Woensdregt’s legacy of spirituality, philosophy and advocacy

The passage of Yme Woensdregt, who died all of a sudden in Cranbrook in August, leaves an ideal gap in our group, however an ideal legacy of spirituality, philosophy and group advocacy.

The Rev. Dr. Yme Woensdregt was born in Holland in 1953, and grew up within the Fraser Valley in B.C. He studied music at College of British Columbia, however switched to the Vancouver College of Theology, an ecumenical divinity faculty affiliated with the UBC.

He joined the Presbyterian Church after leaving seminary faculty, however was subsequently drawn to the Anglican Communion..

He moved to Cranbrook in 2004, to turn out to be priest at Christ Church Anglican. He was each formally ordained as an Anglican priest and put in at Christ Church on the identical service. Below his management, Christ Church, small because it was, grew to become one of many distinguished church buildings in the neighborhood. Yme served there from 2004 till his retirement in 2020, and he was a lot liked and extremely regarded for his human contact, group engagement, and sense of compassion.

He wrote for nearly 20 years for the Cranbrook Townsman, Kimberley Bulletin and different newspapers in southeast B.C., weekly insightful items concerning the human situation, Christianity and Christian rules, and the numerous methods we are able to reside our lives to assist the world transfer in direction of an final good. His writings had that common accessibility by which we might all see ourselves. Yme thought-about it vital to be all the time be looking out, and questioning, even of himself, and he invited all of us to think about dwelling our lives this fashion as nicely, for the enrichment this may carry to our lives, and the potential to study new and higher issues about ourselves and others.

He had a large readership, in Cranbrook and Kimberley, in southeast B.C., and around the globe. Politics and philosophy had been by no means removed from his viewpoints, hanging chords with readers in all places, some who agreed wholeheartedly with him, some who disagreed vehemently. Everybody learn him, although.

Yme ecumenism was an vital a part of his philosophy — the precept of selling unity among the many church buildings — he referred to as for this in his writing and in his ministry. He particularly put it into group observe with Cranbrook’s annual CrossWalk, which he organized each Easter Good Friday for greater than 15 years. Group members and representatives of various church buildings gathered downtown, to hold a big cross to totally different “stations,” representing totally different establishments of society, providing prayers and readings at every.

His involvement in the neighborhood will go away a long-lasting affect. As long-time director of the Solar Valley Track choir, he was in a position to share and talk his ardour for music — particularly vocal music, and organized many works for that group.

As an activist, he advocated tirelessly for the marginalized, the poor, the LGTB, and the homeless, and was lastly working with Summit Group Providers on its board.

A service for Yme Woensdregt might be Wednesday, September 13, at 1 pm in Key Metropolis Theatre.