Pastor Rhoda, who serves in Vancouver, British Columbia, shares her path to becoming a female pastor in the Canadian Adventist Church, from her background in education to her calling into ministry. She explores the significance of representation in leadership, the distinction between ordination and commissioning, the power of inclusive language in worship, and the importance of reexamining biblical translations that have historically diminished the roles of women. The conversation highlights the tension between tradition and progress, and suggests practical steps for fostering a more inclusive church community.

Peter Noteboom, the current General Secretary of the Canadian Council of Churches and Co-Chair of the Canadian Interfaith Conversation, shares his experiences and perspectives on ecumenism, emphasizing the importance of unity, peace, and love in the Christian faith. He highlights that the Christian witness can be strengthened when individuals deeply engage with their own denominational traditions. In this spirit, he calls on the Adventist Church in Canada to contribute its unique voice to the work of the Canadian Council of Churches.

Kyle Hausmann-Stokes talks about his new film, My Dead Friend Zoe, which explores his own experience as a U.S. Army veteran and draws attention to the ways that violence and mental health issues impact friendships and families. 

I first met Kyle on a humanitarian effort to help migrants several years ago and continued to admire his creative talents and how his personal values drive his work. The film, which stars Sonequa Martin-Green, Natalie Morales, Gloria Reuben, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Morgan Freeman, and Ed Harris, shows how great storytelling can help difficult conversations turn into opportunities for shared grace and understanding. 

Jocelyn Bell is the editor and publisher of Broadview, a Canadian faith-based magazine and media organization. With roots dating back to 1829, Broadview is the oldest continuously published magazine in North America. Broadview covers national and international issues related to spirituality, justice, and ethical living. Jocelyn reflects on the publication’s rich history while also addressing the modern challenges faced by faith-based media.

Zach Lambert is the lead pastor and co-founder of Restore, a church based in Austin. He emphasizes the importance of building inclusive communities where everyone feels valued, shifting the spiritual focus away from belief statements to a centering on Jesus. Zach encourages Christ followers to assess faith by its fruits, in both personal and communal introspection. He also advocates for a holistic approach to scripture, offering thoughtful engagement rather than outright dismissal. His upcoming book presents solutions to harmful Bible interpretations, providing a path toward deeper, more meaningful understanding.

Rev. Dr. Ross Lockhart is dean of St. Andrew’s Hall and professor of Mission Studies at Vancouver School of Theology. He is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church in Canada.

Noticing that fewer and fewer people are interested in Christianity, Ross uses his doctrinal research to ask, "What, then, does church mission look like?" He shares that as Canada moves further toward secularization with its history of colonialism, the question is no longer, is Christianity true? but rather, is Christianity any good?

Terry Shaw, president and CEO of AdventHealth (revenue $21 billion), shared with Spectrum why his Climate Resilience Plan improves whole-person care. He also explained why government funding of health and humanitarian work is essential. 

Reflecting on his 40-year career with the now 100,000 employee network stretching from Florida to Colorado, he shared how an internship inspired him and how his focus on extending the healing work of Jesus inspires his leadership. 

Thandazani Mhlanga is a pastor in the British Columbia Conference, and also serves as a hospital chaplain. Through his passion for humanity he notices how Canadian society has mastered the art of virtue & moral signaling. This mismatch of saying the right thing but not doing the right action shows that the church may not be ready to embrace all people. Thandazani reflects on Jesus’ sermon on the mount, noting that Christ’s words were, “blessed are the peacemakers,” not “blessed are the peace talkers.” In his media channels, Never Black and White and Inspired Passions, Thandazani aims to show the beauty of truly seeing people. 

Dr. Melodie Roschman is a writer, academic, and the daughter of an Adventist pastor. Her ongoing research focuses on the intersection of popular culture and gender with right wing American Christianity. In our conversation, she reflects on her experiences as a young queer woman growing up in the Adventist church in Canada, as well as the links she sees between her personal experience and research. We talk about the relationship between personal and group identity, and ask questions of how we collectively navigate differences while struggling to agree on fundamental definitions.

Paul Llewellyn is the president of the Adventist Church in Canada. Coming from a teaching & youth ministry background, he shares about how the most important jobs of the church are the local pastors and teachers. Paul highlights the need for cultural understanding in ministry, along with the challenges of the Church in Canada being a small but significant part of the North American Division. Describing how the importance of focusing on Jesus and not getting distracted by other issues must be maintained for effective ministry.