MCC Toronto is very proud to announce the 2022 recipients of our Annual Awards and to celebrate special milestones of our members.

Beloved Disciple Award
Presented to a person – or persons – for long-term, distinguished service to the Church

Cathy Brown

A member since 2009, and a former physical education and business teacher at the high school level, Cathy Brown is often the first face folks see when they walk through our doors. As one of our volunteer Worship Co-ordinators, Cathy is a constant and welcoming presence at our in-person Worship Services. Cathy also embodies the volunteer spirit at MCC Toronto – she volunteers regularly at our Pride and Christmas Eve Services and is always willing to put up her hand when help is need. Cathy’s wife Patti Gray is an integral part of The Choir of MCC Toronto.

Beyond her involvement at the Church, Cathy is an active volunteer with the Red Cross’ Meals on Wheels program.

Richard P. Davidson

Richard P. Davidson began attending MCC Toronto Services in 1997 and became a member in 2003 along with his then partner (and now husband) Henry Wright. A tall man with a penchant for dapper hats, this now retired educator and congregant, has long been a quiet behind-the-scenes volunteer and donor. In 2007, Richard began assisting in the decorating of the Sanctuary and Social Hall for Easter and Christmas Celebrations, and has been leading that effort solo since 2009. Richard is also a regular Worship Service volunteer, and more recently he has taken a lead role in tending to the beautiful gardens that surround our building.

Community Service Award

Presented to remarkable people who have made significant contributions to our wider community

Robert Milkovich & Bill Byrd

Robert and Bill have been members of MCC Toronto for over three decades. Within the church, they’ve played several roles, from building and organizing Pride Parade floats, to helping in the Refugee program, working on the membership database, supporting the MCC Toronto Christmas and Easter dinners, and delivering Christmas Boxes. In the wider community, they’ve been very involved in LGBTQ+ activism.

Among other activities, Robert has volunteered with Toronto Central Youth Services and the Toronto District School Board, where he helped plan large-scale conferences for teachers on LGBTQ+ issues, dating back to 2002. He’s the IT Team Lead at Rainbow Faith and Freedom and the Canadian Safe School Network. He has also been involved in Justice in the Balkans, the first LGBTQ+ rights conference in any Balkan country. Since attending World Pride in Toronto in 2014, he has also become engaged with the United Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches Global Justice Institute and Journalists for Tolerance, human rights and education initiatives focused on LGBTQ+ issues in Eastern Europe.

Bill worked as a teacher and child psychologist in he is early career and became the first openly gay senior staff member of the Toronto District School Board. He has a B.A., B.Ed, M.Ed, and is working on his doctorate in education. He’s been a faculty member at Osgoode Law School and York University. He founded and directed a summer camp for at-risk youth suspended from school. Bill is now the President and CEO of the Canadian Safe School Network. He has previously been a board member of the Macaulay Child Development Centre, and of Camp Ekon, a Jesuit-run camp for children. He was a member and chair of the board of Toronto Central Youth Services for 12 years, is now on the board of Rainbow Faith and Freedom.

They are currently supporting an asylum seeker and their family as they go through the process of coming to Canada. Together, Robert and Bill are an unstoppable force for the move towards LGBTQ+ inclusion.

Vision Alive

Presented to wonderful people who have taken part of the vision for our Church and made it happen

Anne Brayley & Michael McCain (Campaign Co-Chairs); Geoff Beattie, Diana Bennett, Brad Berg, Mark Bonham, Douglas Elliott, Andrew Fleming, Rev. Dr. Brent Hawkes, Spencer Lanthier, the Hon. Margaret McCain, Valerie Pringle, Rev. Jeff Rock, Brian Rolfes and Jaime Watt (Campaign Cabinet Members); John R. Farrell (Campaign Director)

First launched in 1997, MCC Toronto’s Vision Alive Award celebrates an individual or individuals who have made an indelible difference in helping MCC Toronto achieve an important project outcome in support of our vision. And this year’s recipients have arguably helped achieve the biggest, boldest and most transformative project outcome in the 25 years since this Award was first presented. As announced on April 24 of this year, MCC Toronto’s ELEVATION Campaign is a historic undertaking that is already transforming our spaces and will soon help support the roll-out of new congregational and public Human Rights programming. To date, the ELEVATION Campaign has raised $4.82 million of its $5 million goal. This success has been the direct result of the leadership, support, enthusiasm, and patience of our Campaign Co-Chairs, Campaign Cabinet members and our Campaign Director.

Board of Directors Awards

Presented by MCC Toronto’s Board of Director from time to time to a congregant who has made exceptional and unique contributions to the church.

Lori Boyce

A member of since 1984, Lori Boyce has shared her immeasurably talents with us for decades in a variety of roles. According to Rev. Jeff Rock who counts Lori as a friend and mentor, we are all better for her leadership, passion and spirit!

Lori has served multiple terms on our Board of Directors, most recently from 2012 to 2021 where she served as Co-Chair (2017-2021). She is a past Beloved Disciple Award recipient (1992). Lori met Jennifer Alexander, MCC Toronto’s then-Volunteer Coordinator and long-time member of The Choir of MCC Toronto (and also a past Beloved Disciple recipient in 2012), and they married here at the Church on September 20, 2003.

Since stepping down from the Board in June 2021. Lori has continued to provide consultative advice to the Board of Directors. Earlier this year, Lori joined our Digital Ushers team and she and Jennifer both volunteer with The Triangle Lunch Program. They are also currently serving as one of the Co-Chairs of our Congregational Campaign in support of the ELEVATION Campaign.

2022 Membership Milestones

MCC Toronto is pleased to celebrate 10, 25 and 40-year anniversary milestones of our members.

10 Years

Diane Begin

Nicole Borthwick

Duncan Broom

Denise Campbell

Mary Dayton

Andrew Fleming

Kofi Frimpong

Ross Gilmour

Spencer Harrison

Randy Hofstetter

Joe Jamieson

Milan Kang

Roger Keglevich

Young Kim Sun

Dennis Kucherawy

Kate Langford

Lou Laurens

John Mangold

Timothy Oakes

Michelle Potvin

Adam Pounder

Mark Purcell

Judy Roberts

Zorana Rose

Samir Roy

Allyson Samuel

Michael Serapio

Bentley Springer

Miklos Szalai

Betty-Ann Szalai

Barb Todd

Rob Walker

25 Years

Bradley Berg

Allan Dameon

Walter Donovan

Diane Hoover

Clarke Kirkland

Maria Lau

Louise Lemaître

Edward McEneany

John Nation

David Ritchie

Brian Rolfes

Michael Sinclair

Colleen Tripp

40 Years

Robert Fountain

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