis, and golf. His daughters allow him to crack jokes if he warns them first that humour is coming.
To contact Dave Ponting, send an e-mail to .
Jonathan Massimi,
Counterpoint Pastor
Jonathan Massimi is the new pastor for Counterpoint Church. Reporting to the Reverend Dave Ponting, Jonathan will be responsible for all aspects of Counterpoint communal life, including worship planning and leadership, pastoral care, outreach, Christian education and the fellowship life of the Counterpoint community of faith.Before coming to Counterpoint, Jonathan served as Family Life Coordinator at St. George’s Anglican Church in Guelph, Ontario. He has ministered in similar capacities in two other Anglican churches. Over the past thirteen years Jonathan has had the privilege of serving in a variety of denominational settings. He also served at L'Arche Daybreak in Richmond Hill where he assisted those with mental and physical disabilities.
Jonathan holds degrees from York, (B.A.) an M.T.S. (Masters of Thelogical Studies) from University of Toronto, Wycliffe College and an M.A. from McMaster University School of Divinity.
Jonathan and his wife Erika, together with their two year old son Samuel, are excited to move to Brantford. Jonathan will be ordained this Fall as a deacon in the Anglican church.
It was at L’Arche that Jonathan encountered the works of Jean Vanier which taught him that “everyone has an instrument to bring to the vast orchestra of humanity.” Jonathan is excited to be joining Counterpoint where he will help conduct this orchestra of God’s beloved in the hope that, together, we can make beautiful music.
Shelley Locche, Parish Administrator
Meet Shelley Locche, our parish administrator. Shelley works mornings from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.
Shelley takes general inquiries, hall and church bookings, announcements for our weekly bulletin (which should be given to her by 9 a.m. Thursdays at the latest). She is responsible for producing the weekly order of service and the PowerPoint presentation for our new Praise worship service. Shelley will also be co-ordinating several parish communication and publishing projects and is responsible for keeping the website updated.
Please take the time to drop by and welcome her. She'd love to meet you.
You can send Shelley an e-mail at .
Dave Johnston, Co-ordinator of Volunteer Ministries
Meet Dave Johnston, Co-ordinator of Volunteer Ministries at Grace Church. Dave's office hours are Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and you can reach Dave during these hours or via e-mail.
As co-ordinator of volunteers, Dave is responsible for the identification and recruiting of volunteers for all parish ministries and committees. Dave generates rosters for various volunteer groups that help make Grace church worship and parish life run smoothly. If you are interested in volunteering at Grace Church, speak to Dave. We have many volunteer opportunities for those looking to contribute to our community.
Dave is also the parish envelope secretary and parish treasurer. Dave especially appreciates it if you keep him up to date on parishioners in hospital or in need of pastoral care.
Dave is a huge part of what goes on at Grace. Drop in and say "Hi."
To contact Dave Johnson, send an e-mail to .
Daniel Durksen, Director of Music
Daniel brings a deep personal faith and a depth and breadth of musical experience and gifts to his new assignment.
Daniel grew up in St Catharines, Ontario, in a community surrounded by fruit farms and not nearly so many wineries as one finds there today. Not that he would have noticed, being the eldest son of abstaining and devout Mennonite parents.
After graduating from Brock University with a degree in Music and German, Daniel headed out for the big world of Winnipeg, city of diverse ethnic communities and bitterly cold winters. After a few years of studying, playing and teaching in that city, he returned to Ontario. In 1987 he graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a Masters in Piano Performance. It was during this time that he moved to Ingersoll, between London and Woodstock. For the last twenty years his life has consisted of a diverse collection of musical activities -- playing the organ and directing the choir at First Baptist Church, playing for various dance studios in the area, and playing for choirs in Kitchener-Waterloo and Tillsonburg.
Now it is time for a change -- Daniel is looking forward to becoming part of the worship and musical life of another community of faith, a community with long traditions and a rich liturgical past. If you are interested in singing in the choir, practices are Thursday evenings at 7:30 p.m.Meet our Honourary Assistants
The Reverend Alex Morris
Many residents of Brantford know Alex Morris very well. For thirteen years Alex was Chaplain and Manager of Pastoral Services at the Brantford General Hospital. Since his retirement from that position, Alex has been an important part of the ministry team at Grace Church.
Certified in Clinical Pastoral Education, Alex presents training programs for parish pastoral visitors. In addition to leading worship services, Alex is an accomplished organist and can often be found lending his voice to the Grace Church choir. As well as his association with Grace Church, Alex is the Chaplain of Riverview Terrace Residence and the Brant Naval Veterans' Assocation.
With his wife Joyce, Alex sings in The Grand River Chorus. Both are delighted to be able to spend time with their family including two grandsons. Alex and Joyce enjoy travelling and have visited many continents teaching English as a second language.
The Reverend Canon Bob Schroeder
Bob Schroeder is a retired Anglican Priest, having served for a number of years in the Diocese of Huron and the Diocese of Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador. His present focus is interim ministry. Bob continues to be an occasional lecturer at Renison College, University of Waterloo, assists with the diocesan program "Fresh Start" for clergy in transition, and serves on the Board of Directors for Brant Interfaith Counseling.
He has an interest in spiritual direction and meets with individuals on request.
In addition to leading worship, Bob will be facilitating Christian education events at Grace.
Bob is a native of Minnesota, having completed his undergraduate degree in that state. He continued his education at the University of Western Ontario, graduating with a Master of Arts and Master of Divinity degree. He has also done graduate work in theology at Wilfred Laurier University and at the theology faculty in Berlin, Germany.
Bob's first vocation was teaching and he enjoys facilitating small group studies. He is married to Mieke and they have an adult son, Stephen.
Both Bob and Mieke are proud to be a part of Grace Church. They feel Grace has much to offer in terms of its outreach to the community, its long and venerable history, and strong music program.
Wardens
Feel free to contact either , , or if you have any concerns.
