From the discipline of military chaplaincy to walking 100km for her local community, Rev. Dr. Mary Taylor (MDiv '12) shares how a foundation of daily prayer and 'presence' continues to fuel her ministry today.

Rev. Taylor currently serves as the minister of St. Paul United Church in Westville and as President of the Bermuda Nova Scotia Regional Council of The United Church of Canada. She is also a retired military chaplain, having served in pastoral leadership and spiritual care roles within the Canadian Armed Forces.

You’ve served in both military chaplaincy and congregational ministry. How did your time at AST prepare you to provide spiritual care in such different—and often high-stakes—environments?

AST provided a strong and thoughtful foundation for pastoral ministry that translated well into both congregational and military chaplaincy contexts. One of the most formative parts of my time at AST was daily chapel. Beginning each day grounded in worship, prayer, and community shaped my understanding of ministry as something rooted first in faith and presence, not just skill or strategy.

That grounding carried me into a wide range of ministry settings and continues to remind me that spiritual care is always about meeting people where they are with compassion, humility, and hope.

Looking back at your journey as a student, is there a specific professor, text, or community experience that still resonates with you in your ministry today?

It is honestly hard to single out one professor or experience. I loved all of my professors, and each of them contributed something meaningful to my formation. I still find myself remembering particular moments, conversations, or insights from different classes as I go about my ministry.

That foundation has also shaped my love of scripture and teaching. In recent years, I published a Bible study book on Esther and Ruth titled “Embracing Scripture: Esther and Ruth”. These two texts continue to speak to me about courage, faithfulness, community, and God’s quiet work through ordinary people. The way AST taught me to read scripture with care, depth, and pastoral imagination continues to inform both my preaching and my writing.

What is one thing about the St. Paul United Church community in Westville that fills you with hope or inspires your leadership right now?

What fills me with the most hope is the congregation’s deep commitment to loving their community in practical, tangible ways. St. Paul is a church that understands faith as something lived out through care, inclusion, justice, and generosity.

One recent example is the Westville 100, a community-wide fundraising walk that I completed in June 2025. I walked 100 kilometres in one day to support Food for Focus, a program that provides weekend food support for local children and families. What began as an idea quickly became a shared effort involving the wider community, schools, volunteers, and partners across Westville.

Moments like that remind me that the church is at its best when it brings people together for the sake of love, compassion, and care, and that fills me with deep hope.

For students currently walking the halls of AST (or studying online!), what is one piece of “on-the-ground” wisdom you can share about the reality of modern ministry?

Modern ministry requires a wide breadth of skills, and it is constantly changing. Continuing education and adaptability are essential.

At the same time, ministry at its heart is about loving the people you serve and loving the community you are part of. People know when they are genuinely loved, and that love becomes the foundation for trust, growth, and shared ministry.

I often think of the Gospel of John and Jesus’ call to love one another as he loves us (John 13:34–35). That remains the clearest and most faithful guide for me in ministry leadership.

Ministry, especially chaplaincy, requires deep emotional and spiritual resilience. How do you practise self-care and stay connected to your own sense of calling?

I will be honest. I am not the best at self-care. But I have learned how important it is to know the things that give you life, energize you, and sustain you, and then to make space for those things.

One practice I prioritize is continuing to feed my own faith by going to church. This often means attending worship online shared by colleagues in the United Church of Canada or by churches from around the world, and when possible, visiting congregations in person. Being on the receiving end of the gospel matters. We cannot serve from an empty cup.