Doris Steeves

I was born into St John’s/St Stephen’s Presbyterian (also known as the Knox) Church in St John, New Brunswick. That was my family’s church. I was also christened there, but I won’t tell you what year that was!

I started attending services at St John’s United in 1939. Even in those days, St John’s was known as being a church for all people. I think what attracted me here was the great ministers. I remember Dr. Crowdis, Reverend J.D. MacLeod and Reverend Leadbeater. During the war years you couldn’t get a seat in St John’s on a Sunday morning. The place was packed. The balcony would be absolutely filled, and that’s a big balcony! We’d come early so we knew we’d have a place to sit. There were always excellent speakers, sometimes professors from the Atlantic School of Theology, and always great music. I have so many fond memories of the music in this church. I was on the Halifax Board of Community Concerts for many years and I just love music. We’ve always had top-notch organists and soloists here; the best in the city!


I was in church the day they burnt the mortgage and we were free of debt; what a wonderful day that was. I remember those bondsmen, in particular Mr. Arthur Cox. What great workers they were. I can remember many of the old families of St John’s: the Rockwells, the McCraes, the Coverts, Stoddarts, Bradleys, Rozees, O’Briens, Rosboroughs, Drysdales…

Our daughter Cheryl always loved to come to church. She was in the children’s choir when Ross MacLean was organist and she thought he was wonderful. At one service, she and a young fellow named Laurie Borne dressed up as a bride and groom in honor of Reverend McLeod’s wedding anniversary, which was that day. Cheryl also enjoyed Reverend Leadbeater, and felt that he had a great influence on her life. She asked him to perform her marriage ceremony, which he did.

Jenny Kerr and I taught Mission Band for a while. Nobody knows what that is anymore! Mission Band was a children’s group. We would have the kids come here after school once a month and we’d have different activities for them: crafts and things like that.

I also taught Sunday school for quite a few years. Now, today they have a Sunday school curriculum, but in those days there wasn’t any! You were totally on your own as far as what you taught them. Every Sunday morning I would have a whole class of little boys. I really loved being with them, because I had just the one daughter, so I would think “Well, this is what little boys are like!”

We were expected to teach the Catechism. The children all had their own copies of it and we’d read it aloud:

Who made you? God made you.
Who is God? God is a spirit and has not a body as we have.

And so on. Sometimes I’d read them bible stories, which they all loved.

I had so many great friends in this church. I knew Frances McLellan well; she was the first female minister at St John’s in the 1970’s, and one of the first female ministers in Canada. I had her over for dinner often. One of my best friends, Olive McLellan was treasurer of UCW for a long time. She collected money at the fundraising functions. Olive and I played bridge together; what a great bridge partner she was! Her daughter Janet McLellan Smith still goes to services here.



The people make the church. St John’s is special, but it’s not just the building. I mean, this is a beautiful building, but it’s really the people that are wonderful.


During my years at St John’s, besides teaching Sunday school and Mission Band, I served on the UCW in the Miriam Unit and Session. I became an Elder just before Neil MacDonald left in the early 1990’s. I was on the committee to bring Arlene Riches here as Interim Minister to replace Neil. I love Arlene and I’m so glad she came here. Although I did enjoy teaching Sunday school, I must say that I love being on Session the most. As an Elder I get a chance to express my opinion on how things are done in the church. I like doing the visitations; mind, you don’t always find people at home! When I visit, I ask if they have any concerns to take to the minister. You have a big responsibility as an Elder and you must attend the meetings.

How has St John’s changed over the years? I think it has become a far more liberal church and that is a good thing. I am a person who is open to new things. What should never change is our outreach work. We do marvelous outreach in this church, and we cover all the bases!

When I think back and remember all the people who have volunteered so much of their time here, I am amazed.

Ray Grant

Music is my job.


I’ve been involved with the church since my early days in Cape Breton. I was baptized at Knox United in Glace Bay and sang in the Youth Choir there. When I was in high school, I played the organ at the United Baptist Church, which was my mother’s church. After graduating from the Nova Scotia Teacher’s College in 1967, I taught school in Sydney River, Cape Breton for 2 years and I was organist at Warden United Church in New Aberdeen.

In 1969, my wife Judy and I moved to Halifax so that I could attend Dalhousie University. I graduated from the Music Department in 1972. I restarted my teaching career in the Dartmouth City Schools Music Department and was Organist/Choir Director and Sunday School Superintendent at Grace United Church, Dartmouth. Subsequent to my two year stint at Grace, I was hired as bass soloist in three Halifax churches- St Paul’s Anglican, First Baptist, and St John’s United. Ruth Lawley was the organist at St John’s at the time. After Ruth left in 1976, I was hired to fill her position and my family and I have been members of St John’s ever since.

I don’t think of myself as just the Director of Music at St. John's but also a working member of the congregation. My interest in the life of the congregation has led me to do more than to simply help create a Sunday Morning experience. Fellowship and fundraising events have played a large part of my time here. Cabarets, concerts and dinners have been a source of great pleasure as I try to foster the talent so prevalent in this church community.

Music is, of course, my main thrust and I try to be as forward thinking and "up-to-date" as I can in order to keep the interest of the people involved in our music programs. This means choosing music that challenges the choir and the congregation as well. It means leaping forward whenever I feel that the congregation is ‘stuck’ or in crisis of some kind. This attitude has helped me develop a respect within the congregation, and it is a respect that is returned. Over the years, the St John’s congregation has been really supportive of my efforts and I've had the pleasure of working with many talented people. As mentioned previously, we’ve produced concerts, cabarets, fundraising events- and the talent has always been there to do these things!



Besides my family, St John’s has been the major part of my life for the last 30 years. Working with the people of this church who have chosen music as their offering has been one of my greatest pleasures. I see young people who grew up in this church and who participated in our youth choirs and other church groups and are now back. They have come back to this church bringing their own children because they want them to have that St. John's experience. My challenge is to make sure that I provide the same positive experience that they had, should they decide to involve their children in a music experience.

I am blessed to work with so many talented singers and musicians from this congregation. St. John's has always been known for its music. Any music director would feel lucky to have the financial support which is provided for our programs. I want to keep this tradition, this reality, alive. The fact that people will come forward and participate in the choirs, the Taize Instrumental Ensemble, the Sanctuary Band and the String Ensemble tells me how important it is to make different musical options available.

I’m grateful to have been here when Neil MacDonald was minister of St John’s during the 1980’s and 90’s. Neil was an inspirational leader. If our members had ideas for forwarding the work of Christ through education, social action, music or whatever, he enabled them to move forward and put their ideas into action. Neil’s philosophy was to encourage people to fulfill their own concepts of what Church life should be about. Linda Yates continues this tradition and I am continuing to be inspired.

What is special about St John’s? Our worship practice is inclusive, not pulpit centered, and it allows for interested people in the congregation to come forward and be involved in the planning and delivery of things. Our church leadership is not driven from the top. There is the empowerment from the top, but our leaders have always taken risks with the congregation, and this is rewarded because the congregation will step forward and do things. Our members take a proactive role in the delivery of worship. This is one of the many things which make our church a special place.



People had fewer distractions many years ago and the community didn’t address all the needs of the family, so more people came to church to find fulfillment for their social, as well as spiritual needs. Now the church is no longer the centre of activities. Life is more hectic and people are being pushed harder and faster. If we can provide a safe, non-threatening, inclusive and peaceful environment to which people can come to worship, meditate, consider themselves in relation to others and leave determined to celebrate the good and to do what they can to change the bad, then we are on the path Christ intended for us.

I have so many great memories from my time at St John’s. One that really stands out is being ‘roasted’ by the congregation after 25 years of service. That was so affirming for me in terms of being appreciated for what I was doing in this church. People were expressing the hope that I would continue in my role.



Even after 25 years and now 32, I am still fired up by the church. I know this church must move on, move forward and incorporate new ideas, more forms of musical expression in the worship. We must continue to involve the people who are here and to excite those who may come our way.

I am saddened when I see the generation that I was introduced to when I came here gradually become less involved because of age or marginalization. Some of them have this misplaced feeling that they have done their part and it’s time to let someone else do it. We should not allow our wise elders to step aside. There are older people in our congregation who are dynamic and maintain open minds! Celebrate them, value them and involve them.

There is no contract time limit on our jobs as Christians! There is always something we can do.