NEW GLASGOW – A local minister has been appointed the RCMP’s chaplain co-ordinator for Nova Scotia.
Rev. Dr. Glen Matheson of First Presbyterian in New Glasgow was appointed on Monday and will be formalized today at a ceremony at CFB Stadacona.
Matheson has been with the RCMP chaplaincy program since 1997 and has travelled extensively throughout Canada in this role in recent years. Over the past year, he has been part of a five-person team of chaplains tasked with drafting a revision of the national "policy" or guidelines for chaplaincy in Canada. As co-ordinator, he will oversee the work of the 18 chaplains throughout Nova Scotia and his office will be in Bedford.
As well, he will continue as minister of First Presbyterian in New Glasgow, where he has been since 1989. "Our role is to provide support to members, employees and veterans of the RCMP along with their families," he said. “This is a time of change and, for some, certainly a time of certainly in many areas in the RCMP. It is exciting to be at this place in my career and to be entrusted with such a high level of leadership." His congregation continues to be very supportive of this ministry opportunity for Matheson. Many in the community still remember when a Mountie shot and killed his wife, both her parents and then himself a few blocks away from First Church in 1975.
"They were a family deeply involved in this church, and their deaths were a staggering blow to the community,” Matheson said. “My role as chaplain is to do everything possible so that these incidents never happen again."
