St. Margaret of Scotland Anglican Church is blessed to have many people create the warm and welcome atmosphere of celebration and worship and comtemplation in our island home. Each has interesting stories and perspectives to have on Faith and Community....
Reverend Lon Towstego
Lon was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, moved to British Columbia in 1986. He became part of a local church, St. James, Nanaimo and soon was involved with Alpha programs and on the Parish Council. He became a warden and served for several years until he started in Seminary. He met and married Marian during this time.
He graduated from Emmanuel and St. Chad with Bachelors and Master of Divinity degrees. More recently he went back to school in 2018 and completed a Dr. Of Ministry with Luther College. His Thesis was “Walking Well Together as Church and First Nation, Inuit, and Metis people.
Bishop Cowan ordained him, in our diocese, as a deacon in 2005 and a priest in 2006. He served 3 months in St. Joseph, Punta Gorda, Belize on an Intercultural exchange program. He went on to serve as an Assistant Curate at St. Paul, Nanaimo, a Chaplain with BC Corrections, and as the first Incumbent of the newly formed Parish of St. Peter and St. Paul, Esquimalt, (where five parishes amalgamated into one). He served as Archdeacon of Selkirk Region for several years during this time.
His next and current appointment was in 2018, as Incumbent of The Parish of Central Saanich, St. Stephen, and St. Mary. Bishop Anna, appointed Lon as Archdeacon of Western, Peninsula & Gulf Islands.
Life and Studies Highlights: First Nations, Beliz, Corrections. Lon loves watching Canadian Football League games, still cheering for the Saskatchewan Roughriders! He loves time travelling with Marian and seeing their kids and grandchildren. Favourite Food: Steak, potato, and mushrooms on the BBQ ~ Least Favourite Food: Hmm. Canned tuna ~ Favourite Book: “Against the Tide- The Story of Adomnan of Iona.” (Lon loves books and reading). ~ Favourite Movie: All Mony Python Movies!
Reverend Charles Belknap
Chas was ordained in the Episcopal Church in Los Angeles in 1977. After many years in California as a parish priest and as a special needs housing developer for the Mental Health Association, he and his wife Sarah (also ordained), moved to Salt Spring Island.
Chas worked part time for five years at St Peter Pender Island. He preceded Ellen and Rob Willingham in that role.
Chas has a daughter and grandchildren in Urbana Illinois and a daughter in animation in Los Angeles. Chas and Sarah are part of an ecumenical group working in partnership with homeless and otherwise marginalized folk on Salt Spring.
Reverend Christopher Page
Christopher retired as the Rector of St. Philip Church, Oak Bay on 1 July 2022. He lives with his wife in the Maplewood area of Victoria. They regularly care for their four granddaughters who live nearby.
When he was a child, Christopher often visited Galiano to spend time with Elizabeth Hopkins who had retired there from being the Anglican Church Book Store manager and spent her retirement years becoming a noted artist.
He looks forward to returning to Galiano and provide Holy Eucharist services at St. Margaret's Church.
Lay Minister ~ Adrienne Gregory
Adrienne has been a Galiano resident for 24 years now and is a familiar face to most people on the island. She lived at the far north end of the island for around 18 years, gardening and going to Needle Guild, a book club as well as Garden club where she was the Galiano Garden Club president for 10 years. She wrote a book about healing herbs that grow on Galiano called "Herbs From the Hedgerows and Beyond"
Paul Gregory, her husband, was well known on the island as the local electrician and an awesome harmonica player. When he died, Adrienne moved to the South end where she presently resides in Page Drive. She still gardens and loves reading and going to St. Margaret's Church. A retired English teacher, Adrienne has natural leadership abilities and loves working with people.
Adrienne was asked to take a course on lay leadership by our retired minister, Sarah Tweedale, and readily agreed. She feels called to be a lay minister in her church at St Margaret and was then commissioned by Bishop Anna Greenwood Lee to do so .She has fulfilled that responsibility for over a year now and leads a service or two each month, inviting participation in discussions about the scripture readings in place of a sermon. Adrienne welcomes everyone to come and enjoy the sense of fellowship of our Christian community and hear the word of God.