Nominee for Moderator of 2009 General Assembly announced

The Rev. Stephen Kendall, Principal Clerk of General Assembly, on behalf of the Committee to Advise the Moderator, announced this morning that the name of The Rev. Harvey Self, minister of Tweedsmuir Memorial Presbyterian Church in Orangeville, Ontario, will be placed as the sole nominee to be Moderator of the 135th General Assembly this June in Hamilton, Ontario.

The Rev. Harvey Self, B.A., M.Div.

Harvey Self was born a “son of the manse”, to parents The Rev. Dr. Stanley and Mrs. Christine Self, in Cornwall, Ontario. The ministry travels of his father, both as a minister within The Presbyterian Church in Canada and as a chaplain in the Canadian Forces, meant that Harvey was educated in seven different schools across Canada and in Germany. Harvey graduated high school in North Bay, Ontario. His undergraduate studies were at Queen’s University, Kingston where he received a B.A. in history. He then enrolled in theological studies at Knox College in Toronto where he completed his M.Div. degree in 1981.

Harvey was involved in Inter Varsity Christian Fellowship in his university years at Queen’s serving as chapter president in his final year. He served summer student mission appointments at Massey, Ontario; Pictou Island, Nova Scotia; St. David’s Kelowna, British Columbia; and in church planting work in the Kortwright area near Guelph, Ontario.

Following ordination in 1981 Harvey served Grace Church, Castlegar, British Columbia, and then St. Paul’s Church, Leaskdale, Ontario. Harvey then sensed a call to ministry within military chaplaincy in the Canadian Forces serving nine years at three postings: CFB Petawawa, CFB Goose Bay and CBF Esquimalt; and a six month UN posting in Cyprus.

Harvey is married to Jayne and they have three sons. He is currently the minister of Tweedsmuir Memorial Church in Orangeville, Ontario, within the Presbytery of Brampton, where he has served since 1996. His pastoral response to a number of difficult community situations has earned Harvey a high level of respect within the community. He also serves as chaplain to the Royal Canadian Legion Branch and is the chair of the Orangeville Ministerial Association. He is the Presbytery missions convener and a member of the Canada Ministries Advisory Committee.