Who we are.

Our Team

 

Rev. Jeremy Bellsmith

I started with St. Andrews in 2018 after serving congregations in Victoria and the Toronto area. I'm married to Crystal and love being dad to a daughter in university, and a teenage son. My preaching is practical and Bible based. I love good conversations, hiking, music and movies.

I've been in ministry for over 27 years, my ministry has been shaped by Ephesians 4:11-13

"So Christ himself gave...pastors and teachers to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fulness of Christ."

I know I'm doing my job, when I help others live out their role in what God is doing in the world.

Melanie Halpin-Kuehnel

Children’s and Senior’s Pastoral Care and Outreach Coordinator

Melanie is joining the team in the fall of 2023 with decades of volunteer experience with children’s ministries, 5 years at Crossroads Pregnancy Centre, as well as a great love of connecting with the community through mental health. She completed counselling and mental health support work programs at VIU.

She will continue to use Orange, a highly regarded Sunday school strategy for engaging kids with the bible through super fun activities and videos which invites parents into the learning.

Seniors, or those who find themselves housebound, are encouraged to reach out so that the Pastoral Care Team can walk with you through this season. We are able to offer practical, emotional and spiritual support to you and your loved ones. We can also provide referrals to valuable community support services.

Melanie has lived in Nanaimo for over 25 years and enjoys the beautiful outdoors with her husband, children and grandchildren and 2 dogs.

Kelli Berkner

Associate Pastor of Discipleship.

I started with St. Andrew's in the summer of 2023 after serving in various ministry and pastoral roles in the Christian Reformed Church since 2013. My deepest joys in ministry are to equip people on their discipleship journey with Jesus, and to help churches craft and implement structures for missional renewal.

Originally from Michigan, I moved to Nanaimo in 2018 and feel incredibly blessed to call the island home. My husband Josh and I love exploring the island with our black lab, and are looking forward to welcoming our first child this winter

Austin Penner

UpperLVL Worship - Team Lead & Worship DJ 

Having now lived in Nanaimo for more than a decade, I'm happy to call it home. It's awesome to live in such a beautiful part of Canada, and to be called into God's work of redemption in the world. 

I'm grateful to call St. Andrew's Presbyterian my church home. Since I've come to faith in Jesus in late 2021, I've been welcomed into the fold here. It's incredible to be supported by the church in the call to pursue ministry, especially in the unique context of the nightclub and party scene in Nanaimo, and on the VIU campus.

As a DJ, drummer and music lover, it's so cool to submit these gifts back to God in a way that He can shape them for His purposes. I'm eager to lean into new ways of ministering to young people outside the walls of the church, like through our nightclub church-plant, "UpperLVL Worship". 

In my spare time I'm often reading, studying theology, hanging out in nature or working with my hands!

Meet Our Elders

  • David Coull

    How did you come to believe in Jesus?

    I grew up in the Presbyterian church in New Zealand, so it was a process of osmosis over a long period of time, starting around age 5 (as far as I can remember!)

    What do you love about the church?

    I love the sense of purpose and belonging to a loving community that serves others as witnesses to the Risen Christ

    What do you like to do for fun?

    Just about anything in the outdoors with my best friend, Joanne. That includes hunting, fishing, climbing,hiking,skiing, snowshoeing, trail running , horse riding, landscape photography .

  • Lorraine Swaile

    How did you come to believe in Jesus?

    Believing for me goes a long way back to attending Sunday School as a child and two hymns from then that convinced me Jesus was for me too. "This is my Father’s world" and "The Huron Christmas Carol".

    What do you love about the church?

    Attending worship, caring for each other, and fellowship.

    What do you like to do for fun?

    Spending time with family, attending live theatre, and gardening.

  • John Fisher

    How did you come to believe in Jesus?

    My parents were instrumental in my faith journey. I was taken to church/Sunday school at an early age and was involved in various activities there. As an adolescent/ young adult I pursued professional hockey and although I never lost my faith, my relationship with Jesus was not as strong. An incident happened, the death of a player, while I was coaching junior hockey and that lead to a close relationship with Jesus that I hold and share with all members of my family.

    What do you love about the church?

    Our church is a welcoming place that we worship God together with other believers. Through teachings/sermons, prayers and songs I enjoy being a part of our fellowship community.

    What do you like to do for fun?

    My wife and I are best friends and we enjoy many activities together. We participate in sports, support the arts, love nature and cherish time with family members. I also like quiet times at home reading, enjoying our yard and watching our favorite tv shows.

  • Burnie Smith

    How did you come to believe in Jesus?

    I grew up attending an American Baptist Church in Yakima and later in Spokane Washington. I accepted the Lord as my savior and was baptized when 12 years old. Unfortunately, as with many young people, I got busy with jobs, marriage, kids and church took a back seat. I went through some very difficult times with my marriage and my daughter. Looking back however, I can see that Jesus never left me even though I was doing a pretty good job of ignoring him.

    What do you love about the church?

    Leslie and I were married in Yakima in 1993 and one of our promises to each other was to find a church home. We began attending Westminster Presbyterian in Yakima and on moving to Nanaimo in 1997 (to be close to Leslie’s parents) began attending St. Andrew’s Nanaimo.

    What do you like to do for fun?

    Some of the Christian organizations that I have participated in include Promise Keepers, Bible Study Fellowship, and Lay Witness. At St. Andrews I have been active with the Men’s Group, the Board of Managers, and helping with the general maintenance and upkeep of the church. I am also church treasurer, training under former member Dick Paul. I have been an Elder for the past eleven years.

    I have three children, two sons and a daughter; six grandchildren, and six great grandchildren. They all live in the states scattered form Seattle to Texas and Virginia.

    It has been a true blessing to be able to serve St. Andrews.

  • Bob Munnik

    How did you come to believe in Jesus?

    Right from birth I grew up in Christian church, a reformed one in the Netherlands: it gave me a good foundation for my beliefs. Reading and studying the NT as an adult strengthen my faith

    What do you love about the church?

    I love St. Andrew’s because of the members. It had a little hiccup because of Covid-19, but we getting on the right track again.

    What do you like to do for fun?

    I like to do photography, curling, cooking and reading.

  • Ron Membery

    How did you come to believe in Jesus?

    I grew up in a family that were members of York Memorial Presbyterian Church in Toronto. As a result, I grew up in a family that knew Jesus and lived within His teachings. My Scottish Grandmother also reinforced many Scottish traditions and was very active in the Kirk. However, it was during my teen years when I became active in church youth groups and the Presbyterian Young People’s Society that I really started to create a meaningful relationship with Jesus and after high school, I went on to study at Ewart College, a college affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in Canada located on the University of Toronto campus. At Ewart I studied Christian Education and I have been active within the church in a variety of ways ever since.

    What do you love about the church?

    I love the community of believers at St. Andrew’s. St. Andrew’s has been my church home for about 25 years and I have developed many friendships within the church. For a period of time while my children were young, I was a single father and the people of the church were very supportive of me and my family.

    What do you like to do for fun?

    I enjoy spending time with my family, including my two young grandchildren. I also enjoy hiking, camping, and curling (the finest of the Scottish sports).

  • Fred Klapstein

    How did you come to believe in Jesus?

    I grew up in a Christian family and predominantly Christian community.

    What do you love about the church?

    The opportunity to grow in the Christian faith. The church’s concern with social issues and dealing with them in a Christian way. The fellowship with other Christians.

    What do you like to do for fun?

    Small scale wood working, reading and spending time with family.

  • Carol Klapstein

    How did you come to believe in Jesus?

    I came to believe in Jesus as I grew up in a Christian family with a strong connection to our Community Church being baptized, confirmed and married in that same Moravian Church in Bruderheim east of Edmonton Alberta.

    What do you love about the church?

    I love many things about St.Andrews Presbyterian Church. I feel spiritually enriched by the sermons and music to prepare me in promoting Gods love to others. I love meeting people at church which provides me the opprotunity for further fellowship and others.

    What do you do for fun?

    I enjoy walks with family and friends, beachcombing, quilting, tule art painting, singing and playing my autoharp.