Dr. Michael Buttrey
Secretary, Faith and Life Sciences
After volunteering for the Faith and Life Sciences Reference Group for many years, Michael now serves the Reference Group and Council as staff. As well as supporting conversations at the Council, Michael is Faith and Science Project Officer for the World Council of Churches, Digital Pastor for St. Clement’s Anglican Church in Toronto, and a sessional lecturer in ethics at various schools.
Born in Alberta, Michael holds a Bachelor of Science in Molecular Genetics, a Master of Arts in Theological Studies, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Theology from the University of St. Michael’s College. His research focuses on human enhancement, Christian ethics, and disability.
Marina Fanous
Communications Coordinator
Program Coordinator, Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
Marina started with the Council in 2023, and has since taken on the role of Communications Coordinator, as well as the Program Coordinator for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Having grown up in the Coptic Orthodox Church of Canada, she now attends the Orthodox Church in America. Marina holds an Honours BA in French Literature and the Study of Religion, as well as a Master’s of Theological Studies, with specialization in Orthodox and Eastern Christian Studies, both from the University of Toronto.Â
Roshney KurianÂ
CJP Research and Program AssistantÂ
Roshney was born and raised on Dish with One Spoon territory on the traditional lands of the Erie, Neutral, Wendat, Haudenosaunee and Mississaugas in Hamilton, Ontario. Her family is from Kerala, India and is part of the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church founded by St. Thomas the Apostle, which is an Eastern reformed faith tradition. Roshney studied at McMaster and Carleton universities, and has an educational background in English, Social Work, and Gender and Social Justice. She is a Registered Social Worker with a passion for social justice, anti-racism, decolonial theory and praxis, and holistic, trauma-informed community healing. Roshney’s favourite pastimes include reading, writing, hiking, dancing, and spending time with loved ones. Her role in the Council is to support the Commission on Justice and Peace.Â
Deivit Montealegre, MAÂ
Associate Secretary, Intercultural Leadership and Learning – Louisville Postdoctoral Fellow
Deivit is a passionate advocate for intercultural leadership, a path he’s walked personally and professionally. Currently serving as Associate Secretary for Intercultural Leadership at the Council, he brings three years of experience as Teaching, Research, and Program Coordinator from the Forum for Intercultural Leadership and Learning (FILL). Deivit is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Toronto, where his research explores the profound intersections between economics, theology, decolonial thinking, and ethics. This academic pursuit complements his diverse practical background, which includes roles as an Educational Consultant for the World Council of Churches’ Global Ecumenical Theological Institute (GETI) and as the Latin American Program Director for the NGO Globethics. These experiences have solidified Deivit’s conviction that intercultural understanding is a catalyst for transformative change. He envisions interculturality as a bridge, connecting faith with social action to create a more just and equitable world for all. Â
Pastor Peter Noteboom
General Secretary
Peter Noteboom was appointed to a five-year term as General Secretary in May 2018. The responsibilities of the General Secretary are to lift up the call for gospel unity, to provide direction and leadership through the development of vision and priorities, to implement the strategic and program plans of the Council, to facilitate Canadian and global ecumenical relationships, and to participate and lead in Canadian interfaith initiatives.Â
Peter serves as the Co-Chair of the Canadian Interfaith Conversation, advocating for religion in a pluralistic society and in Canadian public life. He is also a member of the Interfaith Committee on Canadian Military Chaplaincy and the Interfaith Committee on Chaplaincy in the Correctional Service of Canada. Â
Peter has been with the Council since 1999 beginning as Associate Secretary, Justice and Peace. In that role he has served as staff support for the Commission on Justice and Peace, the Human Rights Committee, the Ecumenical Healthcare Network, the Canadian Ecumenical Anti-Racism Network, the Biotechnology Reference Group and the Working Group on Human Trafficking / Sexual Exploitation in Canada.  In 2011 he became the Deputy General Secretary with additional responsibilities in finance, administration, and organizational restructuring and in 2017 became the Acting General Secretary.Â
Active in his home church, the Christian Reformed Church in North America, he was ordained as a Commissioned Pastor in November 2019.Â
Peter earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy and business administration from Dordt CollegeUniversity, Sioux Center, Iowa in 1980; his Master of Arts degree in European Studies from the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium in 1989; did graduate studies in Christian Political Theory at the Institute for Christian Studies in Toronto from 1996-99; completed a post-graduate diploma in Dialogue and Negotiation from Simon Fraser University in Vancouver; British Columbia, in 2007 and in 2021 is currently enrolled in received the Diploma in Interfaith Dialogue from the University of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto. Interfaith Diploma program.Â
For more details see his LinkedIn profile: www.linkedin.com/in/peternoteboomÂ
Jolan Ready
Executive Associate (Governance, Finance and Administration)
Jolan has been the administrative backbone of the Council since 2016. She brings to the Council a wealth of experience in administration and communication as well as a keen eye for detail. Building a strong relationship with the member churches, affiliates, and observer churches along with the Directors of the Governing Board is a core function of her position. In addition to handling registration and event planning for the board meetings, she is responsible for the daily running of the office, providing smooth and efficient financial administration, processing donations and book orders, and providing support to the General Secretary. She also serves as registrar for the Forum for Intercultural Leadership and Learning Reference Group. Jolan is involved in ministry in Toronto, and is committed in her supporting role at the Council to helping bear a Christian witness to the world.
Dr. Maria Simakova
Coordinator, Commission on Faith and Witness
Maria has been with the Council since the fall of 2014. Her main role is to coordinate the Council’s flagship program, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (WPCU). She also assists the Associate Secretary for the Commission on Faith and Witness, including facilitating the work of the Christian Interfaith Reference Group. Maria is a PhD candidate at the Toronto School of Theology, majoring in Systematic Theology. She holds a Master of Arts (MA) in Theology from St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary in New York City. She is passionate about Christian ecumenism and seeing theological reflection at work in the context of ecumenical dialogue.
For the staff listing of Project Ploughshares, please visit https://www.ploughshares.ca/pages/about.Â