Rev. MacKay Marks 50th Ordination Anniversary

EDMONTON – Following colloquy, Rev. Larry MacKay was ordained on June 13, 1976, into the Office of the Holy Ministry by Rev. Dr. George Rode at Grace Lutheran Church in Edson, Alberta. It happened to be his birthday, and he recalls his wife Carole sitting on their patio finishing her last stitches of ecclesiastical embroidery on his red stole.

From December 1, 1974, Rev. MacKay served Lutheran Central Parish, which consisted of congregations in Edson, Hinton, Jasper, and Grand Cache. After Grace, Edson became a single parish, and he was made circuit counsellor for the Stony Plain Circuit. He served as vacancy pastor for St. James in Whitecourt and Trinity in Rochfort Bridge until accepting the call to Grace in Edmonton, where he was installed on November 11, 1984.

During his ministry, Rev. MacKay served on several boards and committees of the church including, the Board of Regents of Concordia Lutheran Seminary. On May 30, 2014, he received the Doulous Dia Iesoun award from the seminary, and continues to help out there when possible.

Rev. MacKay retired from fulltime ministry on December 31, 2016, but has continued to serve occasionally as a guest pastor in area congregations. An unforeseen path of service came with his becoming actively involved with Covenant Health Alberta as a volunteer worker with Spiritual Care at the Edmonton General Continuing Care Centre. This has led to his sitting on Covenant Health Alberta’s Ethics Committee for the Edmonton region, as well as on the Patient, Resident, and Family Advisory Council.

After completing training under the Better Choices-Better Health program with Alberta Health Services, he began in July 2017 to co-facilitate six-week workshops in Chronic Pain-Self-Management. He began another workshop series on May 19.

“Looking back over the years and right up to this very present I marvel at how blessed I have been through the people whom the Lord has called me to serve, both within the church and beyond,” Rev. MacKay shared. “They have been and are still, so understanding, patient, and forgiving, but above all loving and supporting. I thank God for them and give Him the glory!”

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