Get to Know Us

Get To Know Us

More than just a magnificent building, The Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul is a vibrant hub of caring people living and sharing God’s message of hope while reaching out to those in need in their local community in Montreal, Canada and worldwide. We are members of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. We hold traditional worship services accompanied by our renowned choir singing traditional sacred music every Sunday morning at 11 a.m. EST in our spacious sanctuary. In addition to the beautiful stained glass windows, the church also has a majestic organ, one of the largest in Montreal, to accompany our choir. Special services and musical performances are held throughout the year, all open to the public. Visitors are welcome to join us in Holy Communion which is held 6 times per year. There is also a Crèche (Nursery) and Church School (Sunday School) for your children, so please bring them along.

As one of the largest and most vibrant Presbyterian Congregations in Canada, we welcome all to worship with us or join our community to participate in our projects and activities. Diversity is one of our mainstays as seen every year during our Heritage Service where we parade in over 30 flags of the different nations represented by members in the congregation. We also encourage you to join us after services for “Coffee and Conversation” to learn more about what we are doing.

anchor

Mission Projects

In addition, the Church has numerous committees that undertake our many mission projects. For example, in Montreal, we help close to 20 different local charities. On the international scene, we work through the Presbyterian World, Service & Development agency that provides development and relief in challenged countries, especially Africa. Ten years ago, we welcomed a young African refugee who started a new life in Canada. Our congregation is currently sponsoring a Syrian refugee family and working with Action Réfugié Montréal and the YMCA Residence on Tupper Street in Montreal to provide help to hundreds of cross-border refugees from the US.

Our youth group brings together young people from Grade 6 through High School who are very active in the community, often helping with various events around the church and fundraising for many of our projects. Another group that we call “The Guild” organizes one of our largest events, our “Annual Fall Fair” in November where donated items and baked goods are sold to raise funds that are distributed to the many charities that depend on our support each year.

Ministers, Staff and Collaborators

Lead Minister

Rev. Dr. Glenn A. Chestnutt

The Rev. Dr. Glenn A. Chestnutt has been a life-long member of the Presbyterian Church, having grown up in Dervock, Ballymoney, Northern Ireland. He began his career as a teacher after qualifying with a B.A. (University of Ulster) and then a D.A.S.E (Queen's University Belfast) before sensing a call to ministry within the Church. He was ordained as a minister in the Church of Scotland in 2009. He completed the Master of Divinity and the Master of Theology degrees at Princeton Theological Seminary, USA. From there, he went on to complete his Ph.D. at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland in the area of Systematic Theology, focusing on the theology of Karl Barth. He has won several awards including the Princeton Seminary Jagow Scholarship in Preaching. His publications include one book and several articles. Glenn has served on numerous committees of the Church of Scotland as well as various ecumenical initiatives. Glenn is married to Hannah and they have one son, Rowan.

Associate Minister

Rev. Susan Brasier

Susan graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary in May 2019. After completing an extended unit in Clinical Pastoral Education at the Acadia Divinity College in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, she worked as interim lead minister at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Fredericton, New Brunswick. Prior to her time at the seminary, she worked as a trial lawyer for many years in the U.S.A. Susan also has teaching experience and mediation and negotiation training. She likes to bake cookies, run marathons, read, quilt and has a passion for the visual arts.

Minister Emeritus

Rev. Dr. J.S.S. Armour

Dr. Armour was our Minister from 1983-1998, and named minister emeritus in 1999. Dr. Armour is the honorary chaplain of The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada and honorary life chaplain of the Royal Montreal Curling Club. He also serves on the board of the Mount Royal Cemetery. He is married to Margaret and they have four grown children and five grandchildren.

Director of Church School

Sharon Dworzak

Mrs. Dworzak has 22 years of teaching experience, including teaching children with special needs, and has taught Sunday School since her late teens and was Sunday School Superintendent as well as Youth Leader for two groups prior to teaching our Church School since 2003. Her main goal for the Church School is to help the children grow in Faith with a strong emphasis on scripture, having the children discover how the Bible relates to their daily lives, thus encouraging them to make a personal commitment to Jesus Christ.

Office Manager

Sandra Steadman

Sandra Steadman, CPA, CGA oversees the church office operations, general administration and accounting in her role as office manager. She serves as an Elder at her home church and has many hours of volunteer experience. Sandra is one of the first people you’ll meet as you enter the church and is ready to assist you with a smile.

Administrative assistant & communications coordinator

Miranda Huybers

That friendly voice that we hear when calling the church office belongs to Miranda Huybers, our Administrative Assistant and Communications Coordinator. When she is not pulling all of the components together to publish our weekly bulletin in time for our Sunday Services, she is designing graphics, running our social media, managing our website, or taking care of the numerous day-to-day activities of the church. Miranda has a Master of Information Studies from McGill University and loves archives, and she can often be found processing collections from our own church archives.

Church Officer

Peter Sabourin

As Church Officer, Peter is known for being the main resource person at the church. If you locate him, he'll probably smile and tell you what latest projects that he's indulged in. DON'T bring up heating systems, he'll talk your ears off. Sundays, he is Our Beloved Church Beadle, preparing the Church for Sunday Worship and is the care-taker of the "Word" (our church Bible).

Audio Visual Specialist

Stratsimir Dimitrov

If you sit up in the gallery during our worship services, you will see Stratsi hard at work operating the sophisticated audio visual equipment that is used to produce the live broadcast of our worship services, concerts and other church activities, as well as the recordings. Stratsi also uses his considerable experience and skills to expertly set up, maintain and operate all the microphones, monitors, projectors, lighting and sound equipment used in our meeting rooms and Kildonan Hall. In addition, he doubles as a cameraman to produce and edit many of the promotional videos of our church activities which we post on our website and social media. Stratsi is an invaluable member of our team allowing our ministers and congregation to reach out across the world to share God’s message of compassion and hope.

Assistant to the church officer

Jason Aumond

As the Assistant to the Church Officer, Jason can often be found working on all sorts of odd jobs around the church. Give him a wave and say hi if you see him working on the grass or in the gardens.

Music Staff

Interim Director of Music & Choir Manager

Stephanie Manias

Based in Montreal, soprano Stephanie Manias is heard regularly as a soloist and chorister with some of Canada’s most celebrated ensembles, such as la Chapelle de Québec, The Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul, and l’Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal. Stephanie is at ease in many styles of music, and specializes in music of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. A recent tour saw Stephanie performing with chamber ensemble La Cigale in Quebec, British Columbia, and Mexico. She also recently made her National Arts Centre and Carnegie Hall debuts. A prolific and versatile performer, she has been deemed at turns “angelic” and “fiery” (Montreal Gazette). Stephanie has been a member of The Choir of The Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul since 2008. Here, she has performed as a soloist in orchestral masterpieces by Bach, Handel, and Mozart, among others. Since 2016, she has held various management positions in the A&P Music Department and was recently appointed Interim Director of Music in the Fall of 2024, where her passions for clear communication, musical excellence, and spreadsheets converge.

Choir Conductor

Léa Moisan-Perrier

Léa Moisan-Perrier, Artistic Director and Conductor of Orchestre symphonique de l'Estuaire, is distinguished by her energy on stage and her skills as a communicator. In recent years, she has been invited to conduct numerous ensembles, including Orchestre symphonique de Laval, Orchestre classique de Montréal and Orchestre symphonique de Sherbrooke. Her career also features significant collaborations as an assistant conductor, notably alongside Jacques Lacombe at the Opéra National du Rhin in 2018 and Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Orchestre métropolitain (OM) for the 2024 summer season. Dedicated to her pursuit of excellence, she participates in numerous master classes, including with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal and Rafael Payare in spring 2024. She is also mentored by Yannick Nézet-Séguin as a part of OM Academy since fall 2023. In addition to her orchestral endeavors, Moisan-Perrier has an accomplished career as a choral conductor. Since 2022, she serves as the Choir Director and Conductor of the Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul. She was the Artistic Director of the Chœur des enfants de Montréal from 2017 to 2023 and the founder and Artistic Director of the choir Les Voix parallèles until May 2022. Moisan-Perrier holds a master's degree in orchestra conducting from the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal, where she studied under Jacques Lacombe and Jean-Marie Zeitouni, graduating in the spring of 2023. She is also a trained pianist, singer, and choral conductor, with a bachelor’s degree in piano from the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal, a master's degree in choral conducting from the Université de Sherbrooke, and a bachelor's degree in classical singing from the Université de Montréal. Her accolades include a scholarship of excellence from the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal in 2022, the Moulin Seigneurial scholarship in 2016, and the Iwan Edwards Prize in 2017. For information and updates, visit Léa's website.

Organ Scholar

Áron Sipos

Originally from Budapest, Hungary, Áron Sipos is currently an undergraduate student at McGill University, where he studies organ with Isabelle Demers. Previously Áron studied organ with László Stachó and Ferenc Monostori, and music theory and composition with Boglárka Terray and Márton Levente Horváth. Between 2021 and 2023, Áron was organist at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic church in Ecser, Hungary. Since his arrival in Canada, Áron has been organ scholar at The Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul in Montréal under the guidance of Interim Director of Music Stephanie Manias and conductor Léa Moisan-Perrier. At the church Áron helps the Director of Music with the organization of the library, plays for Sunday services once or twice a month in addition to smaller weekday services, and assists the music team in rehearsals and other events as needed. In the 2023-2024 academic year, Áron was also organist at the chapel of the Montréal Diocesan College. Áron is the recipient of third place and a special distinction for sight-reading in the 2022 National Hungarian organ competition. In 2024, Áron appeared in a solo recital at The Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul as part of their Organ Intermezzi Summer Organ Concert series, as well as two solo recitals in Budapest. Áron is recipient of multiple awards and scholarships, including McGill University’s Hugh Brock and Schulich scholarships, and Cambridge University’s Undergraduate Trust. A student with varied interests, Áron is also profoundly interested in history, mathematics and philosophy.

Interim Associate Organist

Henry Webb

Henry Webb is a second-year Master's degree student at McGill University, studying organ with Isabelle Demers and harpsichord with Elizaveta Miller. In 2023, Henry completed a bachelor's degree in Organ Performance with David Higgs at the Eastman School of Music; he also received a diploma of Specialization from Johann Vexo at the Strasbourg conservatory in 2022, where he also studied harpsichord with Benjamin-Joseph Steens. From 2016-2017, Henry served as Organ Scholar at the Church of the Incarnation in his hometown of Dallas, Texas, USA, under Graham Schultz and Scott Dettra, then worked with Stephen Kennedy and William Porter at Christ Church in Rochester, NY. Henry's other former teachers have included Christina Harmon, Scott Dettra, and Nathan Laube. In October 2024, Henry won the second prize, audience prize, and Raymond Daveluy prize in the 2024 Canadian International Organ Competition, and before that received the second and audience prizes of the 2023 Ottumwa National Undergraduate organ competition. Henry has been featured as a recitalist in Texas and other parts of the United States, Canada, and France. He was heard on Baylor University’s Pipedreams Live, at the 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2022 East Texas Pipe Organ Festivals, at the 2019 Organ Historical Society National convention, and at the Stras'Orgues festival in France.

Interim Organist-In-Residence

Isabelle Demers

A native of Québec and a doctoral graduate of the Juilliard School, Isabelle Demers is Associate Professor of Organ at McGill University (Montréal, Québec). She was formerly the Joyce Bowden Chair in Organ and Head of the Organ Program at Baylor University (Waco, Texas). She has appeared in recital throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and Canada, and was recently a featured performer of the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Dr. Demers is in continual high demand by her colleagues as witnessed by performances for numerous regional and national conventions of the American Guild of Organists, the Institute of Organ Builders and International Society of Organbuilders, the Royal Canadian College of Organists, and the Organ Historical Society. She has released multiple CD recordings on the Acis and Pro Organo labels.

Leading with Care

A Policy for Ensuring a Climate of Safety for Children, Youth and Vulnerable Adults in the Presbyterian Church in Canada

We are committed to providing safe and compassionate environments for all people, in particular all children, youth, and vulnerable adults who participate in the church's programs and ministries and/or use the church's facilities.

THIS POLICY IS TITLED LEADING WITH CARE BECAUSE:
Our Lord modeled for us how to lead with care as he healed the sick and infirm, and welcomed the young, the weak, and the vulnerable.
It is our awareness that some people in our church need special protection.
It affirms our commitment to training and supporting teachers and leaders in our church so they can effectively and compassionately support this policy.

Learn More

Our Building and Garden

The Building

At the front of the church are the Chancel gates, a gift of the Allan family. You will notice the ship motif, evident throughout the Nave, repeated in the brass models of the brig "Jean". This was the first Allan ship to transport Scottish immigrants to Canada. The other two emblems on the gates are a sheaf of wheat and a chalice, symbolizing the bread and wine of Holy Communion. Three steps though the ship-motif gates lead to the Chancel, dominated by the pulpit to the left, the lectern to the right and stalls for our 50-voice choir.
To your right beyond the choir stalls is the console of Montreal's largest organ, a four-manual 1932 Casavant. There is a second console in the gallery. Most of the organ is hidden from view by the grillwork on both sides of the Chancel and on the west wall of the gallery. The visible pipes overhead are the Trompette en chamade.
A total of seven steps - the Biblical number for perfection - ascend to the white stone Communion Table on which are engraved the Cross, the Paschal Lamb, the Dove of the Holy Spirit, and on either end, the Alpha and the Omega. Surrounding the Table are the Elders' Stalls in which the members of the Kirk Session sit for the celebration of Holy Communion. The stalls are surmounted by hand-carved heads whose faces express the commandment of Jesus to his followers to "watch and pray". On the ceiling you may discover the symbols of Holy Communion: the Cross, the Chalice, the Crown and the Dove. The silver cross on the Communion Table was a gift of Wayne Riddell, Director of Music Emeritus.

The Quiet Garden

Lord, thy call we answer. Take us in thy care. Train us in thy garden. In thy work to share.

Between the church and the Musée des beaux arts to the east, is the Quiet Garden, a bicentennial project that opened in 2003. It provides a haven for reflection in this busy downtown neighbourhood. During the summer, it is often the site for Bible Study and post-service receptions. The entrance off Sherbrooke Street is open seasonally from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST. Our Quiet Garden is a spiritual oasis in the city; a place for busy people to find a quiet interlude for prayer and meditation. Everyone is welcome to enter into this beautiful and secure space. It is filled with life and growth and colour, reminders of God's reassuring work in our world. We hope that in our garden, visitors, friends and neighbours will find solace, serenity and the radiant presence of our risen Lord, who first came to his followers in a garden.

Our History

Tradition and Change...

The first Presbyterian service in Montreal was held in 1787. In 1803, when the city's population was about 9,000, St. Andrew's Church was founded near the present site of city hall on Notre Dame Street. St. Paul's Church was opened nearby in 1843. In 1853, as Montreal grew, St. Andrew's built a new church on Beaver Hall Hill (on the present site of a Bell Canada building). In 1867, St. Paul's Church also decided to move and they built on a site on Dorchester Boulevard, (now boulevard René Lévesque) near today’s Queen Elizabeth Hotel. By 1918, the two congregations decided to unite and the present building was erected in 1931-32. The former St. Paul's church was dismantled and reconstructed just south of the present site of Vanier College in Ville St-Laurent, where it now serves as a museum.

As part of our church's bicentennial in 2003, The Rev. Dr. J.S.S. Armour published Saints, Sinners and Scots, a history of our congregation. It is available at the Book Stall in the Narthex.

The Black Watch

On the first Sunday each May, The Black Watch of Canada (Royal Highland Regiment) marches in its annual Church Parade along Sherbrooke Street from the Bleury Street Armoury to the Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul and back again. All are welcome to share this testament to peace.
This historic regiment has a long association with our church. Their presence honours the many members of our congregation who have given their lives in our defence. Their names are inscribed on our walls. The Colours (flags) of the Regiment hang in our Sanctuary to represent their sacrifice in defending the peace we cherish and our freedom to worship in liberty.
You can also see other instances of symbolism in the Church Parade. Soldiers march to the church - the army comes humbly to God's house. They lay down their Colours, which are a record of history, on the Lord's Table and worship in peace. The Commanding Officer reads the Lesson, acknowledgement of the dominion of God's word. The haunting bagpipe lament during the service mourns those who have died in honour, its sound fading as a reminder to never forget their sacrifice. The Sermon by the Regiment's Chaplain reminds us of the supremacy of Christ's message to the world. As the service ends, the regiment carries its Colours, furled as they depart from the Sanctuary, ready once again - as in our national anthem's call to duty - to stand on guard for us.
You will find more information about The Black Watch at their website.