Leadership Sharing at the University of Guelph 

In January 2025, the Ecumenical Campus Ministry (ECM) at the University of Guelph entered into a leadership-sharing partnership with Two Rivers Church. The arrangement sees the two ministries evenly sharing the leadership and energy of the Reverend Andrew Hyde, who has served as ECM’s full-time chaplain since 2015. Hyde was ordained as a minister of Word, Sacrament, and Pastoral Care in the United Church of Canada last Spring.  

Two Rivers Church is a missional expression of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. Founded as a house church in 2012, the experimental community has been guided by the Reverend Dr. Glen Soderholm, who also directs Moveable Feast Resources, until his retirement in December 2024. Two Rivers Church gathers around 4 L’s… Liturgy, Living Rooms, Learning Rooms, and Living Missionally… and a posture of “inviting all to come alive in Christ”. Sunday liturgies happen at 4 pm in the church hall of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian in downtown Guelph.  

Partnering with Two Rivers Church not only helps the campus ministry cover staffing costs, but it also opens up some creative synergies for the two communities. Some ECM alumni have already made Two Rivers their new church home. The afternoon time slot allows Hyde to continue offering Sunday morning Church Hops (where ECM takes students to visit local churches) and limited pulpit supply. The two ministries are looking at offering some shared programs this Fall.  

The shift to a shared leadership model has required some adjustments for the campus ministry, which have largely been managed by a renewed emphasis on student leadership. In recent years, ECM has developed a team of four student leaders, who give direction to the areas of Prayer & Spirituality, Social Justice, ECM’s Queer Christian Community, and Encouragement.  

The Ecumenical Campus Ministry has been the home of the Anglican, Presbyterian, and United Church at the University of Guelph since 1968. To learn more about ECM’s ministry on campus, visit www.ECMguelph.org or follow @ECMguelph on Instagram.  

To learn more about Two Rivers Church, visit www.tworiverschurch.ca or follow @tworiverschurch.ca on Instagram.