The Most Rev. Bruce Stavert, Quebec, Ordained as a Priest in the Church of God, on The Feast of St. Mark the Evangelist, April 25, 2001, in St. Paul's Church, Lachine, The Rev'd Douglas Painter. Douglas then succeed The Rev. Maurice François as Incumbent of the Parish of St. Clement's East, June 6th, 2001.

 

Douglas is a native Montrealer who moved with his parents to Deux Montagnes, Quebec (35 minutes North West of the city) when he was 9 years old. He grew up in a rural - suburb with lots of forest and trails around a very family oriented town. As a teen Douglas cross-country skied and was involved in short-distance track & field at high school. While living in Deux Montagnes, this only child, traveled to church in the Town of Mount Royal to choir practice each week by train. A love of singing would keep Douglas very aware of Anglicamism's musical and liturgical tradion. In his teens he was present when Crosstalk Ministries began their ministry in the basement of St. Peter's TMR.

While always involved with choirs (especially CAMMAC Choir Camp; and later St. Matthias, Westmount; and St. Georges, Place du Canada) Douglas found himself drawn to Day Camps in the summers. He served on three traveling teams in Montreal and the Eastern Townships.

As a young adult Douglas was involved in many different Christian groups and eventually Sherry (his wife) and he led a twenty-something group of peers in their small apartment beginning with a meal for 16 people and followed by a time of Bible passage reflections and discussion. They were privileged to entertain, at one of these small group meetings, the future primate of Canada, the Most Rev’d Andrew Hutchinson, who as Lord Bishop of Montreal celebrated the Eucharist at their dinner table as a sign of his openness to youth in his diocese.

At this time both Sherry and Douglas worked in the heath care profession as, nursing aide and orderly. Douglas worked in many different departments in the Jewish General Hospital, but primarily in Cardiac Care, Psychiatry, and Emergency.

Involved in a cycling accident, and 6 months later a victim of a violent crime in the Metro, Douglas was placed on medical leave for three years. As he recovered he increasingly began to focus on his call to priestly ministry, which eventually led to his enrolment into formal theological studies.

Douglas studied at Montreal Diocesan Theological College , beginning in the Reading and Tutorial Programme, and switching to full time studies in 1997. In the Spring of 2000 Douglas obtained his B.Th degree and completed a unit of Clinical Pastoral Education at the Royal Victoria Hospital. While studying he worked at a brewing supply store in the early hours of the morning before heading off on his bicycle to Mattins. After this Douglas was hired as a Summer hospital chaplain for the McGill University Health Care Centre. The previous two summers he was employed as a summer student in the Parish of Eaton Dudswell Victoria in the Diocese of Quebec. This rural beef and dairy farming community had a great influence on his future ministry. In August 2000, Douglas began his In-Ministry year to complete his academic work in the M.Div programme. On November the twenty-ninth, 2000, St. Andrew's Eve, Douglas was made a Deacon at Trinity Cathedral, Quebec.

Theologically Douglas considers himself a Catholic-Evangelical who takes to heart the Anglican understanding of via media. With a strong background in the evangelical movement in Montreal, Douglas found a zeal to serve God and neighbour with Scripture as guide. After worshiping with the Book of Common Prayer at St. Georges Place du Canada, Douglas and Sherry moved to St. Columba's, NDG, under the pastorate of the Ven. Peter Hannen, currently Vicar-General of the Diocese of Montreal. This strong liturgically catholic, Book of Alternative Service, parish shaped the future of Douglas' ordained ministry and understanding of the true meaning of the reformationist call for ad fontes.

This influence has not diminished his appreciation and value of the evangelical and broad church within the Anglican Communion. In recent times Douglas has also gained an apreciation of the BASE communities in Mexico, and thus an understanding of liberation theology, where he and his fellow theological students went on a workshop through the G.A.T.E. programme.

This experience in Mexico was intensified as a few years later the community of St. Paul’s River, among others to a lesser extent, lost their main industry after the moratorium on cod and crab fishery. The entire community was thrown into crisis as the governments had no plan to assist these people in a forgotten area of Canada. It was indeed very reminiscent of the struggle faced by the Mexican peoples on a daily and yearly basis. The similarities continued as faith saw them through this crisis and continues to do so.

Prayer ministry is important to Douglas in all his dealings. In all things a Trinitarian, with a view to shaping theological discussions from tradition, reason and primarily Scripture, Douglas believes this is the way to live the Good News of Jesus Christ.