Meet the Rev. Beverley Shepansky

Beverley Shepansky

The Rev. Shepansky was appointed by the Presbytery of Westminster as a Co-Interim Moderator of Central Presbyterian Church over the past couple of years. Now that Rev. Dr. Victor Gavino is our half-time Stated Supply Minister, she shares in some service responsibilities but mainly organizes pulpit supply preachers for various Sundays. The Rev. Dr. Dale Woods, the other Co-Interim Moderator, has moved on to other responsibilities within the Presbytery while working behind the scenes with concerns he began earlier at Central.

Bev began her close walk with Jesus Christ at the age of six while attending a Baptist Church in South Burnaby. When her family moved to New Westminster, she continued her walk in the Presbyterian Church from the age of seven where she has remained until the present although in many congregations across the country. During the many years attending Presbyterian Churches, she loved attending Sunday School, Canadian Girls in Training, Youth Group, and singing in junior and senior choirs before she taught or led as the Spirit moved her.

Earning a Teaching Certificate from Simon Fraser University, enabled her to begin a teaching career with two years in a two-room school in a logging camp Northeast of Terrace, BC, where she taught grades 1-3 and grades 4-6 physical education. While in Nass Camp she assisted in planning the community building which the company erected for use by their employees, families living there and the school students. That proved to be a rewarding experience which benefitted so many.

Over the years, Beverley has taught in Toronto, ON, Regina, SK and Val Marie SK. While living in Regina, she completed her Bachelor of Education degree in French which propelled her into teaching Core French as well as some Immersion French.

While teaching in Val Marie, a ranching/farming community, her travelling North to St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Swift Current, led to a call to the ministry. Consequently, she resigned from six years of teaching, the position was reassigned and she prepared to move to BC to attend Vancouver School of Theology to complete a Master of Divinity degree. Immediately after replacing the Prince Albert SK Presbyterian minister who spent time as a military chaplain in Afghanistan, Bev began ministry in Mistawasis First Nation. She served in Mistawasis Memorial Presbyterian Church, learning much from the Indigenous people over the almost-six-years with them.

After retiring from the ministry. Beverley returned to BC, spending two years living in a two-bedroom suite in Surrey with her daughter before moving into the Central Presbyterian Church Housing - part of the rebuilding project completed in the summer of 2018.

Beverley has visited most of Canada except Newfoundland, the Yukon, NWT and Nunavut. Her travelling desire was awakened with trips to Hong Kong, South Korea and a small village in Mexico – Rin Con De Jibito’s. Perhaps more “Arm-chair-travel” will take place between work as an elder of Central Session, as a member of the Ministry Committee of Presbytery and as a Representative Elder to Presbytery meetings either in person or via Zoom.

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