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Big questions and board games drive All-Saints pastor

People of Collingwood: Rev. Michael Peterson, pastor at All-Saints Anglican Church
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Rev. Dr. Michael Peterson is pastor at All-Saints Anglican Church in Collingwood.

A new pastor leads the congregation at All-Saints Anglican Church.

For this week’s edition of People of Collingwood we spoke with Rev. Dr. Michael Peterson, 60, pastor at All-Saints Anglican Church.

Q: Where did you grow up?

A: I grew up in the army.

I came from a military family, and I was born in London, Ont. When I was very young I lived in Germany. My father was stationed there.

When he retired from the army, we lived in British Columbia. I went to university there in Victoria.

I came to Ontario in the ’80s and have kicked around Canada.

As a military chaplain, I have lived in several different provinces. Ontario feels like home now.

Q: Did you always know that your faith was your calling?

A: It helped that I grew up in a church-going family.

I knew from an early age that it was important to me.

I originally thought about the priesthood when I was a young teen but, as often happens when people go to university, I had questions that I couldn’t find an adult with credibility to answer, so I kind of drifted away from the church in my 20s and 30s.

I made my way back in my 30s.

My life has been lived in a series of stages, but I started seminary in 1999 and was ordained in 2004.

Q: What about religion called out to you?

A: I’m a church geek. I love church. I love worship. I love hymns. I love the beauty of the liturgy. More importantly, I believe that faith has the answers to the questions that trouble me.

Like, what is the point of life? What does it mean to be a good person? What does it mean to have a hope that I can believe in?

All those questions, to me, revolve around my faith.

One of the things I love about church is, although it has its many flaws, church is a community of people that are all kind of trying to answer those questions together.

Q: When did you first come to All-Saints?

A: I started Sept. 1. My bishop had asked me to come here to meet with them.

I was contemplating retirement. They asked me if I could come to Collingwood. I didn’t have any connection to Collingwood, but my wife grew up in Singhampton. She considers this her hometown, so it was a pretty easy sell.

We were happy to come here and the congregation has been welcoming. I think we’ll stay for a while. Suddenly, 60 doesn’t seem that old.

Q: What would you say you bring to the table here that’s special?

A: Chaos. (laughs)

All-Saints has a very active ministry in Collingwood (to help) the poor, marginalized and homeless.

We’re one of a series of churches that shares in a weekly community dinner. We’re known as a church that feeds people, and that really attracted me.

I do have some military training as a leader. I see my role as a coach in trying to encourage my team.

Q: What do you hope to bring to the church in regards to new initiatives?

A: All-Saints is an older church. COVID really knocked the wind out of every church when it comes to programming.

Like every other church, we were just gathering online.

The Anglican church has an aging demographic. Most of our parishioners are older than I am. It’s the only job where people call me a young man.

Part of it is trying to appeal in a healthy way to a younger demographic. We like to think we’re open and inclusive and the gospel is a message for all people.

Q: What are your interests outside the church?

A: If I can be super geeky, I’m a passionate games player, like table-top games and role-playing games. I was really into Dungeons and Dragons as a teenager. My son and I used to be really into a game called Warhammer.

We have a parish hall that could be used for a gaming night. I have my geek antennae out there.

Q: Is there anything else you’d like people in Collingwood to know about you?

A: Like I said, I’m a former military chaplain. I’m very interested in Canada’s military history, and the role the military plays in our society.

I’m hoping to get more involved with our branch of the legion.

I’d also like to get better at kayaking. I have a blog where I occasionally post sermons.

My wife Joy and I have only been together for five years. We lost both our spouses to cancer, and we met in the church.

We’re great believers in hope and are interested in the road out of grief. Not everyone is so fortunate to find a partner so soon after the death of a long-term spouse, but we were lucky.

It’s a big part of who we are.

For our feature People of Collingwood, we speak with interesting people who are either from or are contributing to the Collingwood community in some way, letting them tell their own stories in their own words. This feature runs on CollingwoodToday every weekend. If you’d like to nominate or suggest someone to be featured in People of Collingwood, email [email protected].


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Jessica Owen

About the Author: Jessica Owen

Jessica Owen is an experienced journalist working for Village Media since 2018, primarily covering Collingwood and education.
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