Listen to Ruth Ann Onley, married to the late David C. Onley, the 28th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, being interviewed by Lorna Dueck. In this episode, Ruth Ann leads us through her extraordinary life as a renowned Christian singer and the wife of the 28th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario.

In this episode, Ruth Ann and Lorna discuss:

• Ruth Ann’s journey, that began with a strong Christian upbringing before leading her into a secular music career and a season away from faith.
• Encountering God and with the support of a church community, Ruth Ann rediscovered her calling and found that music became an expression of worship and ministry.
• Ruth Ann's unexpected love story with David Onley, and how she navigated marriage, motherhood, and life alongside disability with grace and resilience.
• Stepping into public life as the wife of Ontario’s Lieutenant Governor, and how faith, patriotism, and service became deeply intertwined.
• The grief after David’s recent passing, and how Ruth Ann continues to live out a calling of worship, resilience, and witness in the later seasons of her life.

Read the transcript: biblesociety.ca/transcript-scripture-untangled-s11-ep12

Ruth Ann Onley is an award-winning Christian recording artist who has touched hearts for over 35 years with her concert singing ministry.

Married to the late David C. Onley, the 28th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario from 2007 to 2014, Ruth Ann had the opportunity to perform at many patriotic, military, and cultural events. She also flew into the far Northern communities, on David’s behalf, to continue his Aboriginal Literacy programs. In 2008, Ruth Ann and David had the honour of meeting the Queen at Buckingham Palace.

She is a contributing author to the Word Guild award-winning book called; “Faith, Life and Leadership.”

Ruth Ann is the recipient of an honorary Doctor of Literature degree from Canada Christian College, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal and the King Charles III Coronation Medal.

Nana to nine precious grandchildren, Ruth Ann continues to delight in sleepovers and soccer games and to pursue her love of singing as she lifts the name of Jesus.

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Listen to Lorna Dueck being interviewed by Joanna la Fleur. Six months ago, Lorna's husband Vern passed away after a long journey with Parkinson's disease. In this moving episode, Lorna opens up about walking through grief, what she and Vern learned about God's presence in suffering, and how Scripture and worship carried them both through the hardest days.

In this episode, Lorna and Joanna discuss:

• Walking through grief, sharing how love, loss, and God’s presence met Lorna along the way, and how suffering revealed God’s nearness in ways Lorna never expected.
• Lorna's and Vern’s journey through Parkinson’s, and how their marriage, their faith, and their commitment to each other carried them through profound challenges.
• How Scripture and worship sustained Lorna through illness, offering a heartfelt look at the spiritual practices that helped her stay steady when life felt overwhelming.
• John 15 and how God sometimes prunes our lives. Lorna shares how Scripture helped her understand hardship and spiritual growth in her season of suffering.
• The surprising mercies of God that Lorna experienced while Vern was in long-term care - moments filled with compassion, connection, and a sense of God’s presence.
• How the Parkinson’s community became a lifeline for Lorna, offering strength, solidarity, and understanding among people facing similar struggles.
• Small groups, Scripture, and supportive friendships and how they provided comfort and direction during some of the hardest seasons of Lorna's life.

Read the transcript: biblesociety.ca/transcript-scripture-untangled-s11-ep11

Lorna Dueck has explored the intersection of journalism and Christianity for over 30 years. Her most recent full-time role was as CEO of Crossroads Christian Communications, Inc. and the show, “Context with Lorna Dueck”.

Lorna was a regular commentary writer on faith and public life in Canada’s leading national newspaper, The Globe and Mail, and is a frequent media commentator. She has travelled the world reporting on church-led response to humanitarian crisis.

Lorna earned a Master of Arts in Evangelism and Leadership from Wheaton College. She has received honorary doctorate degrees from Trinity, Tyndale, Briercrest and Wycliffe Universities. Lorna has received the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for contributions to Canadian society.

Learn more about Lorna Dueck:

Instagram: instagram.com/lornadueck

Website: lornadueckcreative.com

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Listen to Rev. Dr. Joni Sancken, Butler Chair of Homiletics & Hermeneutics at Vancouver School of Theology, being interviewed by CBS Ambassador, Rev. Dr. Andrew Stirling. In this episode, they discuss how Joni uses Scripture to preach with honesty, courage, and imagination. They also explore Scripture’s voice in a world of doubt and trauma, why Jesus can’t be tamed, and how the parables are meant to disrupt and awaken us.

In this episode, Joni and Andrew discuss:

• Joni’s journey into preaching and they explore how faith, family, and church community shaped her calling, and look at how Scripture moves from the page to the pulpit.
• What happens when congregations lose Bible fluency as they unpack Paul Wilson’s “Four Pages of the Sermon” as a way to move from trouble to grace.
• They wrestle with the disruptive power of the Gospel and reflect on preaching with honesty in a world of trauma and uncertainty.
• How Scripture gives us language when words fail. Joni talks about the space Scripture has for lament, questions, and encounters with God.
• The “thin place” of preaching - where God moves between text, preacher, and listener and how the Church can reclaim a wilder, untamed Jesus.
• The subversive power of the parables and how to preach them in ways that awaken instead of dull the imagination.
• What’s Stirring in Gen Z and the Future of the Church? Joni and Andres explore Gen Z’s hunger for authentic faith and consider what this means for the future of the Church.

Read the transcript: biblesociety.ca/transcript-scripture-untangled-s11-ep10

Joni Sancken’s approach to preaching is interdisciplinary and theological. Sancken (PhD, Toronto School of Theology, Emmanuel College) holds the Butler Chair of Homiletics and Biblical Interpretation at Vancouver School of Theology. She was formerly Professor of Homiletics at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, OH where she served for a decade and Assistant Professor of Preaching and Practical Theology at Eastern Mennonite Seminary in Harrisonburg, VA. She is the author of several books including, Stumbling Over the Cross: Preaching the Cross and Resurrection Today (Cascade, 2016), Words that Heal: Preaching Hope to Wounded Souls (Abingdon, 2019), All Our Griefs to Bear: Responding with Resilience After Collective Trauma (Herald Press, 2022,) and Getting to God: Preaching Good News in a Troubled World (co-authored) (Cascade, 2023.)

Sancken is passionate about supporting and encouraging pastors and church leaders. She grew up in a Mennonite congregation near Champaign-Urbana, IL and is an ordained pastor in Mennonite Church USA. She is energized by ecumenical and religious diversity having studied, served, and worshipped in Presbyterian Church USA, United Church of Canada, and United Methodist settings, and has completed training in the interfaith practice of scriptural reasoning.

Sancken lives in Vancouver, BC with her Presbyterian pastor spouse, Steve Schumm, children Maggie and Teddy, and dogs Bella and Pax. In her free time, she enjoys reading, watching low-stakes reality TV, and exploring the natural beauty around Vancouver.

• Canadian Bible Society: biblesociety.ca
• Help people hear God speak: biblesociety.ca/donate
• Connect with us on Instagram: @canadianbiblesociety
• The Bible Course: biblecourse.ca