The Rev. Matthew Brown

I grew up on a hobby farm near the town of Thurso in rural western Quebec. Much of my youth was spent learning how to work the farm alongside my parents and sister, together with healthy doses of hiking, boating, snowmobiling, and my favourite personal pastime, fishing.

Growing up I worshiped with the small farming congregation of St. Thomas' Chapel, Silver Creek, a community of faith where five generations of my family have prayed and served. I first attended school in Buckingham, Quebec, and later completed the bilingual International Baccalaureate program at Ashbury College in Ottawa. Following high school I completed an undergraduate degree in history and political studies at Queen’s University in Kingston, followed by a Master's degree at Queen's focusing on the early history of the Anglican Church in the Ottawa Valley. I then served for two years as Youth Missioner for the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa, offering full-time leadership and resourcing for youth and young adult ministries throughout our diocese.

As I journeyed in ministry, I discerned that God was calling me to my vocation as a priest, and I ultimately answered God's call to attend seminary at Huron University College in London, Ontario, where I completed a Masters of Divinity. Huron is also where I was blessed to meet my wife and partner, Gillian Hoyer. We were married during our final year at seminary. Our daughter Lily was born in 2020, followed by our son Thomas in 2022 -- making me a very proud Dad!

I have had the privilege of serving the Church in a number of capacities locally, provincially and nationally on various boards and committees, including past service as a member of the Ontario Provincial Synod (2012 & 2021), member of the Ontario Provincial Executive Council (2012-2015), and member of the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada (2013). From 2016 to 2018 Gillian and I lived in Victoria, B.C. where I served as Incumbent of The Two Saints Ministry, a two-point parish situated along the beautiful shores of southern Vancouver Island.

In May of 2018 we moved east to take up appointments as Associate Incumbents of the Area Parish of the Valley in the Diocese of Ottawa. I succeeded Bishop Michael Bird as Incumbent of our area parish in May of 2022. I also currently serve as the Regional Dean for the Deanery of the Northwest and as a member of Diocesan Council. We love rural life, and our family of four is very grateful to be putting down good roots as we minister together with God's people here in our beloved Parish of the Valley.

photo: Universal Portraits