We are pleased to announce the hiring of Laura Black to the position of First Third Ministry Faith Formation Minister, serving the Antler River Watershed, Horseshoe Falls, and Western Ontario Waterways Regional Councils.
Laura will begin her ministry on Monday, February 2nd, 2026. She brings a deep commitment to faith formation, collaborative leadership, and nurturing spiritual growth across diverse communities. Laura is excited to work alongside the councils, congregations, and leaders of these regions as they continue to support meaningful faith development for First Third Ministry.
Please join us in warmly welcoming Laura to the region and this important ministry. We look forward to the gifts, energy, and vision she will bring to this role!
More about Laura:
Laura Black joins the team with a lifelong connection to the United Church of Canada and a deep call to faith formation and community leadership. Rooted in curiosity, placemaking, and nature‑based practices, she is passionate about co‑creating spaces where the brilliance of God’s children can shine.
For more than a decade, young people have been at the heart of Laura’s ministry. She has supported emerging leaders through Christian education, intergenerational programming, camp and creative arts ministries, Youth Forum, and her consulting work with The Hub community network. Nationally, she served as a Commissioner and Table Leader at the 40th General Council. Her experience also spans human rights, conflict management, leadership and interfaith initiatives with domestic and international students as both faculty and staff in post-secondary education.
Relationships ground Laura’s ministry. She is rooted in a large close-knit family, and is married and raising a wise, deeply feeling child. Often you can find them playing games, paddling the Nith River, or on a basketball court. She has accompanied survivors of gendered violence, supported people living with mental illness, and worked to amplify Indigenous knowledge in efforts to decolonize systems. She holds a Master of Education in Teaching and Learning specializing in Inclusive Education and a Bachelor of Arts in Social Development, with studies in child development, family systems, world religions, marginalized populations, emerging technologies, coaching and mentoring.
A national award‑winning organizer and collaborator, Laura is also a published author in the Journal of Transformative Learning. She has led teams in applying Global Diversity Equity and Inclusion Benchmarks (GDEIB), accessible customer service practices, and collaborative agreements. She has coordinated wide-ranging justice‑focused initiatives such as a Food Security Collective and Human Trafficking Symposium. She strives for deep listening, strategic thinking, and collective action while helping communities find shared purpose and turn meaningful ideas into real impact.
Laura looks forward to joining the teams of Antler River Watershed, Horseshoe Falls, and Western Ontario Waterways Regional Councils as the First Third Ministry, Faith Formation Minister. She’s excited to learn from each and every one of you in your unique context while contributing her gifts to shared spiritual growth and formation.
