Annual General Meeting 2025

ONTARIO-AT-LARGE

1. What in your view is the value, purpose or role of CPJ?
   CPJ’s purpose is to embody Micah 6:8, particularly to work for public justice. Working for public justice demonstrates love for our neighbour. CPJ’s perspective is particularly timely in a season where the idea of public justice or the common good is being undermined. CPJ’s focus on poverty and inequity, refugee and migrant rights, and climate justice are important signposts of a perspective that does not thrive on fear, but care for neighbour and creation.
2. How can you contribute to CPJ as a Board Member?
   I have been a life-long member and supporter of CPJ and in the past served both on the board of CPJ and as the National Research Director in the 1990s. I would bring an historical perspective to CPJ’s work. I am also a student of current events and current social policy developments. My area of expertise is in social policy, particularly issues of poverty and homelessness. I have extensive research experience on the impact of public policy on the lives of the vulnerable, particularly those who experience poverty and homelessness.
3. Give a brief biography of yourself.
   My life’s work has had three primary threads: research, education and advocacy. I have pursued this vocation in front line social service work (as residence director of a local women’s housing unit), in policy work (in social housing policy for regional government and in socio-economic policy work for CPJ) and as an educator, as professor in the School of Social Work at McMaster University. I have leadership experience in the non-profit sector (as a founding board member of a cooperative housing project and as chair of the McMaster Community Poverty Initiative) and in the Christian community (as a member of the Committee for Contact with the Government, now the Centre for Public Dialogue, and as a deacon and board member in my local church). I live in the Niagara Region with my husband, Steve. We have two daughters and three grandchildren. I love photography and birding.

BRITISH COLUMBIA / YUKON TERRITORY

1. What in your view is the value, purpose or role of CPJ?
   I have been familiar with CPJ for years. My more formal introduction to your work was through the Kentro Network as they are connecting Christian charities across Canada. I had the privilege of co-facilitating a workshop with Natalie Appleyard in 2023 on food insecurity, and meeting in person when she was in Vancouver last year for a conference. I understand CPJ’s focus is promoting economic and ecological justice through research and advocacy around public policy. I do not have a lot of experience or expertise in government advocacy, but I do believe in loving my neighbours, caring for creation, and working towards the common good. I believe Margaret Mead’s insight about what a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can achieve, and I know this takes organizations like CPJ to gather those citizens. I am hopeful that the silver lining to all that’s going on in Canada politically, and around the world, particularly with our neighbours to the south, is that there will be a backlash-of-sorts, with more people advocating for the kind of society we want to be. At least I feel some internal motivation to change the conversations around me.
2. How can you contribute to CPJ as a Board Member?
   As a board member, I can mostly listen and learn. I hope I could contribute a Mennonite (hospitable, service-oriented), West Coast (laid back) lens. I could speak into conversations around food insecurity in Canada, though from an academic perspective, and because I’ve spent a lot of time drinking bad coffee in free food programs with my vulnerable neighbours, not because I’ve known hunger myself. (I could also address questions about intermittent fasting, plant-based diets, and other food trends, but I don’t imagine you’re looking for those kinds of skills). And not to sound vain, but I’ve been told that my minute-taking in board meetings is above average. I actually kinda like taking minutes.
3. Give a brief biography of yourself.
   Professionally, I have worked as a dietitian in Vancouver for over 20 years. I studied dietetics at UBC, practiced for several years, then returned to school for a master’s degree in healthcare leadership from Royal Roads University, learning about collaboration and engagement with people from diverse healthcare disciplines. I currently work at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver, in a new program called Road to Recovery, where I am inspired by the ways that good food fosters connections and recovery from substance use disorders. I co-chair the Dietitians of Canada Household Food Insecurity Network. Between pandemic recovery, rising food costs, extreme weather events, and unprecedented rates of substance use disorder (SUD), it has been a particularly interesting time to be looking at how vulnerable people access food. I am part of a group called The Bell, Diverse Christian Voices in Vancouver, which nudges me to articulate what I am learning about living faithfully. Personally, I’ve made my home in East Vancouver, not far from where I grew up in Abbotsford, BC. I am part of a church called Reality, which I really value, as I have found a group of people who share my values around faith, a pastor who shares my sense of humour and taste in books, and I can walk to church, feeling rooted in my neighbourhood.

ONTARIO-AT-LARGE

1. 1. What in your view is the value, purpose or role of CPJ?
      I think a crucial piece of CPJ’s work is the role of public policy, research and participatory action in addressing important social justice issues within our communities across Canada. Faith communities play a vital role in community engagement and mobilization, but often don’t feel adequately informed on the issues or how to help. Many organizations and front line agencies do incredible work in supporting community members in need and educating the public on these challenges, but few have the capacity to convey the connections these issues have to public policy. CPJ provides resources and tools to understand this landscape in a way that makes it accessible in the Canadian AND faith-based contexts. Practical resources such as the advocacy tool-kit, and guide to writing your Member of Parliament are resources I use often. These tools help community members take action for the common good and feel equipped to hold legislators accountable.
   2. How can you contribute to CPJ as a Board Member?
      I can do my best to bring insight and experience that has served the organizations and missions I have been apart of over the course of my professional life. Within my current role I have to be able to educate and provide resource on a wide range of social issues impacting our communities such as housing, poverty, social assistance reform, climate change, migrant workers, human trafficking, community precarity and resilience, and Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. My focus is often making these issues accessible and then connecting interested groups to local agencies with front-line experience. I advise the Bishop and organizational leadership on these issues, and how we might address them. In working within the non-profit sector for many years, I have experience with practical and operational needs such a strategic planning, SWOT analyses, budgeting, mentorship, fundraising, project management and program development.
   3. Give a brief biography of yourself.
      I was born and raised in Kitchener-Waterloo and now reside in Burlington, Ontario; the land and territories of the Anishinabek, Haudenosaunee, Mississaugas of the Credit, the Erie, Neutral and Huron -Wendat Peoples. I use she/her pronouns and am of European-settler decent. I completed my degree in International Development Studies at the University of Guelph in 2011, and went on to work for a number of non-profits both locally and abroad including Frontier College, Alliance for Arab Women, WE Org (formerly ME to WE) and AIESEC Canada. For the last 10 years, I have worked full-time for the Catholic Diocese of Hamilton managing the office of Justice and Peace. Within this role I manage education, program development, community engagement and partnerships for parishes, schoolboards, community groups, clergy and laity. I have been a member of the Social Affairs Commission for the last 9 years, which advises the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario on important social issues impacting our communities. I am part of the steering committee for the Inter-faith Social Assistance Reform Coalition (ISARC), the advisory committee for Justice Peace Integrity of Creation working group (JPIC) and the Collaborative Network to End Exploitation (CNEE). I am currently in my final year of my Masters program in Capacity Development and Extension at the University of Guelph. My thesis project looks at the impacts of climate change on front line agencies and social services in southwestern Ontario.

CANADA-AT-LARGE

1. 1. What in your view is the value, purpose or role of CPJ?
      I see CPJ as a champion for holistic public justice that respects both the dignity of people and the integrity of creation. CPJ directly addresses these issues by calling on governments and citizens alike to practice compassion, uphold rights and responsibilities, and ensure that no one is left behind. To me, CPJ’s role is vital because it bridges faith-driven motivations with pragmatic policy actions. Rather than simply encouraging charity, it pushes for structural change aimed at nurturing equitable societies and encourages citizens to hold governments accountable. This means fostering spaces where everyone has a voice—refugees, new immigrants, communities of colour, low-income families—and ensuring that systemic barriers are identified and dismantled. From a Christian perspective, there can be no higher day to day aspiration, especially given the renewed socio-political chaos driven by various divisive ideological and political agendas in North America and across the world.
   2. How can you contribute to CPJ as a Board Member?
      With nearly three decades of lived experience across diverse cultures and social systems, I bring to CPJ’s Board a deeply grounded understanding of how policies shape the lives of refugees, youth and other marginalized communities. From my early days leading student initiatives at the University of British Columbia to my current role managing grassroots grant programs at the Vancouver Foundation, I have honed a collaborative leadership style rooted in empathy, strategic planning and genuine stakeholder engagement. My professional focus on grantmaking and research has equipped me to design and oversee community-based funding models, develop budgeting and impact-assessment frameworks, and ensure responsible stewardship of resources. I’ve learned that change happens when stakeholders are engaged not just as beneficiaries, but as co-creators of solutions. I also bring practical support in areas such as strategic planning and budgeting, drawing on my training in the MBA program and my hands-on work experience. As a Board Member, I look forward helping to streamline policy analysis and advocacy efforts, approve and monitor annual budgets, and foster partnerships that expand CPJ’s impact. Grounded in lived realities and driven by a commitment to collaboration, I am eager to help ensure that CPJ’s strategic decisions remain both ambitious and achievable.
   3. Give a brief biography of yourself.
      I was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo. I spent my childhood in refugee camps across Tanzania, Malawi and Eswatini—an experience that revealed both community resilience and the human impact of policy. In 2015, I earned an International Baccalaureate at UWC Robert Bosch College in Germany. I then moved to Canada for a BA in International Relations and Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia (UBC), where I led the Africa Awareness Initiative and engaged extensively in advocacy for refugee youth. I’m now completing an MBA at UBC’s Sauder School of Business, and I serve as Research and Design Manager at the Vancouver Foundation. I have helped in design and delivery of grassroots grant programs centered on racial equity, diversity and inclusivity and youth advocacy, and I sit on the board of The Inclusion Project. My memoir, Refuge-e: The Journey Much Desired, alongside ongoing writing projects, explores themes of identity, hope and resilience. You can read more on my website: www.jmkoffi.com.

EASTERN CANADA

1. 1. What in your view is the value, purpose or role of CPJ?
      For me, CPJ represents a rare and necessary space where faith and justice not only meet, but move together. In a world that often feels polarized and fast-paced, CPJ offers a thoughtful, principled voice—one that doesn’t shy away from hard truths but also refuses to lose sight of hope. Its purpose, as I see it, is to call people of faith into deeper engagement with the systems that shape our lives, not just as critics, but as co-creators of a more just and compassionate society. CPJ gives language to the longings many of us feel—for equity, dignity, peace—and connects those longings to meaningful public action. That’s powerful. And it’s needed now more than ever.
   2. How can you contribute to CPJ as a Board Member?
      I come to this opportunity with deep gratitude—for the voices, communities, and movements that have shaped my understanding of justice over more than 15 years in the charitable sector. My work has centred on values-based leadership, particularly in fundraising, partnership-building, and strategic planning. As Director of Fundraising at L’Arche Canada, I operate at the intersection of philanthropy and inclusion, helping to tell stories that honour human dignity and invite others into that vision. But more than what I bring, I’m drawn to who I hope to become through this role: a more grounded, more courageous leader who continues to learn from those living at the margins. I believe I can contribute to CPJ’s work by helping build a resilient and relational funding base, by exploring new partnerships rooted in shared values, and by offering a perspective that weaves together faith, storytelling, and systemic change. I hope to be both a steady hand and a curious heart at the board table—someone who helps CPJ grow with integrity, while staying close to the communities it seeks to serve.
   3. Give a brief biography of yourself.
      Sarah Kreplin is a fundraising leader and advocate for social justice with over 15 years of experience in the non-profit sector. She currently serves as the National Director of Philanthropy at L’Arche Canada, a national organization that works alongside people with intellectual disabilities to build more inclusive communities. Sarah holds a CFRE (Certified Fundraising Executive) designation and a degree in International Development from Saint Francis Xavier University, where her involvement with L’Arche Antigonish sparked her lifelong commitment to inclusion. Her career has included roles with Public Outreach, CECI, and Mission Inclusion. Originally from New Brunswick, Sarah is known for her collaborative leadership style, faith-rooted values, and passion for building a more just and compassionate society.

MANITOBA / SASKATCHEWAN / NUNAVUT

1. 1. What in your view is the value, purpose or role of CPJ?
      I see the purpose of CPJ as a bridge organization between the Church and the world of public policy, which is similar how the Anglican tradition understands the function of deacons: to translate the church to the world and the world to the church. Christians have often fallen prey to the assumption that Christian goods are wholly synonymous with the public good, and this has often led to autocratic or colonial expressions of Christianity which have severely damaged both the public good and the Church’s own witness. An organization like CPJ should engage in the hard dialogical discernment of what the common good is and communicate it, both in the halls of power and back to the Church.
   2. How can you contribute to CPJ as a Board Member?
      I think I bring several contributions to the board of CPJ—firstly, as an important bridge to the church. I currently work as the Discipleship Developer for the diocese of Rupert’s Land and much of how CPJ articulates its understanding of public justice resonates with the Anglican Church’s own articulation of public witness. CPJ’s work is thus a useful and practical resource for my own work in developing disciples which in turn helps grow CPJ’s profile within a church beyond the CRC. I am regularly in contact with church leaders locally, bishops, diocesan staff, and seminary professors across the Anglican Church of Canada; a network of folks who I know would be very interested in the work CPJ is doing. Second, as a theologian, my main areas of interest are in ecotheology and political theology and much of how CPJ articulates its commitment to pluralism and climate justice in particular tracks very closely with my own writing and research. I would specifically hope to help strengthen the connection between the core justice areas of CPJ and decolonization. Third, prior to my academic career, I worked as the Director of CHAI Immigrant Centre, an affiliate organization within the Manitoba Association of Newcomer Settlement Organizations. This work gave me a good working understanding of the settlement sector in Canada and many of the material challenges faced by newcomers across the board. In terms of concrete committee work, I think I have the most to offer in the program advisory and personnel roles as this most directly overlaps with the work I do in my day-to-day work mentoring and teaching disciples.
   3. Give a brief biography of yourself.
      Having grown up on a cattle ranch in western Manitoba, Ryan Turnbull has a deep interest in the intersection of theology, decolonization, ecology, place, and friendship. He holds a BA and MA in Theology from Providence University College and Theological Seminary and just completed the defense of his PhD at the University of Birmingham. Ryan is currently a Visiting Fellow at St John’s College and serves as the Diocesan Discipleship Developer in the Diocese of Rupert’s Land. See more at ryankturnbull.com.

ONTARIO-AT-LARGE

1. 1. What in your view is the value, purpose or role of CPJ?
      As disciples of Jesus, and as our faithful response, we are all called to bring out justice in all areas of our influence. As an organized group, CPJ together can bring justice into our communities, provinces and nation by listening, advocating and calling attention to systemic oppression and inequality, exploring and offering remedies and solutions. The areas of influence can be expanded to educational, political and religious sectors, working together elevating voices of those who have been quieted. It is important to listen to the voices of the people, and not to impose our own judgements and assumptions on people. CPJ equips and hold one another and groups accountable to explore, name and work for solutions to inequities and power imbalances while recognizing each person’s dignity and inherent value.
   2. How can you contribute to CPJ as a Board Member?
      I have served on church boards and boards for other Christian organizations using my leadership gifts to complement the many other gifts around the table. I have strong administrative and financial skills. Both I and my wife, Mechele, have a heart for justice and for working together as churches and Christian organizations to ensure voices of the marginalized are elevated. I believe that we are called to be obedient to Jesus when he says to minister to the needs of the poor and the oppressed.
   3. Give a brief biography of yourself.
      My name is Kevin teBrake, and since 2022, I have worked at the Christian School Foundation as the Director of Planned Gifts and Investments. Prior to this role, I worked 14 years as a partner in an accounting firm in rural Southern Ontario. I then returned to school to earn a Master of Divinity and served for 15 years as a pastor in the Christian Reformed Church, where I continue to serve churches through preaching. I currently live in Exeter with my wife, Mechele, who is an outreach worker on the streets in London, ON. I enjoy spending time and playing games with my 4 children, their partners and finding much laughter in our joy-filled grandchildren.