David A. Holmes

The George and Sally Telford Award is given to an outstanding Doctor of Ministry graduate who shows exceptional ability for congregational leadership with an emphasis on social justice issues and vision for the church.

David Holmes is pastor of McDougall United Church (United Church of Canada), in Calgary, Alberta. He received the B.A. degree from the University of Alberta, and the M.Div. degree from Vancouver School of Theology. An abstract of his  D.Min. project appears at right.

Sabbath Practice As a Resistance to Consumerism: A Lenten Experiment in Congregational Sabbath Practice

The unsustainable consumer culture that dominates North American society empowers, and is empowered by, a particular spirituality. This spirituality makes it difficult to say “no” to opportunities and obligations, and difficult to say “yes” to community and loving relationships.

This project explores the hypothesis that the practice of Sabbath might free a community from consumerism through the practice of an alternative spirituality. Robert McClure United Church undertook an experiment in congregational Sabbath practice in Lent of 2007, discovering that this practice was beginning to help them become more relaxed, more aware, and more connected to God and one another.