The Canadian Council of Churches is pleased to have nominated and awarded 14 individuals for a significant contribution or achievement that brings credit to Canada, either nationally or regionally, demonstrating long service, good conduct and high professionalism having distinguished themselves from others in the same field, especially in responding to Christ’s call for unity and peace, seeking Christ’s truth with an affection for diversity, and acting in love through prayer, dialogue and witness to the gospel.
On behalf of The Canadian Council of Churches we congratulate the nominees on being awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal.
Nominated by The Canadian Council of Churches
The Rev. Canon Dr. Alyson Barnett-Cowan served the Anglican Church of Canada and the Anglican Communion in key roles of unity, faith and order, and ministry. She served as President of The Canadian Council of Churches from 2015 to 2018.
The Rev. Dr. Das Sydney is a superb preacher; indeed, one of Canada’s finest. He is thoughtful, incisive, studious, and accomplished. He has served The Canadian Council of Churches in several capacities, most recently as President from 2021 to 2024.
Nominated by The Anglican Church of Canada
As the only Canadian member of the international dialogue between Anglican and Oriental Orthodox Christians, Mark Edward Simonton promotes reconciliation and solidarity with the world’s most ancient and persecuted churches, internationally and in his local context.
Nominated by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
Rev. Dr. Jacques Monet (26 January 1930-14 May 14 2024) was historian, archivist, professor (Halifax, Ottawa, Toronto, Sudbury), educator, ecumenist, television commentator, and “one of the foremost experts on the Crown in Canada” (Globe & Mail).
Nominated by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
Active in the Order of St. Lazarus, Rev. Eric Dyck supported Christian unity and interfaith dialogue through the Prairie Centre for Ecumenism and The Canadian Council of Churches. He supported students at McGill University in theology and the arts.
Nominated by the Presbyterian Church in Canada
Rev. Stephen Kendall served as Principal Clerk of The Presbyterian Church in Canada for 24 years. He served in leadership positions with The Canadian Council of Churches, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and the World Council of Churches.
Nominated by The Salvation Army
Debbie Clarke is a lifelong volunteer and employee with The Salvation Army. She distinguished herself in work with marginalized people and children whose families experience poverty. She volunteered to respond to war, wildfires, and hurricanes.
Lieut Colonel Brenda Murray leads The Salvation Army’s International Development department where she supports clean water, child sponsorship, and support of at risk families through local projects in Africa and South Asia.
Distinguished service with The Salvation Army for 47 years and from 2018-2023 as World President for Women’s Ministries-London UK, Commissioner Rosalie Peddle represented Canada and the voice of women across the world. Commissioner Peddle and her spouse were The Salvation Army’s global leaders from 2018-2023. In this role, she has distinguished herself and represented Canada on the world front. She served across Canada for 38 years, and internationally for 8 years before retiring from active service in 2023.
Nominated by The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada
Dr. Justin Cooper is an advocate for Christian higher education having a place in the national mosaic of academia and being an enriching presence in the civic community. He served Redeemer University for 30 years as President and faculty member.
As a National Director, Steve Jones Christian faith guides him daily to care for his neighbor while also mobilizing and providing member care to ministry workers (ie. pastors and chaplains) who ensure our communities and workplaces flourish.
As a Minister of Religion, Paul MacPhail reached out to Indigenous, Metis and Inuit Peoples, to End-Of-Life patients, to seniors, to people with developmental disabilities/mental illness, and to the most vulnerable within our communities.
For the past 45 years Glenn Smith has been active in Québec, across Canada, and in Haïti as a Christian in public life advocating for a principled pluralism in education, sustainable urban community engagement and leadership development.
Bill Taylor’s key contribution as a Christian leader has been to mobilize faith communities and Christian Higher Education institutions to produce followers of Jesus who think truthfully, act justly and serve the vulnerable with mercy and grace.
General Secretary also Receives Medal
The Canadian Interfaith Conversation was also invited to participate in program as a community partner. They nominated many deserving individuals, including the Co-Chair of The Canadian Interfaith Conversation, the General Secretary of The Canadian Council of Churches, Pastor Peter Noteboom. His citation reads, in part:
Peter Noteboom has advanced interfaith understanding and the contribution of faith communities to the common good in civil society as Co-Chair of the Canadian Interfaith Conversation, General Secretary of The Canadian Council of Churches and is also active in several community, human rights, peacebuilding, environmental and social justice organizations. A believer in a better world, Peter’s life work has been to build peace one step, one relationship at a time.
Background
On May 6, 2023, Canadians celebrated the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III. This historic event, the first coronation of a sovereign of Canada in seven decades, brought communities together to highlight themes that both King Charles III and Canadians hold dear, including service to others, protection of the environment, youth empowerment and the importance of diversity. To mark this milestone, the King Charles III Coronation Medal was awarded to 30 000 deserving individuals for their contributions to their community, Canada, or the world. The Canadian Council of Churches accepted the invitation from the Governor General to participate in this program as a community partner and to select deserving individuals to nominate.
Pastor Peter Noteboom
General Secretary
June 11, 2025
