OUR STAFF
The Ministry and Personnel of Trinity United Church
Rev. Kristiane Black
Lead Minister
Kristiane has been serving as the lead minister at Trinity since 2006. She believes passionately in helping to bring fullness of life for all, and in proclaiming the message of God’s grace and unconditional love for each person. Kristiane’s special interests in ministry include creating meaningful and contextual worship experiences and preaching, engaging with people in their unique faith journeys, accompanying people in times of crisis, grief and life transitions, and in exploring the Biblical narrative with both contemporary scholarship and curiosity.
She was ordained in 1997, and since then has completed specialized training in Celtic Christianity, Ministry Supervision, Interim Ministry and most recently in Grief and Bereavement Counselling. She brings a love of music and a passion for the careful and effective use of language, and she never baptized a baby that she didn’t fall in love with. She and her spouse have three children, a grandchild and a pair of fur babies who enrich their lives. Kristiane is happiest in the kitchen preparing food for friends and family, playing the piano, being by the water or working in the garden. She also has a lifelong passion for travel, study and encountering new ideas, places and cultures.
Dr. Debbie Fingas
Minister of Music
Debbie is the Minister of Music at Trinity United Church in Cobourg, Ontario, where she accompanies weekly services and conducts two children’s choirs, the Chancel Choir and the Jubilate Handbell Choir. In addition to her church work, Debbie enjoys being involved with local community music groups, including being the Associate Director for La Jeunesse Choirs.
An experienced organist, pianist, choral director, singer and flautist, Debbie has performed in numerous concerts and recitals throughout southern Ontario. In 2014, she toured the Canadian Maritime provinces as Conductor for the North Lakeshore Massed Chorus on their tour “‘Til the Boys Come Home”, commemorating the start of WW I. She conducts workshops in handbell ringing and has been faculty for the Ontario Guild of English Handbell Ringers Festival, Handbell Musicians of America and the Summer Institute of Church Music. In addition, she is the Co-chair of Music United (the association of musicians in the United Church) and President of the Northumberland Centre of the Royal Canadian College of Organists.
Debbie graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education and has received her Associate diploma from the Royal Canadian College of Organists. She also holds a Master of Arts in Church Music from Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio. Debbie is also a graduate of the Doctorate of Ministry program at Emmanuel College at the Toronto School of Theology, University of Toronto. Her thesis is a qualitative study examining how participating in church choir or handbell choir nurtures a participant’s spiritual life.
Al Boivin
Security and Set-Up Coordinator
Madison Sloan
Social Media Manager
Kieran McFarlane
Audio-Visual Recording Technician